Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

Do You Have a Spiritual Mentor?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 27, 2015

Everyone needs someone to help him or her navigate the throes of life. As John Donne said, “No man is an island, entire to itself.”

In truth, we cannot survive alone. We need others to walk along side of us. Every one needs help at some time, whether we admit it or not.

Such is the case in spiritual matters. We all need a mentor, a spiritual mentor.

A spiritual mentor can guide us, offering direction when we need it and challenging us when we think everything is fine. If we expect to grow in our faith and then put it into action, we need a mentor to direct us.

Mentoring can take various forms.

Mentors can approach us through books, instructing us from a distance, even over time.

Biographies about people of faith can mentor us, as can the books they wrote and the things they taught. If they mentor us from the past we cannot ask questions.

Even our contemporary mentors are often far enough removed that individual queries are not feasible. Unfortunately, their mentorship is a monologue. Seldom can we engage in a dialogue with these mentors.

The Bible is a significant source of mentoring: from God—through his followers—and by God—through his Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit can be a powerful mentor, if we are able to hear his voice and follow his direction.

Many people claim their pastor as a mentor, but this has many shortcomings. First mentoring from the pulpit is a one-to-many arrangement; interaction—just as with books—isn’t feasible in this format.

To expect your pastor to meet with every person one-on-one would leave no time for him or her to do anything else. Do the math and you’ll see.

Besides most people already heap too many expectations on their ministers; to assume they can do one-on-one mentoring to the entire congregation isn’t realistic.

This means we need to find our own mentors. We can mentor one another. We should mentor one another.

Seek someone you can mentor and be available for someone to mentor you. You can even co-mentor one another.

When one of you stumbles, the other can pick you up (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Perhaps that’s why Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs (Luke 10:1).

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 Holy Spirit, mentor, minister

Bible Insights

Why We Shouldn’t Argue Over Theology

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 22, 2015
2 Comments on Why We Shouldn’t Argue Over Theology

When Paul writes to his protégé Timothy, he instructs Timothy to warn the people not to quarrel over words. Isn’t that what most theological debate is, people arguing about words?

People who claim to follow Jesus end up arguing about the meaning of certain words.

They build their own theology around their understanding of these words and then reject everyone who thinks otherwise.

This is the primary reason why the world has 42,000 Protestant denominations.

People who should know better quarrel over words and then storm off in a huff to form a new denomination of people who think just like they do.

Don’t they read what Paul wrote? He says quarreling over words “is of no value” and “only ruins those who listen” (2 Timothy 2:14).

Later on he says to not “have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments,” which only “produce quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:23).

This isn’t the first time Paul tells this to Timothy. In Paul’s first letter of instruction he talks about false teachers and their “unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words.”

The result is “envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions” (1 Timothy 6:4).

So we must stop fighting over words. The Bible says to. Nothing good ever comes of it.

Isn’t quarreling about words the source of our theological debates and divisions? We need to stop arguing about theology and instead unite to tell the world about Jesus.

Can you think of a theological debate that wasn’t a quarrel over words? How should we treat those we disagree with?

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Tags denominations, Paul, theology, Timothy, unity

Christian Living

Are You Waiting For Christmas?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 20, 2015

For a long time my wife has wanted a giant Christmas card to display in our yard during the holidays. She discussed the project with a local artist friend, but he moved before anything beyond talk ever happened.

Then we lost touch. The Christmas card vision languished but never died.

Then we met another artist. She and my wife agreed on a price, and my wife started saving her money. The artist began work on it, anticipating a Christmas unveiling. But other projects superseded our Christmas card.

The artist delivered it the following summer, just before we moved. The next Christmas we were between houses so the long-awaited Christmas card remained secluded for another year.

That brings us to the present. It is advent. We have a house and we have the card, coinciding with Christmas for the first time. At long last my wife’s greeting card is on display, welcoming everyone who drives by. It was a long wait.

It was an even longer wait for the first Christmas. For centuries the prophets foretold of the coming Immanuel, the one who would be “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Year after year, decade after decade, they waited in anticipation for the promised one. Their advent lasted most of a millennia.

Finally he came, but most of the people who yearned for his arrival missed it.

They were expecting something else, someone else, not a tiny baby born in a barn to dirt-poor parents. After centuries of waiting for Christmas, it came and went with barely any notice

Before we criticize them too harshly we should pause for a moment of introspection.

