Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

Do We Ever Place Our Traditions Over God’s Commands?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 11, 2016

Jesus Condemns Those Who Supersede the Word of God With Their Religious Practices

Jesus asks the people, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your traditions?” (Matthew 15:3). He goes on to give an example that is culturally relevant to his audience, but which doesn’t connect so much with us today.

Of course we would never do such a thing, would we? Sadly, we too place traditions over God’s commands. Consider these four examples:

1. Vain Repetition

Jesus tells the people to not pray using vain repetition (Matthew 6:7), yet in church growing up we did this every Sunday, repeating a prayer from rote memory, as well as the Ten Commandments and often a creed.

Yet he commands us to avoid vain repetition.

Other translations say “meaningless repetition” and “babbling many words.” The Bible says to not do that, but we do.

2. Do Not Call Anyone Father

Jesus specifically teaches us not to call anyone Father (Rabbi or Teacher) because only God is our Father.

The principle seems to be against elevating our spiritual leaders with titles, perhaps suggesting we should avoid “Pastor,” “Reverend,” and “Doctor,” as well as “Father” and “Rabbi.”

Yet we do this (sometimes at the insistence of our spiritual leaders), and some traditions specifically use Father, but Jesus says not to (Matthew 23:8-10).

3. Give in Secret

Jesus tells us to give anonymously (Matthew 6:3-4), to not call attention to our charitable giving. Yet our Sunday offerings are a public event and certainly not done secretly. Yet our tradition trumps God’s command.

4. Seek Man’s Approval

Though it’s not a direct command, Paul condemns those who try to win the approval of people. Instead we should follow his example of trying to please God (Galatians 1:10).

Yet how often do ministers water down sermons in order to avoid human offense, which might cause parishioners to get mad, cause a stink, or withhold their donations?

These are a few ways we put our own preferences above what the Bible says. I’m sure there are many more. Be on the lookout for them, and then seek to do things God’s way, regardless of tradition.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 14-16, and today’s post is on Matthew 15:3-7.]

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 Jesus, minister, obey God

Christian Living

Can Technology Hurt Our Relationship with God?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 9, 2016

God Doesn’t Want Part of Our Attention; He Deserves 100 Percent

As the main speaker talked at a business conference, I looked around our table of eight. Seven people had their smartphones out, pushing buttons with intention and staring at those tiny screens as if they showed the most essential of images.

Why were they doing this? They paid a lot of money to be there, yet they weren’t fully there. A few, no doubt, had checked out, either bored by the speaker’s message, or they presumed their smartphones’ news was more important.

The others, I’m quite sure, thought they were multitasking. (Even though many experts say that true multitasking is a myth.)

They were attempting to listen to the speaker with their ears and read email with their eyes, while their minds compartmentalized both. I suspect neither activity received the attention it deserved.

Yet, how often do we treat God this way? Does our desire to stay connected with the world impair our ability to connect with the Almighty?

The Bible says to “be still and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46:10).

This doesn’t mean we need to just keep our bodies at rest; we need to keep our thoughts still as well.

We must occasionally stop all we are doing, to still our motions and our minds, so we can be fully present in his presence. Then we can best know him; then we can best hear him.

How often do we ask God for answers and then allow distractions to keep us from listening? Yes, people can distract, busyness can distract, and life can distract, yet I suspect today’s technology might be the biggest distraction of all.

I’m not against technology. I rely on technological tools every day to work. I tap social media and email to connect with friends and followers of Jesus, and I use online resources to study and write about God.

Yet I wonder if sometimes I need to disconnect. Should we occasionally fast from our technologies so we can fully focus on God?

How long could you go without technology? A few minutes? An hour? A day? What might you learn about yourself and God if you did?

Turn off the smartphone and tune into God.

