Today is the day. After months of political back-and-forth, of campaign ad bombardments, of incessant chatter on television and social media, Election Day 2016 has finally arrived. Either late today or early tomorrow we should know who will be the 45th President of the United States. The day is significant for us. It certainly interests us as citizens of this country. But more importantly, it interests us as citizens of the better country, that is, an heavenly. Over the last eight...
October 31 has come and gone for another year. For some that date will always be associated with Halloween. It calls to mind candy and costumes and cavorting around town. It means mobs of little football players and Disney princesses knocking on doors and squeaking, “Trick or treat.” For others that date is known as Reformation Day. It has less to do with chocolate as it does with the church, less to do with bonbons as it does with the Bible....
While the autumn temperatures continue to drop, it seems as if the number of visits to the doctor climbs. Welcome to the season of runny noses, spiked fevers, and flu bugs. Just yesterday my wife had our twin boys into the office for ear infections. These visits to the physician made me think about the diagnosis that the Great Physician gives when he evaluates us. Especially when he looks into our hearts and sees the pride that dwells there. The diagnosis...
2016 RFPA Annual Meeting "Lord Grant Boldness: The RFPA's Witness in the Sexual Revolution" Rev. Joshua Engelsma Date given: 09-29-2016 Location: Providence Protestant Reformed Church (Hudsonville, MI) NOTE: At 57:12 the audio recording cuts off and goes straight into the secretary's report by Josh Hoekstra. The beginning of the secretary's report starts out like this: The Truth Never Begs: The Necessary Voice of the Reformed Free Publishing Association. In 1953 Herman Hoeksema penned an editorial titled "Why We Should Read the Standard Bearer." He...
2016 RFPA Annual Meeting "Lord Grant Boldness: The RFPA's Witness in the Sexual Revolution"Rev. Joshua Engelsma Date given: 09-29-2016 Location: Providence Protestant Reformed Church (Hudsonville, MI) NOTE: At 57:12 the recording cuts off and goes straight into the secretary's report by Josh Hoekstra. The beginning of the secretary's report starts out like this: The Truth Never Begs: The Necessary Voice of the Reformed Free Publishing Association. In 1053 Herman Hoeksema penned an editorial titled "Why We Should Read the Standard Bearer." He stated: Mark...
Western society is presently in the grips of a powerful revolution. This is a revolution of massive scope and earth-shaking consequences. It is a sexual revolution, a revolution proudly trumpeting fornication, homosexuality, transgenderism, and the like. What are the origins of this revolution? How does it show itself in the present? What is the future of it? And then, what is the calling of the RFPA in the face of this revolution? Plan to attend the RFPA Annual meeting TONIGHT and hear Rev. Joshua...
Western society is presently in the grips of a powerful revolution. This is a revolution of massive scope and earth-shaking consequences. It is a sexual revolution, a revolution proudly trumpeting fornication, homosexuality, transgenderism, and the like. What are the origins of this revolution? How does it show itself in the present? What is the future of it? And then, what is the calling of the RFPA in the face of this revolution? Plan to attend the RFPA Annual meeting this week and hear...
There is a new front on which the church must stand opposed to the armies of the sexual revolution. The battle is still the same: an unholy war against marriage and the God who instituted it. But there is a new front in that battle. Last year the revolutionaries were marshalled on the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriages. This year the battle has been waged on the front of transgenderism. But an assault is now being made on another front:...
It’s that time of year again. It’s the time when the weather starts to cool, the leaves start to change their color, and an important activity begins. No, I’m not referring to the end of the baseball season or the start of the college football season. I have in mind the beginning of another school year, the time when students and parents and teachers are thinking about school supplies and friends, lunch boxes and bus stops, lesson plans and course schedules....
Western society is presently in the grips of a powerful revolution. This is a revolution of massive scope and earth-shaking consequences. It is a sexual revolution, a revolution proudly trumpeting fornication, homosexuality, transgenderism, and the like. What are the origins of this revolution? How does it show itself in the present? What is the future of it? And then, what is the calling of the RFPA in the face of this revolution? Mark your calendars to attend the RFPA Annual...
So far in this series of posts on decision-making we’ve noted that there are important decisions to be made in the course of our lives, that these decisions are difficult, and that God has given us certain “tools” to help us in determining his will. I want to conclude in this last, brief post by pointing out how important it is to make these difficult decisions with our faith firmly placed in God. In a previous post we mentioned how hard...
In the last post on making decisions, we looked briefly at the first (and most important) “tool” that we use when trying to discern the will of God for our lives: the Word of God. In this post I want to mention three other important “tools” that we ought to use as well when making a difficult decision. First, we ought to lean on other, trustworthy people to help us through this process. Some of the people that we look to...
In previous posts on the subject of decision making, we’ve laid some groundwork by establishing two basic realities: first, we are going to face important decisions; and second, making these decisions is going to be difficult. But perhaps that has left you wondering, “Is that all? Is there nothing that will lift the fog of uncertainty and indecision? Is there no way of knowing which path my feet must tread?” In fact, there are things which can help us in the...
Our Father which art in heaven, Our hearts overflow with gratitude to Thee that we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we can call Thee Father. We thank Thee that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are Thy children and heirs. Knowing that, we praise Thee as the true and perfect Father; a Father who takes pity on us who fear Thee; a Father who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy; a...
