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This book covers the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit (found in Galatians 5:22, 23) that proceed from that fountain, Christ, and which by his Spirit he works in his saints. The book encourages branches of believers and their seed unto a life of good fruit-bearing.

Also available in paperback
ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

The form itself was adopted by the Synod of Dordt (1618–19) as the authoritative form for the administration and celebration of the sacrament of the Supper by both the Reformed churches in the Netherlands and by Dutch-speaking churches in the tradition of Dordt elsewhere in the world. Over the years the form has been adopted, translated, and used by most—if not all—Reformed churches that stand in the tradition of Dordt.

The Lord’s supper form, therefore, expresses the faith of orthodox, Reformed Christianity concerning the supper and all the rich implications of the supper for doctrine and life.

• 426 pages
• Hardcover
• ISBN 978-1-936054-59-6

ebook version available in .epub (Kindle users and all other devices)

NEW RELEASE

The form itself was adopted by the Synod of Dordt (1618–19) as the authoritative form for the administration and celebration of the sacrament of the Supper by both the Reformed churches in the Netherlands and by Dutch-speaking churches in the tradition of Dordt elsewhere in the world. Over the years the form has been adopted, translated, and used by most—if not all—Reformed churches that stand in the tradition of Dordt.

The Lord’s supper form, therefore, expresses the faith of orthodox, Reformed Christianity concerning the supper and all the rich implications of the supper for doctrine and life.

• 426 pages
• Hardcover
• ISBN 978-1-936054-57-2

This book teaches children...

• what God’s law is: his ten words to his people
• how we obey God's law: by loving him and our neighbor
• why we keep God's law: to thank him for delivering us from our sin, to be assured that he has made us his children, and more

When we teach children about God’s law, we teach them about Jesus Christ. Jesus obeyed perfectly each one of the commandments in God’s law and died for all the times we have not kept God’s law.

This book explains and applies each commandment in two to three chapters, covering both what God forbids and requires. Chapters include discussion questions, a Bible memory verse, and a related psalm to be sung.

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Ronald L. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament Studies at the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary in Wyoming, Michigan. He is a former pastor, and he and his wife, Rhonda, have eleven children and many grandchildren living in four states.

Ana Sebastián is a digital illustrator and visual development artist based in Madrid, Spain. Ana also likes to work with colored pencils and watercolors and enjoys reading and traveling in her free time.

Coming May 2023!

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God said to Abraham, “I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Gen. 17:7; cf. Lev. 26:12, Ezek. 37:27, Jer. 30:22). This covenant is the intimate relationship of fellowship he has chosen to share with his people in Jesus Christ. God has blessed his Old and New Testament church by way of the truth of the covenant even as he blessed Abraham. The truth of the covenant comforts us in distress, encourages us in our battle against our enemies, and gives strength when we are weak. We as believers must embrace the truth of God’s covenant by developing and nurturing a worldview that is rooted in the blessed relationship which our heavenly Father has made with us in Christ.

With the heart of a pastor and the passion of a preacher, the author has written this book to help believers combat the threatening influences of both the world and our own sin upon the Christian home and church. As a practical exposition of the doctrine of God’s covenant, this volume will aid children of the covenant in directing their lives unto the triune God— in the family, among other saints, and as they live in the midst of an unbelieving world.

Wilbur Bruinsma is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches. He has pastored four congregations, and he has also served as a domestic missionary in the United States and as a missionary to Jamaica. Rev. Bruinsma and his wife have been blessed with five children and many grandchildren.

• 189 pages
• Hardcover
• ISBN: 978-0-916206-46-8

REVIEW:

Rev. Justin Smidstra

The truth central to all eschatology is the second coming of Jesus Christ itself, what the Greek of the New Testament promises as the parousia, literally the presence (of Jesus Christ). All the other aspects of the biblical doctrine of the coming of Jesus are subordinate to this coming, either as leading to it, accompanying it, or proceeding from it. Therefore, the proper subtitle of this second volume of The Church’s Hope: The Reformed Doctrine of the End is The Coming of Christ.

The coming of Christ Jesus, with all that is related to it, will be the “end.” Such is Jesus’ own description of his coming in Matthew 24:14: “And then shall the end come;” which might be paraphrased, “And then shall the goal be reached.” The coming of Christ, with all that precedes and follows, is the goal of God, not only with the events of the last days but also of all history. All the events belonging strictly to the last things, all the history of the New Testament church, all the history of the world beginning with its creation, and all the doctrines of the Christian faith have the coming, or presence, of Jesus Christ as their goal.

This is the importance of the content of this volume.

This is why the outstanding promise of the gospel is that uttered by Jesus himself: “I come quickly” (Rev. 22:12). This is why the fundamental prayer of the church is, in response, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

• ISBN: 9781736815427

Rev. Jason Kortering (1936–2020) was a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches. From 1992–2006, he and his wife, Jean, were called to missionary labors in Singapore, India, and Myanmar. Say Among the Heathen the Lord Reigns is Jean’s account of those years. The recollections and stories in this book will direct your heart to the Son of God who gathers, defends, and preserves to himself an elect church out of all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues.

“Our living in Singapore and other foreign countries for 10+ years was a great blessing for the whole family. Though children and grandchildren gave up their parents and grandparents for the Lord’s work, and we were separated from each other for a while, God remained our constant. He reigns. He reigns over the whole earth and we rejoice. He reigns over the multitude of isles and they are glad (Ps. 97). He rules in America and he rules across the globe. We were separated by many, many miles but we were so close because we worshiped and served the same God. He is supremely sovereign and yet gentle and caring in his love for his people. It was our privilege many years ago to share that truth in a heathen culture.” — Jean Kortering, July 2022

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In his preaching and teaching, the Lord Jesus Christ does not quote directly from the book of Ecclesiastes. Jesus, rather, takes up the truth and concepts found in that book and expands on them in many of his parables. As such, the teachings of Ecclesiastes are part of the fabric of the gospel. The book undergirds the knowledge of the world as it is fallen in sin under God’s judgment. The world can afford us no salvation; man cannot deliver himself from bondage; under the sun the works of men do not profit; salvation, which is from above, is a work of God alone; God must enter into our misery in the person of his only begotten Son to save and redeem us. Under the sun, deliverance is not to be found, only vanity and death. Ecclesiastes points to the need for the work of God’s grace—in Christ, the true Savior—as the only solution to the fallen world and its vanity.

