When Candy and I celebrated the wedding of our daughter, Laura, to our new son, Chris, it was a wonderful day that we had been building up to with increasing anticipation and focus.
1. Are you Nervous?
In the weeks and days leading up to the nuptials, I was surprised by the number of people who asked if I was nervous. It struck me as a strange question.
My part in the ceremony was minimal. With great pride and joy I would escort Laura down the aisle—with all eyes on her—and then say four words: “Her mother and I.” On a personal level, there wasn’t much for me to be nervous about.
If their questions implied a deeper significance, no one bothered to clarify. Even so, most were surprised when I shook my head “no.”
2. How Do You Feel?
On the day of the festivities, I was often asked, “How do you feel?” Granted, my emotional state isn’t apparent to most people, but that question also struck me as a bit odd.
I was (and am) ecstatic for Laura and Chris’s marriage, excited about the journey they are beginning, delighted at the opportunities they have before them, and most proud of the union that has begun.
Their wedding was an affirmation to the work of their respective parents for the prior twenty plus years and a pleasant reminder that despite a few parenting deficiencies along the way, the end result is two mature adults ready to start a life of their own.
For me to feel anything less is incomprehensible.
3. How Did It Go?
A third question—and this one understandable—has been commonly voiced after the wedding: “How did it go? It was wonderful. True, a few minor elements could have gone better, but all the important things transpired as planned and without a hitch.
We were most pleased with the ceremony and the reception embodied simple elegance; guests made many positive comments about both.
A few people did make remarks about “losing a daughter” or Dan now being “an only child,” but that’s not how we see it—our family has grown—and we couldn’t be happier.
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.
What Can We Learn from the Ending Sentence or Thought in Each Book of the Bible?
As a writer I know the two most important things of anything I write are the beginning and the ending. A strong opening draws readers and keeps them interested, while a powerful close gives readers something to take with them.
Though I don’t think biblical writers focused on these two areas, it’s still interesting to look at how they wrapped up their writings. Here’s a list of the last sentence or thought from each of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.
The Final Words in the Book of Matthew
Matthew ends by quoting Jesus, which many embrace as a personal call to action.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ ” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV).
The Final Words in the Book of Mark
Mark has two endings, with the second one not found in all manuscripts. But since the first version ends abruptly and leaves us hanging. I’ll share the concluding thought in the second one.
“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it” (Mark 16:19-20, NIV).
The Final Words in the Book of Luke
Luke ends his biography of Jesus by telling us what his followers did. This contrasts to what Jesus told his followers to do at the end of Matthew.
“When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (Luke 24:50-53, NIV).
The Final Words in the Book of John
As a writer I especially appreciate the end of the book of John, but from a broader perspective it makes me wish more people had written about the life of Jesus. I want to know more.
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25, NIV).
The Final Words in the Book of Acts
Luke concludes the book of Acts with what may be Paul’s last work here on earth. This should encourage us to finish strong.
“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.
He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:30-31, NIV).
The Final Words of the Letters from Paul
Paul ends most of his letters succinctly and often with a bit of encouragement. A reoccurring word in many of his parting lines is grace.
“…to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Romans 16:27, NIV).
Noted for his direct, practical writing, James ends his book the same way.
“Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20, NIV).
The Final Words of the Letters of Peter
The ending to Peter’s two letters are much different than Paul’s.
“Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ” (Peter 5:14, NIV).
“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Peter 3:14, NIV).
The Final Words of the Letters from John
There seems to be no similarity in how John concludes his three letters.
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21, NIV).
“The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings” (2 John 1:13, NIV).
“I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name” (3 John 1:14, NIV).
The Final Words from Jude
Over the years, I’ve heard many church services end by quoting these two verses.
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 1:24-25, NIV).
The Final Words in the Book of Revelation
And last, we have the final words of the Bible.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Revelation 22:21, NIV).
Final Thoughts
When we read the Bible and get to the end of a book, what do we do?
Do we read fast and quickly close our Bible, glad to have finished another book, or do we let the ending sit with us a while as we contemplate its words?
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.
