Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

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!

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 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

Bible Insights

What is the Spirit of Jesus?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 17, 2015

Paul uses a curious phrase in his letter to the Philippian church. He talks about “the Spirit of Jesus.” Paul writes of his confidence that he will realize deliverance because of the Philippian church’s prayers and the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

In another place Doctor Luke writes in Acts that as Paul travels to tell others about Jesus he tries to enter Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus does not allow him to.

Only two places in the Bible use this descriptive phrase “the Spirit of Jesus.”

Are they talking about Jesus or about the Holy Spirit? Does the distinction really matter? After all Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both just different expressions of the same God.

Christianity is a monotheistic religion; we worship and serve one God. Yet people on the outside often perceive of Christianity as polytheistic (or tritheistic).

This is because of our constant references to three parts of God as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While it’s sometimes beneficial to separately consider these three aspects of God, we must not lose sight of him being one God.

Some people may find it critical to determine if the Spirit of Jesus actually refers to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit. Yet this is a matter of semantics. The answer doesn’t really matter, for the Spirit of Jesus is simply God.

The Spirit of Jesus who delivers Paul and guides his path can also deliver and guide us. The details don’t matter.

[Philippians 1:19, Acts 16:7]Save

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Tags Holy Spirit, Jesus, Luke, Paul

Christian Living

Is Tithing a Spiritual Discipline?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 15, 2015
2 Comments on Is Tithing a Spiritual Discipline?

Last Sunday I asked if going to church is a spiritual discipline. I surprised myself. As I wrote to discover the answer, my opinion shifted from “no” to “it could be.”

Today I ask the same question about tithing. Remember that a spiritual discipline is something we willingly do to draw us closer to God or to honor him.

While stewardship is a spiritual discipline, as is service and sacrifice, none directly relate to the Old Testament command to tithe. Though some may claim that the spiritual discipline of stewardship is merely a codename for tithing, they miss the point.

A tithe is an Old Testament legal requirement to give ten percent; the New Testament does not mandate tithing. Stewardship is a biblical principle found in both the Old and New Testaments where we use our blessings to bless others.

This may be through giving money, but it also refers to sharing our material possessions as well as our time.

Too many people write a check to appease their guilt and do nothing else. I was that way once. I thought that as long as I gave money to the church, I met my obligation.

I didn’t need to concern myself any further with true stewardship or actual human need. The church would do that in my stead.

That is legalism. That is the Law of the Old Testament. That is tithing.

Yes, people can make a willing decision to give money to God in order to draw closer to him and worship him. That would qualify as a spiritual discipline.

But if they tithe because the Old Testament Law says to or, even worse, because the preacher insists upon it, then their tithe ceases to be a spiritual discipline and becomes a spiritual snare.

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Tags spiritual discipline, tithe

Bible Insights

How Has God Revealed His Mystery to You?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 10, 2015

God reveals his truth to Paul. Paul calls it a mystery. God gives it to Paul so he can share it with the church in Ephesus; he’s not supposed to keep it to himself.

This isn’t something Paul figures out on his own; he doesn’t logically deduce it or make it up. This isn’t something someone else teaches him, and he doesn’t read about it in the Bible.

Remember that the New Testament doesn’t exist in Paul’s time: He and the other church leaders are still writing it, and it’s quite a bit later before someone compiles it to form the New Testament.

So how does Paul discover this mystery of God? He learns it directly from God.

First Jesus appears to him as Paul travels to Damascus to hunt down Christians. A bright light flashes, Paul falls to the ground, and God speaks. He gets Paul’s attention. God tells Paul to wait for further instructions (Acts 9:3-6).

Paul goes to Damascus and waits. At God’s command Ananias goes to Paul, places his hands on Paul, and God’s Holy Spirit fills him (Acts 9:17).

But God doesn’t tell Paul everything he needs to know about God and his mystery. This is just the beginning, the first step.

Throughout Paul’s life, God continues to reveal more and more to Paul, explaining more fully the mystery of God’s grace to us.

Paul spends his life learning how to follow God, telling people about him, and writing to others so that they—and we—may know this marvelous mystery of God’s grace and how he can change our lives, just as he did to Paul.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Ephesians 1-3, and today’s post is on Ephesians 3:2-3.]

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Tags God speaks, Holy Spirit, Jesus

Christian Living

Is Going to Church a Spiritual Discipline?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 8, 2015
2 Comments on Is Going to Church a Spiritual Discipline?

Two weeks ago I wrote that a spiritual discipline is something we do to draw closer to God or to honor him. To be of value we need to do this willingly with joy and in anticipation.

I gave 17 possible disciplines to consider. Going to church wasn’t on the list.

