Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

The Bible Unveils Rich Literature to Us

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 10, 2017

The Bible Contains Epic Stories, Profound Poetry, and a Compelling Narrative

In my continuing series of why I love the Bible, here’s reason number 10. The Bible is classic literature, that transcends the ages. The Bible has withstood the onslaught of time and the attacks of its detractors, who have sought to destroy its existence.

Historic Books

A big portion of the Bible reveals history to us. These grand accounts tell us the story of people, with their faith and their faults propelling them forward.

We see great accomplishments in the face of pressure and formidable odds, things that seem beyond our abilities.

We also see some epic failures, of people making terrible decisions under questionable motives, mistakes that we would certainly never do ourselves.

These Accounts Teach Us, Warn Us, and Entertain Us

Consider some of the tales that virtually everyone knows, even those who have never picked up a Bible:

Adam and Eve, along with the serpent
Cain and Abel
Noah and the ark
Moses and the Ten Commandments
Samson and Delilah
Father Abraham
Lot and his wife at Sodom and Gomorrah
Queen Esther and the king
David and Goliath
Jesus, the star of the show, with his teaching, his followers, and his crucifixion
Armageddon, the end of the world

Most everyone knows of these tales and can recite key elements. Movies bring these stories to life, with bold color, amazing special effects, and a grand musical score. These accounts permeate our culture and our awareness.

Wisdom Literature

The Bible also contains wisdom literature, an ancient poetry that teaches us what is true and wise. We read these sections for guidance and encouragement.

These principles are also scattered throughout our reality, sometimes as pithy one-liners.

Prophecy

The Bible also contains some forward-looking sections, prophecies of what will come, some of which have since occurred and some of which we still anticipate.

These accounts captivate our mind with intrigue and wonder. These other-worldly allusions send our imaginations soaring and fill us with awe.

The Bible contains so much great literature, well worth our time to explore it.

Some people study the Bible as the Word of God, and other people read the Bible as literature. Both approaches have value. Read the Bible. Start 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.

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Tags Bible, read the Bible

Personal Posts

Are You Pro-Life?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 7, 2017

Ask someone who is “pro-life” what that means and he or she will most likely say they are against abortion. True, but what else? If pressed, they may also mention opposition to euthanasia.

That seems a lot like someone claiming to be a “music lover,” but who only listens to classical music—how limited and shortsighted. Can anyone truly be a music lover if they only experience a small segment of all things musical?

To truly be pro-life seemingly means to affirm all life and seek to improve the condition of all people.

As such, that means pro-life is not just about protecting the unborn and terminally ill, but also about addressing homelessness, unemployment, AIDS, poverty, prejudice, healthcare, social injustice, immigration, repression, war, slavery, genocide, and anything else that relates to life and living.

Historically, one political party in the United States has been preferred by the traditional pro-life crowd.

However, given the preceding holistic, expanded definition of pro-life, it is the other party who are more fully addressing many of these life issues.

So, the question remains, are you pro-life?

I am.

Do you like this post? Want to read more? Check out Peter’s book, Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide: Discovering the Spirituality of Every Day Life, available wherever books are sold.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Tags health, poverty, Sacred-Secular Divide

Bible Insights

Discover the Will of God

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 6, 2017

Discerning the will of God isn’t hard; the Bible is clear what we are to do

As Paul wraps up his first letter to the Thessalonian church, he slips in three quick instructions. These concise commands seem like soundbites.

And once he delivers them, he concludes that doing these things is the will of God for all those who follow Jesus.

What?

We all want to know what the will of God is and often struggle to figure it out. Yet the Bible tells us the answer most clearly:

Rejoice Always

To rejoice means to be delighted or to feel joyful. An old definition of rejoice means “to fill with joy.” That understanding is more helpful in getting at the intention of this instruction.

To fill with joy gives us a nice word picture of what it means to rejoice always.

We all know people whose lives are marked with joy. We also know grouches who live in a continual state of complaining. Those people exist outside the will of God, at least that’s what Paul says in the Bible.

Instead, God’s will for us, all of us who follow Jesus, is to rejoice always.

Pray Continually

Next Paul tells us to pray continually. I wonder if he means for us to be in nonstop prayer throughout the day or if the word continually is hyperbole to make his point and get our attention.

Some days it seems that God is an afterthought. I hardly pray, if at all, let alone continually. But for other days, though not nearly as many as I would like, God is at the forefront of my mind in most all that I do.

I’m aware of his presence, and we go through the day together, in a state of near constant communication. This could be what Paul means when he says to pray continually. And it is God’s will for us to do so. That’s what the Bible says.

