Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

How to Find the Perfect Church

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 30, 2018
2 Comments on How to Find the Perfect Church

Try This Counter-Cultural Approach When It’s Time to Select a New Church

There’s an astute saying, “If you find the perfect church, don’t join it—because then it will no longer be perfect.” The reality is that as long as a church has members, it will never be perfect.

That’s because we’re imperfect, so the churches we attend will be imperfect too, and they’ll fall short of the ideals we have for them. This means that finding a perfect church is an impossible task, one we’ll never achieve.

Yet we persist in trying. We shop for churches as a consumer, looking for the one with the most options and greatest features—one that will best meet our needs—while asking as little as possible in return.

We seek maximum value: great outcomes for a small investment.

This is how the world would select a church. They’d follow the modern mindset and shop for a church. But it’s the wrong approach.

Two Steps to Find a New Church

Instead of shopping for a church, the perfect church, try this countercultural method to selecting a new church home. It’s a simple two-step process. The first step is easy, but the second step requires ongoing effort.

Step one to finding a new church home: Go to the church that’s nearest your home. It’s that easy.

This allows us to form a church community in our geographic community. Hopefully some of our neighbors will attend this local church too, which will allow us to worship God with our neighbors.

Step two to finding a new church home: Do whatever it takes to make it work. That’s the hard part. It requires sacrifice, patience, and determination.

Making a commitment to a church is much like making a commitment to marriage. In both cases, instead of bailing at the first sign of conflict, we commit to doing whatever it takes to make the relationship work.

Whatever church we go to will require effort on our part to make it work for the long-term. Therefore, why not make this effort with the church nearest our home?

Personal Application

It’s long been my desire to go to church in my community and to worship God with my neighbors. Am I doing this? Sort of. My wife and I attend the second closest church.

This is because we needed to be in agreement, since this would be the church for both of us.

This church is .7 miles from our house (within walking distance). And several of our neighbors go to this church too.

Though this church has many admirable qualities, it isn’t the perfect church. Yet we’re doing what’s needed to make it work. We’re getting involved, plugging into community, and seeking ways to serve.

When it comes time to find a new church home, why not give this method a try.

After all, has your approach worked any better?

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.

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

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Tags church, church attendance, community

Personal Posts

So Long Summer

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 25, 2018

Summer is officially over (for those north of the equator), lasting from June 21 to September 22 this year.

For me, summer effectively covers a slightly different span, starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day, regardless, we must move from summer to fall.

Each summer, I have a mental list of things that I want to accomplish, some fun, some relating to home improvement, and some regarding work. Each year, summer ends before the list is completed.

Even so, this year I did better than most—regardless of when I mark the end of the season.

The weather, of course, is another transition that occurs on the migration from summer to fall. We usually start fall with highs in the seventies and lows in the fifties, even forties. (Of course, we end fall with snow and below-freezing temperatures.)

So with summer over, I need to review my to-do list.

Some items will be moved to my non-summer list, while others will be put on hold until next year, and the remaining items will be discarded on the junk heap of good ideas and mercifully forgotten.

So long summer. Hello, fall.

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 Sacred-Secular Divide, weather

Christian Living

How to Deal with the Faith Versus Doubt Problem

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 23, 2018

Struggling with Doubt Isn’t a Sin, But We Must Avoid Letting Doubt Squash Our Faith

I once listened as a friend wrestled with the issue of faith versus doubt. She groaned in anguish over her struggle to believe with full faith, dismayed over the arrows of doubt that assaulted her.

I blurted out, “Faith without doubt isn’t faith. It’s a sure thing.”

I said this without thinking, and I’m still pondering it today. I hope it came from God, but I’m not sure. I think it’s profound, but maybe it isn’t. Yes,

Jesus affirms that great power results when we have faith without doubt. It’s a faith that can actually move mountains (Matthew 21:21). But does anyone have that kind of faith?

However, I suspect that to have faith without doubt isn’t a command. Instead it’s something to strive for, a goal to pursue even though we may never reach it.

As a result we’re left to contemplate the faith versus doubt problem.

