Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.21 – June 2001   Babylon – the Woman on the Beast   Sermon by Rev L Douma on Revelation 17 & 18 Scripture Reading: Revelation 17 & 18   Beloved in the Lord. Revelation, as we have become well aware, is a book of pictures – symbolic pictures.  The story line or the teaching of this pastoral letter moves on with John having different visions.  Imagine a man with a zoom lens on his camera.  First he takes a wide angle shot of the whole scenery.  Then he zooms in on a certain segment...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.29 – August 1995   The Lord Among The Golden Lampstands   Sermon by Rev. P. Kossen on Revelation 1:12-20   Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, If we would read through these first chapters of Revelation, one thing that really stands out is that we are accountable and responsible to the Lord for what we have done.  It is just like the last day of school when your teacher gives you your report in a closed envelope to bring home to mum and dad.  And before you see what's in it, you...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No.37 – October 2000   The Trumpets   Sermon by Rev L Douma on Revelation 8 & 9 Scripture Reading: Revelation 8 & 9   Beloved in the Lord. I wonder if we always realise what it is that we pray for.  For example, we would regularly pray “Father, your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth...!"  But we see violence and destruction, sexual corruption and abuse, devastation and hunger, sickness and death, lying and stealing.  We see despair and we wonder why doesn't God answer our payer?  Have you perhaps thought that He...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 41 No. 27 – July 1996   Victory In Christ   Sermon by Rev. M. C. De Graaf on Revelation 2:12-17 Scripture Reading: Numbers 22:1-20 Suggested Hymns: BoW 504, 292   Brothers and Sisters. When we read the letter to the Christians in Smyrna, we note how those believers needed to undergo persecution because of their faith.  And the way in which Jesus commends them for the strength of their faith.  Even in the face of betrayal, prison, torture and death, they stood true with Jesus. Like Smyrna, the Christians in Pergamum where also under attack...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.38 - October 2006   First Love   A Sermon by Rev Albert Esselbrugge on Revelation 2:1-7 Scripture Reading:  Jeremiah 2:1-9   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls. We're dipping our toes this morning into what is probably the most difficult of all the books of the Bible. We are doing this because we've been looking together over several previous Sundays at what the marks of the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ are. Let me remind you of them: A true church of the Lord Jesus Christ is: 1. A church which...

Word of Salvation - October 2009   Love Lost?   Sermon by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde on: Revelation 2:1-7 Scripture Readings: Revelation 1:9-20; 2:1-7   Introduction Very often church members are happy to let you know what they think of the church. Very often the world, in no uncertain terms, will let you know what it thinks of the church. Sometimes by using surveys and questionnaires we encourage people to tell us what they think of the church. Often the results are interesting, and sometimes they can even be helpful.   Yet whatever the opinions of people may be, whether they...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.48 – December 1995   The Church That Tolerated A False Prophet   Sermon by Rev. P. Kossen on Revelation 2:18-29   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, First of all, when you look at this letter, you may well ask, "what could the Lord say to us through this letter?  We don't have any of the problems Thyatira faced."  But as we will see, this letter has a very relevant message for us today. Jesus introduces Himself as the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire, and whose feet are like burnished...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.44 – November 1995   The Church That Tolerated Worldliness   Sermon by Rev. P. Kossen on Revelation 2:12-17   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1.  The Lord knows their situation. It is increasingly difficult to be a church of Jesus Christ today, and especially, may I say, for the younger generations who face so much increased pressure from the world.  There have been times in history where the church had much higher prestige and influence and voice, and even when it was much easier to be a Christian.  We might often long for...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.35 – September 1995   The Church That Was Losing Her Love   Sermon by Rev. P. Kossen on Revelation 2:1-7   Brothers and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. Boys and girls, who is going to school for the first time next year?  Who is going to turn four, five, six, seven?  Yes, unless something very big happens, like Jesus returns, or you die, next year is going to be a big year, isn't it?  Another year of growing bigger.  Of learning more.  Of getting new friends.  But do you know what the most...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.40 – October 1995   The Church That Was Under Affliction   Sermon by Rev. P. Kossen on Revelation 2:8-11   Brothers and Sisters, Boys and Girls. I remember when I was at school, the school was quite a big one.  If the principal has something important to say, he would use the p.a. system.  He had a microphone in his office, and there was a speaker in each classroom.  And sometimes you would be witting down doing your lessons, and all of a sudden the principal would be talking, calling people to his office....