Give Thanks In All Circumstances

The third aspect of doing God’s will is to show thankfulness in all situations. Sometimes this is challenging. Yet even when the worst happens, there’s usually something to be thankful for.

It takes practice to develop the skill to see things in every context that we can appreciate.

However, since it’s God’s will for us to give thanks in every circumstance, we must develop this skill. As the prior instruction tells us, this is something we can pray about.

It’s God’s desire for those of us who follow Jesus to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all things. We need to remember this the next time we worry about discerning God’s will for our life.

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 4-5, and today’s post is on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.]

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Tags pray

Christian Living

What is Post-Denominational?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 3, 2017

Dividing the Church by Forming Denominations Isn’t Biblical, and It’s Time to Move Past It

Jesus prayed for our unity, that we would be one—just as he and his father are one. He yearned that his followers would get along and live in harmony.

Dividing into religious sects wasn’t his plan. Yet that’s exactly what we’ve done as we formed 42,000 Protestant denominations.

Instead of focusing on our similarities, our common faith in Jesus, these denominations choose to make a big deal over the few things they disagree about.

They should get along, but instead they develop their own narrow theology, which they use as a litmus test to see who they’ll accept and who they’ll reject.

How this must grieve Jesus.

While there has been some disagreement among the followers of Jesus almost from the beginning, the divisions started proliferating 500 years ago with the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

And since that time, it’s escalated out of control, with a reported 42,000 denominations today.

This represents the most significant degree of Christian disunity ever. The push for denominational division traces its beginning to the modern era.

While the modern era assumed that reason would allow us to converge on a singular understanding of truth, the opposite occurred. Instead, the pursuit of logic resulted in wide-scale disagreement.

This is perhaps most manifest among the followers of Jesus, who love to argue over their individual understandings of theology.

Yet there’s a sense we’re moving away from denominations and the divisions they cause. The word to describe this is post-denominational.

Just as we are moving from the modern era to the postmodern era, we are also moving from a time of denominational division to a time of post-denomination harmony.

In understanding postmodern, we don’t consider it as anti-modern but instead “beyond modern.” The same distinction rightly applies to post-denominational.

Post-denominational is not anti-denomination, as much as it is “beyond denominations.”

So, what is post-denominational? Post-denominational moves beyond the Protestant divisions that proliferated in the last 500 years, during the modern era.

Post-denominational sets aside the man-made religious sects that divide the church of Jesus. In its place, post-denominational advocates a basic theology to form agreement and foster harmony.

This allows the followers of Jesus to live together in unity, which will amplify their impact on the world around them. The people who follow Jesus are beginning to realize this. Many new churches label themselves as non-denominational.

This reflects a general mistrust among today’s people for the brand-name Protestantism of yesteryear, that is, denominations.

They’re weary of the criticism, the finger-pointing, and the disunity that denominations have caused. That’s why the label of non-denominational is so attractive to many people.

This includes those who go to church, those who dropped out, and those who have never been. They don’t want to align themselves with a denomination anymore.

They want a spiritual experience in a loving Christian community, one without denominational division.

For the sake of Jesus and our witness of him to our world, can we set our denominations aside and agree to work together to move forward in unity?

It’s a lot to ask, and it seems humanly impossible. But Jesus already prayed for our success (see John 17:20-26.)

May this generation be the answer to his prayer. May we be one.

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Tags church, church baggage, community, denominations, postmodern, Protestant Reformation, unity, witness

Christian Living

Our Relationship with God is Not Transactional

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 26, 2017

Regardless of our behavior, God’s love for us is unconditional

When we do something nice for someone, we often expect something nice in return. And when they do something kind for us, we desire to reciprocate. It’s human nature. And if someone is mean to us, our first impulse is to respond to them likewise.

We can think of this as “equivalent retaliation,” more commonly known as tit-for-tat. In legal terms this concept of reciprocity goes by quid pro quo or “a favor for a favor.”

We apply this notion to our interactions with others and to our interactions with God. When we do good, we expect him to return the favor and do good things for us.

We may even think he owes us for the way we worship him, study his word, or help others.

Surely our acts of righteousness will garner his attention and produce a positive response from him.

However, when we mess up—which I too often do—our expectations of God go away. We don’t think he owes us anything. In fact, we know we deserve punishment.

Yet both these perspectives reveal that we think our relationship with God is transactional. That when we do good for him, we deserve good from him. And when we do bad things, he will ignore us or punish us.

This, however, is a human mindset, not God’s character.

The truth is that there’s nothing we can do to cause him to love us any more. And there’s nothing we can do to cause him to love us any less. God’s deep love for us is unshakable. He loves us regardless of what we do, be it good or bad.

We call this undeserved love from God grace (getting good things we don’t deserve) and mercy (not getting the bad things we do deserve). God is not a tit-for-tat supernatural being. He’s not a quid pro quo type of god.

