Why did Joseph, before he became vice-ruler over Egypt according to God’s will, first have to perform slave labor in the house of the Egyptian guard officer and be exposed to the wife’s constant advances? Why did he unjustly have to spend more than two years in prison? Why did God first let Moses study…
1. Is it true that the Bible is inspired by God? Yes. To quote but one of the many scriptures confirming this (more below): “All scripture is given by inspiration” (2 Tim. 3:16). 2. Does inspiration really matter? Absolutely. If the Bible were not inspired then it would simply be a piece of literature…
The Lord Jesus once said that we are destined to bear fruit. Our goal in life should, therefore, be to bear lasting fruit that is so valuable to God. Ultimately, fruit means reflecting the characteristics of the Lord Jesus. When He is seen in us, God is glorified. In this series, we want to reflect…
Elijah asked God to stop the rain to wake up the people of Israel. And He did. What a wake-up call! We can also pray that God will allow things to happen that will awaken many Christians once again. These are things that make us aware of where we stand spiritually. The coronavirus pandemic has…
We casually glance at these words, we feel how aptly they describe the character of mankind generally, in a world where so many are doing that which is right in their own eyes. But turning to the Word of God for ourselves, and reading Phil. 2. 19-23, so as to get the context, we find…
The messenger and the message The book of the prophet Habakkuk has a very personal character. He does not bring messages directly to the people, but the reader witnesses a dialog between God and Habakkuk. Habakkuk sees how evil and unjust God’s people are behaving. He asks God why He is simply watching. God replies…
Milk or steak: which of these two foods do we give a baby? Obviously, not the steak. It wouldn’t be able to digest it. We certainly know the meaning of the Bible passage from 1 Corinthians 3:1-3: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as…
Worries are at home everywhere. There is no continent, no country, no city, and no house where they do not live. Worry is not bound by time. They are present in difficult hours, but they also darken the most beautiful moments. Nobody loves them. Everyone knows them. But children of God need not worry about…
The Holy Spirit does not “speak of himself” (John 16:13). Does this mean we should not study this subject? No. This verse does not suggest that the Holy Spirit does not speak about Himself. He does (see the many references quoted below). The point is that the Holy Spirit does not speak independently —…
The Lord Jesus once said that we are destined to bear fruit. Our goal in life should, therefore, be to bear lasting fruit that is so valuable to God. Ultimately, fruit means reflecting the characteristics of the Lord Jesus. When He is seen in us, God is glorified. In this series, we want to reflect…
“Take heed lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this, many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). Bitterness among fellow believers is like cancer: It poisons one’s own soul and causes great damage to God’s people. As a rule, bitterness leaves deep wounds or at least ugly scars. The problem is both…
The Son of God is central to the truth of Christianity and Christian fellowship (1 John 1:3). It is also the special target of the attacks of the enemy (1 John 2:22.23). But today we want to focus on the positive side: the sending of the Son marks the “fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4) and…
1. What is prophecy? Prophecy involves a man (or, in the right context, a woman) speaking on behalf of God. The prophet receives a message from God and passes it on to the people concerned (Deut. 18:18; Jer. 1:9:17), frequently introduced by the words: “thus says the Lord” (e.g. Isa. 7:7; 10:24; 28:16, etc.)….
There are some people with a little measure of “position” who seem to accept all favors shown to them, and all services rendered to them by others, as due to them because of their exalted rank, or their exceeding importance among men. They stand upon their dignity, and in effect demand attention, and a degree of subserviency from their…
“The Book of Psalms” [1] – “Medicine chest”, hymnal, or more? Many of us like to read the Book of Psalms again and again because the texts often speak directly to us and strengthen us. It is, therefore, particularly useful to explore this wonderful “book of poems” more closely in the overall context of the…
The Lord Jesus once said that we are destined to bear fruit. Our goal in life should, therefore, be to bear lasting fruit that is so valuable to God. Ultimately, fruit means reflecting the characteristics of the Lord Jesus. When He is seen in us, God is glorified. In this series, we want to reflect…
The different statements in Romans 4:3 and James 2 have caused many Bible readers a headache as they thought they had encountered a contradiction here. It even led the great reformer Martin Luther to call the book of James a difficult epistle. While James 2:21 uses the example of Abraham to show that a…
On one occasion I was preaching the glad tidings of salvation through the finished work of Christ, when a middle-aged man stood up, and testified before his assembled countrymen to his faith in the power of the Gospel. “I have long sought for the Truth,” said he earnestly, “as my fathers did before me;…
I. Introduction What is worship? Some people say “We worship in such and such a place” – and mean they go there to listen to a sermon. Others speak about “worship” but have in mind some sort of musical performance by a choir, orchestra, or band. But is this actually what the Bible means…
When we look at the attributes of the Lord, we have much reason to rejoice. But that’s not all: we can also look forward to the coming of the Lord, which could happen at any moment. We can look forward to what is then waiting for us in heaven. That the Son of God Himself…