Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

More Thoughts About Holy Spirit Power

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 24, 2012

The Bible writes that Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit and the result of this spiritual/physical union was Jesus—it was a virgin birth.

This supernatural impregnation was the spiritual superseding the physical. And if God can do that, he can certainly heal our bodies and restore us to health.

He has the power to do that. (When and why he does so is a different discussion for a different time.)

However, there are some within Christendom who deny the possibility that a baby could be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. These are often the people who also disregard God being able to heal.

Their view of God is more limited than mine, but just because our respective understandings of God are different, it would be wrong to assume one is right and the other, wrong.

God is a big God and even the grandest of our comprehensions of him are small and understated. So we understand him the best we can and to the degree we are able—and I suspect that is enough.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 1-3, and today’s post is on Luke 1:35.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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.

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

Tags Holy Spirit, Mary, supernatural

Bible Insights

Realizing Holy Spirit Power

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 22, 2012

Although the terminology and even the timing vary between the various Christian traditions and perspectives, a generality is that first, someone decides to follow Jesus and then the Holy Spirit is given to guide and direct them.

While each stream of Christian thought assigns different terms to these events and has a diversity of understanding as to how and why this is the generally prescribed order.

So how then does this square with John the Baptist being “filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born?” Things certainly seem out of sequence for him.

True, it would be unwise to rewrite our theology on the basis of one verse that seems to offer an exception to our understanding of the normal order of how things are done.

However, at the least, this verse should give us pause before we adamantly assert there is a specific way and time for one to receive the Holy Spirit.

Apparently, not everyone’s journey to God is exactly the same.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 1-3, and today’s post is on Luke 1:15.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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

Tags Holy Spirit, Jesus, John the Baptist, tradition

Christian Living

The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 20, 2012

The Great Three in One

The prophet Isaiah gives four descriptive names for Jesus. They are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

However, I tend to think of Jesus as Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and so forth, but not so much the names Isaiah gives.

In fact, to me, Wonderful Counselor seems more descriptive of the Holy Spirit, while Everlasting Father and perhaps even Mighty God seem to point to God the Father.

Does Isaiah have his names mixed up? Am I confused? The answer to both questions is “no.”

If we truly perceive the God who is revealed in the Bible as three persons in one, then the names given to one part of the godhead appropriately applies to all three.

Therefore, Jesus really is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace—as are the Holy Spirit and God the Father.

They are, three in one.

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Tags God, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, trinity

Bible Insights

Which Version of the Lord’s Prayers Do You Say?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 15, 2012

Which Version of the Lord’s Prayers Do You Say?

Did you know there are multiple versions of the Lord’s Prayer—the prayer Jesus used to teach his followers how to pray? Matthew records the most common version, which goes something like this:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

While there are some variations to this depending on the version of the Bible referenced, it is essentially the wording many people use.

However, there is a footnote indicating that some manuscripts add the following phrase at the end:

“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

This completes the version used by most of the rest of us. However, Luke also records the prayer with a more concise wording:

“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”

I’ve never heard anyone use this version. But it is in the Bible and is worth considering.

However, it doesn’t really matter which of these three versions of this classic prayer we follow, for I don’t think Jesus intended us to recite it verbatim, but to use it as a model or a template to form our own prayers.

[Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4]

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Tags glory, Jesus, Lord’s Prayer, prayer

Christian Living

Adopting a Jewish Affinity

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 13, 2012

I was recently on LinkedIn and a familiar name from long ago popped up as someone I might know. At least it was a most familiar name, for in this instance my friend’s name was preceded with the word Rabbi. I was intrigued.

I knew him through work and hadn’t seen him in twenty years. I also knew him to be Jewish, but perceived him to a marginal one, perhaps even irreverently so.

Could it be the same person? I was becoming excited. Given my recollection from two decades past, the profile picture looked right. And his work history confirmed it was the same person.

But now he is a Rabbi! I scanned his summary, noting that he is self-described as “a wandering Jew.”

I can so appreciate that, wandering, searching, on a journey—a godly journey. I felt a real connection with him, an affinity, a faith affinity.

We do worship and serve the same God, albeit from a different perspective, approach, and outlook. And we are both on a faith journey.

For a long time, I’ve felt a deep faith affinity towards the Jewish people—and have wondered why God placed such a connection in my heart.

Then I suddenly realized why. I read and study about Jews every day in my Bible. Most all those who I connect within the Bible are Jews. So, it should be no surprise I feel a deep connection with those who diligently follow in their footsteps.

I have a deep affinity with Jews because they are the main characters in the book I love and read the most.