Today we struggle with the same issue. The trappings of Christmas have ballooned out of proportion, overshadowing the baby who came to be God with us.

With the decorations, the parties, the presents, and the family traditions it’s easy to forget the real reason we celebrate.

It’s all about Jesus—or at least it should be.

Are you waiting for Christmas? Will Jesus be the center of your celebration?

May your Christmas be a joyous one.

Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.

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Tags Christmas, Jesus, prophets

Bible Insights

Train With Purpose

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 15, 2015

Pursuing the Best in What We Do

In Paul’s letter of advice to his young protégé Timothy, he acknowledges the value of physical training. Even better is training to live a godly life.

Physical training has some value, but godliness has even more, both in this life and the life to come, in the physical world and also in the spiritual world.

He contrasts physical training, which is good, to spiritual training, which is better. How often do we pursue things that are good, while pushing aside things that are better, God’s things? The best things.

Even when it comes to our faith, there are good things we can to with our time, money, and attention and there are better things we can do. May we live wisely and always focus on the best.

In other letters Paul uses the metaphor of a runner to teach about life. As people who follow Jesus we should train for our race and run our race with the purpose. We want to finish, win, and earn a prize for how well we run.

We don’t want to be disqualified; we don’t want to quit before we reach the finish line. Coasting through the race—or through life—isn’t an option.

We must press forward with the end in mind. To do these things, we train with purpose. Our eternal future is at stake. We run to win.

[1 Timothy 4:7-8, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Galatians 2:2, Galatians 5:7, Hebrews 12:1]

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Tags eternal life, Paul

Christian Living

Who Does Jesus Hate?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 13, 2015

The self-righteous protester’s sign is etched in my mind. His assertion offends me, and I can’t shake it; I don’t even want to report the words. This person claims: “Jesus hates fags.” The memory of this appalls me; I shudder at the thought.

This is a lie, a brazen lie. Anyone who really knows Jesus would know this isn’t true. Jesus loves everyone, regardless of his or her situation or life status.

If you don’t believe me read about Jesus in the Bible. He never says he hates anyone, and he never tells his followers to hate anyone, either. What Jesus does teach, what he commands us to do, is to love.

We should even go so far as to love people who hate us and the people who attack us (Luke 6:27, Matthew 5:44).

Jesus never shows hatred. Instead he models compassion. He demonstrates love to everyone he meets. In fact, he goes out of his way to show love to the people on the fringes of society, the people who “proper” folks dismiss.

Jesus doesn’t hate anyone; he loves everyone, including the homosexual, especially the homosexual. If I were to make a sign, it would tell about Jesus’s unrestrained, universal love: “Jesus Loves Everyone.”

Jesus doesn’t criticize the people who society dismisses and pushes to its edges. Instead he makes a point to spend time with them.

He hangs out with them, and when he has anything to say, he merely says—to them and to all—turn your life around and follow me.

This could be another sign: “Follow Jesus.”

There is however one group Jesus does criticize, and it’s not who you might think. He reserves his criticism, his sharpest rebukes, for the religious teachers who lead the people astray.

He doesn’t hate them, but their actions do frustrate him, just like the protester with his foolish sign.

Who would Jesus make a point to spend time with today? What would you say to the protester with his hate-filled sign?

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Tags follow Jesus, Jesus, love

Christian Living

Why We Need Diversity in Our Churches

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 6, 2015

Diversity Is Not Disunity

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said the most segregated hour in the United States occurs on Sunday morning. Based on my experience in visiting more than 52 churches his assessment is still painfully true.

We need more diversity in our churches.

I long to attend a diverse church, one with racial diversity, ethnic diversity, socioeconomic diversity, and even political diversity. Oh, and one more, I desire a church with theological diversity. What a messy, beautiful place that would be.

But until we embrace diversity in how we view God, we have little chance of realizing these other types of diversities. Diversity starts with God, but we’re not doing our part.

Instead we congregate ourselves with people who see God exactly as we do, who practice faith in the same manner and think our particular brand of Christianity is the best. We assume we are right, and everyone else is wrong.

We may not say this with words, but we show it through our actions. This puts a narrow view on Christianity, whose worldwide adherents number around two billion.

