The board of Reformed Believers Publishing, the organization, the editors, and the copy editors present this special issue of the magazine to our readers, dealing with the latest article from Prof. David J. Engelsma. Professor Engelsma continues to insist that man’s activity of coming to God precedes in some vital sense God’s activity of coming to man. In his latest blog post, Professor Engelsma advances his thought to teach that man’s activity of coming to God in an active faith precedes God’s activity of coming to man with the gifts of forgiveness, remission of sins, and justification. The issue could not be more serious, and it demands a response.

Professor Engelsma has not taken up our offer to publish his material in Sword and Shield but continues to publish his articles via family email. In this case, that email was picked up by the blog of the Reformed Free Publishing Association. Professor Engelsma’s blog post is printed in this issue for the convenience of our readers. The additions to the blog that were not in his family email are noted in red, and the subtractions are noted with strikeouts.

One of our contributors to this issue received quite a shock when she first saw Professor Engelsma’s latest email article. Well before that article was emailed out, Mrs. Christina Overway was working on an article regarding the rooster’s crowing and the sun’s rising. Mrs. Overway correctly saw how that applied to the teaching of ministers in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Imagine her surprise when she saw Professor Engelsma using the same illustration but wrongly applied to the Reformed Protestant Churches. Mrs. Overway’s excellent article is included in this issue and sets things straight.

May the Lord speed the truths written herein to your heart and the next issue into your hands.