Though an entire book was written about his prayer (The Prayer of Jabez), we actually know little about Jabez. The Bible only mentions him in two obscure verses, buried among a lengthy genealogy.
We know even less about the mother of Jabez, not even her name.
We do know his birth is difficult, and the name she gives him reflects the physical pain his arrival caused her. This is all we know about her.
However, we can infer more of her traits from the character of her son. Jabez is an honorable man, more honorable than others.
We can implicitly connect these qualities with his mother, the woman who raised him. Surely Jabez’s mother is a godly woman, who taught her son how to live an honorable life, follow God, and to pray with effectiveness.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, 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.
Lessons of Art Appreciation Can Help Us Study the Word of God
Until recently I never considered myself a creative person, and I certainly never considered myself an artist. However, I recently realized that I create art through words. I guess that makes me an artist.
As such, that means I’m studying art (writing) and I immerse myself in art appreciation (reading). We can apply this idea of studying art and art appreciation to studying the Bible and appreciating its words.
Here are four thoughts to the art of Bible study:
Spend Time to Really Look at Art
If we race through an art gallery with the goal of covering the most exhibits in the shortest amount of time, we miss the point of art. We fail to appreciate it for what it is.
So it is when we study the Bible. We must spend time with it and not race through it. I sometimes fall into this trap when I set the goal of reading the entire Bible in one year.
There are days, sometimes weeks, when I focus on the number of chapters I’ve read and not on the meaning of the words they contain.
Yes, there’s benefit in looking at the Bible in huge chunks, but the real value comes from when we tarry to spend time focusing on a single passage, verse, or even phrase.
To get the most from the Bible, like art, we must spend time to really look at it.
Study Art at Different Distances
To fully appreciate a work of art requires that we look at it from different distances and not just from a typical viewing space. That means after our first perusal, we may want to step back and consider it from a distance.
It also may mean going in close to scrutinize certain sections or to consider the artist’s techniques.
We can apply the same practice when we consider the Bible. Start with a normal read of the passage. Then pull back to look at its overall context, both within that particular writing as well as within its place in history.
Last zoom in to look at the details, a particular phrase or even word choice. Each one carries meaning, often profound. With a quick read we’ll zip right past these treasures without ever noticing their presence or their implication.
Contemplate Art from Different Angles
A third recommendation when it comes to art appreciation is to look at a piece from different angles. Though this applies to paintings and other two-dimensional art, it’s even more valuable with sculptures and three-dimensional creations.
Each viewing angle provides a different perspective on the piece, sometimes complementing other angles and other times contrasting or even conflicting. Sometimes these different angles reveal enigma and paradox. How cool is that?
As we study the Bible, we can also consider it from different angles. We start with the words and what they mean, which often reveal multiple meanings. We can consider the author, the audience, and the point of view.
We can look at the type of writing and the purpose of that writing. As we do, we see the beautiful and compelling nature of Scripture as it emerges with enigma and paradox. Embrace it.
Make Repeat Visits
When we make return visits to an art gallery or a particular piece of art, we see new things we missed before: a nuance, a texture, a color. We also can interpret a piece of art differently based on our perspective.
Since our lives change continuously, as do the situations we find ourselves in, our understanding of art shifts along with our life experiences and perceptions.
That’s why we need to read the Bible more than once. We need to come back to it again and again. Each time we do we have the potential to gain more from it.
Both art and the Bible have layers, just like an onion. Each time we discover a new layer, it’s with the knowledge that another one lies just beneath it, waiting for us to discover it.
Even though I’ve never heard of a Bible Appreciation class, we can take lessons from Art Appreciation and apply it to our study of the Word of God.
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.
Deborah’s story is in the book of Judges. Though they call her a judge, she is primarily a prophetess, a person who hears from God. Judge Deborah is notable as the only female judge listed in the book of Judges.
Judge Deborah receives a message from God for Barak. Through her, God commands Barak to raise an army and attack their enemy.
God even promises Barak he will prevail, but Barak balks, saying he will do it only if Deborah goes with him.