As a result we go to church with people who look, think, and act like us. And if someone doesn’t fit our mold we kick them out, either directly or indirectly.

We tell them to leave or suggest they “might be more comfortable at a different church”—when really it’s our comfort we are most concerned with.

Other churches aren’t so forward. There the act of exclusion occurs with subtle effectiveness. We simply ignore those who hold different understandings of God, how we worship him, and our role as his followers in the world.

We give them a smug, holier-than-thou shunning.

Instead we need to embrace our differences in belief; we need to seek theological diversity. Not everyone practices his or her faith in the same manner, and not everyone worships God as we do at our church.

Not everyone sees the same things when they read the Bible.

The guardians of theology claim we need to agree on some essentials. Then they make a list, but their list doesn’t matter. The only thing their “essentials” accomplishes is that it moves the line that segregates us.

If we are talking about Christianity, there is one essential: Jesus. Everything else is secondary. The way we worship God doesn’t matter.

The songs we sing, the instruments we play, the clothes we wear, the version of the Bible we read, and the way we pray aren’t relevant.

How we interact with the world, view baptism, interpret the end times, comprehend the Holy Spirit, and practice communion doesn’t matter. In our faith essentials nothing should truly matter except for Jesus.

After all, Jesus is the Christ and we put his title in our name when we call ourselves Christians. Now we just need to act like Christians, people who follow Jesus.

But until we embrace our theological differences we will never achieve any significant degree of diversity, not racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, or politically.

Until we become theologically diverse we will remain segregated on Sunday morning.

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Tags diversity, Jesus, unity

Bible Insights

What Do People Remember About You?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 1, 2015

Faith, Hope, and Love

When Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica he professes three things he recalls about them.

He remembers them and their characteristics before God, presumably as he prays, offering thanksgiving to God for their lives and the examples they provide.

Three things stand out as the testimony of the Thessalonian church, their witness to the world around them:

Faithful Work

Their faith in God produces their work. They don’t work for the sake of working or do things just to do things. They work with intentionality because of their faith.

They couple actions with belief, with their actions springing forth from their spiritual moorings.

Loving Labor

Their love for others prompts them to help others. They don’t love in name only or in theory, they show their love by their deeds. For them love is a verb.

Because of their love, they toil for others, laboring for the benefit of those around them.

Enduring Hope

They persevere because of Jesus, through their hope in him and the promises he offers. This hope inspires their endurance; it motivates them to persist regardless of the situation or circumstances. Their hope propels them forward.

When Paul thinks about this church, this is how he remembers them. He recalls their faith, their love, and their hope.

In another letter Paul upholds all three of these ideals and then adds that the greatest of them is love.

(1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 13:13)

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Tags faith, hope, love, Paul, Thanksgiving, witness

Christian Living

What is Your Greatest Accomplishment?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 29, 2015
6 Comments on What is Your Greatest Accomplishment?

At church a few weeks ago we were asked a question, “What is your greatest accomplishment?” We were supposed to write it down on a piece of paper.

As a writer you would think I would be good at such things, but since I do all my writing in solitude, with as few distractions as possible, I have great trouble coming up with anything to write when in a public setting.

Focus alludes me, and any words that do tumble forth seem woefully inadequate.

As I ponder this question, other people quickly scribble down their answers. Gee this is hard to decide. I have many notable accomplishments, but none seem truly great.

As I try to determine which of my good-but-not-really-great accomplishments rise above the others, I start thinking outside the box. I sometimes do this, often to the dismay of others.

My greatest accomplishment is still to come. That is true; I am optimistic about the future. I have no doubt that God has amazing things in store for me. In complete confidence I know my future will surpass my past. How cool is that? Should I write that down?

If they read our answers will people think I’m snarky or even arrogant? Then I remember the setting. This is church after all. I should think of a spiritual answer.

Then truth hits me. It is clear and pure, without false modesty or feigned piety. I have accomplished nothing; Jesus has done it all. Still I hesitate to write.

I try to figure out why they are asking this. While still in the middle of this exercise, I’m trying to anticipate the endgame.

I don’t want to call attention to myself; I don’t function well in the spotlight. Frozen in indecision, my hand won’t move.

Our leader tells us to bring our accomplishments forward. She holds up a trashcan, presumably the only handy receptacle.

