RFPA Blog News

The Time Appointed by the Lord - A "Believing and Confessing" Meditation

It must be of great comfort to us as we see the unfolding of history around us—a history which is often chaotic, confused, and frightening—that the future is not in the hands of men and nations, or even in the hands of the devil. The future is in the hands of God. “Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world” (Acts 15:18). Therefore, history cannot either end one moment before God has determined or continue one moment longer than he has planned. Article 37 calls this “the time appointed by the Lord.” Read More

Book Review - The Mystery of Bethlehem

The following review was written by Joshua Vink on the book The Mystery of Bethlehem by Herman Hoeksema (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 1986). This review was originally published in the December 2023 issue of The Grandville Gleaner.

A multitude of books, articles, and sermons have been written on the topic, but the story of Christmas can never be exhausted. Where would we be without the birth of our Lord and Savior? Herman Hoeksema writes in the hope of kindling anew that interest in the heart of the reader.

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Book Review - Ten Commandments for Children

The following review was written by Amanda DeBoer on the book The Ten Commandments for Children by Prof. Ron Cammenga (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 2023). This review will be published in the Clarion, a biweekly magazine of the Canadian/American Reformed Church federation, Vol. 72 No. 14, in November 2023.

Cammenga not only teaches the commandments, but also explores their depth and practicality in an age appropriate way. He has a kind, yet unwavering, manner of writing that is very appropriate for the topic. The Ten Commandments for Children will undoubtedly be a blessing for many families.

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"It will not only help your children...it will also challenge you in your own marriage"

Preparing for Dating and Marriage by Cory Griess. Reviewed by Dr. Sacha Walicord, pastor of Walker United Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, visiting Professor Akademie fuer Reformatorische Theologie (Reformed Theological Seminary), Giessen, Germany.

Many Christian parents have lost countless nights’ sleep over their child’s unwise dating or marriage decisions. Much heartache has been caused by covenant children who entered the “dating game” or even marriage in an unprepared way. Much of this heartache and many tears could have been avoided if parents just had had a tool that helped them teach their children how to look for a godly spouse. Cory Griess’ very readable devotional seeks to fill exactly this gap as it is not only written from a sound biblical perspective but also in a warm and easy-to-understand tone. This is not your classical self-help book, but it is written for an audience 7th grade and up to be used as a family devotional guide in thirty-one brief and straightforward lessons.

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Now available! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional

Now available! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional by new author, Rev. Cory Griess Cory Griess is a pastor in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He and his wife, Lael, live in Grand Rapids, MI where he currently pastors the First Protestant Reformed Church. The Lord has given him and his wife six children, all born in Northwest Iowa where he pastored for nine years before moving to Michigan in 2018.     Each meditation in this book...

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Coming soon! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional

Coming mid-August! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional by new author, Rev. Cory Griess  Cory Griess is a pastor in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He and his wife, Lael, live in Grand Rapids, MI where he currently pastors the First Protestant Reformed Church. The Lord has given him and his wife six children, all born in Northwest Iowa where he pastored for nine years before moving to Michigan in 2018.   Each meditation in this...

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Peace for the Troubled Heart devotional

Looking for a good devotional?

Consider Peace for the Troubled Heart. Made up of meditations on scripture texts, it’s different from other devotionals. These meditations breathe a Christian experience that is drawn from scripture, formed and regulated by sound doctrine, and realistic in a world of sin, suffering, and struggle.

Each chapter is divided into sections, so you can read it in parts—morning, noon, and evening. This is a great way to thoroughly meditate on the chapter throughout the day.

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Devotionals – Black Friday Deal #1

Devotionals – Black Friday Deal #1 Read More

The Grace of Contentment

Have I learned? Learned to be content with whatsoever may be my lot?

The answer to this pointed, definitely personal question the word of God in this passage would elicit from our hearts.

Let us not overlook two features of the text. First, it is a personal profession. Second, it speaks of contentment as a lesson that must be learned. As a personal confession it purposes to have a place in our own hearts and upon our own lips, so that we have really not heard the word of God until we, you and I can repeat it after the apostle with personal application: I have learned to be content with whatsoever may be my state.