Thomas Miersma is minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. During his ministry (1982–2017) he pastored two churches in Canada. He also labored in the United States for many years as Western Home Missionary.

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In his preaching and teaching, the Lord Jesus Christ does not quote directly from the book of Ecclesiastes. Jesus, rather, takes up the truth and concepts found in that book and expands on them in many of his parables. As such, the teachings of Ecclesiastes are part of the fabric of the gospel. The book undergirds the knowledge of the world as it is fallen in sin under God’s judgment. The world can afford us no salvation; man cannot deliver himself from bondage; under the sun the works of men do not profit; salvation, which is from above, is a work of God alone; God must enter into our misery in the person of his only begotten Son to save and redeem us. Under the sun, deliverance is not to be found, only vanity and death. Ecclesiastes points to the need for the work of God’s grace—in Christ, the true Savior—as the only solution to the fallen world and its vanity.

Thomas Miersma is minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. During his ministry (1982–2017) he pastored two churches in Canada. He also labored in the United States for many years as Western Home Missionary.

NEW RELEASE

Rev. Jason Kortering (1936–2020) was a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches. From 1992–2006, he and his wife, Jean, were called to missionary labors in Singapore, India, and Myanmar. Say Among the Heathen the Lord Reigns is Jean’s account of those years. The recollections and stories in this book will direct your heart to the Son of God who gathers, defends, and preserves to himself an elect church out of all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues.

“Our living in Singapore and other foreign countries for 10+ years was a great blessing for the whole family. Though children and grandchildren gave up their parents and grandparents for the Lord’s work, and we were separated from each other for a while, God remained our constant. He reigns. He reigns over the whole earth and we rejoice. He reigns over the multitude of isles and they are glad (Ps. 97). He rules in America and he rules across the globe. We were separated by many, many miles but we were so close because we worshiped and served the same God. He is supremely sovereign and yet gentle and caring in his love for his people. It was our privilege many years ago to share that truth in a heathen culture.” — Jean Kortering, July 2022

• Paperback
• Pages: 368
• ISBN: 9781736815441

REVIEW:

Rev. Justin Smidstra

The truth central to all eschatology is the second coming of Jesus Christ itself, what the Greek of the New Testament promises as the parousia, literally the presence (of Jesus Christ). All the other aspects of the biblical doctrine of the coming of Jesus are subordinate to this coming, either as leading to it, accompanying it, or proceeding from it. Therefore, the proper subtitle of this second volume of The Church’s Hope: The Reformed Doctrine of the End is The Coming of Christ.

The coming of Christ Jesus, with all that is related to it, will be the “end.” Such is Jesus’ own description of his coming in Matthew 24:14: “And then shall the end come;” which might be paraphrased, “And then shall the goal be reached.” The coming of Christ, with all that precedes and follows, is the goal of God, not only with the events of the last days but also of all history. All the events belonging strictly to the last things, all the history of the New Testament church, all the history of the world beginning with its creation, and all the doctrines of the Christian faith have the coming, or presence, of Jesus Christ as their goal.

This is the importance of the content of this volume.

This is why the outstanding promise of the gospel is that uttered by Jesus himself: “I come quickly” (Rev. 22:12). This is why the fundamental prayer of the church is, in response, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

• Paperback
• Pages: 192
• ISBN: 9781736815427

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REVIEWS:

Kristin Stiles, from booksataglance.com

Rev. James Admiraal (as reviewed in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of The Outlook)

Rev. Gary Eriks

Rev. Cory Griess

Michelle Hofman (as reviewed on The Young Calvinists blog)

Jim Regnerus 

The Three R's Blog

Jon Van Dyk (as reviewed in the January 18, 2020 issue of Christian Renewal)

Mrs. Ricky Pronk (as reviewed in the January 2020 issue of The Messenger)

Sarah Vandergugten (as reviewed in the April 3, 2020 issue of The Clarion)

We’re bombarded with antichristian messages everywhere in life, and from casual hookups to casual sex, our culture’s messages on dating are no different.

But Christians don’t have to follow these norms. The Bible gives us a better way.

It’s a way of chastity and wisdom. A way that understands that marriage—the end goal of dating—is for life. The person you marry will shape who you become spiritually. And that person will also be the father or mother to the children God is pleased to give you some day.

Pastorally and accessibly, Joshua Engelsma answers the practical questions of Reformed, Christian dating based on the truth that we must date differently—with marriage as the goal and scripture as the guide.

____________

Joshua Engelsma is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He lives in Doon, Iowa, with his wife, Courtney, and six children. He has served as pastor of Doon Protestant Reformed Church since 2014.

Also available in paperback
ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

This product has been made available thanks to the generous support of Faith Protestant Reformed Church Evangelism Committee.

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REVIEW:

Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma

On the night before he was betrayed Jesus ate his last meal with his disciples. The heavy weight of the cross bore down on him, yet his focus lay not on his own suffering, but on his imminent departure and what this meant for his disciples.

The Upper Room Discourse of John 14–16 records the words of great comfort Jesus gave his disciples. He must indeed go away from them. But by doing so Jesus would bridge the gap between creature and Creator; between earth and heaven; and between sinners and the holy, just God. Jesus is the way to the Father, and it was only through the way of the cross and his resurrection and ascension that his people could be reconciled to the Father and receive the Comforter and life.

