“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole […]
“Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God.” — Isaiah 40:1 This article first appeared in the January, 2003 issue of The Outlook. An Age of Fear The Heidelberg Catechism was written in a day and age filled with fear. Other catechisms written at the time were stressing guilt before a holy God. The church […]
This article first appeared in the May, 1999, issue of The Outlook. When it pleased the Lord in the latter days of Hezekiah, King of Judah, to prepare good news through Isaiah the prophet for the exiles who, a century and a half later, would dwell by the rivers of Babylon, He gave this command […]
This article, edited and translated by Prof. H. David Schuringa from the Reformatorisch Dagblad, appeared in the November, 1988 issue of The Outlook. In an old edition of the authorized Dutch Bible (Statenbijbel) there is a picture of Adam and Eve in paradise. Adam is busy teaching his sons Cain and Abel from a little […]
This article originally appeared in the April, 1995 issue of The Outlook. On a Tuesday at 4 p.m., I came to the home of Larry, Pattie, Lare John, and Bailey. They were expecting me. They had been attending our church for some time. Pattie’s oldest brother and his family, her youngest brother and his family […]
This article originally appeared in the April, 1995 issue of The Outlook. The city of Heidelberg is one of the most beautiful and charming in the world. Built in the Neckar River valley, the city looks across the river to rising hills covered with green. Today the city itself has a very well-preserved Renaissance center […]
In Romans 8, Paul explains the very core of the glorious gospel message. This chapter has been an inspiration to Christians for over twenty centuries. Its verses have been quoted throughout the centuries as a source of comfort and strength. It begins with no condemnation, it ends with no separation, and throughout the chapter there […]
Paul has made it very clear throughout Romans that salvation is a gift from God and that we can do nothing to earn new life. By His grace and mercy, God sent His Son into this world to die in our place so that we might be reconciled to Him and have the promise of […]
My calling is to missions, and my passion is missions. I don’t consider myself an expert in missions, not having any sort of degree in missiology. However, I have twenty-seven years of experience in foreign missions, and have served in a number of areas in missions, and under two different denominations. I would like to […]
Introduction This short series of articles will examine the role and work of the elders in our churches. It is not intended to be a complete guide but it will address specific areas of concern to the churches today in the light of Scripture, the confessions, and the ecclesiastically assigned tasks of the eldership. Among […]