Some time ago there appeared in the Netherlands a book which will be discussed for a long time to come. It is the fruit of the pen of a retired preacher, the Rev, B. Telder, formerly pastor of the Reformed (vrijgemaakt) congregation of Breda. It is entitled Sterven—waarom? and attempts to set forth what the […]

“O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid; O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in thy wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2 Prophets use a special language and that makes it difficult for us to understand them. Habakkuk saw and heard more by […]

And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark places until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. II Peter 1:19 (RSV) Please note that Peter uses here the expression, “the prophetic word made more sure,” instead of just […]

Text: “keep yourselves in the love of God;” Jude: 21a It cannot be said that this is an unknown or especially misunderstood text from holy Scripture. Yet I doubt whether the deep riches it contains is readily recognized and open to every faithful Bible reader. Maybe this could be classified among the not sufficiently-understood words of […]

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” James 4:5 (AV) Let us sit quietly for a few moments to ponder this profound and wonderful text from God’s Word! Apparently it, too, belongs to a long series of well-nigh forgotten and neglected passages. It seems to us as […]

“Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it, he will spare and rescue it.” (Isaiah 31:5, RSV) This text, too, is difficult to explain. The problem is this: How is the comparison to be understood? It was in the days of Assyria’s greatness that this word was […]

“even to old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; yea I will carry, and will deliver.” –Isaiah 46:4 (ASV) To understand Isaiah 46:4 we must look at its context, and that means especially the first three verses of this chapter. These verses […]

“and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” – Nehemiah 8:10b (RSV) The longer I study the Bible the more I realize that we very often overlook important items in our reading and reflection. This is another gem from God’s Word, and its preciousness is greater than seems often to […]

The Scriptures teach us the universal character of the kingship of Christ. This we hold to without fear of contradiction. This was the conclusion drawn in the previous article dealing with this subject. We should now consider the practical side of this topic and inquire after the consequences of this teaching for our life as Christians in […]

The recognition of Christ’s kingship is of decisive significance for all christian living on earth. Whoever thinks that the redemption of Jesus Christ pertains only to our spiritual life, has little appreciation for Christian organization in any field of action in this material world. But he who believes that Christ has redeemed not only souls but all […]