Volu 100 Issue 17

Pastor of Kalamazoo PRC in Kalamazoo, Michigan   And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I...

Pastor of Crete PRC in Crete, Illinois The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA) will be hosted this year by Trinity PRC (Hudsonville, MI). A pre-synodical worship service will be held on Monday evening, June 10, 2024, to ask God for His blessing prior to taking up the work. The ten minister delegates and ten elder delegates will assemble to begin the work on Tuesday, June 11, at 8:00 a.m. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES The agenda for synod, per usual, includes the reports from the synodical standing committees who labor in the interim between meetings as servants...

Teacher of New Testament history at Covenant Christian High School in Walker, Michigan and a member of Faith PRC in Jenison, Michigan   And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it —Colossians 4:17. In modern Turkey, the Lycus River, with its source near Mount Cadmus, flows past a trifecta of significance from the Roman world: Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. Perhaps not significant to the average Roman in Paul’s day or to most Christians today; nonetheless, this important river valley is the geographical backdrop of multiple, important narratives in...

Pastor of First PRC in Grand Rapids, Michigan Vengeance is a scary word. We are inclined to shy away from it, knowing as we do that “desire of revenge” is a sin serious enough that God “accounts” it “as murder” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 106). Our mothers were right when they taught us not to throw back the rocks at those who first cast them at us. Part of what makes vengeance so scary is just how intense it can be. Long before any novel or ballad put words to the inferno that ignites in the heart of a person who...

Pastor of Providence PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit—Romans 8:1.   INTRODUCTION In the last article I defined justification, the fifth step in the ordo salutis—regeneration, calling, conversion, faith, justification—as “God’s legal declaration of righteousness.” God as the Judge makes an official pronouncement upon, or an official verdict concerning, the believing sinner that he is righteous, that is, that he is in perfect conformity to, or in complete harmony with, God’s standard of holiness set forth in His law....

Science teacher in Covenant Christian High School and member and elder of Hope PRC in Walker, Michigan There are certain occurrences in the creation that capture our attention with dramatic intensity. One such event is about to unfold in numerous locations throughout the eastern half of the United States, if it has not already begun in some areas. This remarkable spectacle involves the emergence of countless cicadas from underground, a phenomenon that captivates observers because of its incredible magnitude. This particular emergence involves two neighboring groups of periodical cicadas that have not emerged together since 1803, the same year that...

Former PRC foreign missionary to the Philippines, and pastor of Randolph PRC in Randolph, Wisconsin For a foreign missionary, much time, energy, thought, and excitement goes into preparation for service on a foreign mission field in behalf of his calling and supporting churches, especially in a cross-cultural setting. In fact, recognizing the importance of that, many denominational mission committees, including the Foreign Mission Committee of the PRCA, have developed programs of preparation for their foreign missionaries in order to train themselves for effective and long-term service on their respective foreign fields. This policy of preparation is supported by Scripture in...

Former editor of the Standard Bearer, professor emeritus of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and member of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan Rarely does God give to His church a ministry of one of His servants like that of Herman C. Hanko. This includes the length of a ministry. Ordained into the gospel ministry in the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC) in 1955, Hanko was declared emeritus (retired) in 2001. God gave him 46 years of official, active labor in His church. God made this ministry extraordinarily fruitful on behalf of the kingdom of Christ. The...

Member of Faith PRC in Jenison, Michigan and full-time librarian/registrar/archivist at the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and SB book review editor The following book is reviewed by Mrs. Brenda Hoekstra, wife, mother, grandmother, and member of Hudsonville PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan.   The Christian Manifesto: Jesus’ Life-changing Words from the Plain, by Alistair Begg, The Good Book Co., 2023. Pp. 112. Hard cover, $18.99. Every once in a while, a book comes along that shows itself to be one that every Christian should read besides the Bible itself. For me, there were only two such books; until now. Granted, there...