In the Apostle’s Creed the Church of all ages confesses that Jesus Christ “descended into hell.” What Christ suffered in hell cannot be depicted on a TV or movie screen. Nor can his suffering in hell be imitated by anyone. John Calvin explains the truth of Jesus’ suffering in hell and its significance for believers: But, apart from the Creed, we must seek for a surer exposition of Christ's descent to hell: and the word of God furnishes us with one...
A couple weeks ago Prof. Engelsma informed the RFPA about the possibility of a live-stream interview with Chris Arnzen. Arnzen is a national, religious radio host. Chris Arnzen had approached Prof. Engelsma, asking him if he would do a series of live radio interviews on various books he has authored. There is a possibility there could be subsequent interviews on six different books authored by Engelsma. Click the icon to listen to the radio interview. Click the icon to listen to...
A couple weeks ago Prof. Engelsma informed the RFPA about the possibility of a live-stream interview with Chris Arnzen. Arnzen is a national, religious radio host. Chris Arnzen had approached Prof. Engelsma, asking him if he would do a series of live radio interviews on various books he has authored. The first broadcast will be an interview on Prof. Engelsma’s book, The Reformed Faith of John Calvin. It is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2, from 4 to 5PM and will...
Dear all, We are home! After more than 24 hours of travel, we are safely back in Northwest Iowa. The last few days of our trip were a flurry of activity. On Sunday, we had the privilege of worshiping with the saints in Maranatha PRC where Rev. Kleyn ordinarily preaches every other Sunday. Rev. Kleyn led the first service and preached from Lord's Day 8 on "What We Believe Concerning God." I led the second service and preached from Psalm 91:1-2...
The March 1 issue of the Standard Bearer (hard copy & esubscription) is on its way to 2,247 subscribers!
Some of the articles you will read in this issue are:
Search the Scriptures | Wisely Laying Our End to HeartA Word Fitly Spoken | ThoughtReport from the Contact Committee | The Question of Psalter Revision: An Update
....and much more!
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Dear family, There is not much new to report since my last update. On Friday we caught up on some work. Just this morning (Saturday) we visited with the council of the Berean PRC. It was nice to become acquainted with these men, since we will not have the opportunity to worship with their congregation during our trip. The work of our missionary is the work of preaching and teaching the gospel. This is the power of God to salvation. One...
Dear family, It's high time I updated you again on what we have been doing. Our Wednesday was bookended by some authentic Filipino experiences. In the morning, we got a taste of Filipino transportation. We caught a trike (basically a motorcycle with a sidecar) to a local wet market. I have my doubts that they envisioned a 6'6'' white male using this means of transportation when it was conceived. My limbs were dangling dangerously in every direction. My weight gave the...
The first part of a large book order placed by the Philippines Bookstore, run by Rev. Daniel Kleyn and his wife Sharon. The books in the previous photo filled up 2 of these large shipping boxes. The second part of the order sits on top waiting to be packed into a smaller half-size box. These 3 boxes were filled with 254 Reformed books. They were shipped this past Tuesday and go by sea freight which usually takes 2 months for the...
Dear family (by blood and by faith), After the excitement of Sunday, Monday was a bit quieter here. The morning was spent preparing for some of our other work later in the week, and the rest of the day was spent in the company of the Kleyns. We tagged along on some errands around town, and then took a drive out of Manila into the countryside. The drive served at least two purposes. For one thing, it provided us the opportunity...
Have you heard about the Doritos advertisement that aired during the National Football League’s Super Bowl? It features the ultrasound image of a baby. The advertisement promotes the idea that the product is so good that the father can’t resist munching on the chips even while his wife is undergoing an ultrasound. They are so good that the baby in the womb starts reaching for them! There is more to the commercial, but the baby’s image and movement is what has...
Dear family (by blood and by faith), Today (Sunday) is difficult to put into words. For a while now I've been thinking about how to describe and summarize it, but I'm not sure I can. It was a day of sensory overflow—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Some of the more physical things are easier to describe, although impossible to express. We were on the road by 6:30 this morning, in order to travel the 2 hours to the PRC of Bulacan. The ride...
We are pleased to announce that we have a new blog writer. Rev. Joshua Engelsma, pastor of Doon Protestant Reformed Church (Doon, Iowa) has agreed to assist Rev. Clayton Spronk as a fellow writer for the RFPA blog. Rev. Engelsma is currently in the Philippines as part of a delegation from the Foreign Mission Committee. He has agreed to submit a series of blog posts on his work and activities while he is there, so that as you read you can...
Islam has an ally in the Roman Catholic Church. Allah, the god of Islam, is the same as Jehovah, the God of the Bible, according to Pope Francis. Wheaton College Professor Larycia Hawkins appealed to Pope Francis when she donned a Hijab to show “support” for Muslims and asserted that the god of Islam and the God of Christianity are one and the same (my response). Now Craig Considine, a Roman Catholic Sociologist, argues that Christians can recognize Muhammad as a...
Donald Trump emphatically claims that he is a Presbyterian. During a campaign appearance in Iowa he reportedly said, “Can you believe it? Nobody believes I’m Presbyterian. I’m Presbyterian. I’m Presbyterian. I’m Presbyterian.” Mr. Trump makes this claim based on his upbringing in the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, New York—denominationally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). More recently Mr. Trump has been affiliated to some degree with the Marble Collegiate Church in New York. The Marble Collegiate Church is part...