She consents, although confirming that because of his reluctance, the honor of killing the enemy’s leader, Sisera, will go to a woman.
While we may infer this woman is Deborah, it is actually another woman, Jael. Even so, Deborah receives more credit than Barak for the overall victory.
Although Deborah lives in a male-dominated society, when a man doesn’t do what he is supposed to, she steps in to ensure action is taken.
We commend her for her faith and her bravery. She is a strong example to all, both men and women.
[The story of Judge Deborah is in Judges 4 and 5.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, 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.
When God Tells Us to Do Something He Has a Reason and We Should Obey
After Joshua leads the people of Israel into the Promised Land and takes control of it, he divides the territory among the tribes.
Though they have conquered enough of the area to occupy it, remnants of other people, such as the Canaanites, still live there. (It’s often called the land of Canaan.)
It’s up to each tribe to fully take control of their assigned region and drive out the people that live there.
We can debate who has the right to live there. Is it the Israelites who God promised could live in this land? Or is it the people who live there when the Israelites arrive?
Of course, if we go back a few centuries, we see that God first gave this land to Abraham.
This means Israel is merely reclaiming what God gave them through Abraham long ago. Who has a rightful claim to this land?
Drive Out the People Occupying the Promised Land
However, the discussion of rightful leadership isn’t the point in this post. The point is, what will the people of Israel do once they repossess the land? God tells them they are to drive out the people living there.
This is another item we could debate. Why can’t they peacefully coexist? Why can’t they get along? It seems fair, but God knows that these other nations will negatively influence his people, causing them to disobey him and turn from him.
Though we don’t want to make an isolationism theology based on this passage, we do see how important it is to guard ourselves against ungodly influence.
For the territory given to Ephraim and Manasseh, the Bible says that they didn’t dislodge the people who lived in Gezer.
As a result the Canaanites continued to live there. They caused great problems for God’s people in the coming years and centuries.
We see their reoccurring threat throughout the book of Judges, and they’re still around during the days of Ezekiel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
The disobedience of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh to purge their area of ungodly influences cause problems for their descendants for centuries.
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.
This allows for time to interact with others, to enjoy a bit of Christian community before the service begins and to prepare ourselves to connect to God.
Another thing we observed during our 52 Churches journey was how people acted after the church service ended. Some people make a beeline to the door as fast as possible without saying a word to anyone.
And a couple of times we saw people leaving before the church service had even ended.
At most churches people take a few minutes to say “Hi” to their friends, talk with others, or attend to some church business. But within five or ten minutes most everyone is gone.
However, a few churches are a notable exception. There people hang out for quite a while after the church service ends.
Sometimes this is for a potluck or a social time around coffee and snacks, but other times it’s simply for an extended period of connection with their church family.
When Candy and I visited fifty-two churches, we determined to make ourselves available to linger in Christian community—assuming there was one. Several times this lasted longer than the church service itself, sometimes for a couple hours.
Some people think sticking around after the church service ends is foolish. But others—such as myself—think hanging around afterword is how it should be.
The reasons for these two perspectives stem from our reasons for going to church.
Three Reasons to Go to Church
1. A Duty: For those who go to church as an obligation, leaving as soon as possible makes sense. They performed their duty, now they want to get on to something else, something that interests them more.
2. To Sing or Learn: For people who go to church to listen to a teaching or sing to God or about God, they see no reason to stick around after the benediction. The purpose for being there has ended, so now it’s time to leave.
Yes, they’re polite in their exit, but they have no reason to tarry. Other activities beckon, such as Sunday dinner or an afternoon nap.
3. Spend Time in Christian Community: For people who go to church for the community, they realize that the service itself doesn’t allow for much connection to happen.
To realize the community they seek, they arrive early and are willing to stay late—sometimes for an hour or two.
That’s when the real community happens. That’s when they can share life with each other. For me, that’s what church is all about: community.
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.
A few years ago lightning struck our house. It seems most of the energy was safely dissipated via a ground wire, as intended.
Yet some took a variant path, following along the eave trough and blowing the downspout away from the house, before jumping to an unused underground cable and heading towards our prized maple tree.
