All Articles For II Thessalonians

At the end of a year, and much more the end of a millennium, it is perfectly proper that we encourage ourselves with the thought of the end of the world. Not as though this is an occasional thing with us! But the end of a year and the close of a millennium impress upon us the swift passing of time. And time is hurrying toward its goal: the coming of Jesus Christ. Not that there is any special significance for the end of the world in the arrival of a year with three zeros. 2000 has no more—but also...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). A sign not merely of identification, but a sign of all Jesus’ work “that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (II Cor. 8:9). What are...

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council This Council (NAPARC) has six member denominations: the Christian Reformed Church, Presbyterian Church in America, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Korean American Presbyterian Church, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (Covenanters). In addition, several other Reformed and Presbyterian denominations send observers to its annual meeting. Our churches have had observers at several recent meetings of NAPARC, though not this year. Meeting in Philadelphia last November, NAPARC for the third year in a row debated whether or not to admit...

Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. One thing that has attracted the attention of the nation in recent months is the dinosaur. Not only has the evolutionist continued his theorizing concerning the subject, but a popular movie has caught the imagination of the nation. The movie is, of course, in our estimation, out of bounds for the Christian. Yet the movie has generated much additional hype concerning dinosaurs. Little children want models of these beasts. Popular eating places offer mugs or other toys as enticement to come to their establishments. Cartoon characters portraying the...

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Jesus is coming soon! The year of our Lord, 1990 saw several terribly significant events occur. Who at the beginning of the year would have dreamed that Communism would collapse in Eastern Europe?! Who would have thought that the “cold war” would come to an end? Who would have predicted that in 1990 the Berlin Wall would be broken down and the two Germanies reunited? Would any one of sound mind have predicted a year ago that Russia would pass a law guaranteeing religious freedom during 1990, or...

Rev. Moore is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111:4 The works of the Lord are great, the psalmist exclaims in the one hundred eleventh Psalm; and this sets the theme of comfort and strength for God’s church. As a pastor I sometimes use this passage on visits that I make to parents of newborns and apply its instruction to this blessing that God gives to His church as she brings forth the covenant seed. In like manner I...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Word of God places great emphasis and value upon good order. We will undoubtedly be surprised at the frequency with which this word appears and the implications that it has. There are several root words, both in the Hebrew and the Greek, that convey the sense of good order. All these words agree in their basic meanings: to set aright, to ordain, to arrange, to set in order, to walk orderly. The church and her members are to demonstrate orderliness in all their lives, “for God...

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities Let’s start this issue of the “News” with various evangelism projects in our churches. The Evangelism Committee of our Hudsonville, MI PRC recently sponsored an area-wide conference on the subject, “Are You Afraid to Witness?” This conference was held on a Friday evening and Saturday morning, April 29 and 30. On Friday night, Rev. C. Terpstra, pastor of the South Holland, IL PRC spoke on the subject, What Is Evangelism?” This speech was followed by a slide presentation of the outreach work currently being done...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Immanuel Protestant Reformed Church in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. The word tradition is used five times by Jesus and four times by the apostle Paul. In addition, there is one occurrence where it is translated “ordinances” (I Cor. 11:2). It is not to be found in the Old Testament, although the idea of tradition is implied in such phrases as “sayings of old which our fathers have told us” (Ps. 78:2, 3); “the rock whence you are hewn” (Isaiah 51:1); and “the ancient landmarks” (Prov. 22:28). The Greek word is composed of a root with the...

As Rich As Job, by Rev. C. Bijl. Kampen, The Netherlands: VanDenBerg, 1989, 91pp., $10.95 paper. Translated from the Dutch by F. Vogelzang. [Reviewed by Lois Kregel.] It is a rare thing to find a book that deals with the problem of the suffering of God’s people as biblically as this one does. One grows accustomed to reading that God sends what we call “good” things, but the devil controls the “bad.” This author, however, looks at the question of why the Christian must suffer from the viewpoint of the book of Job, and, because of this, comes up with...