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Tags fasting, spiritual discipline

Christian Living

Not All That’s Spiritual Is Good

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 2, 2016

As Followers of Jesus We Can Point the Supernaturally Curious to God

Premodern people saw everything as spiritual. Though modern thinking attempted to remove the spiritual from our everyday reality, the postmodern view is open to reunite them. For that I am glad.

Yet not all that is spiritual is good. Consider all of the TV shows and movies that delve into the supernatural. Sci-fi specifically seems to be moving in this direction but so are more generally marketed television shows and movies.

Also, consider the growing interest in fantasy novels and the various speculative fiction subgenres. Why is this?

It’s quite simply because of demand. The public seeks content that investigates spiritual concepts and explores the supernatural realm.

They have interest in such matters. They hunger for something more than what a nonspiritual life offers, with content producers happy to fill that void.

In fact, most people in today’s postmodern world, notably younger generations, such as Millennials, are open to the spiritual. This is both good and bad. Just because something is spiritual doesn’t automatically make it good.

Sometimes supernatural considerations point us to God and other times this content steers us in the opposite direction.

Often these mind-blowing forays into the non-temporal merely confuse a godly, spiritual reality with intriguing, yet inconsequential fantasy.

Does this mean we should abandon all cinema, television, and books that dip into the supernatural? Of course not. Ignoring this trend will not make it go away and will leave the spiritually curious with only opposing views to influence them.

As people who know what the Bible says about spiritual matters, we need to guide our world’s spiritually inquisitive toward an understanding that is biblically centered and focused on Jesus.

If we don’t, people will persist in forming their own hodgepodge of spiritual practices based on what they see in their entertainment choices and that is not anchored in the foundation of God’s Word.

Let us be their light to a path that leads to God, the narrow way, and away from the wide path that leads to destruction (Psalm 119:105, Matthew 7:13-14).

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Tags Bible, biblical Christianity, Jesus, postmodern, spiritual growth, spiritual realm, supernatural

Christian Living

What Do You Expect From Your Pastor?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 25, 2016

Ministers Toil under a Load of Heavy Demands that Shouldn’t be There; We Must Change That

I have read two stats about ministers that chafe at my soul.

The first is that most pastors have no real friends.

When you remove the relationships they have with their congregation and denomination, where they must always guard what they say and act in expected ways as a spiritual leader, they have no friends.

They have no relationships where they can be themselves. They have no place to relax with those who will accept them for who they are.

They have no confidant to share worries and struggles with who will not judge them. Despite all their social interaction, being a minister must be a lonely job.

The second is that of seminary graduates entering the ministry today, only one in forty will retire from it. The other thirty-nine will switch careers. That’s 97.5 percent who will leave the job God called them to do.

First, this doesn’t say much about the success rate of seminaries in preparing people for ministry. Second, this hints that a job as minister carries near impossible expectations, which is to our shame as laity, because:

We Expect Our Pastors to Spiritually Feed Us

How many times have you heard someone leave a church because “I’m just not being spiritually fed?” Have you ever said that?

I have, and I was wrong to do so. My minister isn’t supposed to give me a week’s worth of spiritual nourishment on Sunday morning.

I’m supposed to be mature enough to feed myself throughout the week, eating solid foods and not relying on milk as a baby. Expecting our pastors to do this for us is unfair and unbiblical.

We Expect Our Pastors to Always Be Available

Most congregants assume their pastor is there to meet their needs at any time. This puts ministers on call, 24/7. As someone who was continuously on call for years, I know how draining it is.

(My on call was primarily for technical issues; people issues could usually wait until business hours.)

I would cringe when the phone rang and eventually drafted my wife to screen calls. It took me years to recover. It’s not healthy to require ministers to be available at all hours, to jump when we call.

We Expect Our Pastors to Align With Our Interests

If we are passionate about a cause, we presume our ministers will share our fervor. But if they did this with everyone in the congregation, they would need to align with every movement and care about every good initiative.

We have unique, God-given interests and should allow our pastors to do the same.