Read more in How Big is Your Tent? A Call for Christian Unity, Tolerance, and Love and discover what the Bible says about following Jesus. Available in e-book and paperback.

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Tags Jewish

Bible Insights

Ungodly Men in the Church

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 10, 2012

The book of Jude—which I’ve blogged about quite a bit—addresses ungodly men in the church, not those outside the church.

Jude’s key passage is verse 11, where he compares ungodly men in the church to Cain, Balaam, and Korah.

It’s noteworthy that each of these men has an overlooked connection with God, as do ungodly men in the church. Despite this, it’s their failings for which they are noted. But even in these, we may be looking at things too simplistically. Upon deeper consideration:

The way of Cain is not controlling sin.
The error of Balaam is syncretism, that is, mixing religions.
The rebellion of Korah is not a problem with his theology, but in opposing God’s appointed leaders.

These examples give us pause. The ungodly in the church: do not control sin, mix different religious ideas, and oppose God’s leaders.

Given this, we have much to guard against, less we become the very people in the church that Jude warns us against.

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Tags Balaam, Cain, church, Jude, Korah

Personal Posts

The Birds Are Singing

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 9, 2012

I’ve worked at home for over twenty years. With a home office, it’s critical to have a professional, work-like environment.

This is especially true when you are on a phone call (or video call). There can be no household noises, such as blaring TVs or radios, crying children, barking dogs, or talking spouses.

These sounds can all be picked up on the phone and heard by callers.

This has never been an issue for me—until now. Not that any of the preceding has become an issue, but I have introduced another decidedly non-business sound.

Last year I moved my office from a windowless room in the basement to an unused bedroom on the main floor. When the weather is nice, I open up the window for some fresh air.

Recently, while on a phone call with the window open, the person I was talking to asked, “Do I hear birds?”

Indeed she did. A musical concord of songbirds was serenading me outside my window.

Though melodic and soothing, they were also quite loud. But I would have never guessed their unrestrained happiness could have been heard on the other end of my phone call.

Singing birds may be unprofessional, but I’m okay with that.

Do you like this post? Want to read more? Check out Peter’s book, Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide: Discovering the Spirituality of Every Day Life, available wherever books are sold.

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Tags animals, nature, Sacred-Secular Divide

Christian Living

What Does an “Unspoken Request” Really Mean?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 6, 2012

At a church I recently visited, members shared prayer requests as part of the service. One lady raised her hand and simply said she had an “unspoken request.”

Though I’ve not heard that phrase in a long time, it was a common utterance at a church I once attended. It was almost always said by women, and it always puzzled me. What exactly was behind such a statement?

In considering how it was said, with the body language and tone of voice behind it—ranging from emotional turmoil to smug self-satisfaction—I formulated several possible interpretations:

I am too embarrassed to say this aloud.
My need is too shameful to mention.
I really have nothing to share, but want to call attention to myself.
I want to be mysterious and garner unwarranted sympathy.
My request is not appropriate to share in a large group or in mixed company.
I cannot put the pain in my heart into words.

I think at one time or another, each of these were a correct understanding of the motivation for the person who uttered this ambiguous phrase.

As for the lady who said it most recently, there was definitely a deep emotional pain behind it. I doubt if she could have said much more. In this case I was glad to pray for her—even compelled to do so.

More importantly, when we can’t form the words to express the turmoil within, God is able to understand our groan of a prayer anyway.

With him, there is no such thing as an unspoken request.

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Tags doubt, prayer

Bible Insights

Who Were the Sons of Korah?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 3, 2012
2 Comments on Who Were the Sons of Korah?

Several of the Psalms are attributed to “the sons of Korah.”

These sons of Korah could have been the writers of those songs/prayers or perhaps the ones tasked with sharing them with others; that would effectively make them performers.

It makes me wonder if the group called “The Sons of Korah” ever performed to standing-room-only crowds at the temple gates.

Pushing my imagination aside, I wonder, who were the sons of Korah?

There are at least two guys named Korah in the Bible, possibly more depending on how the various references are reconciled. So the sons of Korah could have hailed from one of them—or a different, unknown Korah.

Though it is strictly speculation on my part, I want these sons of Korah to be descendants of Korah, the rebellious one, mentioned in Numbers 16.

Korah was killed for his rebellion, as were the men who followed him and the families of his co-conspirators.

However, Korah’s children are not explicitly mentioned as being killed or as surviving.

I want to think they did live and their offspring would write or perform songs and prayers to God.

That is a legacy worth noting.

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Tags Korah

Bible Insights

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Tags Korah, Moses