Vol 99 Issue 17

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me...

The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA) will be hosted this year by Southwest PRC (Wyoming, MI). A pre-synodical worship service will be held on Monday evening, June 12, 2023, to beseech God for His blessing prior to taking up the work, and the twenty minister and elder delegates along with the five professor-advisors will gather to begin the work on Tuesday, June 13, at 8:00 a.m. Three overtures and a protest I believe it is safe to say that the issue presently on the hearts and minds of officebearers and members of the denomination is that...

Langberg and Grasso Diane Langberg is a member of Calvary PCA in Willow Grove, PA, a member of a Reformed denomination that does not permit the ordination of women. She is also a psychologist and an author of numerous books on abuse. In the SB’s special issue, Langberg is the first author recommended in “Resources Related to Sexual Abuse. “I… find her to be excellent,” writes Rev. Guichelaar, adding, “She specializes in trauma but she also has books on sexual and clergy abuse, which are obviously intimately related to the subject of trauma. If you want to help a friend...

There is power in media to promote a message. Through television, film, radio, podcast, and social media, getting a message out to the masses has never been easier. And the platforms to receive the message are owned by almost everyone, as smartphones, tablets, and televisions are becoming ubiquitous. Many are the messages that are being promoted, so many of which are dangerous to the Christian and to the church. What I will address in this article is The Chosen, the television series about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Dramatic productions of biblical narratives, and more specifically of Jesus,...

Previous article in this series: March 15, 2023, p. 272. Habakkuk 2:5-20 and Revelation 16:17-18:24 Habakkuk 2:5-20 prophesies God’s coming judgment on Babylon. Though God Himself would use them to chastise His people, He would nevertheless hold them accountable for what they did to Judah and would punish them in turn. He pronounces His judgment in five woes, doing to them what they had done to Judah and to others. There is an obvious parallel between Habakkuk 2:5- 20 and chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation. Both describe Babylon’s judgment, though Babylon in Revelation is not the old earthly city...

When you hear the word gate, you likely think of chain links or white pickets opening to a little patch of green. When Jesus spoke of gates, it would have been heavy wooden doors ajar beside thick stone walls that entered the minds of His hearers. There were wide gates with broad roads and heavy traffic into the city every morning. There were also narrow gates with paths more difficult to navigate, a fitting illustration of the self-denying way that leads to life for the few who find it (Matt. 7:13, 14). A gate at its most basic idea is...

Previous article in this series: March 1, 2023, p. 253. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. II Timothy 1:9 Introduction: What calling is In the ordo salutis, the logical sequence in which the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of salvation decreed by God in election and purchased by Christ on the cross, the second step is calling. I define calling thus: “Calling is the address of God’s voice by the Holy...

Previous article in this series: March 15, 2023, p. 278. Last time we made a beginning at taking note of how the content of the Belgic Confession shows the missionary character and flavor of this creed. We saw that it is a creed which not only implies the need to do mission work, but which also instructs us concerning the content of missionary preaching. We left off last time with Article 15. We now continue from there. Article 16: Eternal election In speaking about election, this article first repeats what was stated in Article 15, namely, that “all the posterity...

The following book is reviewed by Prof. Douglas Kuiper, professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and member of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan. Church History, by Simonetta Carr. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2022. 265 pages. Hardcover. $35.00. The days of reading to my children are over. If they were not, I would read them this book, perhaps three to five pages an evening. Let me tell you why. First, the topic lends itself. The book is a good introduction to church history. It covers nine eras from AD 30 to 2000. It...

May 2023 Classis East Report Classis East convened Wednesday May 10, 2023 at Faith PRC in Jenison, MI. Rev. McGeown served as chairman. Eight elders served at classis for the first time and signed the Formula of Subscription, a vow to uphold the teaching of Scripture summarized in the Reformed Confessions. The routine matters treated by classis included approving the work of its Stated Clerk and Classical Committee (this committee does work on behalf of classis when classis is not in session). A schedule for classical appointments for Georgetown, Hudsonville, and Zion PRCs was adopted. The expenses for the meeting...