June 16 Read John 16:1-12 Sometimes that which is necessary is sorrowful. Those are Jesus’s words in verses 6 and 7. Without the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, we would not have the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, we would not have life. The Spirit spoken of in verses 8-11 is not the […]
From time to time over the past years we have come to experience in the halls of the seminary something of what it means to be part of a catholic church. That was true again this past year. It seemed to me, therefore, that “The Church and Her Catholicity” would be an eminently suitable topic […]
Young people, your convention is not far off. Have you given some thought about the theme? You have a fascinating topic that is certain to stir up in your mind some truths that you may not have thought about much before. What follows are some questions to think about. What is our role as the […]
Last summer we had the privilege of taking a family vacation to the Lake Superior area in northern Minnesota. On the second day of our vacation a local businessman recommended Sawbill Lake, which was a little ways north and west from where we were staying. He had our boys especially interested with his wonderful fishing […]
“Entreat me not to leave thee” These words were wrung from the young widow’s heart; Ruth would not from Naomi’s ways depart For in her household she had learned to fear Jehovah, Israel’s God, in covenant sphere. No more would she bow down to idol god; She’d leave her fam’ly, to take root abroad. Her […]
Introduction Seventeen-year-old Leah was considered by her parents to be their perfect child. “Life would be easy if all our kids were like Leah,” they exclaimed to their friends. Leah really did have a great deal going for her. She was easy to raise, goal-oriented, reliable, hard working, and eager to please. The combination of […]
When I close my eyes to recall my childhood memories I find myself standing in the middle of a forest on a warm summer day. The trees are rustling all around as the wind plays among the branches. The sun is rising steadily, chasing away the damp and dew of night. The forest is alive […]
Silence on the Schism During my three years of seminary training under him, from 1960-1963, Herman Hoeksema never spoke of the great schism of 1953 in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Never, whether in class or during the breaks, did he refer to, much less excoriate, the ministers who were responsible for the schism. Indeed, he […]
Young People, during your society year you elected two delegates to represent you at the 2009 summer convention. During the convention there will be a meeting that these delegates will attend to vote for new Federation Board members. The members of the Young People’s Federation Board make many decisions concerning conventions, mass meetings, singspirations, and […]
While studying law in Bourges, Jean Chauvin, now twenty-two years old, received word that his father was dying. The year was 1531. Jean traveled back to his hometown of Noyon to see his father one last time. The young Chauvin, still with his title of chaplain, performed the funeral service for his father. And now, […]