Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

Skipping Church but Experiencing it Anyway

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 9, 2014
2 Comments on Skipping Church but Experiencing it Anyway

Today, I will not go to church, at least not in the traditional way. This Sunday morning I am sitting in an airport, waiting for a flight to take me home.

Even so, the church will happen. It might be through a seemingly random interaction with someone at the airport.

It could be through silent reflection at 35,000 feet. Maybe my church will be in words said to a stranger or a deed done that will brighten someone else’s day, giving them hope or encouraging them to persevere.

What I do know is that I must be intentional about looking for these church opportunities. I cannot withdraw into my own little bubble, as is my preferred mode when flying.

I must look for an opportunity. I must be open to God’s prompting and willing to act. Then the church will take place. God will be worshiped and his kingdom, advanced.

Although I will skip going to church today, I will not neglect God. Instead, he will give me a different kind of church experience. Although likely lacking song and sermon, it may be even more profound and powerful.

Whatever church looks like for you today, may you truly worship God in spirit and in truth, wherever you are or whatever you do.

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 church

Reviews of Books & Movies

Movie Review: The Passion of the Christ

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 7, 2014
2 Comments on Movie Review: The Passion of the Christ

Reviewed by Peter DeHaan

The Passion of the Christ portrays the final day of Jesus’ (James Caviezel) life, with ample flashbacks to happier times spent with his mother, friends, and disciples.

The main storyline closely follows the Bible record and dramatically shows the physical terror and suffering that Jesus endured so that mankind could have a chance to live.

Director Mel Gibson shines in powerfully presenting an accurate and faithful rendering of Jesus’ pain and agony.

The graphic nature of this is not sugar-coated or glossed over but gives one pause over what is lacking from the standard Sunday School lesson of the Good Friday account.

The film is compelling and powerful, but because of its graphic nature, it is the best film that I will never watch again. Nevertheless, I am glad to have viewed it and recommend that every adult watch it at least once.

[Read more reviews by Peter DeHaan of other faith-friendly videos and movies.]

Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in Peter’s new book, The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Bible Study Series.

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

Tags Jesus

Bible Insights

God Speaks Through Inaudible Words

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 6, 2014

In addition to speaking to us in audible words, God can also communicate to us inaudibly, implanting his words into our minds through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes it’s instructions to do something, as with Phillip in the desert and Peter at Antioch.

In other instances, he reveals words for people to tell others. For example, God directed Peter what to say when questioned by the religious leaders. He gave wisdom to Stephen, revealed the future to Agabus about a famine, and directed Paul as he spoke to Elymas.

Other times God’s messages can be private communication, such as God revealing to Paul what awaited him in Jerusalem.

This is all through the work of the Holy Spirit, who directs all who follow Jesus.

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

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Christian Living

Celebrating the Apocrypha

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 2, 2014

The Apocrypha is a group of Old Testament books that are not in all versions of the Bible, such as the modern Protestant and Hebrew Bibles.

They are, however, part of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox versions of the Bible.

Since much of Christianity deems these writings as holy and inspired, I think it’s worthy to consider them. These books are:

Tobit
Judith
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Wisdom
Sirach
Baruch
Supplemental passages for Daniel and Esther.

I understand the Apocrypha books were part of the original King James translation of the Bible, but they were later deleted.

Furthermore, the Apocrypha was part of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which was in use during Jesus’ time.

So, why were these books expunged from the Bible? The justification is that since they aren’t in the Hebrew Bible and there are no versions of them written in Hebrew, they were removed.

I think that was a bad call. These books contain some epic stories and can add flavor and depth to our understanding of God. We should embrace them rather than reject them.

(Read the Apocrypha books in The New Jerusalem Bible or New American Bible.)

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Tags Apocrypha, Maccabees, Roman Catholic

Bible Insights

What is the Apocrypha in the Bible?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 2, 2014

Question: What is the Apocrypha?