The God of the Bible is perfect, and he loves us perfectly.

Our relationship with him is not transactional. His love is unconditional. Praise God.

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Tags God is love, grace, mercy, supernatural

Bible Insights

We Must Finish Strong and Not Coast Our Way into Heaven

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 22, 2017

How We Start Doesn’t Matter, Because What Counts Is How We Finish

Paul writes to the Philippian church to encourage them. He shares his personal ambition in hopes they’ll do what he does. He says he pushes himself to reach a goal and to win a prize, an eternal reward.

In another place Paul talks about running a race. He runs with intention. He runs to win (1 Corinthians 9:22-26). So should we.

This idea of pressing onward to win a reward is a call to finish strong. We should strive to move forward, to pursue Jesus until the very end of our lives. Though we may retire from work, we should never retire from Jesus.

The goal is not to slide into heaven by the smallest of margins but to be ushered in triumphantly because we won our race.

Some people decide to follow Jesus and think they’re all set, that they don’t need to do anything more to hold onto him.

They assume they’re in and wrongly conclude they can do whatever they want the rest of their life, because as far as eternity is concerned, their actions don’t matter.

They think they’re all set.

They’re also wrong. Jesus doesn’t want us to coast our way into heaven. He wants us to pursue our faith as though it is the only thing that matters, because it is.

When Jesus calls us to follow him, he calls us to a lifetime of following him. When we follow him, we press on toward a goal to win a prize.

We can’t lose sight of that. We must finish strong. We must finish our lives strong, for us and for Jesus.

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Philippians 1-4 and today’s post is on Philippians 3:14.]

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Tags follow Jesus, heaven, reward

Christian Living

Read the Bible in Your Favorite Translation

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 19, 2017

It doesn’t matter which version of the Bible you read, as long as you read it

People often ask me, “Which version of the Bible should I use?” My answer is quick. They should select a version of the Bible that they will actually read. An unopened Bible means nothing.

In my decades of reading and studying the Bible, I’ve enjoyed seasons where I focused on a particular version. While this gives me a pleasing variety, it makes memorization hard.

Though I can paraphrase many verses, which is a compilation of the different translations I’ve read, I can quote few with complete accuracy.

Here are some of the versions of the Bible I have read at some point in my life. For many of these, I have read the entire Bible in that particular translation.

King James Version (KJV)

As a child the only Bible available to me was the King James Version. I struggled to comprehend its words then. I still do now.

However, many of the verses that I can quote are from the KJV, no doubt due to learning them in Sunday school is a small child. Yet as soon as other versions became available, I set the KJV aside.

The KJV remains popular for three reasons.

First, it’s still used today in some fundamental churches, many of which insist it’s the only version to use.

Second, it’s in the public domain, which means it can be freely copied and reproduced without any fear of copyright violation. Virtually all other versions of the Bible are under copyright which restricts how they can be used.

Third, is that the KJV is what is commonly quoted when a Bible verse comes up in a movie or TV show. This helps fix the KJV in our mind.

Good News for Modern Man

The first alternative I had to the KJV was Good News for Modern Man. This made the Bible accessible to me in my early teens.

The Living Bible

This was soon followed by The Living Bible, which was the first version I read from cover to cover. Multiple times. I wore out my copy, with it literally falling apart. It was my go to version for several years.

New King James Version (NKJV)

For a time I attended a conservative church that entertained the NKJV as an acceptable alternative to the revered KJV.

While this removed the old English words from the Bible, it only made it a bit more accessible. I never really connected with this translation.

New International Version (NIV)

After a time, I settled on the New International Version of the Bible. It is both accessible and understandable. I have read the entire Bible several times in this version.

It’s also the one I usually study from. Many claim the NIV is the most popular version of the Bible (though others insist it’s the KJV).

(Another options is the NIrV. Based on the NIV, the NIrV uses shorter sentences and replaces longer words with shorter words. It’s created for a third-grade reading level.)

The Message (MSG)

This version of the Bible is perhaps most accessible to me, making the words come alive in a way that’s easy to apply and to convict.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

My first exposure to the Amplified Bible left me a bit frustrated, for it used many words to convey its thoughts. But that’s why they call it amplified.

I then lacked the patience to consider its verbosity. However, later in life I begin to appreciate its amplified portions for the deeper insight they provided.

New Living Translation (NLT)

This is the most understandable of all the versions listed here. But as the easiest to comprehend, it must sometimes sacrifice nuance for simplicity. For someone new to the Bible, I recommend they start with the NLT.

The New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible (NAB)

I’ve explored both these versions of the Bible for access to the books of the Apocrypha, which was removed from the Protestant Bible, including the King James Version, a couple centuries ago.

