Wilhelmus à Brakel: A Systematic Theologian for the Common Person Introduction Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635–1711), a name revered in Reformed theology, holds a unique place among the great theologians of the Dutch Second Reformation, also known as the Nadere Reformatie.…
We think of Thanksgiving as a holiday, but it is an exercise that requires some intentionality. It implies that the thanks given can be received. When growing up my mom would make my favorite dish on my birthday. I would…
The question of the propriety of vows and oaths may not strike us as an urgent matter. All serious religious questions are important but vows and oaths may seem like less weighty matters of the law. Actually, this topic helps…
Do you remember the moment when the Spirit of God effected your regeneration? Can you pinpoint the instant in which you were “born again” (1 Ptr. 1:3, 23)? You have probably heard testimonies describing a sudden rush of spiritual realization…
With the recent epidemic of weekly, if not daily, lethal shootings across the country, does your heart not cry out, “Is God paying attention?” Do terrorist bombings, corrupt business and politics, death inducing dictatorships, and human trafficking around the world…
It is often the case that a minister only begins to really appreciate the value of his books when the time comes for him to part with them. Sometimes it happens when he runs out of space on his shelves…
Public worship can all too easily feel lacklustre and mundane, not just for a congregation, but also for the one entrusted with leading it. This is not some new phenomenon. It has been a challenge for the church throughout its…
Legend has it that the great Reformer Martin Luther once threw an ink well at the Devil who had been incessantly accusing him.[1] Whether or not this is true, Luther certainly had remarkable fits and fights with the ancient foe…
Think of a cup being filled to the brim—or inflating a children’s play castle or a basketball to its entire design. The thing being pervaded is what it is, but it is in the process of functioning fully and living…
In the early days of his Christian walk, someone said, “I just don’t seem to have time to pray!” A mentor responded in a gentle tone with a stubborn and convicting principle: “you make time for your priorities.” Yet, the…
