There are verses in the Bible that we stumble over when we read them. Either we don’t understand them immediately because they are difficult, or we stumble over them because they seem a little too radical. At first glance, such verses seem more of an irritant than a treat. But when we understand them and…
The devil is very eager to tempt believers. He does not give them a break but wants to fire his temptations at them without interruption. So, there is no “truce”. No “repite”. He keeps attacking. We find this illustrated by two men in the Old Testament whose reactions could not be moredifferent: Joseph and Samson….
God clearly shows us in His Word the mind and attitude of heart that is pleasing to Him. There are several Scriptures where the Spirit of God tells us what kind of behavior pleases the heart of God and what blessings He has promised where there is such an attitude. It is our purpose in…
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” (Matt 1:1) The order of the biblical books as we find them in our Bibles is not inspired, i.e., supernaturally given by God. Nevertheless, we can well understand the place of certain books. It also makes sense that…
It is often mentioned that Elijah, the prophet of judgment, anointed Elisha, the prophet of grace, as his successor. Elijah had personally killed the 450 false prophets of Baal. This verse says that Elisha would also kill the enemies of the Lord, but this seems completely out of character for him. Elisha was the prophet…
There are some statements in the Bible that we find very difficult to take literally. 1 Timothy 6:8 is certainly one of them. Paul says here: “If we have food to eat, a roof over our heads, and clothes to wear, let us be content.” That is a remarkable statement. We might have written: “If…
“In remembrance of me” is more literally translated: “To call to mind.” Three thoughts can be derived from this, which are an instruction for every believer. Firstly, the Lord’s Supper is only for those who are saved and whose sins have been washed away. This follows from the fact that only a child of God…
In the New Testament, believers are often described as soldiers of Christ. Paul instructed Timothy to fight the good fight and the good fight of faith (1 Tim 1:18; 6:12). We must participate in tribulations as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:3), not using carnal weapons but those that are “mighty in God…
It may be useful to point out that the New Testament speaks of at least ten forms of discipline, all of which we should consider in the light of Scripture. We should generally consider the first nine before we consider the tenth. Discipline can be paternal, fraternal, or congregational, preventive and corrective, or a necessary…
This would be every investor’s dream – 10,000% interest. Banks do not advertise more than a small percentage in the low single digits. Not worth it. In contrast, the Lord Jesus shows us what an investment in the “heavenly bank” entails: “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or…
A few years ago, I read on the back of a semi-truck: “Go to the church of your choice!” This sentence has stuck with me ever since. Is it really up to me which church or congregation I should go to, or does God have a plan that applies to every Christian? How can it…
Do Christians have to go through the time of tribulation? When will the Lord Jesus come to take His own to Himself? Before the tribulation or after the tribulation? We want to explore this important question and be motivated anew to await our Savior from heaven every day! Before we get into the subject,…
A revolutionary insight! The gifts in Ephesians 4 are given to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Once the saints can do the work of ministry on their own, the gift can move on. This means that success in the Lord’s work is to “work yourself out” of a job in the shortest…
Principle: Christ is occupied every moment in love with His assembly, but in the meeting of edification (the ministry meeting), He is especially occupied with His own. The whole assembly (of a place) comes together in one place. If this is not possible due to fragmentation, it is still possible to gather on the basis…
Two sins in the Old Testament are particularly characteristic of the unbelief of the people of Israel: idolatry and fornication. Unfortunately, we, too, have to be warned against them very seriously in the New Testament. However, we are also warned against many other dangers. One of these seems to be an especially great danger for…
Every parent would agree with me: If your child still only drinks milk at the age of five and can’t tolerate anything else, that’s not normal or natural. Lack of growth shows that something is wrong with the child – it is sick. The same applies in the spiritual realm. If there is no spiritual…
Many people in the Old Testament are types of Christ that point to Him. We think of Joseph, Moses, David, and other well-known people. The prophet Daniel is also one of them. This is particularly evident in the sixth chapter of his book. Let’s look at some parallels between Daniel and the Lord Jesus: If…
Anxiety leads to an absence of inner peace. You have no inner peace instead you are agitated. You can feel your heart beating fast, and you can’t calm down. Thoughts are racing, and sleep is flying. What is missing is resting in God. Peace is missing! How wonderful that one of God’s characteristics is peace….
This statement is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. On the last night before the Lord Jesus went to Calvary, He prepared His disciples for the days ahead. These men had been following Him for over three years, learning from His teaching and example. They had placed their hopes in Him as…
Here is a brief comparison of the “Lord’s Table” and the “Lord’s Supper”: Table of the Lord (1 Cor 10) The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11) Principles (“table rules”) Manner Cooperative privileges, blessings, and responsibility with regard to external relationships Personal privileges, blessings, and responsibility in relation to the inner attitude Fellowship with our Lord…