Have you ever sat in a bathtub and pushed your body back and forth so that the water forms a big wave sloshing from end to end? If you think of Lake Michigan as a giant bathtub the giant wave that forms is known as a “seiche” (pronounced “say-sh”). A seiche occurs when the wind […]
I owe him respect as the ambassador of God, sent to teach me a better way of living than the selfish, sordid existence I might be guilty of, but for his guidance. I owe him trust, that he may be free to serve the church unhampered by fault-finding and criticism. I owe my minister prayer […]
April 1 Read Psalm 15 Psalm 15:1 What a beautiful Psalm to use in our preparations for going to church next Sunday. What does it take to appear before the almighty covenant God? Do the questions in verse one appear on your lips? Do you desire to dwell in God’s tabernacle? Do you desire to dwell in […]
The Covenant of God and the Children of Believers: Sovereign Grace in the Covenant, by David J. Engelsma. Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2005. 239 pages. As the title expresses, the covenant of God and the place of the children of believers in that covenant are the central contents of this book. As the […]
Editor’s note: Rev. Hanko continues his story with the beginnings of the Protestant Reformed Theological School. The first year was a difficult one as problems arose quickly in the faculty and student body. For some time already I had felt a call to the ministry, more particularly to be a missionary in some foreign field. […]
This past year, the Reformed Free Publishing Association published a gem that I am confident will sparkle for years to come. It was not another fine theological work that this worthy publisher made available to us, but rather a music book prepared by Marilyn DeVries. I could compare it to the little seed stone implanted […]
Ninety years ago the area west of Grand Rapids, Michigan was a farming community quite isolated by the Grand River wending its way from south to north. People of Reformed persuasion living within its confines had to travel some miles north to the area of Walker or take a ferry west across the river to […]
There was more chaos in the land in 1560. Two leading men had been expelled from the Protestant town of Heidelberg, Germany: one, the Lutheran Dr. Hesshuss, for his extreme hostility towards the other, a Calvinist. But even with Hesshuss gone, the controversy between the Lutheran view of the Lord’s Supper and the Calvinist view […]
In my last article (January 2006), I explained the purpose and basic function of the Federation Board. The Board serves as a central guide and coordinator of the works and activities done by and for the young people of our denomination. Much of this work simply involves the normal tasks and decisions necessary for managing […]