Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.40 - July 1974   Trials For Joy   Sermon by Rev. K. J. Campbell, B.A., B.D. on James 1:2-4 Scripture Reading: 1Peter 1:1-9; James 1:1-8 Psalter Hymnal: 264; 184 Opening; 95:1,2 Law;                         188:6,7 Praise; 368; 463; 490 Doxology   We turn to the letter of James at this time for our meditation.  James, as verse one tells us, was writing to the Church of Jesus Christ in general, to the various congregations scattered throughout the Roman world of that time.  His letter is one of encouragement and practical instruction for the living of...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No. 39 - July 1974   Kingdom Treasures   Sermon by Rev. J. J. C. Westera, B.D. on Matt.13:52 Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:31-51 Psalter Hymnal: 14:1,3; 295:1,3 (law); 317 (faith); 315; 29; 490   Beloved Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Young people, and boys and girls, Nobody can talk about the Kingdom of God or of heaven except Jesus and nobody can understand what Jesus says about it except he who believes in Jesus!  In his conversation with Nicodemus Jesus says that we can't even see the kingdom of God unless we are born...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.40 - July 1974   Happiness Is...!   Sermon by Rev. A. l. de Graaf, B.D. on Psalm 144:15b Youth sermon ( - esp. suitable for Calvinettes) Scripture: Matt. 6:19-34 Psalter Hymnal: 316; 94:1,2 (law); 296:1,2,7,8; 38:1,2,3,4; 38:5   You all know how the fairy-tales end: "they lived happily ever after."  Yes, that prince and that princess, who got each other after all these terrible and exciting adventures, they got happy after all.  But you know.... there's never a fairy-tale that tells THAT story!   Of how happy they were and what they MEAN. What DOES...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.37 - June 1974   Remember Jesus Christ!   Sermon by Rev. J. J. Van Wageningen, B.D. on 2Timothy 2:8 Scripture Reading: O.T. Psalm 132; N.T. 2Tim.2:1-13 Psalter Hymnal:  Opening Hymn 169:1,2,3;     After Procl. of grace 55:1                         After 10 comm. 55:4;                      After Sermon 444:2;                         Before Benediction 451:1,2,3;    Closing Hymn 368:1,2   Do you know from where the apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy?  No, he was not seated in a comfortable chair in a nice study.  He was in a prison cell, even in his death-cell, and he was fully aware of...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.52 - September 1974   Lord Use Me!   Sermon by Rev. Keith McPhail on 2Kings 5:2 & 3 Scripture Reading: 2Kings 5:1-19 Psalter Hymnal: No.315; 275; 85; 451; 493   Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan tempts us in innumerable ways.  One method he uses is to give us a view of the world.  Then he lets us see how small and insignificant we are in this great universe, so that the possibility of us doing anything worthwhile in this life seems altogether remote, if not impossible.  Whether we are young or old,...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.51 - September 1974   The Parents' Responsibility To Bring Up Children In The Lord   Sermon by Rev. N. Hart, B.A., B.D. on Ephesians 6:4 & 4:13 Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ephesians 6:1-4 and 4:11-14 Psalter Hymnal: 172:1,3,8; 55:1,4,5 (Law); 298 (Creed);                          412:1,3; 235:1,9; 490 (Benediction)   With the resumption of sessions in both houses of the National Parliament, the nation is again faced with the BILL OF HUMAN RIGHTS, introduced by Senator Lionel Murphy, Q.C., in the Senate last November.  This Bill in particular parts is a direct contradiction of the WORD...

Word of Salvation – Vol.  20 No.50 - September 1974   Survival Of The Weakest   Sermon by Rev. A. I. de Graaf, B.D. on Matt. 5:7 Scripture Reading: Amos 5:6-24; James 2:1-17 P/Hymnal: 204: 1,2,3,5; 301:2,3; 326:1,2,3; 326:4 (dox)   You all know how Darwin's evolution doctrine tells of THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.  According to him, one of the main-springs of the evolution of simple, limited organisms into complex and resourceful ones, is the way the weak ones don't make it and die off in the hard struggle for life. And so the strong ones are left over and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.49 - September 1974   The Gentile Pentecost   Sermon by Rev. J. de Kievit, Th.Grad. on Acts 11:2,3,17,18 Scripture Reading: Acts 10:44 - 11:18 Psalter Hymnal: 187:1,2,4,6; 430:1,3 (Conf. of sin); 260 (After rule of gratitude);             194:1,2,3; 400:1,2,3,4; 400:5 (Doxology)   Every year again, ESPECIALLY around the time of Pentecost, we hear a fair bit of talk about the baptism with the Holy Spirit after Pentecostalist fashion.  There is the stress on the speaking in tongues and all that goes with it.  And we are assured by people who are caught up in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.04 - October 1974   Sense And Nonsense Of Christmas   Christmas Sermon by Rev. C. Moerman, Th.Grad. on Luke 2:18 (with apologies to Dr. J. J. Buskes) Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Psalter Hymnal: 337: all; 335: 2 and 3 (after Law);              339: all; 336:1 and 3 (after sermon); 341: all; 345:5   Congregation of the Christmas Child, Yes, the shepherds HAD BIG stories to tell. For it IS something when you, all of a sudden, experience a bit of heaven already here on earth. A BIT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. And isn't that...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.02 - October 1974   Jesus Christ... Star!   Advent Sermon by Rev. John Goris, on Numbers 24:17-18 Scripture Readings: Revelation 12; Numbers 24:10-19 Psalter Hymnal: 111; 129;1,2 (Law); 231 (Creed); 219; 331; 400:1,5   Beloved in the Lord, Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone who will celebrate Christmas this year, would REALLY know Who Jesus is? Many at least know of Baby Jesus in the manger, but there is little more about Him that most people know.  