Though these translations allowed me to explore the books of the Apocrypha, I missed the clarity I enjoyed in the NIV, NLT, MSG, or AMP.

Common English Bible (CEB)

I’m currently reading God’s Word in the Common English Bible.

I selected this version simply because it contains the Apocrypha. I studied all the books of the Apocrypha in this translation and am currently reading through the New Testament.

In many cases its slightly rephrased sentences capture my attention and provides insight that I missed up until now.

However, other verses provide a different sense of their meaning. But this gives me an opportunity to contemplate those words more carefully.

I have read and studied the Bible in these versions, plus a few more. Additionally, I have read the entire Bible in the Living Bible, NIV, MSG, AMP, and NLT. And I’m presently working my way through the CEB.

I share my summary of these books and my experience reading them to encourage you to explore the Bible in all its fullness. The version you select doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you find a translation you can immerse yourself into.

Explore the Bible, and let God reveal himself to you.

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Tags Apocrypha, read the Bible

Bible Insights

Speak Truth in Love

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 15, 2017

Being both honest and kind is how we grow in our faith and mature through Jesus

When Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, he tells them to speak what is true with love. This should be our guide in all that we say. While this makes sense, it’s harder to put into practice.

Truth

This phrase, to speak truth in love, starts with a call for honesty. As the saying goes, “Honesty is the best policy.” Better still, the Bible commands us not to lie (Leviticus 19:11).

Yet how often do we tell a tiny fib to protect someone’s feelings? Is this okay? How often do we tell someone an untruth because it is expedient? Or maybe we lie to avoid a confrontation or having a difficult conversation.

While some of these issues may be shades of gray, others are black-and-white. The point is Paul tells us to speak the truth.

Love

The guiding principle in how we express ourselves honestly is love. Love should temper what we say and how we say it. We want our words to help and not to hurt. Love is the framework for truth telling.

Yet sometimes out of a desire to love, we hide the truth. We obscure what is real because it is the easier path to take. This is a show of love, but it’s outcome isn’t truth.

We need to speak what is true and to do so with a loving attitude.

Grow

Though speaking the truth in love feels like wise advice, it’s not always the easiest path to take. Being both honest and loving at the same time can be a challenging thing to do. But we must persist in this effort.

When we speak the truth in love, Paul tells us that we will grow in our faith and develop maturity as the group of people—the church—who follow Jesus.

That’s why speaking truth in love is so important. We do it for Jesus.

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Ephesians 4-6, and today’s post is on Ephesians 4:15.]

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Tags Jesus, love, spiritual growth

Personal Posts

The Season of Giving

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 14, 2017

Around 2008, the economy wasn’t looking good, the markets were in the pits, and there was general concern about the future. Given all this, it was easy to be self-focused and forget about other people and their circumstances.

Today, at least in the US, things are much different. The markets are booming and businesses are growing at their fastest rate in the last decade. However, whether the economy is good or bad, we need to think about others.

The reality is that there are folks out there who are struggling. To be direct, they are homeless, depending on the generosity of others just to eat.

Every major city has organizations and outreach programs to help these people—and that is good. However, these groups continue to address people who need their help, which means that they need our help.

If you can make a donation, now is the time to do so.

If a monetary gift isn’t possible, then give of your time. With people in need, they are in need for volunteers. Of course, you can give both your time and your money.

As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving and sharing typically increases.

Please do what you can to help, but just remember that the homeless don’t only need help at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the year around.

I hope you enjoy the holidays—and can help others do the same.

Do you like this post? Want to read more? Check out Peter’s book, Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide: Discovering the Spirituality of Every Day Life, available wherever books are sold.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Tags Christmas, give, holiday, Sacred-Secular Divide, Thanksgiving

Peter DeHaan News

Christmas Presence

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 13, 2017

Christmas Presence: An Anthology from Word Weavers West Michigan

Christmas is a time of reflecting and rejoicing in the greatest gift on earth ever given … Jesus!

The memories of the past and hopes for the future give plenty of ideas to the Word Weavers West Michigan writers to embrace. Discover them in Christmas Presence.

Christmas Presence, by West Michigan Word Weavers

The message they give is that Christmas is meaningless without the Christ child. His presence means everything.

So if you want to prepare your heart for receiving the Christ child once again … each time being special … then may this book serve as a tool to assist in your journey of Advent.

The Christmas Presence anthology features themed short stories, personal essays, poems, and more.

It includes two short stories by Peter DeHaan: one young adult, “Best Christmas Ever,” and the other sci-fi, “Our Future Hope.” Yep, a sci-fi Christmas story.

Get your copy of Christmas Presence today.

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