What the Bible Says about Faith Versus Doubt

The word faith appears hundreds of times in the Bible, most prominently in Psalms (74 times), followed by Romans (40 times) and Hebrews (39 times).

In Hebrews we read that “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

The chapter goes on to talk about the great faith of people in the Old Testament. Nowhere in the whole chapter does the issue of doubt come up. And surely some of these patriarchs did have a tinge of doubt assaulting their faith.

Yet they moved forward in faith anyway.

Interestingly the word doubt only appears fourteen times in the Bible, with the book of Matthew taking the lead (3 times).

In it Jesus criticizes his disciples for their lack of faith and for their doubt (Matthew 14:31). Later he tells Thomas to stop doubting and to believe (John 20:27).

I don’t view doubt as a sin, but I do see doubt that keeps us from acting in faith as disobedience. Ideally God would like us to have a faith with no doubt, but I don’t think it particularly bothers him when we struggle in the faith versus doubt department.

If our faith wins out over doubt, we’re good. However, we must avoid doubt that squashes faith, causing us to cower in fear instead of acting in boldness.

As long as we’re human, I suspect we’ll struggle with faith versus doubt.

But if we follow Jesus, we’ll have the power to overcome our doubt through faith.

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Tags doubt, faith, sin, Thomas

Bible Insights

Women in the Bible: Dinah

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 20, 2018

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and Leah, is the central character of Genesis 34. Though we know what happened to her and because of her, we know nothing about what she said, did, or thought.

Her story begins tragically. She is raped by Shechem. Yet after his act of lust, he falls in love with her, offering to give whatever dowry is asked.

Jacob doesn’t respond to his daughter’s rape. Is he passive, afraid, or wise as he waits for his sons to return? Dinah’s brothers are outraged when they hear the news and immediately come home.

While their father fails to act, Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s full brothers, do. They kill Shechem and all the men in his village; then they rescue her from Shechem’s house. Later, her other brothers plunder the town.

Although Jacob criticizes Simeon and Levi for their excessive reaction and the subsequent risk to the entire family (should neighboring towns take revenge), Dinah’s brothers felt duty bound to avenge their sister’s rape, despite the risk of retaliation or harm.

After her rescue, nothing more is said about Dinah. The end to her story is for us to wonder.

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

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

Tags Dinah, family, Jacob, Levi, Simeon, Women of the Bible

Christian Living

Do You Hold an Unexamined Theology?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 16, 2018

Accepting What We’re Taught Without Scrutiny May Cause Us to Believe Things That Aren’t True

In the book of Acts, Dr. Luke writes about the Jews that lived in the town of Berea. He called them people with a “more noble character.” What did they do to deserve this label of respect? This was due to their reaction to Paul’s teaching.

Each day they listened attentively to what Paul said, and then they studied their scriptures to see if Paul’s teaching aligned with it. They checked to see if Paul spoke truth (Acts 17:11).

We should follow their example.

Seriously.

If we don’t we’re likely to hold an unexamined theology. In fact, we’re likely to hold many of them. Sometimes an unexamined theology will turn out to be sound, but other times it’s incorrect.

That’s why we need to carefully examine everything we’re taught about spiritual matters and make sure we only accept what the Bible backs.

Consider these three examples.

Unexamined Theology about Prayer

My parents and my church taught me three key requisites to prayer. We must close our eyes, fold our hands, and bow our heads before we pray. When young me asked why, I received a logical explanation. By closing my eyes, I shut myself off from distraction.

By folding my hands, I kept them from wayward movement. And by bowing my head, I showed reverence to God. It made sense. I accepted this is truth and obeyed.

Yet I don’t find any of these praying requirements supported in Scripture.

I’ve not found a biblical command to do these things or even a verse that describes people doing them. But I have found verses of people gazing upward into heaven when they pray (such as Jesus in Mark 7:34).

Even though this isn’t a command, it’s more biblical than the three things I was taught.

Closing our eyes, folding our hands, and bowing our head as part of prayer isn’t in the Bible. It’s an unexamined part of our theology.

Unexamined Theology about Christian Life

Have you ever heard someone say that when you become a Christian, all your problems will go away and life will become easy? I have.

