Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

Book Review: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 1, 2013

Identify and Understand Your Unique God-Given Spiritual Gifts

By C. Peter Wagner (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Having read many books on spiritual gifts, Discover Your Spiritual Gifts is clearly one of the best. In a simple and easy-to-understand manner, Wagner succinctly explains what spiritual gifts are.

He teaches on their proper use and exposes ways in which they are sometimes misused. He also discloses danger signs and addresses common areas of confusion.

He wraps up Discover Your Spiritual Gifts with practical and helpful steps to discover, test, and verify one’s own spiritual gifts—which are provided to all who follow Jesus.

As an added bonus a spiritual gifts assessment is included. A helpful glossary lists and explains each of the spiritual gifts.

Aside from Wagner’s straightforward presentation on the topic of spiritual gifts is that his list of gifts is extensive, covering all that are mentioned in the Bible, plus a few additional ones that have been added as a result of his observations.

This list of gifts is not expected to be complete or absolute, a fact Wagner confirms using scriptural support.

The list of gifts he advances is largely reflected in the spiritual gifts assessment he provides in the book.

Unfortunately, when using the assessment, the results were not what I expected and did not fully align with other assessments I’ve taken or my experience in using various gifts.

Even so, this book is highly recommended as an ideal primer on spiritual gifts.

(Discover Your Spiritual Gifts is a condensed version of his prior work, which he recommends for additional detail: Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow.)

[Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, by C. Peter Wagner. Published by Regal Books, 2002, ISBN: 0-8307-2955-0, 95 pages.]

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.

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 spiritual gifts

Christian Living

Who Do We Compare Ourselves To?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 17, 2013
2 Comments on Who Do We Compare Ourselves To?

Yesterday I posted in my Byline blog, “The Risk of Comparing Ourselves to Others.” Although my words focused on writers, the unwise practice of comparison is universal, applying to all people in all professions or pursuits.

Succinctly, when we compare ourselves to other people, we either elevate ourselves by degrading them or lessen ourselves by elevating them.

Neither pleases God. Even so, the temptation to compare is enticing.

Some days I feed my ego, looking down on those I deem to have less faith, bare little fruit, struggle more, possess less knowledge, pray or read their Bible less often, or aren’t as close with God. I become proud.

Other days I devalue myself, envying those who seem to have greater faith, produce more fruit, possess greater knowledge, struggle less, pray and read their Bible more, or enjoy greater intimacy with God. I become abased.

Pride and abasement are both sins. Neither honors our creator, who made each of us.

Instead, consider that the Bible provides a standard for us to pursue and Jesus gives an example to follow—and the Holy Spirit offers guidance as we do both.

In this world we’ll never achieve God’s standard, but we need to try—and to do so without comparing ourselves with others.

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Tags God, spiritual growth

Christian Living

The Value of Spiritual Training

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 10, 2013

I had friends in high school who dreamed of excelling in sports, of being the star and even receiving a college scholarship. The problem with their aspirations was that they seldom practiced; a few never even bothered to try out.

More recently I’ve listened to aspiring writers who dream of having the next great novel, memoir, or nonfiction release. The problem with their ambition is that they’re not writing.

In both cases, they dream of glory but don’t want to put in the preliminary effort. Folks who don’t practice never become sports stars; people who don’t write never become the next best-selling author.

So it is with our spiritual journey.

We may desire to say bold prayers and see amazing results, to heal others with a word or a touch, to proclaim insights that move masses to faith or action, and to enjoy a direct line of two-way communication with God.

But results, such as these, often require years of struggle. Practice precedes performance. True, God could immediately bring someone to this point, but those things don’t generally happen without us doing our part first.

Moses

Moses spent forty years in the desert preparing. Then he led a nation.

David

David had years on the lam as a fugitive from King Saul. Then he became king, noted as a man after God’s own heart.

Joseph

Joseph spent time as a slave and years in the pokey. Then he experienced what God foretold him in his visions.

Abraham

Abraham lived as a nomad for decades, honing his faith and patience while awaiting God’s promise. Then he became the father of nations.

We may dream of possessing great spiritual power or producing amazing supernatural outcomes, but if we skip the preparatory time of praying, listening, waiting, seeking, and practicing, we’ll never become the people God wants us to be.

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Tags glory, pray, spiritual journey, supernatural

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: From Eternity to Here

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 8, 2013

Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God

By Frank Viola (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

The dedication page in Frank Viola’s book, From Eternity to Here provides a gripping preview of what to expect; it reads, “to every follower of Jesus who knows with their deepest parts that there must be more to the Christian faith.”

His goal, both ambitious and poignant, is to reveal to readers the ageless purpose of God; that is, God’s eternal plan.