Answer: The word Apocrypha isn’t in the Bible. The Apocrypha is a group of Old Testament books that are not in all versions of the Bible, such as the current Protestant and Hebrew Bibles.

They are, however, part of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox versions of the Bible. Since much of Christianity deems these writings as holy and inspired, it’s important to consider them.

These books are:

Roman Catholic Cannon

The Roman Catholic Bible (see the New American Bible, as well as the New Jerusalem Bible, Douay-Rheims, and Good News Translation) includes the following books of the Apocrypha:

Eastern Orthodox Cannon

3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
1 Esdras
Prayer of Manasseh
Psalm 151
Letter of Jeremiah (sometimes included in Baruch, chapter 6)
(The Prayer of Azariah, usually included in Daniel, as part of chapter 3.)
(Susanna, usually included in Daniel, chapter 13)
(Bel and the Dragon, usually included in Daniel, chapter 14)

Interestingly, the Apocrypha books were part of the original King James translation of the Bible but were later removed.

Furthermore, the Apocrypha was part of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which was in use during Jesus’ time.

What happened to them? Why were these books removed? The justification is they aren’t in the Hebrew Bible and there are no versions of them written in Hebrew. Hence their removal.

I think that was a bad call. These books contain some epic stories and can add flavor to our understanding of God. We should embrace them rather than reject them.

To read a version that includes the Apocrypha books, consider Common English Version (CEB).

[See more Bible FAQs for answers to other frequently asked questions.]

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Tags Apocrypha, Maccabees, read the Bible

Reviews of Books & Movies

Movie Review: Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 31, 2014
4 Comments on Movie Review: Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Reviewed by Peter DeHaan

A hippy-styled acting troupe steps off their bus in the Israeli desert to perform a rock opera about the last days of Jesus, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Being a traitor, it is not surprising that Judas gets a few things wrong and possesses a skewed sense of his worth in this historic saga.

Even though we know how the story will end, the journey is both our reward and our pleasure. In an anachronistic manner, Superstar treats us to juxtaposed realities of the modern with the ancient.

Despite a dated 70s feel to the directing and choreographing, the music is timeless and inspiring. Whether you watch it for the first time or the tenth, the message and the music are sure to mesmerize.

[Read more reviews by Peter DeHaan of other faith-friendly videos and movies.]

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Bible Insights

God Speaks Through Audible Words

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 30, 2014
2 Comments on God Speaks Through Audible Words

God can speak to us in spoken words, just as he did in the Bible. Consider God’s affirmation of Jesus at his baptism and later at the transfiguration. God also spoke to Saul (Paul) at his conversion.

In a less happy moment, God had a conversation with Adam and Eve, as he gave them their punishment for sinning. Many centuries later God verbally proclaimed his sentence against Nebuchadnezzar, just as Daniel predicted.

God often spoke to Moses, such as on the mountain and through the burning bush. In many other instances God spoke to his people through angels, acting as his emissaries.

Last, consider Isaiah’s prophecy that, in the future, God would cause the people to hear his voice.

This is the most encouraging example of all, showing us that what happened in the Bible will also happen in the future.

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Christian Living

It’s Time to Check Your Credit Reports

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 28, 2014

Check your credit report each year for errors and fraudulent activity

The major credit card data breach that occurred in December is still making news, with more than 100 million people possibly affected.

With the heightened attention to the vulnerability of financial data, it’s a good reminder to periodically check our credit reports for errors and fraudulent activity.

Errors can lower our credit score, which might result in less favorable terms or being denied credit, while fraudulent activity can indicate identity theft.

There are three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Every company that accesses a person’s credit information uses one of the three.

It’s critical to check each one, as they often contain different information. You can check your credit report once a year for free or anytime someone denies you credit.

To make it easy, the starting point to check all three is Annual Credit Report.

