Too Often We Place Our Personal Needs Over What God Is at Work Doing
When Jesus’s friend Lazarus dies, Jesus goes to where the man is interred and, with a dramatic flair, raises him from the dead. When the people see this miracle of miracles, many believe in Jesus.
Bringing someone back to life is an amazing feat, and surely everyone should be happy. But not everyone is. Do you know who’s upset? The religious leaders, the very people who claim to represent the God who sent Jesus in the first place. But they miss it.
They can’t see God’s hand at work. Or maybe they’re not willing to. All they can think about is themselves. Though under Roman occupation, they still managed to carve out a comfy situation for themselves. And they want to keep it.
They enjoy their standing as religious leaders and the admiration of the people. Selfishly, they want to preserve what they have, to maintain the status quo. In their self-centered ambition, they lose sight of the God they profess to serve.
They fail to realize that God is present.
These religious leaders fear losing their position, their power, and their prestige. Their solution? Kill Jesus. Yep, they become so focused on protecting their current situation that they plot against their God.
It’s easy to criticize them. Yet this same thing still happens now.
How many religious leaders today have become so focused on preserving their job, maintaining their paycheck, and holding on to their followers that they oppose the work of God? It occurs. In doing so, they resist God’s movements and instead act contrary to their faith and what he has called them to do.
It happens too often, and it’s wrong. We must always put God first, even if we might lose something of lesser importance in the process.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Focus verse: Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. (1 John 2:10)
John launches into a discussion about an old command and not a new one. Then he pivots just as quickly to talk about a new command. Which is it?
This is confusing until we realize who the author is. John delights in tapping our imaginations with his playful, poetic prose.
As such, the old command and the new command are one in the same. But John doesn’t tell us what this old/new command is. At least not in this passage. Elsewhere in his letter, it’s clear that this command is love.
He says this most clearly in 1 John 3:11 when he says the old command, which we’ve heard from the beginning, is to love one another. Later, in 1 John 3:23, he writes that we are to believe in Jesus and love one another, just as he commanded us to live.
To discover more about the old part of this command to love, all we need to do is look at the Old Testament. In a broad sense, all the commands we read there either relate to loving God or loving others, our brothers and sisters.
Many of the Old Testament commands prescribe the right way to worship God—that is to love him properly—through their rituals and celebrations.
The rest of the Old Testament commands instruct the people how to rightly interact with others—that is, to love them properly through their daily interactions.
We even find these two aspects of love when we look at the Ten Commandments. The first four commands relate to our relationship with God, which is loving him. The last six relate to our relationship with others, which is loving them.
With this as our background, Jesus arrives on earth. He personifies love to his creation. His life and teaching all relate to love, modeling it for us to follow.
When asked what Old Testament command is the most important, Jesus says to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then he tacks on a second one, to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.
Everything else we read in Scripture flows from these two commands, and they stand as the greatest of all (Matthew 22:36–40 and Mark 12:28–31).
Anyone who claims to follow Jesus—that is, follows the light or walks in the light of Jesus—but doesn’t love his brothers and sisters is still in darkness. Yet when we love our brothers and sisters as he commanded us, we prove that we walk in his light.
And when we live in the light, we will not stumble.
Questions
Are our lives marked by the love of Jesus?
In the same way that Jesus loved us, who do we need to do a better job at loving?
How can we connect loving God with loving others?
How can we connect worshiping God with loving him?
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus said we’re to love God with all our heart, our soul, and our strength (Mark 12:29-31, quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5). We’re to love him more than anything else, to make him our number one priority.
And when we understand God as referring to the three-in-one Trinity, we realize we’re to love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength. In this way, we are to love Jesus more than anything else.
It’s easy to claim that we love God more than anything else, that we put following Jesus first in our lives. But let’s consider what this entails.
Love Jesus More Than People
We must put loving God as more important than loving family. Jesus said that to be his disciple we must hate our parents, our spouse, our children, and our siblings (Luke 14:26). In short, we must hate our family.
But Jesus exaggerates to make his point—something his audience would readily understand. Hyperbole aside, the inescapable truth is that we must put Jesus before all others. This includes our family, as well as our friends and those we hold in high esteem.
