One of the most amazing things about the Christmas story found in the Gospels is the simplicity with which it is told. Luke, for example, does not attempt to embellish the story in any way to remove anything that might distract from the sentimentality of his account, nor does he add some things that might make […]
“If I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offense of the cross ceased.” Gal. 5:11 The word here translated “offense” is the Greek “skandalon,” which first meant the trigger of a trap or snare, then an occasion of stumbling. Our word “scandal” is derived from it. The offense of the cross is the […]
Text: Haggai 2:6, 7 — “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and 1 win shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all the nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith […]
“In every place where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee” Exodus 20:24b The historical event, to which this text is related, years later was recalled in David’s psalm of praise to Jehovah the God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary. We read in Psalm 68:7,8, – “O God, when […]
Struggle is one of the chief characteristics of the church in all ages. This is not so much the struggle for survival, since we have the promise, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world [ages]” (Matthew 28:20). It is rather the struggle for purity of doctrine and life within […]
We must hurry. Time is too short for all the necessary holiday preparations that must be made. But let’s take a moment out of our hurry and scurry to ask ourselves if Christmas has not become for as merely a night so dark and so long ago. If it has, something is lacking. Like Mary, we must […]
In this mathematically minded age we should analyze our feelings of thankfulness in terms of a fraction. Let the top ( the numerator) represent the multitude of blessings each one of us can count. But our gratitude does not depend only on the number of our blessings. There is another factor that is just as […]
For Jacobus Revius the Word of God was the chief source of poetic inspiration. In that revealed Word it was especially the Word made flesh—Christ Jesus himself who inspired the poet’s finest lyrics. The supreme significance of Christ in the Scriptures so informs Revius’ poetic sensibility that the Savior becomes the key image to which all […]
“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 […]