With clear and pastoral applications to the church today, Martyn McGeown leads us into the upper room to hear Jesus’ instruction alongside the disciples. It is in the upper room that we receive Jesus’ exhortations and encouragement, heed his warnings, and appropriate his comfort through faith.

Martyn McGeown is a pastor in the Protestant Reformed Churches. He is the author of Called to Watch for Christ’s Return, Micah: Proclaiming the Incomparable God, Grace and Assurance: The Message of the Canons of Dordt, and Born for Our Salvation: The Nativity and Childhood of Jesus Christ.

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The Marriage Between Christ and His Church

What we are told about the relationship of Christ and his church applies to the calling of every one of us. Do you believe? Are you a child of God? Christ is your husband. According to Romans 7:4, we are married to him. To live in that consciousness is the heart of the Christian life, essential also to living joyfully in marriage.

Every Christian’s relationship to Jesus Christ is pictured in the institution of marriage. Using the biblical principles behind this institution, the author provides sound instruction to each one of us on the relationship we have with Christ, our head, and with other members of Christ’s church, the body. Practical instruction on topics such as right communication within marriage and in the church, the biblical roles of husband and of wife, and the calling to walk in the Spirit, will encourage Christians of every station and calling to live joyfully as members of Christ’s body.

Steven Key has been a minister of the gospel for over thirty-five years. This book is based on a series of sermons which he preached in the Protestant Reformed Church in Loveland, Colorado in 2015. Rev. Key married his wife Nancy in 1976, and they have four married daughters and sixteen grandchildren.

• Pages: 240
• Hardcover
• ISBN: 978-1-944555-95-5

Click here to look inside the book!

What is your only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

It’s comforting to belong to God because you know he will care for you. The Bible tells you that when you pass through the deep waters and when you walk through the fire, God will be with you.

I Belong is a picture book for ages four to seven that explains each comforting phrase of Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1 to young children, in language that they understand. Colorful illustrations of a diverse group of children will capture readers’ imaginations as they learn what it means to belong to their faithful Savior.

This book can be used as a short book of devotions for families with younger children or can be read by older children on their own.

Joyce Holstege teaches kindergarten at Heritage Christian School, located in her hometown of Hudsonville, Michigan. She has taught at Heritage since 1995. Joyce holds a BA in English and Education from Grand Valley State University and is a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches. She enjoys reading, gardening, and all things arts and crafts.

Meagan Krosschell lives in Randolph, Wisconsin. She studies graphic design at Madison College and enjoys drawing, camping, and ice hockey. Meagan is also a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches.

Click here to read the review in the January/February 2022 issue of the Outlook

"Doctrinal Devotions for Little Ones"

A speech given by the author at the annual Association meeting of the Reformed Free Publishing Association on September 22, 2022 at Terra Square in Hudsonville, Michigan.

AVAILABLE AGAIN

This edition of The Wonder of Grace is a reprint of the 1982 edition of Herman Hoeksema’s little classic on God’s sovereign grace. Originally a series of radio sermons broadcast on the Reformed Witness Hour program, The Wonder of Grace was first published as a book in 1944. In order to remain faithful to the words and ideas of the author, changes made to this edition were only stylistic in nature.

The author develops the concept of salvation by grace from the choosing of the believer by grace to the glorifying of the believer through grace. Each of the fifteen chapters is devoted to one aspect of the grace God bestows on the believer in the process of salvation. And as he progresses through the chapters, the reader will grow in the knowledge and confidence that salvation is by grace alone and that God is worthy of all praise and glory.

Chapter 1: The Idea of Salvation by Grace
Chapter 2: Chosen by Grace
Chapter 3: Reconciled by Grace
Chapter 4: United with Christ by Grace
Chapter 5: Regenerated by Grace
Chapter 6: Called by Grace
Chapter 7: Believing Through Grace
Chapter 8: Justified by Grace
Chapter 9: Converted by Grace
Chapter 10: Working Out Our Salvation by Grace
Chapter 11: Good Works Through Grace
Chapter 12: Suffering Through Grace
Chapter 13: Victory Through Grace
Chapter 14: Assurance of Grace
Chapter 15: Glorified Through Grace

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ISBN: 978-1-944555-97-9
Pages: 120
Format: paperback

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“Moses was a unique figure in the history of the church. Never again would there be a mere human prophet who would know the Lord so intimately, face to face. His life in so many respects [was] a visible demonstration of the grace of God and of the gospel. He was a mediator through whom Israel…stood before the greatness of the living God. Henceforth they could only look forward to the day of which Moses spoke when he said to them, ‘The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken’ (Deut. 18:15). He would be the fulfillment of that of which Moses was only the type.”

Rev. Bernard Woudenberg (1931–2020) was a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America and served in several pastorates during his forty-year ministry. One of his greatest loves was Old Testament history, the fruit of which became the rubric “Cloud of Witnesses” in the Standard Bearer magazine. He wrote more than 200 articles under this rubric, many of which covered the life of Moses and became the subject matter of this book.

  Click the PDF to read an excerpt!

Review by Annemarieke Ryskamp, from The Outlook, Vol. 71, Issue 6

Review by Ken Kolk, retired professor of history

August 1862. Eighteen-year-old Harm van Wyke finds his quiet life in the Dutch Reformed community of Holland, Michigan, upended by the American Civil War. When it becomes clear the war will not be as easily won as once believed, President Lincoln calls for 300,000 volunteers to defend the Union. Harm’s minister, Rev. Albertus van Raalte, encourages the young men of his community to join the cause. Harm’s father bitterly opposes the idea. Harm hesitates to leave his home, but when his friends portray the war as a grand adventure, he gives in and joins them. Together, some eighty boys and young men from Holland join the 25^th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

As Harm and his friends travel to army camps in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and then Louisville, Kentucky, they face daily temptations to forget God and turn from their faith. Fellow soldiers think nothing of taking the Lord’s name in vain. They gamble, drink, and “forage” from neighboring homes and farms. Harm and his friends gather regularly to sing the old psalms and discuss the Bible, but still, on occasion, they stumble and fall.