When some people decide to put their trust in Jesus, they do so at great cost. Their family may disown them. Friends may shun them. They may lose their job or their standing within their community.
But compared to Jesus, none of these people matter. Jesus must come first.
Love Jesus More Than Our Possessions
Though we may readily say we love Jesus more than what we own, does our behavior confirm it? Consider our most prized possession. Are we willing to give it up for Jesus? If it competes with Jesus as first place in our life, we may need to sell it or give it away to remove its distraction. Or the Holy Spirit may convict us to let someone borrow it. For the sake of Jesus, we must hold what we own loosely.
Yet we must be ready to give up all that we have for the sake of Jesus. (Consider Matthew 19:29 and Luke 9:62.)
When fleeing for her life, Lot’s wife look back at what she was leaving behind and it cost her (Genesis 19:21-26).
Love Jesus More Than Our Position
Some people elevate their job above everything else in their life. It comes first and everything else—including God—comes in second. We may pursue it for the satisfaction we derive from our labors, the money we earn through our work, or the prestige of the position we hold. Yet if it gets in the way of us fully following Jesus, our job must go.
Love Jesus More Than Our Pleasures
A final consideration is our comfort. Putting God first and following Jesus as his disciple may result and giving up worldly contentment. We may face ridicule, we may suffer embarrassment, or we may be attacked, either verbally or physically. This could include death. We could—we will—suffer when we put Jesus first.
This may be in small ways or big ways, but we will suffer (1 Peter 4:12-19).
Love Jesus More Than Anything
To put Jesus first, to love God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—more than anything, we must set aside anything that might hold us back (Hebrews 12:1-3). We must make Jesus our number one priority, loving him more than family, property, work, and comfort. Those things all pale when we consider who he is and what he has called us to.
In doing so we’ll realize a heavenly reward of spending eternity with him. Nothing else matters, so put Jesus first,
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
In 52 Churches Peter DeHaan spent an entire year roaming from one church to another, visiting 52 different Christian congregations.
In the process he learned what makes these places of worship unique, what makes newcomers feel like they belong, and what cringe-worthy shenanigans are guaranteed to keep visitors from ever coming back.
52 Churches is part religious exposé, part travel memoir, and 100% authentic.
You’ll read about Christian practices that are far different from your own, and in the process gain a deeper understanding of believers from all walks of life and denominational backgrounds: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic, Roman Catholic, and more.
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The 52 Churches audiobook is now available direct from the author at PeterDeHaanBooks.com, as well as GooglePlay, Apple Books, Kobo, and Booktopia, with more outlets being added.
Book Trailer
Discover more about Jesus’s church in Peter DeHaan’s book, 52 Churches. It’s book one in the Visiting Churches Series.
Get your copy of 52 Churches today.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
The last four churches have been the closest to our house and all are part of our local community. There is one more church that’s nearby. It’s two miles away. But we call it a mystery church.
In the brief time we’ve been in the area, the name of the church has changed. Its original occupants first migrated to a coffee house that’s closed on Sundays. Then they left that venue and disappeared.
Replacing them in their old building is another church from an adjoining community. They sold their facility and are renting this one—so say online news reports.
Because they’ve recently moved from another area, I expect the congregation likewise hails from other places and don’t expect that any neighbors attend there.
No one we’ve talked to knows anything about this mystery church.
All we know is their name and location. There are no service times posted on their sign, and they have no website.
A basic Facebook page has a couple of pictures and posts, but nothing gives service times or contact information. The most recent post invites people to their Christmas Eve service, which occurred several months ago.
It could be they’ve closed. Or they’re closed to visitors since they’re secretive of their service times and contact information. Who knows?
So aside from a desire to experience all the churches in our community, I don’t want to visit this one—even if I could. I share my feelings with Candy. She agrees to skip it.
Takeaway
Make it easy for people to learn about your church. This includes service times and who to contact with questions. Don’t be a mystery church.
This book picks up the mantle from 52 Churches, their year-long sabbatical of visiting churches.
Here’s what happens:
My wife and I move. Now we need to find a new church. It’s not as easy as it sounds. She wants two things; I seek three others.
But this time the stakes are higher. I’ll write about the churches we visit, and my wife will pick which one we’ll call home. It sounds simple. What could possibly go wrong?