The telltale sign of the end of its path was mound of dirt over where the wire once was. The height and width of this trail diminished as it approached the tree, disappearing a few feet from the trunk.
I expected the leaves to turn brown in a couple of days. I braced myself to watch my tree die. To my relief, this didn’t happen. The tree lived the rest of that year and all through the next.
A year and a half later, just as the leaves began to unfold in the spring, they stopped growing and turned brown. Within a couple days, my maple tree was dead.
The likely explanation was the lightning damaged the root system enough to where the tree couldn’t recover.
Above the ground, the tree looked healthy and alive. Yet, hidden from view was a tree fighting for survival. Though it hung on for eighteen months, it couldn’t recover.
Such it is with life. Every action has ramifications. Yet if the effects are delayed, we can easily assume everything is fine.
With an unwise action, the lack of an immediate consequence can lull us into assuming everything is all right and embolden us to repeat our reckless behavior.
On the outside, everything may look fine. But what no one can see—what we may not even realize—is that on the inside we are wounded and moving towards death, be it literal or figurative.
We need to do what is good, even when we see no benefits from our wise actions or no consequences because of our unwise acts: we never know what may await
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 Timing of When People Arrive at Church Reflects Their Priorities
When my wife and I went on our grand adventure of visiting fifty-two churches in a year, we decided we’d try to arrive at church ten minutes early.
In doing so we would avoid breezing in at the last-minute, and we would have time for possible connection with other people before the service. (Sometimes we had wonderful conversations and other times it was an awkward ordeal.)
Three Times When People Arrive at Church
This also gave us an opportunity to observe when other people arrived at church.
1. Arrive Early: For a few churches most everyone arrived early. They sat in respectful anticipation of what was to come, reverently waiting for the service to begin.
2. Arrive Right on Time: At other churches many people timed their arrival with the starting time of the church service, not a minute earlier and not a minute later. They arrived right on time.
At some of these places, the people were in the facility early, trying to squeeze in some pre-church activity, but not yet seated in the church sanctuary. In other places, they rushed in at the last moment.
3 Arrive Late: Yet at too many churches, the starting time seemed more like a guideline. At these churches over half the congregation showed up after the service had started.
They arrived late. Sometimes this was understandable since the service didn’t start on time either.
The church had conditioned people to arrive late, because the service started late.
However, even for those services that started on time, the practice of people arriving during the singing of the first, and even the second and third songs, alarmed me.
When Do You Arrive at Church?
Yes, I understand that sometimes things come up to keep us from getting to church on time. This is most pronounced for those with young children in tow. I remember those days well.
Other times we may oversleep, not get around as fast as we’d like, or encounter delays on the drive to church. Yet these things should be rare, not common.
For people who habitually arrive at church late, I wonder if it doesn’t reveal a bit of their heart. That God isn’t important enough for them to show up early in anticipation of what he’ll do.
That church attendance is one more thing to squeeze into an already-too-busy schedule, so they can check it off there to do list.
Late arrivers at church disrespect God and distract other worshipers.
Arrive at church early, arrive at church in expectation, and arrive at church prepared to worship.
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.
Ruth is a widow and foreigner who remains faithful to her mother-in-law, Naomi. She leaves her family to follow Naomi to Israel. The reason for her loyalty to her mother-in-law is a mystery, since Naomi is a bitter woman at this time.
When they return, she goes out to glean grain, at great physical risk, so she and Naomi will have some food. The young widow finds favor with Boaz, who knows of her fine reputation.
Naomi sets about to find another husband for her widowed daughter-in-law, targeting Boaz and developing a strategy to bring that about. The result is capturing Boaz’s attention.
He sets out to make Ruth his wife, deftly dealing with another possible suitor.
Boaz and Ruth marry. She has her first child, Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse, the father of David. That makes her the great grandmother of King David and a direct ancestor of Jesus.
Let’s review: Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law and God rewards her. She marries again, is saved from poverty, and has a son.
As a result, she’s later honored by Matthew who includes her in the family tree of Jesus, one of only four women mentioned.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, 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.