We Expect Our Pastors to Solve Our Problems

We assume ministers will provide counseling when we need it, meet with us whenever we want, and answer the phone every time we call. We expect a one-stop solution to whatever ails us, with our pastor as the answer.

But there are not enough hours in the day for one person to meet everyone’s needs to their complete satisfaction.

These expectations don’t come from God. They come from society, church culture, and past practices.

But instead of expecting our ministers to serve us, we need to serve one another, to become priests to each other (consider the “priesthood of believers”).

We start by consulting the Bible and looking at all the verses of how we are to treat one-another: to love, accept, instruct, submit, forgive, teach, admonish, encourage, agree, give, and so on.

If we do this, when we do this, we will place fewer expectations on our clergy. They will have less stress, and we will more fully align with what the Bible says we are supposed to do.

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Tags minister, seminary

Christian Living

Should We Be Busy For God?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 18, 2016
4 Comments on Should We Be Busy For God?

Being Active at Church May Seem a Wise Use of Time, but It’s Often Misplaced Action

One Sunday at church I passed our associate pastor as I scurried from one assignment to the next. “How are you?” he asked.

Instead of lying with a socially acceptable response, I told him the truth. “Busy.” I sighed.

As I scampered away he gave an approving nod with a knowing smile. “As long as you’re busy about the right things.” He even raised his eyebrows for emphasis.

Even though I returned his nod and his smile, I knew he was wrong. I was too busy.

This happened as a young twentysomething. A decade or so later, I hadn’t learned my lesson. Being between pastors, my church (a different one) needed me.

In addition to volunteering for things that interested me, I also said “yes” to whatever it asked.

I thought that being busy for God was my duty, a way to show him my love and devotion.

At the height of my folly I served in ten roles. I was in several leadership positions, served on committees, and had a prime teaching assignment.

These kept me busy on Sunday mornings and several evenings each week. I was the guy who made things happen.

There wasn’t much that occurred there I didn’t know about.

I wore my busyness as a badge of honor, and I shortchanged my family in the process. I was busy, too busy.

Wisely I phased out of my responsibilities. I began to say “no” to new ones. At first I declined with a heap of guilt, but eventually “no” empowered me. I began to feel free. I spent more time with family – and with God.

Now I have established some guidelines to keep me from overcommitment, three simple rules: Be involved in only one role at church.

Volunteer for only one activity in my community. And no more than one evening away from home per week.

Though I’m yet to find a place where I fit at my present church, I do enjoy a weekly volunteer opportunity to give to others. And these things seldom take me away from family in the evenings.

It’s a good balance, and I’m glad to not be so busy.

I can’t find a single place in the Bible where God commands us to be busy for him. What he does want is for us to worship him, be in relationship with him, and put him first.

But putting church first is not the same has making God first.

God doesn’t reward us for our many church activities. Though the cause may be noble, the activity is misplaced.

We honor God best when we put him first, not by being busy for him.

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Tags church, worship

Bible Insights

Does God Ever Lose His Patience?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 13, 2016

Nahum Offers Some Harsh Words to the City of Nineveh about Their Future

The book of Nahum, a short three-chapter prophecy, centers on the city of Nineveh. If this city sounds familiar, if might be from the book of Jonah when God sends his prophet there to prophesy its destruction.

After hearing Jonah’s blunt, half-hearted message of doom, all of Nineveh, from its king to its people, repents, and God gives them a reprieve. Jonah becomes mad and complains about this to God, almost criticizing his mercy.

Later the prophet Nahum resumes the predictions of doom on the people of Nineveh. In fact the entire book of Nahum focuses on Nineveh. It ends with the ominous words, “Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal,” (Nahum 3:19).

There is no hope. There is no call to repent or make amends for their errors. The verdict is final with no chance for appeal.

Though we tend to see God as full of grace and mercy, of forgiveness and second chances, his patience is not limitless. When it comes to the city of Nineveh and all the evil it represents, God has had enough.

