All Articles For Kortering, Jason L

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother and then...

The Epistle to the Galatians is the strongest polemic against the attempt of the Judaizers to impose on the New Testament church the ceremonial aspects of the Old Testament law. At stake was much more than the circumcision of the Gentiles. The epistle dealt with the question of the law, whether one is justified by faith in Christ Jesus alone or is righteous in the keeping of the ceremon­ial law. The gospel of this epistle expresses the antithesis between bondage under the law and liberty in Jesus Christ. THE GALATIANS In the epistle itself, Paul addresses the recipients as “the...

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see i) there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23, 24 Search me, O God! What a paradoxical petition. It just doesn’t seem to make sense to ask God to do something that will bring us to grief.

Today these Three Forms of Unity and the Formula of Subscription are the object of a subtle and persistent attack.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Hebrews 11:4 Righteousness! The key that unlocks the gates of heaven. What blessedness to obtain witness that we are righteous.

The outreach we speak about in this article is mission work. It is hard work. It taxes our patience. It tries our commitment. And it stirs in us the deepest sense of helplessness. Having said this, we quickly add that it is right and beautiful for every congregation to do it. There are two reasons for this. First, it is the response of faith to obey the com­mandment of our Lord. Two passages from the Bible come to mind. Matthew 28:18-20: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing...

Rev. Kortering is a Protestant Reformed minister-on-loan to Singapore. The public media here in Singapore have been enjoying a lively discussion on the relationship between morality and religion. It was prompted by a monograph written by two professors of the National University of Singapore in which they analyzed the responses of citizens in connection with the 1990 Census. People were asked questions about their religious practices. By comparing these answers with the ones of the census of 1980, the government learned what changes had taken place. They learned that Christianity had made the greatest gains—45,000 new adherents, making up 12.5%...

Most churches have a door marked, “Consistory”. Outside that door many a child has stood and peeked inside wondering with child-like curiosity as to what was going on inside. The clink of money, the clearing of throats, the quiet conversation, the smell of stale smoke—all made up a rather strange combination. Before that door many a young elder or deacon paused with second thoughts, weighing his future with some degree of trepidation. Before that door many a sinner bowed with humble submission, burning with shame, but more, so longing for the forgiveness of Christ and His church.

Rev. Kortering is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, Michigan. And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Ephesians 6:17 We have a sword! Thank God, while the arrows of the wicked assail us and while Satan hurls his fiery darts at us, we do not have to sit by helplessly and question the outcome. We have a sword! That makes our armor complete. We are covered from head to toe. Our spiritual loins are protected by the girdle of truth, our breast is secure with the breastplate of the righteousness of Jesus,...

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Phil. 1:6