Towards that end, Frank shares a trio of stories, one in each of the book’s three parts. The first shows God as “an ageless romantic,” the second is of God searching for a home, and the last is about establishing himself on earth.

Although three in number, these views of God are not isolated, but rather unified, collectively presenting his desire for a bride, for a place to live, and for community.

These are revealed in four familiar, yet grossly underappreciated phrases: the bride of Christ, the house of God, the body of Christ, and the family of God.

To explain this, expand this, and elucidate this, Viola holistically taps into the Bible story, seeing the New Testament through the Old—and vice versa, connecting Genesis 1 and 2 with Revelations 21 and 22, and weaving in the whole Biblical narrative along the way.

The result is that readers begin to see God differently and are granted permission to relate to him in a fresh and deeper way.

If you yearn for more in your faith journey, this book will reveal it and guide you to it. It has the potential to forever change the way you view God and increase the intimacy of your relationship with him.

[From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God, by Frank Viola. Published by David C. Cook, 2009, ISBN: 978-1-4347-6870-4, 315 pages.]

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Tags God

Bible Insights

How Far Do We Go To Protect Tradition?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 7, 2013

Whether or not we realize it, all aspects of our lives include traditions: unexamined habits and mindless rituals. But perhaps traditions most often exist in our approach to God and our worship of him.

While some traditions had a positive origin, others were misguided from the start.

With little thought we pass our traditions from one person to the next, one generation to another.

Churches often protect their traditions with adamant, unyielding passion— sometimes at the expense of obeying God and doing what the Bible says. This is not a new problem. Jesus addressed this two thousand years ago.

The religious leaders of the day (the Pharisees) were quick to point out that Jesus’ followers (disciples) broke from tradition.

They didn’t bring this up to provide correction but to pronounce condemnation. They thought they could discredit Jesus and embarrass him in front of the people.

Their plan didn’t work. Jesus foiled them. He declared that what the Bible said took precedence over their traditions. Jesus put his detractors and their ideas of what was important in their place.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 14-16, and today’s post is on Matthew 15:1-6.]

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Tags habits, Pharisee, ritual, tradition

Christian Living

Welcome to a New Year!

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 5, 2013

It’s Time to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions—or Is It?

The new year is a time when many people make New Year’s resolutions.

Common ones include losing weight, saving money, going back to school, finding a better job, improving a relationship—or getting out of one, being kinder, giving more, drinking less, and so on.

All too often, these well-intentioned resolutions are short-lived. I think the problem is timing.

Let’s assume that in September I step on the scale and decide I’ll make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Since I don’t need to worry about it now, I can eat as much as I want.

In four months, I’ll get serious about weight loss, but for now, there are no worries.

This gives me sixteen weeks to further instill bad eating habits. Additionally, knowing that in the future I’ll lose weight, I become emboldened to eat poorly now—while I still have the chance.

This only serves to exacerbate the problem and means more weight to lose later.

A much better approach would be to start exercising more and eating less as soon as I sensed the need, in this case, September, not January one.

This is why I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Rather, as soon as I determine a need for change, I set about to make it happen. That’s when I have the best chance for success, not later after things get worse.

Effectively, I tweak my life year round and skip making annual vows for self-improvement.

If you’ve made New Year’s resolutions, I wish you the best in keeping them. However, if you fall short, don’t give up and wait until next year to make another attempt.

Just forgive yourself and start over—and have a Happy New Year!

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Tags habits, holiday

Christian Living

What To Do When We Don’t Want to Praise God

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2013

When it comes to praising God, I like to praise him for who he is and thank him for what he does—most of the time. Sometimes, though, I just don’t feel like it. Intellectually, nothing’s changed; spiritually, he’s the same, but emotionally, I don’t want to.

What do I do in those cases?

I praise and thank him anyway. As some people say, “fake it til you make it.”

Does this seem foolish? Will the Almighty strike me down for being disingenuous, for putting on a false front?

If I’m being phony to impress others, I’m on shaky ground, but if I push through because it’s the right thing, I suspect he approves—and delights in me.

Throughout our lives, we do all manner of things we don’t feel like doing:

Eating right
Exercising
Working
Getting enough rest
Helping others
Doing housework and yard work
Finishing homework
Keeping our promises

For each, we realize the benefits of the activity regardless if we felt like doing them or not:

We grow healthier
Our body becomes more toned and we lose weight
We earn money needed to live (and keep our job)
We aren’t tired
We make the world a bit better
Our living area becomes a more pleasant place
We learn and earn good grades
We become respected as a person of integrity (and avoid guilt in the process)

In each instance, the results are the same regardless if we felt like doing the right thing or not. The same is true for our relationship with God.

We need to push through, praising God and thanking him, when we feel like it—and when we don’t. Either way, the result is the same.

