English-speaking church in Eindhoven

Pastoral

Twisting the Text: How the Prosperity Gospel Rewrites Scripture

The prosperity gospel, with its appealing promises of health and wealth, draws many adherents. However, a significant concern for biblical scholars and church leaders is its distinctive method of interpreting Scripture. Rather than a holistic and contextual reading, the prosperity gospel frequently relies on a selective interpretation of Scripture, often extracting verses from their intended…

Why the ‘Health and Wealth’ Message Resonates but Deceives?

The allure of the “health and wealth” gospel is undeniably powerful. In a world fraught with uncertainty, illness, and financial strain, a message promising divine favor, material blessings, and perfect health can sound like a beacon of hope. Yet, this comforting narrative often taps into profound human vulnerabilities, ultimately deceiving rather than delivering genuine spiritual…

Discerning True Gospel

In every generation, the church is called to examine the message it is living and proclaiming. One challenge that quietly creeps into Christian life today is the prosperity gospel—also described as over-realized eschatology. This teaching suggests that God’s chief desire is to make us healthy, wealthy, and comfortable. While God indeed blesses His people, Scripture…

The God Who Seeks and Saves

Reflection on Luke 15:1–10 Luke 15 opens with an astonishing reality: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him” (v.1). Those considered outcasts and moral failures were irresistibly attracted to Jesus. In contrast, the Pharisees and scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (v.2). Their criticism…

The Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed is an authoritative, carefully worded summary of biblical truth that the Church recites to confess its foundational doctrines and to remind believers that they belong to something far greater than themselves. Spoken slowly, reverently and meanigfully, it shapes and strengthens Christian faith because, in a real sense, our lives depend on the…

Paraclete

The word Paraclete—a Greek term used in the New Testament—means “Helper,” “Comforter,” “Advocate,” or “Counselor.” It is the name Jesus gives to the Holy Spirit in John 14 as he prepares his disciples for his departure: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate (παρακλητος, paraklētos), to be with you…

The New Commandment

Through his suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus has brought forth a new creation. In Christ, we are made new, starting a new beginning, a new life, and a renewed relationship with God. The Apostle Paul expresses this in his letter to the Corinthians: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation…

Encounter with the Risen Lord

The risen Lord asked the disciples to go to Galilee, where they would see Him (Matthew 28:10). The disciples returned to their home in Galilee, and Simon Peter invited six fellow disciples to go fishing with him. Though they tried hard the entire night, they caught nothing. Despite being experienced fishermen and using all possible…

My Lord and My God!

People often ask for evidence to believe that Jesus is Lord and God. Recently, someone said, “I need the encounter of the burning bush to come to believe in Jesus.” The Apostle Thomas represents such people—he wanted to physically see Jesus in order to believe in Him. He said, “Unless I see the mark of…