As the war progresses, the boys from Holland battle Confederate General John Hunt Morgan in Western Kentucky, and endure an arduous march to Eastern Tennessee where they join the fighting around Knoxville. Later, they take part in General Sherman’s prolonged and bloody Atlanta campaign. Along the way, Harm and his friends face the harsh realities of war—exposure, disease, injury, and death. In the midst of such hardship, Harm’s faith is tried at every turn. His greatest conflict turns out to be spiritual. Will God give Harm the strength to stand for what is right, even if he finds himself opposed by friends?

_

P.M. Kuiper is a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches. In his free time he enjoys wandering the great outdoors, writing, reading good literature, and playing guitar. He resides in West Michigan.

Paula Barone is a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches and a former academic support teacher. She enjoys drawing, reading, and indoor rock climbing. She also lives in West Michigan.

Click here for the hardcopy.

The Christian’s hope is the visible, bodily, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ on the clouds of heaven with the resurrection of the Christian’s body, the public vindication of the Christian at the last judgment, and the enjoyment of the glories of the new creation.

David J. Engelsma writes on eschatology in the service of the church’s hope. This volume treats the magnificent subjects of the intermediate state and the millennium. The bulk of this book is devoted to a thorough analysis of the millennium, with a vigorous defense of Reformed amillennialism. Especially thorough is Engelsma’s critique of postmillennialism, which he sees as a threat to Reformed churches. Both postmillennialism and dispensational premillennialism subvert the church’s hope. Postmillenialism fixes the believer’s hope on a golden age within history in which the church will be dominant—a carnal victory. Dispensational premillenialism fixes the believer’s hope on a fictitious rapture, which will snatch the church out of the world so that God can fulfill his program in history with the Jews. Both views leave the church unprepared for the future.

As Engelsma demonstrates, the last things—centrally the coming of Christ—are the purpose and goal of all the revelation of God in scripture, from beginning to end. This book will encourage the Christian as he heeds Christ’s instruction regarding that coming: “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

• ISBN 978-1-944555-68-9
• Pages: 350

The Christian’s hope is the visible, bodily, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ on the clouds of heaven with the resurrection of the Christian’s body, the public vindication of the Christian at the last judgment, and the enjoyment of the glories of the new creation.

David J. Engelsma writes on eschatology in the service of the church’s hope. This volume treats the magnificent subjects of the intermediate state and the millennium. The bulk of this book is devoted to a thorough analysis of the millennium, with a vigorous defense of Reformed amillennialism. Especially thorough is Engelsma’s critique of postmillennialism, which he sees as a threat to Reformed churches. Both postmillennialism and dispensational premillennialism subvert the church’s hope. Postmillenialism fixes the believer’s hope on a golden age within history in which the church will be dominant—a carnal victory. Dispensational premillenialism fixes the believer’s hope on a fictitious rapture, which will snatch the church out of the world so that God can fulfill his program in history with the Jews. Both views leave the church unprepared for the future.

As Engelsma demonstrates, the last things—centrally the coming of Christ—are the purpose and goal of all the revelation of God in scripture, from beginning to end. This book will encourage the Christian as he heeds Christ’s instruction regarding that coming: “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

• ISBN 978-1-944555-67-2
• Pages: 350
  
  

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

  Click on the PDF icon to look inside the book.

Review by Rev. Jerome Julian, from The Outlook, Vol. 71 Issue 1
Review by Rev. Joseph Holstege, from The Standard Bearer, Vol 98. Issue 5
Review by Rev. Martyn McGeown, from the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal, Vol. 54 No. 2
Review by Rev. Matthew DeBoer 

The book of Job is God’s commentary on the suffering and trials of his people. God speaks to our trials from the viewpoint, first, of his own interactions with Satan, then from the viewpoint of Job’s interactions with his friends, and finally as the one who appears to Job and his friends in a tornado. The book describes suffering on a scale seldom seen but shows our weaknesses and the temptations we face when under the hand of God or when called to bring comfort to others who are suffering. For that reason it is instructive and corrective but is also of great comfort, for it points those who are suffering to God’s sovereignty in trials and to his faithfulness and saving grace to his own.

Those who have read the book of Job often find the book repetitious and difficult to follow, especially the interaction of Job and his friends. This work is not meant to be an exhaustive, verse-by-verse explanation of the book of Job but is an attempt to show how the book fits together and leads up to its grand climax in the appearance of God. It also attempts to show that Job has often been misunderstood and maligned, and though guilty of sin, as we all are in suffering, is nevertheless one whose faith and hope in God are sure. May it be of help to all who love God as Job did, especially when the God they love chastises and corrects them as he does all of his children.

Ronald Hanko is an emeritus minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He has served in the active ministry for 38 years. He has also written Doctrine according to Godliness: A Primer of Reformed Doctrine and The Coming of Zion’s Redeemer: The Prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

• ISBN: 978-1-944555-83-2

Click here to see the hardcopy.

 Click on the PDF icon to look inside the book.

This revised third edition is the accepted standard for the interpretation and application of the Church Order of Dordrecht by Reformed and Presbyterian denominations. This weighty and time-tested commentary instructs us today on the need for a book of order for biblical consistency in church government.

• ISBN: 978-1-944555-80-1
• 464 pages
• hardcover
  

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub

  Click on the PDF icon to look inside the book.