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The Pilgrim’s Goal

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”—Hebrews 13:14

Christian, press on!

At the end of your way, there is a city to come—the city that has foundations, prepared for you from before the foundations of the world by your God.

It is your goal.

Until it is reached and you have entered through its pearly gates, you may not, you cannot, you must not tarry. Onward you must go; ever onward you must press, never once tarrying or abiding, never fearfully or hesitantly clinging to the things you might meet on your pilgrim’s journey.

Does not the pilgrim dwell in a tent?

He has no city.

In a city one abides, digs foundations, builds firmly to erect a lasting and permanent dwelling place, a continuing home. There are the ties that bind, the treasures one loves, the joys one seeks. There is one’s life. In a tent, however, one tarries but for a night, to rest and recuperate, in order to pull up the stakes at daybreak and press forward and travel onward until the final goal is reached.

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His Workmanship

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10

Lest any man should boast.

God alone is God. As such he must be acknowledged by every creature.

Of him, and through him, and unto him are all things. Never is anything of us and through us. Nor is anything partly of us and through us. Hence his alone is the glory for ever and ever. And this glory must be attributed to him. He will give it to no other.

Therefore salvation is of the Lord.

It is by grace, from beginning to end by grace only; not of works, lest any man should boast.

To boast, to claim part of the glory that belongs to God only, and therefore to claim all the glory that is his alone, is the tendency of sin, the inclination of the sinful heart. “Ye shall be as gods” (Gen. 3:5) is the slogan that expresses the deepest motive of the natural man. He refuses to glorify God as God and to be thankful.

So he is always inclined to deprive God of his glory, to say that salvation is of his own works. It is hard for him to confess that sovereign grace alone is the source and ground and power of salvation. Somehow he always attempts to introduce his work into the work of God, to share in the glory of the divine work that delivers him from guilt and clothes him with an eternal righteousness, that cleanses him from the pollution of sin and sanctifies him unto the service of the living God, that lifts him out of the depth of the misery of death and hell into the glory of eternal life and heavenly bliss.

In various ways he seeks to escape the consequences of salvation by grace and to maintain that he is saved by works. Sometimes he attempts to work out his own righteousness and to make this righteousness of works the basis of his salvation. Sometimes he apparently is willing to confess that he is saved by grace, but he contends that it is works that make him worthy of this grace. But in the measure that he introduces his own works into the wonder of salvation, he deprives the God of salvation of his glory.

Man boasts.

Yet no man may boast in the presence of the Most High.

Continue reading...

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Start your graduate’s library with a gift of RFPA books

CONSIDER ONE OF OUR BOOK SETS FOR YOUR GRADUATE UNFOLDING COVENANT HISTORY SERIES (volumes 1-5) From creation to the book of Ruth, Prof. Homer Hoeksema and Prof. David Engelsma teach familiar stories from the unique perspective of God’s covenant. His relationship of friendship with his people of the Old Testament is the same one he makes with us and our children! Buy Now THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE SERIES (volumes 1-10) Rev. Herman Hoeksema’s timeless commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism. Your graduate hears...

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Singular Love

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”—1 John 3:1 BEHOLD! What marvelous love was bestowed upon us! No cold, matter-of-fact statement the apostle makes before the church of all ages. Rather it must be seen as a shout of ecstasy pressed from the author’s heart under the influence of an over-mastering emotion. Rapt out of himself and elevated above the reach of ordinary, natural perception, caught up in...

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Coming soon! Book #3 in the Reformed Spirituality series....

  All Glory to the Only Good God Available early September 2013!    The third book in the Reformed Spirituality series, this book again consists of meditations by Protestant Reformed minister and theologian, Herman Hoeksema. The meditations in this volume have in common their living, breathing zeal for the glory of the good God. God is only good-- good in himself; good in creation; good in salvation; good in Christ; good to his elect people. Hoeksema warns against two misconceptions concerning...

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