From the Editor — September 2025

The reader should make sure to see at the end of this issue the news from the board of Reformed Believers Publishing. The board announces the time and venue for the annual meeting of the association of Reformed Believers Publishing. That meeting will be a celebration of the truth and the reformation that the truth has worked through the means of Sword and Shield. The board also announces that it has completed the work of making all the issues of Sword and Shield available in audio format for those who perhaps have a lot of windshield time or have a set of earbuds and are cleaning the house and want to listen to Sword and Shield while they drive or work.

The reason for the reformation that was in part birthed by Sword and Shield is made clear by the article written in the Running Footmen rubric this month. If there was any doubt that the Protestant Reformed denomination has thoroughly corrupted the truth of justification by faith alone and that she is completely hardened in her corruption of the truth, then that must be laid to rest at this point. The only question now is, will anyone actually leave? The Protestant Reformed Churches are a dumpster fire, and yet the people stay. The words of the Lord could not be more fitting:

14. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15. For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Matt. 13:14–15)

The Lord has laid before the members of those churches the truth through the mouths and pens of many witnesses. Some of the witnesses they beat, some they killed, and some they laughed to scorn. The members of the Protestant Reformed Churches have seen and heard the truth, and Christ has been evidently set forth and crucified among them, and they do not believe. If the words that have been spoken by these witnesses had been spoken in Sodom and Gomorrah, those cities would have repented in dust and ashes. The hardness of this once-noble denomination of the Lord is astounding. We rest in God’s sovereignty and marvel at his judgments. We say with the apostle Paul,

33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?

35. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33–36)

As a companion piece to the Running Footmen article is a submission by Mr. Andy Birkett. He was told that in one Protestant Reformed church the members are hearing good gospel preaching. So he decided to listen to the preaching, and the sermon that he heard was the same old works-righteousness that characterizes the official doctrine of the denomination.

Reformation was necessary lest we all perished!

In his Understanding the Times rubric, Reverend Ophoff makes a timely application of the truth of that reformation to the daily life of the believer and his dealings with his neighbor.

For the rest, we pray the Lord will speed the issue into your hands and the content to your hearts.