At my father’s house in the country, there is a little closet near the chimney, where we keep the canes, or walking sticks, of several generations of our family. During my visits to the old house, as my father and I are going out for a walk, we often go to the cane closet and…
Question: “Should only those evangelize who have received the gift of the evangelist (Eph 4:11)?” Answer: It is indeed sometimes said that evangelism is not the task of every Christian. Based on 2 Timothy 4:5, it is argued that you cannot say to a butcher, for example, “Do the work of a gardener”. The…
Question: “Should only those evangelize who have received the gift of the evangelist (Eph 4:11)?” Answer: It is indeed sometimes said that evangelism is not the task of every Christian. Based on 2 Timothy 4:5, it is argued that you cannot say to a butcher, for example, “Do the work of a gardener”. The bottom…
What this Topic is all About Who is the Antichrist? There has been much speculation about this man. Much has been written about him. Many dictators of this world have been falsely called “the Antichrist”. They have certainly revealed one or two traits of this man. The fact is, however, that the Antichrist has not…
What is the meaning of the word “Gospel’? The Greek word means “good news”. In Ancient Greece, when a battle was won, a messenger was sent to the city, and, coming nearer, he would exclaim this one word “evangelion’: good news – the battle is won! Man did not seek God! But the good news…
Everyone of us has a subtle desire for numbers and a tendency to judge success by statistics. There is a measure of reproach connected with small groups whereas large crowds command attention and respect. What should our attitude be in this area? Large numbers should not be despised if they are the fruit of the…
The devil has two main ways of tempting believers: Either he offers up attractive, appealing, and impressive preachers to whom believers go, thus luring them out of their homes to him. Or he sends these seducers into the homes. The latter is probably the most dangerous. We read about it twice: 2 Timothy 3:6: “For…
One of the most deep-seated frailties of fallen humanity is the persistent tendency to judge according to appearance. We judge a person according to his looks. We judge a used car by its body. We judge a book by its cover. No matter how often we are disappointed and disillusioned, we stubbornly refuse to learn…
We often think we have to do everything ourselves. A problem arises – and we immediately try to find a solution. Of course, if we don’t take care of it, it will only get bigger and never go away! Right? No! We have already remembered the servant of Elisha, who cries out facing the enemy’s…
Question: How do I recognize whether I have the gift of singleness according to 1 Corinthians 7:7,37? There are some articles on being single, but mostly addressing the question: How can I make the best of this situation, which I did not choose for myself, with the help of the Lord? But what if you…
“Soothsayers were spectacularly wrong in 2018 – again”, reads a newspaper headline. Germany was supposed to become world champions, and the world was supposed to end once again. And imprecise statements such as “Earthquakes in Asia, hurricanes in the tropicals, forest fires in California” are really no prophecy skill. And anyone who reads horoscopes is…
In a passage in Romans, Paul states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). A few verses earlier, the apostle quotes from the Old Testament with similar content: “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who…
The two prophets Haggai and Zechariah were active at the same time. In terms of content, their messages overlap to some extent, but their styles are very different: Haggai is simple and direct; Zechariah is complex and rich in imagery. – Let’s take a look at the expressive prophet Zechariah! The Messenger The prophet…
Who has not come across Siri, the Apple software, the “woman in the iPhone’, who replies to you when you ask her where the next restaurant is? Imagine she suddenly says to you, “I love you!” Would you find that nice? Imagine a robot sitting next to you, putting his arm around your shoulder, and…
True Christianity is a total commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior is not looking for men and women who will give Him their free evenings, their weekends or their years of retirement. Rather, He is looking for those who will give Him first place in their lives. He is looking today, as He…
We have learned from passages such as Romans 10:4 that Christ is the end of the law for the redeemed Christian, who is, therefore, not under the law. Does this also mean that a Christian does not have to keep the Sabbath and is allowed to eat pork? The New Testament provides clear answers to…
The verse in 1 Corinthians 11:27 has often been misunderstood as if the breaking of bread was only meant for the particularly worthy. But let’s hear what the verse really says: 1 Corinthians 11:27: “So whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood…
The liberty of the child of God is one of his priceless possessions. Made free by the Son, he is free indeed. But he is called to responsible freedom, not to license. Children want to be free from the restraints of home. Young people want to be free from the discipline of study. Adults want…
A very interesting word used in Titus 2:3 shows how seriously God takes slander, defamation, half-truths, blasphemy (even in a pious guise), or gossip. When older women are told not to slander, we find the Greek term “diabolos” – the word used for the devil. It means “confuser, slanderer”. No wonder since he is called…
Luke’s gospel is the gospel of grace. It speaks of the undeserved grace of God that has appeared in order to offer salvation to all men (Titus 2:11). God’s grace and mercy flow out to each and every person who accepts the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior. We can take chapter 19:10 as the…