Should going to church be included as a spiritual discipline? Reflect on three spiritual disciplines that touch on the practice of church attendance:

1. Community

This is simply spending time with other people who follow Jesus in order to form meaningful spiritual connections. This can happen at church on Sundays; at least it should.

Yet at too many churches community doesn’t happen at all, and for other churches the community is superficial. Plus true community can happen at times other than Sunday morning. And that community is often richer.

2. Sabbath

We treat one day a week differently than the other six. I’ve been looking at the Old Testament Law about the Sabbath.

I keep reading that it’s a day of rest. I also see that we are to keep it holy, but so far I’ve not read that we are supposed to go to church on the Sabbath.

Besides sometimes we pack our Sabbaths so full with well-meaning spiritual activity that we end the day exhausted, not rested. I doubt this pleases God.

3. Worship

A third spiritual discipline that could relate to Sunday morning church attendance is worship.

Yes, we can worship God at church on Sunday mornings; we should worship him there. But we can also worship him on other days, at other times, and in other places.

I go to church on Sundays in expectation of community, and sometimes I worship God while I’m there, but I don’t find it restful.

I do go in hopes of drawing closer to God and to honor him, so I meet the first two parts of this being a church discipline, but the willingness factor is often missing, while the attitudes of joy and anticipation are things I must strive to conjure up.

I pray for all three of these mindsets each Sunday morning.

I suppose that going to church on Sunday mornings emerges as a spiritual discipline for some people. That might explain why I attend, but as spiritual disciplines go, I do a poor job at it.

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Tags church attendance, community, spiritual discipline, worship

Bible Insights

Giving Birth to Jesus

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 3, 2015

When I say giving birth to Jesus, I’m not talking about Mary in a Bethlehem stable, birthing our savior into this world in human form. Instead I’m referring to birthing Jesus in a spiritual sense, of giving him to others.

When Paul writes to the church in the city of Galatia he uses an intriguing word picture. He envisions himself in spiritual labor, feeling the pains of childbirth.

When the birthing process is complete, Paul will have fully formed Jesus (Christ) in the Galatian church.

This interesting concept expresses the result of following Jesus. We transform into him and become more like Christ. Look at how different translations communicate this birthing process:

“…until Christ is fully developed in your lives” (NLT)
“…until Christ’s life becomes visible in your lives” (The Message)
“…until Christ is formed in you” (NIV, NASB, NKJV)
“…until Christ may be seen living in you” (CEV)
“…until Christ is completely and permanently formed within you” (Amp)

Paul’s desire to impart Jesus to them isn’t a casual effort. It emerges as imperative labor, one requiring travail and involving struggle. The result is a beautiful new life—in Jesus.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Galatians 4-6, and today’s post is on Galatians 4:19]

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Tags follow Jesus, Jesus, Mary, Paul

Christian Living

How Do You Affect Others?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 1, 2015

We have an effect on everyone we meet. We can touch them in a positive way and leave them better off for whatever time we spend with them, or our interactions can have a negative impact and produce the opposite results.

This might be at the store, how we drive, with our neighbors, during work, and when we’re at church. This happens through our actions, our words, and even our nonverbal communications. It’s in person, on the phone, via text, and using email.

We have many opportunities to affect others. We can help them, encourage them, guide them, and pray for them. Or we can irritate them, cause them distress, criticize them, and discourage them.

We can make their day a bit brighter or a tad duller. We can subtly point them to Jesus or turn them off.

Though I want to live my life with intention and have a positive effect on everyone all the time, I fear I fall short more often than not. Here’s what I recently learned about this:

We Don’t Always Know the Effect We Have On Others

A few weeks ago I was at a writers conference. I attend it every year to learn and to share. Three people surprised me by individually taking time to thank me for something I said or did for them the year before. Who would have known?

We Need to Thank People When They Impact Us

Another person thanked me for the writing newsletter I send out each week. She told me how helpful it is for her and that she looks forward to it. I thanked her for her encouragement.

What I didn’t tell her was that I was quite discouraged with the newsletter: for the time it takes to do each week and my assumption that no one really cared. She refueled me to press on.

Sometimes God Leads Us to People When They Need it the Most

I also led a couple of breakout sessions at the conference. The second one did not go well. Though I know I shared useful information and provided value, I also feared I caused just as much confusion.

I do know I didn’t communicate clearly: talking too fast and stumbling over my spew of words.

When it was over the phrase “train wreck” kept popping into my mind.

Then our enemy, the father of lies, began his attack. My mind quickly spiraled out of control. Within an hour I had retreated to the bathroom to wallow in despair. I couldn’t think clearly and didn’t know what to do. Prayer eluded me.

When I emerged from my seclusion a friend’s gaze caught my attention. I don’t know if she beckoned me or if I was drawn to her. She thanked me for my presentation, the information I shared, and the value I provided.

