Dear Editor,
I have just read in Beacon Lights of Rev. H. Hoeksema, and his labors in the youth of the CR Churches. I especially enjoyed his article, called “Lost—A Thinking Cap.” I so enjoyed also, Prof. Engelsma’s articles on Rev. Hoeksema, so I was so happy to hear more of him now. I have many joyous memories of him, Rev. Hoeksema, as my pastor in my first days in the Protestant Reformed Churches. As you see I came out of the Christian Reformed Church at an early age, maybe 18 or so. Though I was young, the Lord showed me in no uncertain ways, that which I did was right in his sight. He, the Lord, through the gifted voice of Rev. Hoeksema, showed me plainly the error of common grace. And through the Lord’s sustaining grace and favor, he has caused me to continue to grow and increase in knowledge. So I say to our youth: May the Lord cause you to grow in the love of the truth and our precious Protestant Reformed doctrine.
A humble servant of the Lord,
Fred Ondersma
Dear Editor,
I would like to comment on the reprinted article of Marvin Kamps in the April issue of Beacon Lights, the title of which was “Is the Center of My Life the Church?” Basically what was written is certainly true, but I believe a little more could be said. So in regard to this I would like to quote what Luther wrote along the same lines. He writes, “I would not have preachers torment their hearers, and detain them with long and tedious preaching, for the delight of hearing vanishes therewith, and the preachers hurt themselves” (Of Preachers and Preaching CCCXCIII).
In the Lord,
Fred Ondersma
“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted” (Acts 20:7-12).
