Vol 90 Issue 06

Congregation Activities With the Word of God found in Revelation 7:9 in mind, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb…,” we extend our congratulations to First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI, celebrating their anniversary as an organized congre­gation and holding their first worship service on December 25, 1925. A Request Night program was held at First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI on November 10. There was a variety of singing and instrumental numbers provided by children,...

Battle for Sovereign Grace in the Covenant, The Declaration of Principles, by David J. Engelsma. Re­formed Free Publishing Association, Jenison, MI. 2013. [Reviewed by Justin Smidstra.] The Battle for Sovereign Grace in the Covenant is a timely publication. The book provides an ex­amination of the controversy over the doctrine of the covenant. This treatment is merited not only by the present need to preserve the history of the schism of 1953, which becomes more distant with each passing generation, but also by the present ecclesiastical landscape, a landscape in which conditional covenant theology is rampant even within the walls of...

Previous article in this series: October 15, 2013, p. 39. Rev. Ophoff—so we noted last time—took vigor­ous exception to Fairbairn’s view that the expiatory sacrifice “had a meaning of its own” (that is, apart from its significance as a type), which meaning the ancient worshiper could comprehend and therefore, through it, offer acceptable service to God “whether he might perceive or not the further respect it had to a dy­ing Savior.” Ophoff insisted that, in order for a sacrifice to be pleasing to God, it had to be offered out of faith in Christ. Ophoff went on, however, to acknowledge...

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat,…” Genesis 2:16 So very many trees God planted in Paradise. So many trees with their fruit God gave to the man and the woman for food. Theirs was a delicious variety to enjoy every day. They never had to go far for their food. As soon as they were only a little hungry they might reach out with their hands to the fruit hanging right before them, and take and eat. Easily and quickly they might satisfy their hunger. They might eat as...

“And the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” I Chronicles 12:32 The Lord having revealed to His church in His infallible Word the goal and purpose of Satan (the es­tablishment of his antichristian world power, Rev. 17), it remains for the children of Issachar to stalk the false prophet as he enlists the services of the false and aposta­tizing churches to advance Satan’s devious cause. Many world luminaries of our day (Tony Blair,...

Do you belong to a church where the number of songs approved for worship is limited? Has your church used the same songbook for decades? Perhaps you think it is time for a change. You can point to the many deficiencies, real or perceived, in the approved songbook. And maybe you are a bit weary of singing the same songs over and over again. I won’t say that it is impossible to revise or im­prove a songbook. But the article I call to your attention below demonstrates that we have far more reason to love and be thankful for our...

This is the text of the speech Rev. Huizinga gave at the annual meeting of the RFPA on September 19, 2013. Previous article in this series: November 15, 2013, p. 88. Reading’s Great Significance in God’s Covenant The next generation must be encouraged to read. The necessity, even urgency, of doing so is twofold. First, reading has a significant place in the covenant of grace as an instrument of God for the fulfilling of His promises. That reading has a significant place in God’s covenant can be demonstrated from Scripture. First of all, Exodus 24:7 (and all similar Old Testa­ment passages):...

Previous article in this series: September 1, 2013, p. 467. Introduction Having demonstrated that none of the main passages of Scripture to which postmillennialists appeal supports the erroneous doctrine of the last things, I conclude my Reformed critique of postmillennialism by showing that the error finds no support in the Reformed confessions. In fact, the Reformed confessions expose postmillennial­ism as false doctrine. The Reformed Confessions There is absolutely nothing in the Reformed confes­sions that supports, or even suggests, the eschatological doctrine of a coming “golden age” for the church before the second coming of Jesus Christ—a millennium of the earthly...

Previous article in this series: December 1, 2013, p. 101. The terrible failure of many churches to exercise dis­cipline is putting them on the path to becoming the false church. Scarce are the churches today that are willing to engage in this “disagreeable necessity”1 of Christian discipline for the honor of God. The few who do carry out this biblical calling are criticized as unloving and harsh. As with most matters of obe­dience to God, the obedience of carrying out discipline is costly. Besides the slander, the cost also often involves the heartbreaking putting out of members who may be...

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to­ward men.” Luke 2:13, 14 Familiar and most beautiful! A song sung by a choir that was much larger than the audience. It was one of the most marvelous revelations in this world’s history. Heaven opened. The heavenly choir sang. A heavenly message was given and received. May we receive the message of this song. May we re­spond by joining them in praise to our heavenly Father. The angels are always...