Young people, for the first time some of you will be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. Some of you already are eligible. And surely your parents and grandparents are eligible (and we know that they read us too). This will pose some issues for all of us, especially concerning the presidential election, which […]
It is April 12, 2008, and I am at the residence of Mr. Don DeVries, near Randolph, Wisconsin. MHH: Mr. DeVries, can you tell me where and when you born? DDV: I was born in Rural Route Randolph, on July 21, 1934. MHH: What can you tell me about your childhood, your family, anything that […]
Does the Bible forbid or allow one human to judge another human in light of Matthew 7:1, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” In general, today’s society advocates tolerance. Every person is believed to have the right to determine good and evil for themselves and may do so without any opposition from another. We […]
Recently I received a note from Mr. Ray Kikkert, member of the Protestant Reformed congregation in Wingham, Ontario, Canada. Beacon Lights thanks him for his interest and his comments. He begins with two questions: “Who is Schuyler?” And: “Is it Mark Hoeksema, the editor?” My answer is also two-fold. First, Schuyler’s identity is a deep, […]
My country ’tis of Thee, Who telleth the number of the stars. And with Thy stripes we are healed. Absolved from all allegiance to sin, we, the pilgrims, seek a more perfect city. Declare independence: where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, secured for ourselves and our posterity. O death, where is […]
According to 1 John 1:4, the very goal of the gospel of the covenant of grace is that we may experience the fullness of joy. It is certainly our prayer as pastors that you yourselves live in the consciousness of the joy of your relationship with our covenant God in Jesus Christ. In the light […]
Read James 5:13–20 Idea of Prayer What is prayer? Who can pray? (John 9:31) Why pray when God knows everything already? Does prayer actually change things? Necessity of Prayer Is prayer important? Why so? (Psalm 50:14–15) Why must we pray for each other? James 5. If prayer is so important, why […]
Danny’s mom rested a hand on him and Becky’s shoulders. “The caligae or sandals that the Roman soldiers had another purpose. The Roman soldiers did more than fight. They were also builders. They, and the workers who traveled with them, built roads for the army to travel between places easier. When they stayed in one […]
July 8– Read Psalm 102:1–12 What makes hell so terrible? It is full of God’s wrath. Psalm 139:8 states, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” There is no comfort in hell, just the wrath of God being poured out eternally. We […]
Introduction: When we pick up our English Bibles and read them – whether it is at church in the worship service, or whether it is at home at the supper table or beside our beds at night – there are two things that we as English-speaking people probably take for granted every single time. First, […]