And what they know about His glorious Person is such a far cry from what the Scriptures...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.01 - October 1974   Lest We Forget...!   Sermon by Rev. Adrian Leenman on Joshua 4:7b Scripture Reading: Joshua 4:1 - 14 Psalter Hymnal: 192; 94:1,2 (Law); 37: 441:1,2,5; 43:6,7; 316:3   Beloved Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, The purpose of celebrating your birthday is to remember the day you were born; and to express your thankfulness for it. Apart from birthdays there are also other occasions we, as individuals wish to remember or celebrate. We also recognise celebrations on a national scale, so we have Liberation Day or Independence Day, Anzac Day...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.07 - November 1974   New Year's Eve Sermon   Sermon by the Rev. W.F. Van Brussel, B.D. on Isaiah 5:4 Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7, Luke 20:9-18 Psalter Hymnal: Psalm 136:1,2,3; Hymn 173:1,2,6; 286; 230; 475   God wants to ask a question of us this evening.  It will be a healthy exercise this final evening of 1974 to act as if God was asking this question of all and everyone of us.  It is always a good thing, of course, to stop for a second or two whenever we meet with a question in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.06 - November 1974   O Come Let Us Adore Him   Christmas Sermon by Rev. P. J. Berghouse on  John 4:24 Scripture Reading: John 4:1-26 Psalter Hymnal (New) 195, 272:2,3 (summ/Law), 272:4 (Law),                          92:2,6 (Off.), 209:1,3,6 (sermon), 325:2 (Dox.)   Beloved of the Lord, One of the favourite songs at Christmas is:             "O come, all ye faithful.  .  .              O come ye to Bethlehem!.              O come, let us adore Him... CHRIST THE LORD.” Yes, that Babe in Bethlehem, is CHRIST THE LORD! We do not 'adore Him' because He is...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.05 - November 1974   God's Private Christmas Present   Christmas Sermon by the Rev. N. Hart, B.A., B.D. on Luke 2:11a, 18,19 Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20   Some 1970 years ago, the small town of Bethlehem was a crowded place.  From all over the country the descendants of David had gathered in the city of their forefather.  But there was nothing princely about their gathering.  They came at the command of a foreign emperor.  There they were, herded together.  How far the royal tribe of David had fallen! Yet, among them, happened the greatest...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.12 - December 1974   The Steward of Unrighteousness... Preparing For The Future   Sermon by Rev. Dirk J. van Garderen on Luke 16:1-9 Scripture Readings: Psalm 49, Luke 16:1-12 Psalter Hymnal: 298; 66:1,3,7,9 (Hymn of penitence a.m. service only);                          412:1,2 (children’s hymn); 462; 211:1,3,23.   Dear Congregation, The parable of the unrighteous steward is very confusing.  It leaves you wondering what Jesus is telling us by this story.  The message doesn't come through too clearly. Reading this passage leaves us with some unanswered questions: What is the lesson of this parable?  How are...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.11 - December 1974   The Holiness And Majesty Of Our God   Sermon by Rev. K. J. Campbell, B.A., B.D. on Isaiah 6:1-5 Scripture Readings: 1Peter 1:13-25; Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalter Hymnal (New): 189:1-5; 318 Opening; 160; 352; 193; 310 Doxology   Introduction: Do you all remember the account in Exodus of Moses and the burning bush?  How Moses was shepherding a flock of sheep belonging to his father-in-law, Jethro, and how, as he wandered past Mt. Horeb, Moses noticed a flame of fire coming from the midst of a bush, but that the bush...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.10 - December 1974   The Intermediate State   Sermon by Rev. G. I. Williamson on Phil. 1:23 Psalter Hymnal: 307, 246 (Law), 22, 38:1-3, 38:4,5   The Bible does not contain a great deal of information about the intermediate state.  It is not the intermediate state that occupies the place of primary importance.  No, the great focus of Christian hope and expectation in the days of the Apostles was not the intermediate state, but the final state.  It was not the day in which the believer dies, but the great day in which Jesus...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.09 - December 1974   Remember Lot's Wife   Sermon by Rev. P. G. Van Dam, M.Sc.,B.D. on Luke 17:32 Scripture reading: Genesis 18:16-33; 19:12-28 & Luke 17:28-37 Psalter Hymnal: 233:6,7,8; 275 (law); 193 (creed); 1; 394   We know how it all had begun. Abraham and his nephew Lot had decided to part ways.  So, one day they stood at Bethel and Abraham offered Lot the first choice between the green, fertile plains of the Jordan river and the barren country around Mamre. Lot chose the valley of the Jordan river, and we know...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.16 - January 1975   And I Will Make All My Mountains A Way   Sermon by Rev. P. G. Van Dam. M.Sc., B.D. on Isaiah 49:11a Scripture Reading: Psalm 121, Isaiah 49: 8-13 Psalter Hymnal: 263, 193, 493 (Creed), 259, 52:1,4,5   In Scripture – in our text also – the mountains are 1.  Symbols of the hardships of life (Jer.13:16, Matt.21:21),             but also, and MORE SO, they are 2.  Symbols of God's glory and dominion (Psalm 121)             and of His victory; of His victory over sin             and over the results...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.15 - January 1975   Blessed Peacemakers   Sermon by Rev. J. de Kievit. Th.Grad. on Matthew 5:9 Scripture Readings: James 4:1-12, Ephesians 2:11-22 Psalter Hymnal: 315, 170, 436, 278, 231 (Doxology)   Of all the Beatitudes, here seems to be one at least with which modern man can completely agree.  For you will hardly find anyone anywhere – who loves war with all its devastation; its death and destruction of moral values.  Especially now that there is the added horror of the nuclear threat which hangs like a terrible sword over the whole world,...