Review by Rev. Jerome Julian, from The Outlook, Vol. 71 Issue 1
Review by Rev. Joseph Holstege, from The Standard Bearer, Vol 98. Issue 5
Review by Rev. Martyn McGeown, from the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal, Vol. 54 No. 2
Review by Rev. Matthew DeBoer

The book of Job is God’s commentary on the suffering and trials of his people. God speaks to our trials from the viewpoint, first, of his own interactions with Satan, then from the viewpoint of Job’s interactions with his friends, and finally as the one who appears to Job and his friends in a tornado. The book describes suffering on a scale seldom seen but shows our weaknesses and the temptations we face when under the hand of God or when called to bring comfort to others who are suffering. For that reason it is instructive and corrective but is also of great comfort, for it points those who are suffering to God’s sovereignty in trials and to his faithfulness and saving grace to his own.

Those who have read the book of Job often find the book repetitious and difficult to follow, especially the interaction of Job and his friends. This work is not meant to be an exhaustive, verse-by-verse explanation of the book of Job but is an attempt to show how the book fits together and leads up to its grand climax in the appearance of God. It also attempts to show that Job has often been misunderstood and maligned, and though guilty of sin, as we all are in suffering, is nevertheless one whose faith and hope in God are sure. May it be of help to all who love God as Job did, especially when the God they love chastises and corrects them as he does all of his children.

Ronald Hanko is an emeritus minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He has served in the active ministry for 38 years. He has also written Doctrine according to Godliness: A Primer of Reformed Doctrine and The Coming of Zion’s Redeemer: The Prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

• ISBN: 978-1-944555-82-5
• 160 pages
• hardcover

  Click on the PDF icon to look inside the book.

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

• One yearly payment of $240 (or $20 per month)
• Choice of any eight books per year
  – Default: The member will receive all of the current books that the RFPA produces in the year, similar to the former gold star member.
  – Alternative: The member will call the office when they would like a new book.
• Free ebook of any of the eight books selected
• Standard Bearer subscription included
• Standard Bearer esubscription included
• Ignited by the Word children’s magazine subscription included

• One yearly payment of $240 (or $20 per month)
• Choice of any eight books per year
  – Default: The member will receive all of the current books that the RFPA produces in the year, similar to the former gold star member.
  – Alternative: The member will call the office when they would like a new book.
• Free ebook of any of the eight books selected
• Standard Bearer subscription included
• Standard Bearer esubscription included
• Ignited by the Word children’s magazine subscription included

• One yearly payment of $150 (or $12.50 per month)
• Choice of any four books per year
  – Default: The member will receive the four new releases. Members may contact the office if they do not want one of the new books.
  – Alternative: The member will call the office when they would like a new book.
• Free ebook of any of the four books selected
• Standard Bearer subscription included
• Standard Bearer esubscription included

• One yearly payment of $150 (or $12.50 per month)
• Choice of any four books per year
  – Default: The member will receive the four new releases. Members may contact the office if they do not want one of the new books.
  – Alternative: The member will call the office when they would like a new book.
• Free ebook of any of the four books selected
• Standard Bearer subscription included
• Standard Bearer esubscription included

 Click on the PDF icon to look inside the book.

Reviews:

Prof. Doug Kuiper, The Standard Bearer June 2021

For many, the term “ancient” implies drudgery and irrelevance for many. However, the outset of this book will dispel any such notions. The ancient age brims with interest, instruction, and encouragement for today’s readers. This was an age of miracle-working apostles, fearless martyrs, and stalwart church fathers; an age that preserved the scriptures, prescribed the creeds, and produced timeless Christian classics; an age when the church was buffeted by fierce waves of persecution and assailed by heresies of every sort. Through this volume and the ones that follow, the Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of the church, sovereignly shepherded his beloved church by his word and Spirit.

In this first volume of Christ and His Church through the Ages, author and historian Herman Hanko tells the fascinating story of the ancient church during the first six centuries of the New Testament dispensation. He relates how Christ faithfully guided the church from the ministry of the apostles through the fall of the Roman Empire. Highlights of this history include the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, the persecution of the church under Roman emperors, the deliberations of the ecumenical councils, and the battle for the truth of sovereign grace.

Through this and future volumes, students of church history and interested readers alike will surely grow in their love and appreciation for the saga of Christ’s church. They will find church history to be, as the author once affectionately described it, “the exciting adventure of the marvelous work of grace.”

Herman Hanko served as professor of church history at the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed Churches from 1965 until his retirement in 2001. He is the author of several books, including Portraits of Faithful Saints, Contending for the Faith, and For Thy Truth’s Sake: A Doctrinal History of the Protestant Reformed Churches.

Dan Van Uffelen is a church history teacher at Covenant Christian High School in Walker, Michigan. He has taught church history for almost two decades.

• 272 pages
• hardcover
  
• ISBN 978-1-944555-92-4

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices)

  Click the PDF to read an excerpt!

Review by Annemarieke Ryskamp, from The Outlook, Vol. 71, Issue 6

Review by Ken Kolk, retired professor of history

Review by John Van Dyk, from Christian Renewal, February 19, 2022

August 1862. Eighteen-year-old Harm van Wyke finds his quiet life in the Dutch Reformed community of Holland, Michigan, upended by the American Civil War. When it becomes clear the war will not be as easily won as once believed, President Lincoln calls for 300,000 volunteers to defend the Union. Harm’s minister, Rev. Albertus van Raalte, encourages the young men of his community to join the cause. Harm’s father bitterly opposes the idea. Harm hesitates to leave his home, but when his friends portray the war as a grand adventure, he gives in and joins them. Together, some eighty boys and young men from Holland join the 25^th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

As Harm and his friends travel to army camps in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and then Louisville, Kentucky, they face daily temptations to forget God and turn from their faith. Fellow soldiers think nothing of taking the Lord’s name in vain. They gamble, drink, and “forage” from neighboring homes and farms. Harm and his friends gather regularly to sing the old psalms and discuss the Bible, but still, on occasion, they stumble and fall.

