Ah, summer! Long hot days at work and play, and pleasant evenings reading Sword and Shield.

A day at the beach to swim in the lake, and burying one’s toes in the sand while reading Sword and Shield.

A family vacation at the campground, and reading Sword and Shield around the fire.

Iced tea, lemonade, and Sword and Shield.

Hot dogs, baseball, and Sword and Shield.

Ah, summer!

Ah, Sword and Shield!

In this August issue of the magazine, Rev. Stuart Pastine brings his series on Norman Shepherd to a close with his eighth article. Reverend Pastine did not expect to write this many articles when he started his series in the October 2021 issue. That is part of the beauty of a believer’s magazine, in which God’s people can write without restriction and without censure. We thank Reverend Pastine for his insightful analysis of Norman Shepherd’s theology and for his bold polemics against all conditional theology. Undoubtedly, the readers of Sword and Shield have profited from this series.

A brief note about Rev. Nathan Langerak’s rubric. His article in Understanding the Times is a modified version of the graduation speech that he gave at the occasion of the first graduation of Genesis Reformed Protestant School in Dyer, Indiana. The school’s existence is a wonder of God’s grace, as is the existence of every Reformed Protestant school and every association of Reformed Protestant parents who labor toward a school. May the Lord use Reverend Langerak’s speech for the encouragement of all of those who give themselves on behalf of Reformed Protestant education and the Reformed Protestant schools.

It is not too early to start thinking about the third annual meeting of Reformed Believers Publishing, to be held Thursday, October 20, 2022. More details regarding the location, program, and speakers will be forthcoming. If anyone desires to join Reformed Believers Publishing as a member of the organization, submit your name to the board by using the website (reformedbelieverspub.org) or the other information on the masthead. New members are received at the annual meeting, so consider getting your name in now.

Also, we continue to invite correspondence from our readers for publication. We have received a few letters that we have stashed away for a Letters Edition. When we receive a few more letters, we will publish them together. The Letters Editions continue to be some of our most anticipated issues. Thank you in advance to all our correspondents.

With that, the August issue is before you. Take up and read. And may God speed the truths written herein to your heart and the next issue into your hands.