Vol 92 Issue 18

Evangelism Activities In conjunction with the issue published on April 15 on the subject of “Reformed Marriage,” we draw attention to a recent tract the evan­gelism committee of Hope PRC in Redlands, CA published under the title “The Marriage Bond Is a Life­-long Bond,” written by Joel Sugg, a beloved member of the Redlands congregation, now passed on to glory. This tract is extremely beneficial for parents to use in instructing their children on this important subject, or for individual members to use in wit­nessing to this truth in the world. It is concise, well organized, and scrip­turally based. It...

Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at the Providence PRC. This was the first time that Providence has hosted a meeting of classis. The churches were each represented by two delegates. Rev. G. Eriks was the chairman for this session. In its first order of business, classis approved the orga­nization of a new congregation in Pittsburgh, PA. The request for organization came via the Council of Southwest PRC. A sizeable delegation from Pittsburgh was present, as was the current home missionary, Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma. The delegates ad examina from Classis West were present as well...

The candle is a significant biblical picture. This should not be that surprising, since for thousands of years candles were a prominent appliance in the ev­eryday life and even worship of the church. The fact that candles have little practical value and use today does not diminish their continued spiritual significance as an enlightening symbol for us. In general, the candle symbolizes the presence, life, and knowledge of God. In a real sense, God gives to ev­ery man a candle. The spirit of man (that God breathed into him in the beginning) is the candle of the Lord, searching all...

Dan Walker, Creationism, and the BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is prob­ably one of the best-known broadcasters in the world. It is also one of the world’s most liberal media outlets. That is why the story of Dan Walker is so surprising. Dan Walker is a Christian, the son of a Baptist preacher. And he is a BBC employee. It is, perhaps, not unusual to find a Christian working in the BBC. We could imagine him as a gardener, or a cleaner, or an office worker. According to Wikipedia, the BBC employs just over 35,400 people. Surely there are...

Marriage and Singleness While I did not expect that the special edition of the SB (April 15, 2016) on “Reformed Marriage” would address singleness, I was somewhat perplexed by Rev. Slopsema’s meditation “Two Become One.” Rev. Slop­sema makes two statements that, despite my reading of his article multiple times, I still find confusing. I hope that the SB will give him the opportunity to explain what he means. He writes, “Husband and wife complement each other in a most wonderful way so that together they can serve the Lord in a way that neither could achieve alone” (p. 315) and...

As president of last year’s synod, Rev. S. Key (pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Loveland, CO) led the pre-synodical worship service. The service was held in the sanctuary of the calling church for Synod 2016, the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. The service was very well attended, as the synodical delegates, the members of Hull, as well as the members of the four neighboring Protestant Reformed congregations gathered for the divine worship service that customarily precedes the convening of the annual synod. Rev. Key directed our attention to the Word of God in Ephesians 5:32, “This is...

This is an abridged form of the pre-synodical sermon preached in Hull PRC, June 13, 2016.   “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”  Ephesians 5:32   As the delegates to Synod 2016 gather, we repre­sent Christ’s bride. Ephesians 5:32 reminds us that the most important relationship in life, the most blessed revelation of the covenant into which God has taken us, is found not in marriage, but in that which marriage is to reflect. It is that glorious relationship with Christ that is our only comfort in life and death. In the consciousness...