Mary’s psalm of praise continues by commending God for who he is. Her recitation of his attributes builds on Old Testament truths, quotes, and allusions, presenting an informed scriptural understanding of how God has been at work.
She starts by declaring that he has done great things, which is supported by Psalm 71:19. And his name is holy (Psalm 111:9). Also, consider Isaiah’s vision where he sees seraphim praising God as “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3).
Next, she affirms that God offers mercy to those who fear him generation after generation. This comes from God, through Moses, in what we call the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:5–6).
Mary continues praising God for the mighty deeds he has performed (Psalm 98:1) through the strength of his arm (Isaiah 40:10). In doing so he scatters the proud (Genesis 11:8).
God also feeds the hungry and gives them what is good (Psalm 107:9).
In addition, God helps his servant Israel (that is, God’s chosen people) and shows them his mercy by providing salvation (Psalm 89:3) to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised (Exodus 32:13 and Deuteronomy 7:8).
This passage in Luke shows Mary’s deep knowledge of Scripture and her ability to weave disparate passages effectively into her psalm of praise. She has surely hidden his word in her heart (Psalm 119:11).
Though Mary’s song looks back to what God has done, it’s also a hopeful confidence in what he will do through Jesus, the child that she will soon bear. It looks forward to the salvation he will offer to all future generations.
As such, Mary’s prayer emerges as a timeless testimony to the Almighty Lord.
How well do we know God’s Holy Word?
How can we give it back to him as a song of praise in reverent worship, just like Mary did?
Prayer: Father God, may we read, learn, and meditate on your Word. Holy Spirit, speak to us and give us greater understanding of what the Bible says. Jesus, thank you for coming to save us from our sins.
[Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46–55 is also called the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary, or the Magnificat (Mary’s Magnificat), as in “My soul magnifies the Lord.” This song of praise reads like a psalm. Learn more about other psalms scattered throughout Scripture in the book Beyond Psalm 150: Discover More Sacred Songs of Praise, Petition, and Lament throughout the Bible.]
[This devotional is taken from the December 13 reading from The Advent of Jesus.]
Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Because of our standing with God the Father, as a result of Jesus, the author of Hebrews tells us to do three things:
1. Draw Near to God
God wants a relationship with us and we should want one with him. We need to seek him with all diligence to deepen our connection, to increase our spiritual intimacy.
2. Hold on to Our Hope
We acknowledge we have confidence in Jesus and know that God will do what he promised. We must never forget that.
3. Encourage Each Other to Love and Do Good
We are to spur one another on. To do so we must hang out with them. We must be in each other’s lives if we are to encourage one another. The Bible says, “…not giving up meeting together.”
Many people see this as a command to go to church on Sunday. Many preachers claim that is what this verse means, but it does not. It simply says we need to regularly get together with the goal of mutual encouragement.
This can be in our homes, at a coffee shop, in a park, at the mall, going out to eat, and possibly even at church on Sunday morning. But before we jump to that conclusion, we need to ask ourselves how much encouraging we offer one another on Sunday at church.
Who do we encourage? Who encourages us? If the answer is no one, then I wonder if our Sunday morning meetings are in vain, missing what God has told us to do when we get together.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Focus verse:Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)
Today’s passage talks about knowing God and keeping his commands. If we claim to know God and don’t do what he says, we’re only deluding ourselves from the truth, and our claim is false. But when we obey his commands our love for God is complete.
In short, as his followers, we must live as he lived. We must be like Jesus.
We are fortunate to have four biographies of Jesus in the Bible to inform us about how he lived.
They are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. By reading them we know what Jesus does during his time here on earth. Then we can follow his example and be more like him.
We don’t have to follow a bunch of rules with legalistic fervor or adhere to an extensive list of ritualistic commands like we find in the Old Testament. We must simply be like Jesus. It’s that easy.
Here are some of the things that Jesus does:
Jesus makes his relationship with his Father a priority. From an early age, Jesus puts his Father in heaven first (Luke 2:49). This is what matters most.
Jesus takes care of himself so that he can take care of his followers. Jesus knows that if he isn’t spiritually healthy, he can’t expect to be at his best to help others (Matthew 14:23).
