In March of 2002, my former colleague Mr. Cal Kalsbeek was approached by a member of the Standard Bearer editorial committee to write a column for their magazine aimed at evaluating current events in our world. The end result, forty-plus articles later, was not only a regular series for subscribers of the Standard Bearer to […]

Habakkuk is the eighth book of the minor prophets and is mostly written as a conversation between God and his servant Habakkuk. The book begins immediately with the prophet’s sad and angry evaluation of the state of Judah around him. He sees God’s chosen people behaving in wicked ways. He sees violence, greed, and injustice […]

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14   It’s not entirely a stretch to say that the Reformation began on a college campus in a debate over current events. Perhaps it […]

The Bible is the word of God. It is not enough to say that part of the Bible is the word of God or that somewhere in the Bible the word of God can be found. From Genesis to Revelation, every line of holy scripture is the word of God. Therefore, scripture is authoritative for […]

There might be a temptation for readers who are not planning to attend college to read the title of this month’s issue of Beacon Lights and think to themselves, “Well, this doesn’t apply to me, so I’ll pass on this one. Maybe next month will be more relevant.” If that is what is going through […]

I remember it clearly even though it was six years ago. I was sitting on a bench outside a lecture hall at Grand Valley State University, waiting for my class’s turn to enter. A young man sat down next to me wearing a shirt that had the words “Covenant Christian.” I didn’t recognize him, but […]

Every four months in the Protestant Reformed Churches, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. All the confessing members of the church—both men and women—participate by eating the bread and drinking the wine. As children, you might not think too much about the Lord’s Supper since you haven’t made confession of faith yet. But this is an […]

A young man joined the Marine Corps pre-Korean War, gung-ho in all his training. His loyalty and patriotism were noted by his sergeant, who then made him a platoon leader. During a highly celebrated battle, his regiment was inserted in the line at a crucial point. Mortar shells exploded around him, gunfire ricocheted off rocks […]

You can thank God that when you graduate from high school, you have the option of attending a college or university. When God’s people spend a few years delving deeply into mathematics, the sciences, history, or the languages, God’s works are magnified, and he is glorified. Higher education is a good gift. Here on earth, […]