The keeper of a lighthouse in Calais boasted about the brightness of his lantern, which could be seen ten nautical miles off the coast. A visitor asked him, “What if one of the lights goes out by accident?” “Never! Impossible!” exclaimed the lighthouse keeper, horrified at the thought. He pointed to the ocean: “There,…
Question: If a woman sings in a choir in front of the assembly (for example at a gospel outreach or at a conference), is this also to be understood as prophesying? Should she cover her head according to 1 Corinthians 11? Answer: You asked two questions: Is singing together prophesying? Should the woman cover herself?…
Christ’s work saves you, God’s Word assures you, and your joy is maintained by the Holy Spirit who indwells you. But every saved person still has the old, sinful nature that they were born with. The Holy Spirit resists the old nature but is grieved by every thought, word, or deed that springs from it….
The two verses from Galatians 6 do not contradict each other, as can be seen from the fact that two different words are used for “burden” in Greek. In verse 2, burden (Greek baros) means to carry something heavy, oppressive, or distressing. Every fear, every worry, every trial, every weakness is such a burden. Through…
Question: Matthew 18:15: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” My question is: Does this always apply? Do I have the task of convicting another believer every time he sins against me? Or do I not simply have to “swallow” some things (see 1…
Christianity is an intimate, growing relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. It is not a set of doctrines to believe, habits to practice, or sins to avoid. Every activity God commands is intended to enhance His love relationship with His people. God designed worship for us to see Him in His glory and to…
Hebrews 11 has been called the “Heroes’ Hall of Faith.” It presents illustrations of faith, not in an abstract way, but in the real lives and circumstances of these Old Testament worthies. When we read through this chapter, we see the exploits of faith accomplished by these saints, what they did “by faith.” However,…
The Lord commissioned the Japanese evangelist Matzuzaki to preach every day on a specific street in the village. Only after 1000 days – I.e., 1000 sermons – the first conversion took place. This servant persevered faithfully and then reaped the fruit. Another Christian chopped wood with a neighbor for years to reach him. The man…
Even as redeemed ones, we often cannot forget our past sins. Whether we committed them before our conversion or afterwards, they can always come up in our memory. And they can trouble us if we do not have a firm faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. This can become a heavy burden. Complete Forgiveness But…
1 Corinthians 13 is an extraordinary chapter. Why is that? Because it is about love. Not natural, human affection, but divine love (Greek: agape). At first glance, we might be surprised that this chapter is placed between chapters 12 and 14: In chapter 12, Paul talks about various gifts of grace (spiritual empowerment) and shows…
Our Father wants His children to call to Him with the burdens of their heart. Have you cried out to God in faith? Be assured that He is listening! Psalm 55:22 encourages us to, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Peter…
Unfortunately, Gideon’s ending was not positive. When the men of Israel asked him to rule over them following the victory over the Midianites, he had said the right thing: “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you” (8:23). But while Gideon’s words were humble,…
As we learn to trust the Lord, perhaps no spiritual challenge is more difficult than waiting. A number of the Psalms and several of the prophets repeat that prayer, “How long?” It is the cry of a heart that believes God can be trusted while also feeling keenly that dull ache of the soul that often…
At first glance, dealing with such a topic is certainly not edifying. Nevertheless, the Bible presents the devil to us as a real, existing being who is always opposed to what has to do with Christ. Therefore, we must not simply ignore such a topic. The devil is the one who sins from the…
What will happen next? What will the future of our planet look like? The Lord is coming soon! We are convinced of this – and we long for it. But while we await the Lord from heaven (1 Thes 1:10), this evil world can only expect the worst. While we will be in complete joy…
Some time ago a man was moving a very large, heavy piano and in the process it fell on his big toe crushing it very badly, so much so that the doctors recommended amputation. The man refused, so over the months there were operations, many stitches, infections, immense pain and suffering. There were many doctors’…
Many will remember the day Charlie Kirk was shot. He was not only known for his political activism and his fight for the unborn, but above all, as a committed Christian who stood up for the gospel, the Bible, and Christian truths. Charlie Kirk was a husband and father of two young children, who now…
The question has been raised regarding whether a child of God can be possessed by demons. Now, the Bible tells us several incidents of people being possessed by demons. In our modern world, and especially in the Western world, the activities and even the existence of demons are downplayed, if not totally denied. We don’t…
Experience! This is quite a popular word these days in the world of computers, cars, sports, and other things. With God, it already existed a long time ago. As part of God’s school, experience can be paraphrased as the ability of passing a process of being tested, with the objective of passing the test—and, I…
Why does a gracious, loving father allow suffering in the lives of his children? A difficult question. There may be many possible answers. One of them will be briefly presented today: the “fellowship of his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Paul writes that he wanted to suffer the same death as his Master in order to…