Others spring forward to offer their greatest accomplishments. I hesitate. I want to participate as instructed, not be the maverick who doesn’t follow instructions.

Reluctantly I circle back to the beginning. What is my best accomplishment to date? Nothing comes to me; my mind goes back to God. He deserves all the credit.

Our leader issues the last call and scans the room. One person scrambles to write down an answer. He dashes to the front and throws his paper in the trash.

I sit in rigid stillness and say nothing. The window of opportunity has closed, and I’m okay with that.

Confident that everyone has now participated, she holds up the trashcan. “All of our accomplishments are garbage to God.”

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Tags church services, offering

Bible Insights

How Often Do You Give Thanks to God?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 24, 2015

When Paul writes to the church in the city of Colossi, he says he always gives God thanks when he prays for them. He doesn’t just give God thanks for them occasionally but always.

This is because of their faith in Jesus and their love for all God’s people—not some of them or the ones they agree with, but all of God’s people.

Their faith and love stems from the hope they have in heaven because of Jesus (Colossians 1:3-5).

This is one of many of Paul’s references to prayers of thanksgiving he makes for other servants and followers of Jesus. See Ephesians 1:16, Philippians 1:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, and Philemon 1:4.

This gives me pause. Is my life one that would cause someone to give thanks to God? I fear not. Furthermore, when have I given thanks to God for the example of someone else’s life?

Implicitly, perhaps, but I doubt if I’ve ever done so explicitly.

I’m not sure which bothers me more: my failure in producing God-honoring actions or my forgetfulness in praying God-honoring thanks.

In even more general terms, how often do I thank God overall? Sometimes I remember to thank him for his blessings and provisions.

Sometimes I remember to thank him for answered prayer. But it is much easier to persist in making requests, than to persist in giving thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Tags Paul, pray, thank God, Thanksgiving

Christian Living

Should You Go to Church Today?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 19, 2015

Despite the rain on Halloween we had a steady flow of trick-or-treaters. The next day, Sunday, the rain stopped and the sun shone in the cloudless sky.

Unseasonably warm, it promised to be a nice day. With a few extra minutes before church, I when to retrieve the weekly paper in our paper box.

A neighbor girl was out riding her bike. She’s about four and likes to ride. She’s also a talkative tyke and not at all shy around adults.

We see each other, and I wave. “Good morning.”

She smiles. “Hi!”

“It’s a really nice day for a bike ride.”

“We haven’t gone to church in a long time.” She says this matter-of-factly without any prompting on my part. Although we’ve talked many times, we seldom have a dialogue.

“Maybe you can go next week.” I try to sound hopeful.

She cuts me off. “I like to go to church.”

I start to repeat myself, but she interrupts me at “Maybe.”

“We’re just too busy on the weekends.” These are not the words of a four-year old. She’s surely repeating one of her parent’s explanations, complete with voice inflections on the right words for emphasis.

I nod. Should I try to say my line one more time? I inhale but don’t get any further.

She perks up a bit. “This afternoon we’re going to a birthday party!”

“That sounds like fun.”

“Yesterday we went to a pumpkin party. We got lost in the corn.”

“Wow!” I try to be animated. “Was it fun?” Our conversation goes downhill from there. She continues jabbering as I retrieve the paper. “Have a great day,” I say with a wave and a smile as I head back to the house.

“Okay.” With a big grin, she turns and rides away.

I pray she’ll get to go to church again soon.

I understand busy weekends. I can appreciate the pressure of continuous action and ongoing opportunities that our society throws at us with relentless persistence.

I can comprehend that many church services pale when compared to the allure of parties or dim next to the demand of house and yardwork. Sometimes a couple extra hours of sleep seems like the best choice for a Sunday morning.

I also know it won’t be long before she doesn’t want to go to church anymore or concludes it’s not important. She’s at a prime age to learn about God and be enthralled by stories from the Bible. Soon she won’t care.

Before her parents know what happens there will be boys and boyfriends, a part time job, and the mobility of a driver’s license.

She’ll forget about God and stop thinking about church. Her parents will shake their heads over her lack of faith and wonder what went wrong.

Maybe I just have an overactive imagination. In this case, I hope so. Maybe she will grow up to believe in God anyway. I pray that she will.

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Tags church attendance