Jehovah has been good to Reformed Believers Publishing (RBP). This is evident when reflecting on the events of this past year. The events of the past year include the publishing of another volume of Sword and Shield, the appointment of a new editor in chief, and new rubrics in Sword and Shield, including Running Footmen and Insights. The Lord has been good to the association, the board, and the staff of Sword and Shield not because of our own faithfulness. The Lord has been good because he is gracious according to his own promise to preserve his people in the truth of his word. Our covenant God continues to work in and through the writers, staff, and board so that his truth, not the will of man, is proclaimed on the pages of Sword and Shield. We give thanks for our Lord’s faithfulness to us in another year!

We marvel at God’s goodness as Sword and Shield is in its fourth year of publication. There is still much excitement among the readership as each issue reaches several countries and many states. When the new issue arrives in the mail, readers eagerly take to their phones to spread the news. There are stories of excited readers who have even found ways to find a copy of the new issue before it is mailed to the rest of the readership. The magazine remains free of charge for any interested reader. Each issue of Sword and Shield costs around five thousand dollars to produce, so please consider donating to Reformed Believers Publishing. We thank God for the financial gifts that allow the magazine to be sent out without interruption!

As readers, Sword and Shield shows up in our mailboxes and in our web browsers with little to no effort by us. There is, however, much work being done behind the scenes to produce this magazine. Rev. Nathan Langerak, the editor in chief, spends time organizing rubrics, scheduling writers and articles, writing his regular articles, and much more. Each issue requires hours of labor from the other writers as they put their thoughts into text. The copy editors of Sword and Shield, Evelyn Langerak and Ally Ophoff, have been invaluable to the reading quality of the articles as they masterfully make corrections to the articles. The board labors monthly to manage and supervise the affairs of the RBP association. We thank the retiring board members, Henry Kamps and Jon Langerak, for their labors in these past few years. We also thank Wonderland Tire for allowing the free use of their corporate office for our monthly board meetings. Truly, there has been much labor from all of these men and women, and it is our confession that this is the work of Jesus Christ by his Spirit. We thank God for their labors and pray that he continues to preserve them in spirit and in truth.

We thank God for working zeal in and through believers, such that Sword and Shield remains a believer’s magazine that is governed by the association’s elected board. The paper is not a self-governed publication, such that one man may dominate the paper with his own views. We pray that God continues to work in us as believers the fruit of witnessing together to the Reformed truth. To that end we ask those who share the desire to witness to the Reformed truth to join us in this glorious work. If you are not a member, please consider joining Reformed Believers Publishing. Sword and Shield welcomes contributions, so consider submitting an article on a topic or doctrine of God that interests you, or perhaps consider submitting something interesting that you have read. There are many ways in which to support Reformed Believers Publishing, and we thank all those who have contributed their time, energy, finances, and prayers.

God has been faithful to the purpose of Sword and Shield as a polemical magazine that promotes the truth of God’s sovereignty in salvation and condemns all lies repugnant to God’s truth. The pages of Sword and Shield remain a spiritual battleground. Relevant controversies in today’s church world have been central to the attention of Sword and Shield. If someone were to pick up an issue with the hope of finding smooth words that seek to create an artificial peace, then they would be sorely disappointed. The warfare is hot, and Christ continues to build up his church by cutting down the false teachers who seek to rob the rest of God’s beloved people. May God continue to use Sword and Shield to edify his church and to strike down those who seek to do her harm!