Jesus has time for everyone who comes to him. While going to heal Jairus’s daughter, he pauses to heal a sick woman (Luke 8:40–56). He stays in Samaria for two extra days simply because the people ask him to (John 4:40).
Jesus teaches others about God. Jesus speaks with authority and not like other religious leaders (Mark 1:22). He instructs people using parables (Mark 4:2). His longest message in the Bible isthe Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7).
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Embrace Annual Cycles of Worship to Provide a Regular Rhythm to Our Faith Journey
Some churches follow a church calendar throughout the year to guide them into seasons of worship. This provides an annual rhythm to their embrace of God.
Other churches are less structured in their approach, focusing on two major biblical holidays: Christmas and Easter. Even so, it’s good to be aware of the traditional church calendar.
There is no single agreed upon calendar that all churches follow, with each applying their own unique approach.
Yet there are some general concepts that most church calendars follow. Note that church calendars don’t start on the first of the year but instead begin with Jesus’s birth.
Here’s a generic overview of the church calendar.
Advent
We call the time leading up to Christmas Advent. It begins on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas, which yields differing starting dates each year.
Some churches, however, are flexible with the start of Advent. They begin on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving (in the United States) or the first Sunday in December.
Often—but not always—this coincides with the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas.
Christmas Day
On Christmas Day we celebrate the birth of Jesus who came to earth to save us. This date is one of tradition more so than the Savior’s actual birth. No one knows for sure, but spring is a more likely time.
Epiphany (the day)
Epiphany occurs twelve days after Christmas, traditionally marking the Magi’s arrival to visit baby Jesus.
Christmastide
Some churches call the time between Christmas Day and Epiphany Christmastide. Other practices end Christmastide on New Years Day.
Epiphany (the season)
Confusing our understanding of the church calendar, some churches celebrate the season of Epiphany, instead of just one day. It starts on the day of Epiphany and ends with the beginning of Lent.
Other churches, however, have a break in their church calendar celebrations, calling the time between the day of Epiphany and Lent as “Ordinary Time.”
Lent
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is six weeks prior to Good Friday. Though we commonly think of Lent as lasting forty days, the reality is that they don’t count Sundays to make the numbers work.
The ending of Lent varies greatly. It can be on Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, the day before Easter, or the beginning of Holy Week.
What matters in all this, however, is that Lent moves us toward Jesus’s death for our sins and his resurrection from the grave.
On Good Friday Jesus died for us and the wrong things we did. He was buried in a tomb. On Resurrection Sunday he rose from the grave, proving his mastery over death.
Eastertide
The season after Jesus rose from the grave on Resurrection Sunday is called Eastertide.
For some church calendars, Eastertide lasts forty days and ends on Ascension Day, which occurs on Thursday, even though many churches celebrate it the following Sunday.
For other churches Eastertide lasts fifty days and ends on Pentecost.
Ascension Day
Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven. We call this Ascension Day. This occurs on Thursday each year, but many churches celebrate it the following Sunday.
Pentecost
Fifty days after Resurrection Sunday (Easter), and ten days after Ascension Day, God sent the Holy Spirit to Jesus’s church to fill them and guide them, just as he promised.
Ordinary Time
Church calendars label the days between Pentecost and Advent as Ordinary Time. It is, in fact, an ordinary time. It’s the space on church calendars without any religious holidays or celebrations.
Some churches also observe a short season of Ordinary Time between the day of Epiphany and Lent.
Celebrate Jesus Throughout the Year
Whether your church calendar celebrates all these seasons and dates or focuses on Christmas and Easter, we should all celebrate Jesus throughout the year.
The Advent of Jesus covers the season of Advent, Christmas Day, and ends on Epiphany.
The Ministry of Jesus focuses on what Jesus did leading up to his death and resurrection, that is, his earthly ministry. It’s an ideal devotional for Ordinary Time, be it between Epiphany and Lent or between Pentecost and Advent.
The Passion of Jesus covers the season of Lent and concludes on Good Friday (Eastertide).
The Victory of Jesus begins on Resurrection Sunday (Easter) and goes through to Pentecost.
Reading these four devotionals in this order provide a comprehensive understanding of Jesus’s life and mission as recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
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This book is our story.
Discover just how vast and diverse Jesus’s church is.”
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My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
