All Articles For VanOverloop, Ronald

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord: and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.  II Chronicles 20:3, 4 There are many things that make us afraid. The coronavirus has the ability to strike fear into the hearts of many as they hear of the death of some who previously had appeared to be full of health and strength. The power of the Devil and of sin can occasion great fear at times...

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and has built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord...

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. Joshua 2:1 The children of Israel, the church of the old dispensation, completed a forty-year-long journey through the wilderness. Three generations (all those above twenty years of age) had died in the wilderness, including Moses, their faithful, patient, and meek leader. Joshua was chosen by God to replace Moses (Num. 27:18-23; Deut. 1:38). Moses encouraged him (Deut. 31:7, 8) and God commissioned him (Josh....

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11 God is pleased to use the preaching of His Word to work faith (Rom. 10:17). God is pleased to use weak, sinful men to preach, which calls the hearers to focus on the voice of their Shepherd and not so much on the Shepherd’s instru­ment, the preacher. God declares that the preaching of Christ crucified is the power and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:23–24). The great importance...

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a “Selah Grace” is the name of a baby girl recently baptized. The infant girl to whom the parents gave this name has Down syndrome. Those born with Down syn­drome have an extra copy of a chromosome—chromo­some 21. The parents learned about the possibility of this early in the pregnancy. The joy that characterizes the expectation of a child is suddenly dampened and very quickly the mind runs in a multitude of directions, accompanied by all kinds of concerns and fears. And very quickly we all wondered what the future held....

*2019 Pre-synodical sermon, June 10, 2019. “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot…. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22 There are two reasons for the selection of this passage for our pre-synodical prayer service. The first is that it...

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” Genesis 17:1, 2 God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees and later out of Haran to go to the land that He would show to him, which land God would give to him and to his seed (12:1­7). God had promised Abram, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth”...

“He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthened man’s heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 Psalm 104 has been called a poet’s version of Genesis 1. The psalm begins with a description of God as very great, clothed with honor and majesty, brilliantly covered with light. This beautiful picture of God arises out of His work as Creator. He works upon the waters above...

“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 Hosea was a prophet sent of God to the true church in the northern kingdom at a time of great apostasy. The book of Hosea teaches the greatness of God’s faithfulness in light of the grievous sins of His spiritual wife. The verses preceding our text describe God’s chas­tisement. God’s chastisement had the purpose of call­ing His people away from a sinful walk in the way of repentance. The chastisement was accompanied with the amazing promise that God would heal and bind...

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9 God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This last part of II Peter 3:9 has been used to teach a universal love of God. It is thought that this passage teaches that God desires the salvation of all. It is thought that it teaches that proper preaching must include an ‘offer’ because God wants the salvation of all....