While it’s tempting to look at all three at the same time each year, a wiser solution is to check one of the three every four months, sequencing between the bureaus. This means we can catch and fix potential problems much sooner.

Married couples need to check both names, as each spouse has a separate credit file. This results in six files to check annually (three for each person). To be extra diligent, check one of the six reports every two months. That’s what I do.

The first time I checked our credit reports, I found a mortgage reported as outstanding even though we paid it off twenty years prior, several credit cards we had closed but still showed open, an address we never lived at, and even an incorrect alias for my wife.

It took a lot of effort over several months to correct all the errors, but I’m glad we did. Now all I need to do is check on a regular basis to make sure no new errors creep in.

Now, after that initial check and correction of errors, it doesn’t take me much time to recheck each year, yet it still seems like a hassle.

However, dealing with denied credit or identity theft after it’s been brewing for a while would be a much bigger hassle.

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Tags money

Christian Living

How Does God Speak?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 26, 2014

In the post How to Hear from God I shared the five steps I followed when I first learned how to hear from God.

This affirmed some people, encouraged a few more, and frustrated others. I won’t assert that hearing from God is normative or required.

Doing so would only cause division in the church that Jesus started—and we already have way too much disagreement. What I will say is many people who don’t think they hear from God, actually, do. (If that’s you, carefully consider #4).

Here are some ways people hear from God:

Audible Words

I’ve not experienced this. I know only a few who have, and if they did, it’s not often or only happened once. God can speak in audible words, just as he did in the Bible. (See “God Speaks Through Audible Words.”)

Inaudible Words

These are words implanted in our minds by God. This is my primary experience (followed by the next two items). Sometimes it’s instructions to do something, in other instances it’s words to say, and it can be private communication.

This happens in the Bible as well. (See “God Speaks Through Inaudible Words.”)

Visions

God can communicate to us through images and scenes. It may happen in our waking hours or when asleep. Sometimes these vignettes carry obvious meaning and other times their vague or obscure nature requires interpretation.

The writings of Daniel, Ezekiel, and John all exemplify this. (See “God Speaks Through Visions.”)

Feelings

God can also direct us through our thoughts, a kind of a sixth sense, a knowing. People may say, “I just felt I needed to do this.” Other verbs that uncover this type of godly communication include: prompted, urged, and compelled.

People may say, “I can’t explain it, but it simply seemed like the right thing” or “I somehow knew what to say.” Examples of this are also in the Bible.

Many people experience this type of awareness, but they may not even know God is behind it.

In all cases, we need to exercise caution.

First, not all supernatural communication comes from God; be discerning.

Second, use the Bible as a benchmark to guide and clarify.

Third, seek the counsel of other godly people to confirm or refute any unclear communication.

One way or another, God can speak to us. For some, this is often; for others, infrequent. But when he does communicate, let’s make sure we’re ready to listen.

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Tags hear God, supernatural

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Between Two Worlds

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 24, 2014

Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic

By Mike Timmis (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

The subtitle of Between Two Worlds serves as an apt and accurate summary of what the book is about: “The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic.”

At first consideration, the phrase “Evangelical Catholic” seems to be a contradiction of terms. However, author Mike Timmis shows autobiographically how these two seemingly enigmatic thoughts are not mutually exclusive.

He deftly demonstrates how they comfortably coexist in his life and ensued through an understandable series of events.

Though faithfully and firmly Catholic, Timmis is also Evangelical. He sees the two as a desirable outcome and points to increased activity and acceptance of Catholics who are also Evangelical.

In addition to providing insight into what it means to be both Catholic and Evangelical, Timmis shares his journey, with its joys and sorrows, success and failures, in an interesting and compelling manner.

This book serves nicely as both an interesting memoir of an amazing man and as a Catholic-Evangelical primer.

[Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic, by Mike Timmis. Published by NavPress, 2008, ISBN: 978-1600062483, 256 pages.]

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Tags author, memoir, Roman Catholic