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Tags God, thank God

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Ruth

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 1, 2013

How an Outsider Gained God’s Favor

By Harry L. Brewer (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

The front cover of the book, Ruth: How an Outsider Gained God’s Favor, asks the rhetorical question, “Ever feel like an outsider?” Ruth was definitely an outsider.

She was a foreigner and not a member of God’s chosen people, yet she makes an unequivocal pledge to follow God, telling her mother-in-law, “Your people will be my people” and “your God will be my God.”

As a result, God provides for Ruth and richly blesses her.

Author Harry Brewer smartly captures all this in his book Ruth. The format is simple and straightforward:

He gives an overview on each section of the book of Ruth, provides the text, and then breaks it down verse-by-verse, introducing the passage, repeating the text, and providing a helpful commentary.

Brewer shares valuable background into the Mosaic Law and cultural practices behind of the beliefs and traditions that are mentioned in this brief biblical account.

This unveils deeper insights into the character and propriety of the book’s principle players of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz.

Brewer also connects Ruth to other revealing passages in the Bible, such as to the family tree of Ruth, both preceding and following her. (Spoiler alert: Jesus is a direct descendant of Ruth.)

Additionally, Brewer makes reasoned and realistic assumptions into the motivations and emotions of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, adding depth and increasing understanding.

What emerges is a powerful love story between Boaz and Ruth, as well as God’s abiding love for them and, by extension, all who follow and revere him.

Ruth: How an Outsider Gained God’s Favor is a concise and valuable study guide into the person and book of Ruth in the Bible.

[Ruth: How an Outsider Gained God’s Favor, by Harry L. Brewer. Published by WinePress Publishing, 2001, ISBN: 9-781579213275, 131 pages, $8.95.]

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Tags author, Ruth

Christian Living

Maximize Our Understanding of the Old and New Testaments

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 27, 2013

Those who follow Jesus often concentrate on the part of the Bible that focuses on his life and his disciples’ work. But neglecting the Old Testament lessens the depth of our appreciation for who he is and what he did.

It was likely St. Augustine who said, “The New Testament is in the Old concealed; the Old Testament is in the New revealed.” There’s a lot packed into this tiny sentence.

Though less profound and missing the depth of Augustine’s insight, I paraphrase his words as “The New Testament fulfills the Old, while the Old Testament foreshadows the New.”

Indeed the Old Testament overflows with allusions to the New, but I never saw most of them until I started looking. It seems the New Testament is not so much a redefining of the teaching found in the Old, but a refocusing on what’s already there.

In a similar manner, the New Testament is full of references to the Old. Some of these appear directly, while many more are subtle and not so easy to spot.

Sometimes a thorough understanding of the Old Testament is required to fully appreciate the nuances of the New, while other times a thorough understanding of Hebrew practices and ancient traditions is needed.

As we comprehend more about what is really in the Old Testament, the New becomes more significant. As we know more about what the New Testament says, the Old becomes fuller.

They are opposite sides of the same coin, not two disparate teachings. Embrace both.

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Tags Bible, New Testament, Old Testament

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: When Not to Borrow

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 25, 2013

When Not to Borrow: Unconventional Financial Wisdom to Set Your Church Free

By Ray Bowman and Eddy Hall (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

In When Not to Borrow, authors Ray Bowman and Eddy Hall look at church debt. They expose how it can cripple an organization by limiting ministry, curtailing outreach, and stunting growth.

Though unconventional in its pronouncements, When Not to Borrow, does indeed provide financial wisdom to free a church from the burden of debt, opening the door to more effective and less stressful ministry.

Divided into three parts, When Not to Borrow addresses a trio of financial barriers that churches face when they have debt of any magnitude.

In short, these barriers render a church “overloaded” with debt, take them “off course” of their mission, and leave then “underfueled” for ministry.

In addressing these common and incapacitating issues, Bowman and Hall provide a series of difficult, yet common sense steps to move a church towards financial freedom.

The first is to move “from indebtedness to provision.” The second is to shift “from institutionalism to purpose.” The third is to progress “from insufficiency to plenty.”

Following these prescriptions is both difficult and lengthy, involving much sacrifice along the way, but the result is a church that is “free to fly,” no longer overloaded, off-course, or underfueled.

When Not to Borrow is an excellent follow-up to Bowman and Hall’s watershed book

When Not to Build, but it even more appropriately serves a worthy precursor, providing an astute path to follow before a church building project is ever contemplated.

Like its predecessor, When Not to Borrow, should be required reading for every pastor, church leader, and church board.

[When Not to Borrow: Unconventional Financial Wisdom to Set Your Church Free, by Ray Bowman and Eddy Hall. Published by Baker Books, 1996. ISBN: 780-8010-9021-0. 139 pages.]

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Tags author, money