She couldn’t be talking about me; surely she must be confused. But no, she had sat in the back row during my session. She was there for my train wreck but didn’t see it that way.

I thanked her profusely and told her just how much I needed to hear her words. My eyes misted over, and I gave her a hug of appreciation.

Her words rejuvenated me, and the rest of the conference went great – thanks to one person willing to follow God’s prompting to search me out.

She had a positive effect on me just when I needed it the most.Save

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Tags give, obey God, serve God, writing

Bible Insights

Don’t Be Afraid of God

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 27, 2015

When the Bible instructs us to “Fear God,” it means to honor, worship, and reverence him. That’s a holy fear, not a terrifying one. We need to fear God in that way, but we need not cower in fear if we encounter him.

Matthew’s biography of Jesus tells how the Jewish leaders arrest Jesus and pressure the Romans to killing him. The Roman soldiers crucify him. Joseph of Arimathea buries him. The Romans seal his tomb and guard it.

An earthquake shakes the place and an angel shows up to open the crypt. Jesus emerges all dazzling and lightening bright. The soldiers tremble in fear and fall into a dead faint.

The angel tells two women, friends of Jesus, “Do not be afraid.” Then he adds that Jesus is alive; go tell the disciples.

They leave, still afraid but also with joy, holding onto hope that the impossible has happened. As they go they meet Jesus. He too says, “Do not be afraid.”

If you watched a man die and be buried, what would you think if you later saw him alive and he spoke? How would you react if you saw an angel or even God?

I’d be afraid.

And I’m not sure if hearing the words “Do not be afraid” would help me a whole lot. It’s only in the movies that we see dead people walking about. And talking with supernatural beings isn’t something most people ever experience.

We would have reason to be afraid.

Some thirty times in the Bible, angels and even God tells people, “Do not be afraid.” This occurs in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, from Genesis to Revelation.

The patriarchs, the prophets, the disciples, and others all hear these words.

If we love God, we need not be afraid of him. When we see him, we should stand in awe. That’s the right response. “Do not be afraid.”

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 26-28, and today’s post is on Matthew 28:5 & 10.]

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Tags Afraid of God, fear God, supernatural, worship

Christian Living

What Are Spiritual Disciplines?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 25, 2015
2 Comments on What Are Spiritual Disciplines?

Spiritual disciplines are things we do to draw us closer to God or to honor him. But if we do it out of obligation or in response to guilt, we miss the point.

To be of real value a spiritual discipline is something we enter into willingly, with joy and anticipation.

Unlike spiritual gifts, which the Bible lists, scripture doesn’t delineate spiritual disciplines. But it does hint at the practices of certain spiritual disciplines throughout its pages. However, making a list is more a matter of opinion than fact.

Therefore there is little agreement about what constitutes a spiritual discipline.

A quick online search of a half dozen sources revealed the following composite list of seventeen spiritual disciplines. Some people use different labels, so similar items are combined:

Bible Reading

We regularly read the Bible. This is tops on many people’s list of spiritual disciplines.

Bible Study

Reading the Bible is good, but studying its words is even better.

Chastity

Chastity or celibacy is living a life of moral purity.

Community

Hanging out with other Christians (and spiritual seekers) to form spiritual connection. Some people call this fellowship or a soul friendship.

Confession

Confessing our acts of disobedience. This can be to God or to others.

Evangelism

Telling others about Jesus.

Fasting

Going without something, usually food, in order to give more attention to God.

Prayer

Talking with God. Prayer is so much more than sharing our wish list with him.

Sabbath

(take a Sabbath): Follow the Old Testament tradition of a Sabbath rest, be it on Saturday, Sunday, or another day.

Sacrifice

Giving up something to help others or something that keeps us from God.

Secrecy

Do things in secret to benefit others, such as giving gifts or doing things for others without letting anyone know. (Our reward for this comes from God.)

Service

Serving others.

Simplicity

Committing to a life of simple existence. (Some might use the label of poverty, but that seems extreme.)

Solitude

Being still to connect with God or seek him. this can go by various labels: meditation, personal reflection, silence, listening, and seeking guidance.

Stewardship

Using our blessings to bless others. This includes giving and tithing.

Submission

Yielding to others for God’s glory.

Worship

Approaching God with joy and awe. Celebration.

Other Possible Spiritual Disciplines

What about going to church, tithing, silence, and suffering? Can these be spiritual disciplines too?

In looking at this list I can smugly check off some of these items, while having others confront me. The key thing to remember about spiritual disciplines is that we must pursue them willingly and not out of obligation or guilt.

[Check out this book about spiritual disciplines.]

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Tags evangelism, glory, poverty, purity, spiritual discipline, worship