I’ve heard it many times over the years, from well-meaning preachers and earnest proselytizers. But this isn’t in the Bible either.

Instead, Jesus tells us to count the cost and be willing to give up everything to follow him (Luke 14:33). This doesn’t sound like an easy life but a hard one.

Another time Jesus says that we should expect trouble (John 16:33). And James talks about us facing trials, as if it were normal. He tells us to accept these with joy and to persevere (James 1:2-4, 12).

Believing that following Jesus will erase our problems and produce an easy life is another unexamined theology.

Unexamined Theology about God’s Provision

Have you ever heard the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves” or perhaps stated a bit differently, as “the Good Lord helps them who helps themselves.”?

Though it sounds biblical and even offers comfort, it’s not in the Bible either. Yet many people, perhaps most people, think it is.

Though this message of self-sufficiency may play well with the “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” culture of the United States, it’s not a biblically sound concept. Instead we’re supposed to seek God first (Matthew 6:33).

Unexamined Theology about Becoming a Christian

Having an unexamined theology about the proper way to pray is of no damaging consequence. However, holding unexamined theologies about Christian living and God’s provision is more significant.

But the most damaging—perhaps damning—is what people teach about how to become a Christian. Many things loudly proclaimed from the pulpit aren’t in the Bible. These include asking Jesus into our heart or saying the sinner’s prayer.

True, these things may be loosely based on biblical teaching, but they aren’t the requirement many people make them out to be.

Jesus never said these things, but what he did often say is “follow me.” (I cover this in detail in my book How Big is Your Tent?).

Yet I never heard a preacher teach that all we need to do to become a Christian is to follow Jesus.

How much of our theology do we blindly accept as fact when there is no biblical basis for it?

We will do well to follow the example of the Bereans who accepted what they were taught with eagerness but then studied the Scriptures to make sure it was true.

When we do this, it will help us from embracing an unexamined theology that is in error.

Read more in How Big is Your Tent? A Call for Christian Unity, Tolerance, and Love and discover what the Bible says about following Jesus. Available in e-book and paperback.

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

Tags Christianity, James, Jesus, Luke, prayer, theology

Christian Living

Are You a Christian?

Discover What Label Best Describes Our Faith

Are you a Christian? Be careful before you answer. By definition I am a Christian, though I seldom use the Christian label. Why?

In my book How Big is Your Tent?, I write: “Christian is a loaded term. It means many things to different people. To some, Christian implies narrow-minded.

To others, Christian means hateful. Still others think Christian is a political party or secular movement. And what about mean, militant, murdering, manipulative, and money-mongering?” (page 32).

This explains why I don’t like the Christian label. Most non-Christians think negatively towards Christians.

Though Jesus has a different goal in mind, that our love for others will create a positive impression, we’ve given the world many reasons to conclude the opposite.

Christian in the Bible

It’s interesting that the word Christian only appears three times in the Bible (four more if you count subheadings that aren’t part of the original text).

The most notable is in Acts when Luke introduces the term as a new name for Jesus’s squad (Acts 11:26).

However, after what seems to emerge as a significant development, Luke only uses the term one more time, as does Peter. The word Christian doesn’t catch on in the Bible.

Obviously, Scripture doesn’t favor the Christian label. So what does it use?

Followers in the Bible

Instead of using the Christian label, I often say, “I’m a follower of Jesus.” One of the most common instructions Jesus gives people is to follow him. That’s what I’m doing. That’s why I’m a follower of Jesus.

The word follower appears twenty-four times in both the Old and New Testaments, but most references are to following someone else, such as Korah, Abimelek, David, and Omri in the Old Testament, as well as Paul and Judas (not the disciple) in the New Testament.

And, of course, we can follow Jesus.

The Way in the Bible

The Way is another label the Bible uses to refer to the group of people who align with Jesus. Though intriguing, it only occurs twice in the Bible, both in the book of Acts.

Believers in the Bible

Making one appearance in the Old Testament, the word believer occurs fifty-nine times in the New Testament, half of them in the book of Acts, but it only shows up three times in the Gospels, all in the book of John.

