Trials teach us submission to the Lord and deliver us from our own ways. They are God’s way of developing patience in us. About the purpose of trials in our lives, James wrote: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But…
The still waters in Psalm 23 speak of a serenity of heart. This is not necessarily about peaceful circumstances but about peace and calmness of heart, regardless of the circumstances. Do we remember the wonderful passage in Isaiah 26:3? ” You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he…
Are you fearful? Is there a lot that you are afraid of? Well, God made provision against this: Scripture contains about 100 times the encouragement “Fear not”. In this series, we want to consider 30 of these Bible verses. Today, we start with Matthew 10:29-31. Jesus’ hearers knew exactly what he was talking about. When…
Sometimes you hear questions like: “Am I allowed to do that as a Christian?”, “Is that allowed in the Bible?” or someone complains: “The Christian life is so restrictive!” You will realize that the Bible does not say anything about many specific topics in our everyday lives. In such cases – but not only there…
Some of us have been brought up in a Christian family, but have we realized this is a great blessing? Believers who have not had this privilege know some of the difficulties and disadvantages that come with living in a family that does not follow God’s Word. Characteristics that should mark a Christian family…
1. Introduction Separation—for some Christians, this is an irritating word, while others recognize a divine principle in it. Indeed, the principle of separation runs through the whole Bible. We first learn that separation is associated with devotion to a particular person. We read in 1. Chronicles 12:8: “And of the Gadites, there separated themselves to…
Very interesting! Here, God is not looking for servants who bear much fruit, have much success to show, or are “doers.” No, it’s about faithful people. Those who are reliable, committed, devoted, and trustworthy in the tasks that the Lord places before them. A brief thought on the reward we receive for faithfulness: Everyone may…
In the second part, we will look at some of the objections raised against the teaching that believers cannot be lost. General objections The view that believers can be damned is often supported by experience. “I have known someone,” for example, “who followed the Lord. Now, he is an atheist. That is clearly someone who…
The question of whether a believer can be lost has probably occupied every Christian at one time or another. In this article, we want to examine some biblical passages on this topic in order to place our feet (once again) on the rocky foundation of God’s Word. A word in advance I would like…
These disciples – faithless, tired, and totally lacking in empathy! We often find ourselves thinking this way. As much as we marvel at the fact that they fell asleep three times in that scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, which moves us like almost no other, we still want to “consider ourselves, lest we also…
Christians are not under the law (Romans 6:14). This applies in general and does not depend on how the law is used – that is, whether it is seen as a means of justification or as a guideline for life. It is also irrelevant whether one wishes to differentiate between the type of regulations –…
Biblical Principles for Giving 1. Giving manifests God’s grace in our lives: “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia” (2 Cor 8:1). 2. Giving is the privilege and responsibility of fellowship with others: “Imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and…
The story of Moses remains one of the most remarkable in human history. Born into a family of enslaved Israelites, he was at birth slated to be drowned according to the command of the reigning Pharaoh. However, God preserved him to become the adopted grandson of the very king who had decreed his death (Exodus…
The topic is “hot” – at the latest with the onset of puberty. An adolescent teenager sits tightly embraced with an equally young girl and whispers in her ear: “I love you.” What does he mean by that? Probably (at least in many cases) something completely different from what the girl understands. In marriage, love…
Joshua is a remarkable person in the Old Testament. He was, first, Moses’ servant and then the leader of the people of Israel, whom he was to bring into the land of Canaan. His life story begins in Exodus 17 and ends in Joshua 24, covering a period of about 70-75 years. At the end…
The healing of leprosy is made known – our salvation too? In this passage, the Lord’s power and compassion were in the foreground when He healed a leper. He then asked the man to show himself to the priest. The priest was to confirm that the disease was gone. Going to the priest was obedience…
Introduction The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians is one of the best-known chapters of the Bible. The great lesson we learn is how to become imitators of God. God is not only light, but He is also love, and in giving His only begotten Son He has acted in unfathomable love. Now we are called…
We first need to establish what an ambassador is. A dictionary defines it as follows: “An official envoy especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment”…
“They have not loved their lives to the death!” (Rev 12:11) The week before last, on Friday, November 16, 2018, the 27-year-old American missionary John Allen Chau died on the beach of the Indian island of North Sentinel Island. He wanted to help the unreached Sentinelese tribe. The tribe, notorious for their violence, shot him…
You should think about discipleship, … Imagine someone you love talking about the same topic repeatedly. They hope you’ll become interested and give it some thought. Why do they do this? Maybe the subject is crucial to them, and they also want to make it essential to you. This is why Jesus talked a lot…