Dear Brothers,
Jesus famously said to His disciples: You are the light of the world (Matt.5:14). That is true of all of us whom God has graciously delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Col.1:13). Psalm 36 gives us characteristics of one under the dominion of darkness: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. 3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.
The dominion of darkness is quite evidently pervasive in our present culture. Evil is admired, not abhorred, while righteousness is disdained, not admired. Only THE gospel of Christ reveals the righteousness of God and has the power to deliver from the power of darkness unto abhorring evil and rather admiring and pursuing righteousness.
The RCUS, by God’s persevering grace, is a steadfastly faithful and bold Gospel -of- Christ Jesus- proclaiming denomination. The Reformed Herald’s intent is the furtherance of the gospel preached from RCUS pulpits, to serve as adjunct means in shining the transforming/sanctifying light of the gospel to its subscribers but hopefully to penetrate also into the broader culture.
The Publications Committee is expected to report on its progress in having the Reformed Herald’s layout being done in-house for more creative control and faster turn around in publishing the hard copies but as well uploading the RH in a user-friendly, searchable format to the RCUS website.
I have been privileged and thankful to serve as Editor and have done this work in dependence on God’s sustaining grace and your support. Hopefully my efforts have been pleasing to the Lord and to the readership.
I am grateful to God and the authors for all the article submissions received, aware that they demand time and effort which could be devoted to more pressing needs. As I think every Editor has realized, the biggest challenge is to have articles sufficient in number and breadth to compose each issue, and I commend all the contributors. I am glad to report that his past synodical year there have been more articles written by first-time contributors, while more regular submitters have, with thanks to them, continued to allow the allotted pages to be other than white blanks. This sounds like a broken record, but I hope that more of you ministers and elders would voluntarily write/submit suitable articles, so you wouldn’t have to suffer the pleading and cajoling from your Editor.
And I’ve said this previously as well, but I continue to think submission from wives and our young people would be a welcome addition to the RH content and I am glad that there has been an uptick in that regard. As I have encouraged all along, and am repeating it again, not only theological articles and sermons, but commentary on cultural issues, book reviews, fitting biographies, poetry, and personal life-of-faith experiences as well as the joys and challenges of church membership would enhance the RH.
All the submissions I received were orthodox in theology and written in a spirit of helpfulness and brotherly love. Some articles, already written, or potentially so, were discussed with the author prior to submission, and that form of editing was also useful in determining content.
Thanks be to God your current Editor has enjoyed a good measure of health this past year but my “best if used by” date may already be past as four score years of life are on the near horizon, Lord willing.
I have enjoyed the work even through its challenges and would be willing, depending on God’s sustaining grace, to yet continue as Editor if Synod so desired.
I do believe that the Reformed Herald continues to be a viable witness of the RCUS and its steadfastness to the faith once for all delivered to the saints and serves to encourage and strengthen its readers to keep looking to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
May the Lord richly bless this Synod to His glory and preserve the steadfast Gospel ministry of the RCUS.
George Horner
Reformed Herald Editor
Ridgeland, SC