Though I’m tempted to call myself a believer, I shy away from this label because of what James writes. He says that even the demons believe in God—and shutter (James 2:19). This tells me that believing isn’t enough.

Disciples in the Bible

Another intriguing label is disciple. With the exception of twice in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, the word disciple pops up almost 300 times in the New Testament, all in the biographies of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the book of Acts.

Some references specifically address the twelve disciples and a few others to John the Baptist’s disciples, but most are to the larger group of Jesus’s disciples.

It’s one thing to follow Jesus: to make a U-turn in our life and go all in for him. However, being his disciple implies an even greater level of commitment.

Though I like to think of myself as a disciple of Jesus, it’s a weighty claim. I question if I live up to it, despite striving to do that exact thing.

But the Label Doesn’t Matter

However, whether we call ourselves a Christian, a follower of Jesus, a follower of The Way, a believer in Jesus, or a disciple of Jesus, it doesn’t matter.

Until we change our behavior and love others as Jesus tells us to, the world will still think less of us and have a negative impression of our faith, along with the God we claim to serve.

If we say we’re with Jesus, we need to start acting like it. Then our faith label won’t so much matter.

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Tags believer, Christianity, disciples, follower of Jesus

Bible Insights

Do You Know How to Hear God?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 4, 2018
4 Comments on Do You Know How to Hear God?

If We’re Ready to Listen, God Can Speak to Us through His Holy Spirit

In the book of Ezekiel we come across an interesting passage. Some of the leaders of the nation of Israel approach Ezekiel. They ask him to seek God’s input for them. They want to hear God, but they can’t do it themselves. They need help.

Either they don’t know how to hear from God or are afraid to approach him directly.

Being afraid of hearing God was exactly what afflicted his chosen people when they left Egypt. They begged Moses to serve as a go-between because they feared God. How this must have saddened him (Exodus 20:19).

Seek an Intermediary to Hear God for You

In the Old Testament the people believed that they couldn’t approach God themselves, that they needed an intermediary to act on their behalf. That usually meant a prophet or priest.

Those folks knew how to hear from God. And the regular people didn’t.

Many people do this today. They want to know God’s will in their life, so they seek the advice of a minister or spiritual leader. But they can seek God themselves, if only they know how.

Hear God for Yourself

Though not everyone in the Old Testament knew how to hear God, it’s different in the New Testament—and for us. After Jesus overcame the finality of death and left earth to return home, his father sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

If we follow Jesus, we have is Holy Spirit in us.

The Holy Spirit allows us to hear from God ourselves without going through someone else.

For some people hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit comes easily and for others it doesn’t happen.

For much of my life, I didn’t know what to do or how to do it, until a wise friend taught me how to hear from God. Since then I’ve been able to hear from God on a regular basis.

Hear God for Others

Even so, not everyone can hear from God or fully trust what they think they may hear. But if we’re able to hear from God, we can serve as an intermediary for them. This is what Ezekiel did for the elders who came to him.

But what God revealed to Ezekiel wasn’t what the leaders were hoping to hear, but that’s another story.

Today’s story is that through the Holy Spirit we can hear the voice of God. That’s what he desires for us, to hear him when he speaks.

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Ezekiel 18-20, and today’s post is on Ezekiel 20:1-3.]

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Tags hear God, Holy Spirit, trust

Christian Living

Reconsider the Two Parts of the Bible

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 2, 2018
4 Comments on Reconsider the Two Parts of the Bible

Where Does the Law of God End and the Love of Jesus Begin in Scripture?

The Bible divides Christian Scripture into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament looks at the rules God required to be right with him and anticipates a future when he will send us a Savior.

The New Testament looks at that savior and this new way of approaching God. We commonly view the Bible in these two testaments.

Yet this theological transition doesn’t seem to occur until the death of Jesus and his coming back to life. In doing so he becomes the ultimate Old Testament sacrifice, one to end all sacrifices.

He dies and then he lives again, so that when we die, we can also live again.

When looking at things thematically, this seems to more properly mark the turning point between God’s old way and his new way of doing things.

