On July 1, 2026, Dr. Paul D. Kooistra, 83, entered the presence of his Savior after a year-long battle with cancer. A beloved preacher and writer, Dr. Kooistra served as coordinator of Mission to the World from 1994–2014. He is remembered for his strong leadership, passion for global missions, and commitment to teaching about the... Continue Reading

Critiques of political rulers based on Presbyterianism was nowhere more pronounced in the case of English and Scottish exiles who brought the ideals of Geneva home to their respective realms.  Among the first advocates of Presbyterianism, such as Knox in Scotland and Thomas Cartwright in England, this new church government not only questioned the rule... Continue Reading

As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, recall the 50th Jubilee of July 4, 1826—when Americans gathered in Washington to mark the Founders’ “Great American Experiment” as a proven success. That same day, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of each other, their passing on the Declaration’s golden anniversary seen by many as... Continue Reading

Let us give generously and seek to help our brothers and sisters in need but let us also make sure that our generosity isn’t actually harming those we’re intending to help with it.   Read: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 Christ commands us to be generous and charitable, particularly toward our brothers and sisters in Christ (Rom.... Continue Reading

For you and me as Christians, the best quality of life will have as its foundation our faith in Jesus Christ as our substitute, dying for our sins on the cross, and Him as our righteousness, our only way of acceptance before God.   Recently, my wife and I were on an international flight. Sitting... Continue Reading

The denomination’s social principles were revised during its quadrennial 2024 General Conference, when delegates voted to remove from the UMC’s rule book a statement added in 1972 that called homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.”   (RNS)—Asbury Theological Seminary, a 103-year-old Kentucky evangelical seminary, is no longer approved as a school for United Methodist candidates for... Continue Reading

Muslims are present in our cities and neighborhoods in growing numbers, and the opportunity for gospel witness is real. Even the sensitive subject of Muhammad is not off-limits—it simply requires wisdom. Muslims today are questioning their faith at an unprecedented rate, in part because information once accessible only to specialists is now available to anyone... Continue Reading

The answer to civilizational confusion is not retreat. It is faithful obedience.…Live like reality is real. Because it is. Live under Christ’s authority in ordinary ways. Be faithful in a world that is forgetting what faithfulness even looks like. Christians must remember that the hard soil is still God’s field.   There are ideas so... Continue Reading

In an age when rage-baiting, shrieking, and childish whining passes for public discourse, we must remain composed and stable. Not because we are aloof, but because we are controlled by the deep and pervasive conviction that God has installed His King on Zion (Psalm 2:6).   There is no doubt that saints ought to rejoice.... Continue Reading

“The happiness which our country enjoys in the pursuits of peace and industry ought to endear that cause to all its citizens, and to kindle their hearts with gratitude to the Being under whose providence these blessings are held. We owe to him especial thanks for the right we enjoy to worship him, every one... Continue Reading