As the war progresses, the boys from Holland battle Confederate General John Hunt Morgan in Western Kentucky, and endure an arduous march to Eastern Tennessee where they join the fighting around Knoxville. Later, they take part in General Sherman’s prolonged and bloody Atlanta campaign. Along the way, Harm and his friends face the harsh realities of war—exposure, disease, injury, and death. In the midst of such hardship, Harm’s faith is tried at every turn. His greatest conflict turns out to be spiritual. Will God give Harm the strength to stand for what is right, even if he finds himself opposed by friends?

_

P.M. Kuiper is a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches. In his free time he enjoys wandering the great outdoors, writing, reading good literature, and playing guitar. He resides in West Michigan.

Paula Barone is a member of the Protestant Reformed Churches and a former academic support teacher. She enjoys drawing, reading, and indoor rock climbing. She also lives in West Michigan.

Click here for the ebook.

Click on the PDF icon to look inside the book.

Reviews:

Prof. Doug Kuiper, The Standard Bearer June 2021 

For many, the term “ancient” implies drudgery and irrelevance. However, the outset of this book will dispel any such notions. The ancient age brims with interest, instruction, and encouragement for today’s readers. This was an age of miracle-working apostles, fearless martyrs, and stalwart church fathers; an age that preserved the scriptures, prescribed the creeds, and produced timeless Christian classics; an age when the church was buffeted by fierce waves of persecution and assailed by heresies of every sort. Through this volume and the ones that follow, the Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of the church, sovereignly shepherded his beloved church by his word and Spirit.

In this first volume of Christ and His Church through the Ages, author and historian Herman Hanko tells the fascinating story of the ancient church during the first six centuries of the New Testament dispensation. He relates how Christ faithfully guided the church from the ministry of the apostles through the fall of the Roman Empire. Highlights of this history include the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, the persecution of the church under Roman emperors, the deliberations of the ecumenical councils, and the battle for the truth of sovereign grace.

Through this and future volumes, students of church history and interested readers alike will surely grow in their love and appreciation for the saga of Christ’s church. They will find church history to be, as the author once affectionately described it, “the exciting adventure of the marvelous work of grace.”

Herman Hanko served as professor of church history at the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed Churches from 1965 until his retirement in 2001. He is the author of several books, including Portraits of Faithful Saints, Contending for the Faith, and For Thy Truth’s Sake: A Doctrinal History of the Protestant Reformed Churches.

Dan Van Uffelen is a church history teacher at Covenant Christian High School in Walker, Michigan. He has taught church history for almost two decades.

• 272 pages
• hardcover
  
• ISBN 978-1-944555-75-7

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Published originally as a series of articles in Beacon Lights magazine, I Remember Herman Hoeksema consists of the recollections of David J. Engelsma, a student of Herman Hoeksema.

Written for young people, these articles show something of the man whom many know only as an author and theologian.

• 112 pages
• softcover
• ISBN 978-1-944555-76-4

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Published originally as a series of articles in Beacon Lights magazine, I Remember Herman Hoeksema consists of the recollections of David J. Engelsma, a student of Herman Hoeksema.

• 112 pages
• ISBN 978-1-944555-77-1

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

 Click pdf for preview.

 Review by Rev. Jerome Julien, The Outlook July/August 2021

Simon van Velzen was a powerful preacher of the gospel. He was a reformer of the church of Christ in the Netherlands in the Secession of 1834. He was a seminary professor who influenced hundreds of future Reformed ministers. He was a faithful husband and devoted father.

In his own day, he was held in high regard by such notable figures as Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, and was respected as a spiritual father and John Calvin-like figure by Reformed believers both in the Netherlands and America.

Sadly, many Reformed Christians in the twenty-first century have little, if any, idea as to who he is. Where he is remembered, he is often branded as being “unyielding, obstinate, and domineering,” and he is dismissed as being of little significance in the history of the church.

Here’s the biography that corrects the ignorance and misconceptions by setting forth the fascinating life of an influential figure in the history of Christ’s church.

____________

Joshua Engelsma is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He has served as pastor of Doon Protestant Reformed Church since 2014. He is also the author of Dating Differently: A Guide to Reformed Dating.

• 240 pages
• ISBN 978-1-944555-74-0

ebook version will be available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

 Click pdf for preview.

Review by Rev. Jerome Julien, The Outlook July/August 2021

Simon van Velzen was a powerful preacher of the gospel. He was a reformer of the church of Christ in the Netherlands in the Secession of 1834. He was a seminary professor who influenced hundreds of future Reformed ministers. He was a faithful husband and devoted father.

In his own day, he was held in high regard by such notable figures as Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, and was respected as a spiritual father and John Calvin-like figure by Reformed believers both in the Netherlands and America.

Sadly, many Reformed Christians in the twenty-first century have little, if any, idea as to who he is. Where he is remembered, he is often branded as being “unyielding, obstinate, and domineering,” and he is dismissed as being of little significance in the history of the church.

Here’s the biography that corrects the ignorance and misconceptions by setting forth the fascinating life of an influential figure in the history of Christ’s church.

____________

Joshua Engelsma is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He has served as pastor of Doon Protestant Reformed Church since 2014. He is also the author of Dating Differently: A Guide to Reformed Dating.

• 240 pages
• hardcover
  
• ISBN 978-1-944555-73-3

ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Click pdf to read sample chapter.