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.24 – June 2007   The Seven Trumpets   A sermon by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde on Revelations 8 &9 Scripture Reading:  Revelation 8 & 9; 11:15-19   Brothers and Sisters in Christ... Introduction The book of Revelation is like the Himalayas and reading it is like climbing Mt Everest. There are spectacular mountains and breath-taking views, but there are also long deep valleys. In fact, the book of Revelation alternates between mountains and valleys. At one moment you are taken up to the heights of heaven, and then you are plunged back down to the...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No.29 – August 2000   Opening the Seven Seals   Sermon by Rev L Douma on Revelation 6 Scripture Reading: Revelation 6 Suggested Hymns: BoW 517; 520; Rejoysing 402; 296   Beloved in the Lord. If you are an avid reader or movie goer you may have noticed the pattern in how the story starts.  Usually there is a setting of the scene and the introduction of the main characters.  And then there is some dramatic action, some tension that grabs us and makes us want to read further.  That, in a sense, is what...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No.21 – June 2000   God on His Throne   Sermon by Rev L Douma on Revelation 4 Scripture Readings: 2Corinthians 1:1-11 Confession & Assurance: Isaiah 6 Suggested Hymns: BoW 379; 103a; 514; 531   Beloved in the Lord. In the Old Testament there is the story of Elisha and his servant who were surrounded at Dothan by a large force of Aramean soldiers.  The servant in his panic said "Oh my lord, what shall we do?"  To which Elisha replied (in effect), “that's not an army, I'll show you an army!"  And he prayed...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 41 No. 31 – August 1996   True Life   Sermon by Rev. M. C. De Graaf on Revelation 3:1-6 Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:45-25:13 Suggested Hymns: BoW 230; 92   Brothers and Sisters. We use the term ALIVE in a variety of ways! It simply refers to the opposite of "dead."  To be alive means we are still biologically functioning.  AND YET, in our culture we also use it in a broader way, usually together with another word like "TRULY."  I am truly alive – not just breathing, and eating, but TRULY ALIVE, TRULY LIVING. The...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.18 – May 1999   The Nauseating Church   Sermon by Rev P Archbald on Revelation 3:14-22 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 55:1-7; Revelation 3:14-22   Congregation. Introduction One of the things I don't like about holidays is having to find a good church to attend on the Lord's Day – especially in some small, out-of-the-way country town.  Perhaps you've had a similar experience.  You try to pick the one closest in doctrine and practice to the Reformed Churches.  Or the one least likely to be too bizarre.  But you never know what could take place in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 41 No. 12 – March 1996   The Church That Had Little Strength   Sermon by Rev. P. Kossen on Revelation 3:7-13   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Boys and girls, do you remember the story of Gideon?  The Midianites were a very strong people, and there were so many of them that you couldn't count them, and they were causing Israel a lot of trouble.  So, Israel called out to the Lord for help.  And God called a leader out, a man called Gideon. Gideon was not an important man; he was the least...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 23 No. 39 – June 1977   The Great Dialogue   Sermon by Rev. A.I. de Graaf, B.D. on Rev.1:5(b)-8 Scripture Reading: Deut. 7:6-21 Psalter Hymnal: 282; 319; 187; 469   Brothers and sisters, boys and girls, Young people, Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ! The striking thing throughout this last book of the Bible, time and again, is the great DIALOGUE between God and His people, as indeed it runs through all the Bible. To start with, we are not just told WHAT WILL HAPPEN but always: WHAT HE WILL DO, what He will do...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 24 No. 44 – July 1978   The Celebration Of Forgiveness   Sermon by Rev. J. Goris, Th.Grad. on Revelation 1:5b-6 Scripture reading: Micah 7:14-20, Matthew 18:23-35, Revelation 1:1-8 Psalter Hymnal: 120; 45:1-3; 55:1-3; 322; 488   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, What is the New Testament picture of a Christian? Is it like this? "A person who has seen the awfulness of sin but who stands helpless and defeated before it. One who loves the Lord, but who has no power to put his love into action. One who believes in forgiveness and daily...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 25 No. 13 – January 1979   The Seventh Trumpet   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk, Th.Grad. on Revelation 11:15-19 Scripture reading: Psalm 2 Psalter Hymnal: 192; 180; 148:1, 2, 5; 135:1-3; 135:4   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, In the Bible, the number 'seven' very often has the symbolical meaning of fulness and the completion of a thing. Also here, in chapter 11 does the seventh trumpet announce the end of the world, the fulness and completion of history. From here on Jesus Christ will reign supreme. However, we must keep in mind...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 24 No. 17 – February 1978   The Sealing Of The Church   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk, Th. Grad. on Revelation 7 Scripture reading: Revelation 7 Psalter Hymnal: 162:1,2; 235:1,2; 469; 172:5,6; 310   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Probably one of the most talked about figures of the Bible is the number 144,000. Interpretations of this number have ranged from mild to wildly extreme. Also, in this chapter, mention is made of the great multitude of the redeemed, and one of the questions that arises is the relationship between the multitude and...