Vol 94 Issue 09

Trivia question Which Protestant Reformed minister made history on November 26, 2017? Would you like more information? Hint: it has to do with his installation. Answer later in this issue. Congregational activities The Edmonton congregation was invited to a night of food and fellowship, along with the Lacombe congregation, as Immanuel PRC welcomed Rev. Brian Feenstra and his family into their midst. Friday, January 12, was reserved for a potluck supper at Genesis PR Christian School, beginning at 6:30 p.m. All were requested to bring a dish to share, while beverages and dessert were provided. Following the meal there was...

Dr. Nathan Lanning, cellular and molecular biologist and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Redlands, California. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. I Corinthians 6:12 In order to remain alive and properly function, the cells that make up our bodies must continually take in nutrients. These nutrients provide the raw materials required for the production of hormones by endocrine cells, by digestive enzymes, by intestinal cells, by hemoglobin in red blood cells, and by the myriad...

Previous article in this series: November 15, 2017, p. 75. In my last two articles I developed three reasons why the interdenominational committee is proposing changes to some of the music (tunes) of our Psalter: 1) the tunes must serve the lyrics well; 2) the tunes must serve the congregation by enabling her to sing the lyrics well; and 3) some Psalter numbers are rarely sung, raising the question whether a change of music would serve the congregations well. Although I developed these reasons, I did not invent them. One reason why some initially explored the idea of Psalter revision...

Why take heed to doctrine? The title of this rubric is “Taking Heed to the Doctrine.” Writing for this rubric, I must take heed to doctrine. Reading this rubric, you take heed to doctrine. Before writing one article in explanation of the doctrine of the Reformed faith, an examination of the reason for the whole enterprise of theology and the importance of doctrine should be conducted. In any endeavor it is good to ask “why? Why do you do what you do?” And because young pastor Timothy, who was exhorted to take heed to the doctrine, was first exhorted to...

Lord’s Day 37 Question 101. May we then swear religiously by the name of God? Answer. Yes; either when the magistrates demand it of the subjects; or when necessity requires us thereby to confirm fidelity and truth to the glory of God and the safety of our neighbor; for such an oath is founded on God’s Word, and therefore was justly used by the saints both in the Old and New Testament. Question 102. May we also swear by saints or any other creatures? Answer. No; for a lawful oath is calling upon God, as the only one who knows...

We saw last time that Solomon has reached a certain limitation in the wisdom he sought. He has just said, “Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it out” (Eccl. 8:17). God’s works transcend man’s understanding, and beholding those works under the sun there is much hidden from us in God’s counsel....

Museum of the Bible On November 17, 2017, in Washington, D.C., the museum capital of the world, another museum opened its doors. Only three blocks from the Capitol Building, the state-of-the-art Museum of the Bible will showcase over 40,000 objects in a 430,000-square-foot building, including first editions of the King James Bible, fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical papyri and manuscripts, and the largest collection of Torah scrolls. The purpose? According to its website, “To invite all people to engage with the Bible.”1 The founder of Museum of the Bible is Steve Green, CEO of the popular retailer Hobby...

The USA is rushing to ruin, a ‘victim’ of her own out-of-control passions for sex, violence, lies, godless pleasures, and every form of wickedness. Some might say she is going to hell in a handbasket, but that sounds to be making light of a very serious matter. Our society is plunging herself into ruin, asking for a tsunami to overcome her from both the Atlantic and Pacific. Recently, some in our society have been pushing back against a few of the evils that most disturb them. The media and others who have a voice in our society have been complaining...

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7 Our lives today are frequently so busy and so complex that we easily forget our dependence upon God. We are inclined to look to ourselves to solve our problems. In foolish pride we are inclined to look to our own resources and our own ingenuity to provide for our needs. But this self-centered, self-reliant attitude takes its...