Reviews:

Rev. Joshua Engelsma

Rev. Dr. Don E. Galardi

Dr. Sacha Walicord

Rev. Grant Van Leuven

Convinced that instruction on marriage is for God’s youth early on, Pastor Cory Griess has provided a distinctive devotional aid for family worship. Parents, do not delay! Before our children enter the dating scene, where feelings tend to inhibit clear Christian thought, we must ground them now in scriptural principles. The youth of the church will soon make pivotal decisions in their dating years that will permanently affect their married lives. Here is a biblical, insightful, and practical guide for Christian parents, many of whom have vowed at baptism to train their children in the doctrines of scripture to the utmost of their power.—Pastor Jonathan Mahtani

• 112 pages
• ISBN 978-1-944555-72-6

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

 Click pdf icon to view sample pages.

Reviews:

Rev. Joshua Engelsma

Rev. Dr. Don E. Galardi

Dr. Sacha Walicord

Rev. Grant Van Leuven

Convinced that instruction on marriage is for God’s youth early on, Pastor Cory Griess has provided a distinctive devotional aid for family worship. Parents, do not delay! Before our children enter the dating scene, where feelings tend to inhibit clear Christian thought, we must ground them now in scriptural principles. The youth of the church will soon make pivotal decisions in their dating years that will permanently affect their married lives. Here is a biblical, insightful, and practical guide for Christian parents, many of whom have vowed at baptism to train their children in the doctrines of scripture to the utmost of their power.—Pastor Jonathan Mahtani

• 112 pages
• softcover
• ISBN 978-1-944555-71-9

ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Included in this ebook: Part Six: The Return of Christ and the Last Things

Doctrine according to Godliness is perfect for older youths or adults who have questions on Reformed theology and want answers quickly. The book consists of short, easy-to-read explanations of more than 235 topics of Reformed theology. The sections are both comprehensive yet succinct, each only a page or two long. An index to the subject titles allows the reader to find a title under any of its key words. The book makes an especially good resource for older young people in doctrine classes, for newcomers to the Reformed faith on domestic or foreign mission fields, and for those studying doctrine with a view toward church membership.

One would expect a book of this kind to be quite dry and tedious to read, but Doctrine according to Godliness is warm, personal, and has a definite devotional feel to it. "Fantastic!" said an elder who used it in manuscript form as enrichment for an "Essentials of Doctrine" class he taught for the youth at his church.

Ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Included in this ebook: Part Five: The Church and the Sacraments

Doctrine according to Godliness is perfect for older youths or adults who have questions on Reformed theology and want answers quickly. The book consists of short, easy-to-read explanations of more than 235 topics of Reformed theology. The sections are both comprehensive yet succinct, each only a page or two long. An index to the subject titles allows the reader to find a title under any of its key words. The book makes an especially good resource for older young people in doctrine classes, for newcomers to the Reformed faith on domestic or foreign mission fields, and for those studying doctrine with a view toward church membership.

One would expect a book of this kind to be quite dry and tedious to read, but Doctrine according to Godliness is warm, personal, and has a definite devotional feel to it. "Fantastic!" said an elder who used it in manuscript form as enrichment for an "Essentials of Doctrine" class he taught for the youth at his church.

Ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Included in this ebook: Part Four: The Covenant and Salvation

Doctrine according to Godliness is perfect for older youths or adults who have questions on Reformed theology and want answers quickly. The book consists of short, easy-to-read explanations of more than 235 topics of Reformed theology. The sections are both comprehensive yet succinct, each only a page or two long. An index to the subject titles allows the reader to find a title under any of its key words. The book makes an especially good resource for older young people in doctrine classes, for newcomers to the Reformed faith on domestic or foreign mission fields, and for those studying doctrine with a view toward church membership.

One would expect a book of this kind to be quite dry and tedious to read, but Doctrine according to Godliness is warm, personal, and has a definite devotional feel to it. "Fantastic!" said an elder who used it in manuscript form as enrichment for an "Essentials of Doctrine" class he taught for the youth at his church.

Ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Included in this ebook: Part Three: Christ and His Work

Doctrine according to Godliness is perfect for older youths or adults who have questions on Reformed theology and want answers quickly. The book consists of short, easy-to-read explanations of more than 235 topics of Reformed theology. The sections are both comprehensive yet succinct, each only a page or two long. An index to the subject titles allows the reader to find a title under any of its key words. The book makes an especially good resource for older young people in doctrine classes, for newcomers to the Reformed faith on domestic or foreign mission fields, and for those studying doctrine with a view toward church membership.

One would expect a book of this kind to be quite dry and tedious to read, but Doctrine according to Godliness is warm, personal, and has a definite devotional feel to it. "Fantastic!" said an elder who used it in manuscript form as enrichment for an "Essentials of Doctrine" class he taught for the youth at his church.

Ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Included in this ebook: Part Two: Man and His World

Doctrine according to Godliness is perfect for older youths or adults who have questions on Reformed theology and want answers quickly. The book consists of short, easy-to-read explanations of more than 235 topics of Reformed theology. The sections are both comprehensive yet succinct, each only a page or two long. An index to the subject titles allows the reader to find a title under any of its key words. The book makes an especially good resource for older young people in doctrine classes, for newcomers to the Reformed faith on domestic or foreign mission fields, and for those studying doctrine with a view toward church membership.

One would expect a book of this kind to be quite dry and tedious to read, but Doctrine according to Godliness is warm, personal, and has a definite devotional feel to it. "Fantastic!" said an elder who used it in manuscript form as enrichment for an "Essentials of Doctrine" class he taught for the youth at his church.

Ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

REVIEWS: 

Rev. Nathan Langerak (as reviewed in the July 2020 issue of Sword and Shield)
Rev. David Noorman (as published in the May 15, 2020 issue of The Standard Bearer)
Dr. David Schuringa
Rev. Jerome Julien (as reviewed in the May/June 2021 issue of The Outlook)

After a fifteen-year hiatus, and fourteen other published titles, Prof. David J. Engelsma continues the Unfolding Covenant History series, a covenantal exposition of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament history covered in this volume is extensive, covering the account of the life and significance for the covenant of Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon. This is the history recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1–11; 1 Chronicles 10–29; and 2 Chronicles 1–9. In addition, the volume takes into consideration other passages in scripture (Psalms) that reflect on this history.