Their sins are lethal, with no option for restoration. This time there is no repentance; this time there is no second chance. History records its destruction.

If this view of God makes you uncomfortable, as it does me, recall that we cannot fully know God or understand his ways. We want to rightly bask in his love, but we must not lose sight of the need to also fear him.

Nahum and the city of Nineveh remind us of this other side to God’s sovereignty.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Nahum 1-3, and today’s post is on Nahum 3:19.]

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Tags fear God, God is love, grace, mercy

Christian Living

The Bible Shows Us the Holy Spirit

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 11, 2016

The New Testament Centers on Jesus, but the Holy Spirit Emerges as Key in the Book of Acts

We’ve talked about how the Bible Reveals God the Father to Us and how the Bible Points Us to Jesus. The Holy Spirit forms the third part of the Trinity, the supernatural mystery of three spiritual deities in one package.

Though the Bible doesn’t mention the word Trinity, most Christians accept the concept of a triune God, albeit with variations of understanding.

The Holy Spirit emerges as the star of the church, guiding the followers of Jesus into a fuller understanding of him and showing them how to live their faith in a way pleasing to him.

The book of Acts, the record of the early church, serves as a descriptor of how the church functions with the Holy Spirit at the helm. Acts contains nearly one hundred references to the Holy Spirit. In fact Acts talks about the Holy Spirit more than it mentions Jesus.

While Acts should serve as our practical guidebook to community and faith through Holy Spirit power, most followers of Jesus diminish or even dismiss him as part of our spiritual heritage and present experience.

But the Bible doesn’t relegate the Holy Spirit to the book of Acts. He shows up, by name, in all the Gospels and a majority of the books in the New Testament.

The phrase “Holy Spirit” is even in the Old Testament, though “Spirit of God” is more common. The simpler label of “Spirit” occurs in about half of the Old Testament books and all of the New Testament books, except for 2 and 3 John.

In the beginning we see the Holy Spirit taking part in creation to form our reality (Genesis 1:2). In the end of time the Holy Spirit serves as the central player while God wraps up our physical existence, reality as we know it (Revelation 22:17).

Clearly the Holy Spirit moves throughout the entire Bible, just as he moves through the church of Jesus and in the lives of his followers today—or at least how he should move, if only we will let him.

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Tags early church, Genesis, Holy Spirit, supernatural, trinity

Christian Living

Why I Love God But Hate Theology

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 28, 2016

God Wants Us to Know Him and Be in a Relationship, Not to Study Him or Try to Explain Him

When people learn of my deep interest in studying the Bible and my passion for God, they often ask me a theological question. I groan when they do. You see, I hate theology.

While a few may have a genuine interest in knowing my answer, for most their query is a test of sorts to see if my views align with theirs. If we agree, they accept me; if we disagree, they dismiss me.

Regardless of the question, it usually involves a big theological word or two, a label so they can more easily judge my philosophical perspective and ascertain whether we are kindred believers.

It doesn’t matter if I know the meaning of their five-syllable abstraction or not, I usually shrug and say, “I don’t care” or “it doesn’t matter.”

I need a better response because this irritates people. They assume I’m being dismissive. But I’m not; I’m serious. Totally.

What is Theology?

At its most basic level, theology is the study of God. I love God, but the idea of turning him into an academic construct with philosophical underpinnings sickens me. I refuse to go there.

I don’t think God wants me to study him; I think he wants me to know him. There’s a difference. I see no value in being able to articulate a systematic theology because God desires a relationship, not a dissertation.

Consider Someone Who Matters

Think of a significant person in your life. For me, that would be my wife. What if I told her, “I’m going to devote the rest of my life to studying you from afar, and then I’ll write a book explaining you in highly philosophical terms to everyone else?”

Would that win her heart?

No. She wants me to spend time with her. She desires me to know her. To attempt to turn our relationship into a theoretical abstraction dishonors her – and would make her mad. Rightly so.