Jesus’s View of This Theological Transition

However, Jesus offers us a different perspective.

Since it came from his mouth, this is the one we should embrace, as opposed to the traditional Old and New Testament division or even looking at his death and resurrection as a pivotal theological switch in the Bible.

Instead, Jesus indicates that this transition point starts with the Ministry of John the Baptist.

Jesus says that the Law and the Prophets were taught up until the time of John. Starting with John, this good news of God’s kingdom and telling others about it marks the point where God’s emphasis changes (Luke 16:16).

The good news of Jesus and the kingdom of God doesn’t begin with Jesus’s ministry, but it starts a few years earlier with the ministry of John.

The ministry of John the Baptist marks the Bible’s theological transition point by ushering in God’s long-promised faith reformation, of coming to God in faith instead of pursuing impossible-to-meet rules.

Though Jesus is our ultimate faith solution, John the Baptist points to it.

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

Tags Jesus, New Testament, Old Testament, salvation

Bible Insights

Women in the Bible: Rachel

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 30, 2018

Rachel is an interesting character. She’s the wife of Jacob and also his first cousin. Talk about ick! We read about her in Genesis 29-31 & 35.

For some reason, I’m drawn to her, but I don’t know why.

We know she’s beautiful. For Jacob, it’s love at first sight. But there’s calamity when her dad pawns off her older sister, Leah, on Jacob, her unsuspecting betrothed.

Though Rachel does marry Jacob, too, the sisters spend their lives vying for his attention.

Jacob favors Rachel, but doesn’t completely ignore Leah, either. While the younger wife has Jacob’s affection, it’s the older Leah who keeps getting pregnant.

Their competition heats up and the sisters each offer their maids to their husband to make more babies, and they each have two boys.

Later in one of the oddest moves ever, Rachel trades a night with her husband for food. I guess she was really hungry. As a result Leah has another son.

Eventually Rachel gets pregnant, too, and she has Joseph. Instead of being satisfied over finally having a child, she immediately asks God for another son.

Her story ends a few years later when she dies giving birth to her second son, Benjamin. It’s a tragic end to a tragic life.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Genesis 30-32 and today’s post is on Genesis 30:22.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

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

Tags Jacob, Rachel, Women of the Bible

Bible Insights

Consider God’s Punishment

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 28, 2018

God Had a Purpose for His People and They Let Him Down

God established Jerusalem as the center of all nations. This suggests he intended them to set an example and be a global leader, showing everyone how to live right and pointing them to him. But this isn’t what they did.

In their wickedness, they rebelled against him, even more so then everyone else. They rejected God’s ideals. In their disobedience they were worse than all the countries around them (Ezekiel 5:5-8). Talk about an epic fail.

Finally, God had enough. Punishment will come. Here’s what he’s going to do:

He Will Turn Against Them

The idea of God turning against us is a horrific thought. As an all-powerful being, he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Though we hope he will use his vast power for our benefit, it’s not guaranteed.

If we turn against him, don’t we realize he has every right to turn against us?

He Will Punish Them Openly

God says he will discipline his people for what they did. More frighteningly, he says he will inflict punishment on them. And this won’t happen privately, it will occur publicly for all to see, heaping embarrassment upon their penalty.

He Will Do Something Unprecedented

And this punishment he plans to inflict upon them will emerge as something so intense that it’s unfathomable. It’s something he’s never done before and will never do again.

This suggests how angry he is with his people for not living up to his expectations.

What is this vast punishment God plans for them? Though it’s hard to write, they’ll resort to cannibalism—of their own family members (Ezekiel 5:9-10).

What About Punishment for Us?

Ezekiel directs this punishment at Jerusalem, but as the political center of the nation, Jerusalem is a metaphor for the whole country. The nation doesn’t do what God expects of them: to advance his kingdom and influence the world.

The result is severe punishment. Just as this applied to God’s chosen people thousands of years ago, by extension doesn’t it apply to us today?

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Ezekiel 5-8, and today’s post is on Ezekiel 5:5-10.]

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Tags disobedience, Ezekiel, punishment