This history is also rich in significance with regard to the development of God’s covenant and covenant dealings with his people. It includes the institution and early functioning of the office of the prophet; the institution of the office of king; the stark contrast between the people’s choice as king, in the charismatic, but reprobate, Saul, and God’s elect, David; and the realization of the fellowship of the covenant in the Old Testament in the temple. Among the fascinating and controversial events of the history on which the volume sheds light is the appearance to Saul of the “witch of Endor.”

• 224 pages
• ISBN 978-1-944555-64-1

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Click pdf to read sample chapter.

REVIEWS: 

Kristin Dykstra

Sarah Mowery

Eva and Mina Boekestein (as reviewed in the July/Aug 2020 issue of The Outlook)

Prof. Ronald Cammenga (as reviewed in the July 2020 issue of The Standard Bearer)

Dr. Jason Van Vliet (as reviewed in the August 7, 2020 issue of Clarion)

Ave (pronounced "Ah-vay") and her best friend Katie lived for many years as nuns in a convent in Nimbschen. But one day Ave, Katie, and several other nuns decided they must flee the convent for the city of Wittenberg so that they could worship the Lord in a way pleasing to him.

Even after Ave married the pharmacist Barcilius Axt and Katie married the famous reformer Martin Luther and Ave moved away from Wittenberg for her husband’s work, the two women wrote each other many letters and remained close friends, “sisters in the Lord.”

Now almost three decades later, Ave has received a letter that Katie has died. Determined to share her friend’s faith, Ave begins to relay her memories of Katie and share the letters she has kept for all these years.

The Lord gave Katie many joys as a wife and mother, but he was also pleased to send her and her family many trials of faith. And so Ave desires that we learn what Katie came to learn over her fifty-three years: trust in the Lord. He strengthens the hearts of all who hope in him (Psalm 31:24).

• 208 pages
• ISBN 978-1-944555-54-2

ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

Click pdf to read sample chapter.

REVIEWS: 

Kristin Dykstra

Sarah Mowery

Eva and Mina Boekestein (as reviewed in the July/Aug 2020 issue of The Outlook)

Prof. Ronald Cammenga (as reviewed in the July 2020 issue of The Standard Bearer)

Dr. Jason Van Vliet (as reviewed in the August 1, 2020 issue of Clarion)

Ave and her best friend Katie lived for many years as nuns in a convent in Nimbschen. But one day the two women and several other nuns decided they must flee the convent for the city of Wittenberg so that they could worship the Lord in a way pleasing to him.

Ave and Katie both eventually married. Ave moved away from Wittenberg, while Katie remained in the city with her new husband, Dr. Martin Luther. Over the years the women wrote each other many letters and remained close friends, “sisters in the Lord.”

Now almost three decades later, Ave has received a letter that Katie has died. Determined to share her friend’s faith, Ave begins to relay her memories of Katie and share the letters she has kept for all these years.

Ave desires that we learn what her friend Katie came to learn over fifty-three years on this earth: trust in the Lord. He strengthens the hearts of all who hope in him (Psalm 31:24).

• 208 pages
  
• softcover
• ISBN 978-1-944555-53-5

ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

NOW AVAILABLE!

The author lived through much of the history he writes about and taught church history for more than three decades. This fascinating study shows how the battle for truth and the history of Christ's church are inseparably connected. Historical facts are woven through doctrinal history as the author tells the story of a denomination that has fought hard to hold to the Reformed truth.

• 592 pages
• hardcover
• ISBN 978-1-944555-62-7

ebook version is available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

REVIEWS: 

Rev. Nathan Langerak (as reviewed in the July 2020 issue of Sword and Shield)
Rev. David Noorman (as published in the May 15, 2020 issue of The Standard Bearer)
Dr. David Schuringa
Rev. Jerome Julien (as reviewed in the May/June 2021 issue of The Outlook)

After a fifteen-year hiatus, and fourteen other published titles, Prof. David J. Engelsma continues the Unfolding Covenant History series, a covenantal exposition of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament history covered in this volume is extensive, covering the account of the life and significance for the covenant of Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon. This is the history recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1–11; 1 Chronicles 10–29; and 2 Chronicles 1–9. In addition, the volume takes into consideration other passages in scripture (Psalms) that reflect on this history.

This history is also rich in significance with regard to the development of God’s covenant and covenant dealings with his people. It includes the institution and early functioning of the office of the prophet; the institution of the office of king; the stark contrast between the people’s choice as king, in the charismatic, but reprobate, Saul, and God’s elect, David; and the realization of the fellowship of the covenant in the Old Testament in the temple. Among the fascinating and controversial events of the history on which the volume sheds light is the appearance to Saul of the “witch of Endor.”

• 224 pages
• hardcover
• ISBN 978-1-944555-63-4

ebook version will be available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).

 Click pdf for chapter preview.

NOW AVAILABLE! (in ebook format only)

Taken from the foreword to the first edition:

That the rejection of our Lord, the Christ of God, by men, is not to be understood as a mere historical fact, but rather as a universal truth; that mere men, the flesh, must always reject the Christ of the scriptures; that, therefore, as we contemplate the cross of the Savior, we have nothing to boast, but must, in deep humiliation, confess our iniquity, and, putting away our own righteousness, trust in his righteousness only, and that, too, only through the power of God’s sovereign grace,—this has all the emphasis in the Lenten meditations that are hereby presented to the reader. The cross of Christ leaves no room for boast, yet, for those that boast in it, it is the sure ground of their salvation.

• ISBN 978-1-944555-65-8

ebook version available in .mobi format (for Kindle users) and .epub (all other devices).