The same is true with God. He wants me to spend time with him. He wants me to know him, not on an intellectual basis but on a personal one. To truly know him means to experience him in relationship, not as an academic pursuit.

As I read the Bible and write about the Bible, it’s not to add to the towering mountain of theology about God, it’s so that I can spend time with him and know him through relationship.

Anything else dishonors him, and likely makes him mad.

Just as my wife is a mystery I will never fully understand, so is God. And it’s a wonderful thing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Tags connect with God, God, theology

Bible Insights

Jeremiah Teaches Us About the Lament

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 16, 2016

Sometimes We Blame God for Our Pain, When We’re the Source of Our Troubles

A lament is an expression of grief, sorrow, pain, regret, despair…you get the picture. Lament occurs when life overwhelms our hearts and steals our tomorrows. Many of the Psalms are laments.

Though lamenting is biblical, our church services seldom includes the lament. We need to understand the lament and reclaim it.

Jeremiah’s short book of Lamentations contains six laments. Those who don’t identify with the lament breeze past them or even skip this book. For others these six dirges touch at a heart level and express an unfathomable angst in their souls.

Look at the strong themes of hopelessness in just one verse, Lamentations 1:20:

Distress: We feel anxiety and strain; we suffer in our situation.

Torment: We are harassed; we experience physical pain or mental anguish.

Brokenhearted: We are desolate; we grieve over loss.

Violence: The threat of physical force surrounds us.

Death: The end of life confronts us.

While the source of lament may spring from external sources, it can also result from our own choices. In this particular case, the cause for lament is self-inflicted. It is rebellion.

Though the author, Jeremiah, carries this weight on his shoulders, his words serve to reflect the plight of the nation.

The entire populace laments, but they are the cause: they rebelled against God.

Sometimes our own actions take us down a wrong path, one where the likely outcome is distress, torment, broken heartedness, violence, and death.

We cry out to God in the midst of this, but he is not at fault; our rebellious spirit is the cause.

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

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Tags God, Jeremiah, prayer

Christian Living

Church Community is Key: Seek Connection At All Costs

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 14, 2016

If Church Doesn’t Provide Meaningful Connection, Then You Need to Fix It or Find a Different Church

Despite being the most connected generation, Millennials are also reportedly the loneliest. It seems their massive number of online friends and followers offer them only superficial relationships that lack meaningful interaction.

They crave connections with others that touches them at a significant level, but social media falls short in accomplishing this deep heartfelt need.

That’s why “hanging out with friends” seems to be their favorite, most desired activity.

I think that’s what church is all about. Or at least that’s what it should be all about.

The early church spent time together. We need to reclaim this, not just for the Millennials, but for our own wellbeing, too.

But hanging out doesn’t mean passive pew sitting, staring at the back of people’s heads for an hour. True community can’t occur when listening to the Sunday lecture that we call a sermon.

Meaningful connection with each other doesn’t happen during the concert-like atmosphere we label as worship, where a couple of skilled musicians attempt to lead a largely unresponsive throng in singing.

And don’t get me started on the disingenuous greeting time wedged into the middle of a service: it is too long for the socially challenged and too short for meaningful interaction.

This opportunity for true, meaningful community does not take place during the church service; it occurs after the benediction. When the final “amen” is uttered the clock-watchers flee, and a few people hang out to talk. Every church has a few of these folks.

Though they may be the social butterflies, they may also be the ones who understand why we are supposed to not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). They seek profound community.

Although this time of hanging out could reside on the surface, talking about safe (and meaningless) topics, such as the weather, the game, or the Sunday dinner menu, the wise people focus on discussions that matter.

We listen to each other on the heart level. We minister to and serve one another, we pray and are prayed for, and we encourage and are encouraged.

When we do this, we prepare ourselves and our church community for the week ahead so that we can go out into our greater community and be Jesus to them.

True church community is the key to make this happen. Don’t let the official church service get in the way.

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Tags church, church attendance, church services, community, early church