Vol 94 Issue 18

Trivia question The 2018 Young People’s Convention is fast approaching! A record number of conventioneers—over 500!—will descend on the Lake Geneva Christian Center in Alexandria, MN at the convention hosted by the five Siouxland area churches of the Midwest. So, a question about early conventions: The first young people’s convention was held in 1939. The April 1942 issue of Beacon Lights advertised the 4th Annual Convention to be held at Roosevelt Park PRC. “We have selected our theme for this year and it has to do with youth. What is always characteristic of youth—Of what is youth-ful? And that’s the...

Remember His marvelous works that he hath done… Psalm 105:5 Take a moment to recall your earliest memory. Perhaps your earliest memory is from a particularly happy moment, an exciting event, or a stressful situation. Mine is a combination of exciting moment and stressful event: I went with my mother to pick up my older brother from kindergarten for the first time. I was quite curious to get a glimpse of where my brother went during the day, but I was also anxious as to whether I would be required to talk to older kids or even a teacher! I...

Our churches have undertaken something we have never done before in our mission work, namely, we have called and sent three missionaries to work together on one mission field. It was already a significant undertaking to begin calling (in 2008) and then to send (in 2009) two missionaries to the Philippines. Now we have three. From our perspective as missionaries, as well as from the perspective of the churches and saints here in the Philippines, this is reason for much gratitude to God. He, the Lord of the harvest, has answered our prayers and has provided the three men for...

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Ephesians 6:16 Fiery darts! Who shall stand in this war against an enemy with arrows that drip with the angry fires of hellish unbelief, selfishness, worldliness, pride, and lust? The Christian soldier armed with the shield of faith, he shall stand! Only he shall stand. Learning war is learning to take the shield. The activity of taking the shield The inspired apostle continues his catalogue of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 by describing the shield of faith....

Lord’s Day 39 Question 104. What doth God require in the fifth commandment? Answer. That I show all honor, love, and fidelity to my father and mother and all in authority over me, and submit myself to their good instruction and correction with due obedience; and also patiently bear with their weaknesses and infirmities, since it pleases God to govern us by their hand. The law of the Ten Commandments is commonly divided into two groups: the first table (commandments 1–4) having to do with our love for God, and the second table (commandments 5–10) having to do with our...

Previous article in this series: May 1, 2018, p. 346. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so. Jeremiah 5:29–31 Indeed, “wonderful,” that is, “astonishing”! “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house I have found their wickedness, saith the Lord” (Jer. 23:11). Calvin, here, is instructive. It was no doubt enough to...

The 2018 Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches convened on Tuesday, June 12 and recessed on Friday, June 22. At various times Synod recessed—once for an entire day—to allow committees to study and prepare advice. Because the actions of synod have been announced in church bulletins and can be read on the PRCA website, there is no need to recount these. This editorial focuses on one particular issue faced by Synod 2018, namely, the place of obedience (good works) in the believer’s experience of covenant fellowship. It has been said that the particular controversy brought to this synod could only...

*2018 Pre-synodical sermon, June 11, 2018 Nehemiah 2:1–8 One thing that stands out in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah is Nehemiah’s heartfelt love for God’s cause. Nehemiah received word of the great affliction and reproach suffered by those who had returned to the promised land, and his heart burned within him for grief. But Nehemiah also laid hold of the gospel promise. God had said that He would gather His people from wherever they had been cast and would bring them to the place where He had chosen to set His name. We understand, too, that the promised inheritance...