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Christian Living

God is Omniholy

God is Omniholy

Last week, in “God is Omni,” I noted that God is omnipresent (all present), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipotent (all-powerful).

Today, with the intent of coining a new word, I’d like to suggest that God is also omniholy, that is, he is “all holy.”

Consider that the Bible uses the triad “holy, holy, holy” in reference to God—and it isn’t people who are saying that, but angels. They should know; they get to hang with him in heaven, whereas we can only anticipate such things.

Repeating a word three times is a technique to add emphasis. To my knowledge, holy is the only word that is thrice repeated in the Bible.

Not only do the angels say that God is holy, but God confirms it as well, declaring, “I am holy.”

In addition, people—in both the Bible and throughout the ages—have likewise affirmed God as being holy.

So angels proclaim it, God confirms it, and people affirm it. Yes, God is “all holy”; he is omniholy: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.” If you agree, let him know!

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.

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Personal Posts

Partner or Employee?

Partner or Employee

Several years ago, after much planning and consideration, my bride joined me in my publishing business.

Her long commute to her prior job was becoming wearisome and with winter approaching, bad weather would make it even longer and more of a concern.

As we shared this possibility with others, the idea was met with raised eyebrows and skepticism. One doubtful friend directly stated, “Married people should not work together.”

A wise friend, however, advised that we consider whether Candy would be my employee or my partner. That was a great question and we opted for partner.

We even did a trial run this spring when she had some vacation time to use up. The test went quite well, so we moved forward with our plans.

Now, six weeks into it, we are pleased with the results. It was a good move, and I wish we had done it sooner.

The only occasional hiccup is that sometimes she acts as an employee and sometimes I view her as one.

Still, we are steadily moving towards the goal of becoming business partners and I suspect as she more fully understands the business, that goal will be realized.

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.

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.

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Bible Insights

The Implications of Omnipotence

Omnipotence

In my post “Omni God,” I mentioned that, among other things, God is “omnipotent.” This means that God possesses unlimited strength and has universal power and authority.

God’s Omnipotence

The word omnipotent occurs in Amplified Bible, but most translations use “almighty” instead, often in the form of a proper name, as in the Almighty, God Almighty, Lord God Almighty.

Almighty means having absolute power or being all-powerful.

God is omnipotent, with unlimited power and authority, so there’s nothing that he can’t do—including no prayer that he can’t answer.

  • David said, “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me” (Psalm 17:6).
  • Jesus said, “Everyone who asks receives” (Luke 11:9-10).
  • John said, “We know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

God’s Sovereignty

A related word is sovereign, which means to exercise supreme, permanent authority. God’s sovereignty is not so that he can be malevolent towards us, but to be benevolent.

He does not want to withhold things from us, but to give things to us.

God is omnipotent and sovereign, able to answer prayer, so we can confidently ask with the expectation that he will answer (more on that in my next post, God Answers Prayer).

Also see “The Implications of Omniscience” and “The Implications of Omnipresence.”

God’s omnipotence and sovereignty reveals that he has the ability and desire to answer our prayers.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 5-7, and today’s post is on Matthew 7:11.]

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Categories
Christian Living

God is Omni

God is Omni

There are three words that are commonly used to describe God; they all begin with “omni.”

  • Omnipresent: Present everywhere simultaneously
  • Omniscient: Total knowledge; knowing everything
  • Omnipotent: Unlimited power or authority

The three “omni” words reveal truth about God’s character and nature. The prefix “omni” means all, so these words tell us that God is all present, all knowing, and all powerful.

  • If God is present everywhere, then that means he is also right now with you and with me.
  • If God knows everything, then that means that he also knows you and me—personally, completely, and totally.
  • If God is all powerful, then that means he has the power, authority, and ability to answer our prayers.

God’s “omni” nature surely provides something us something to ponder.

[For more thoughts, see my posts in The Bible Blog: Omni God, The Implications of Omnipresence, The Implications of Omniscience, and The Implications of Omnipotence.]

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Bible Insights

What the Prayer of Jabez Means To Me

Prayer of Jabez

In my prior post, I made a couple of tweaks to the prayer of Jabez. The original text reads:

“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’

“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10, NKJV).

Consider my paraphrase:

Jabez was a man of honor and integrity, but his mother had nicknamed him “hemorrhoid” and always called him a “pain in the butt,” because his birth was so painful.

And Jabez pleaded with God: “Bless me abundantly—so that I may bless others—and grant me much influence; keep me on the right track, so that I may do good things, and no longer be viewed as a pain in the butt!”

And God said “yes!” to his petition.

That’s what the prayer of Jabez means to me.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 1 Chronicles 1-4 and today’s post is on 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.]

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Bible Insights

Don’t be a Pain in the Butt

Pain in the Butt

When I study the Bible, I use multiple versions (translations), depending on my mood and goals. One version that I seldom use, however, is the New King James Version (NKJV).

There’s no particular reason, it’s just how things have worked out.

There is only one passage that I have memorized using the NKJV. It is 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, the “prayer of Jabez,” which reads:

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that

You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

I like this rendering because, unlike the over versions I’ve checked, the reoccurring word “pain” connects his past—his birth—with his hope for the future. To make my point, consider a couple of tweaks in today’s vernacular:

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother had nicknamed him “hemorrhoid” and always called him a “pain in the butt,” because his birth was so painful.

Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that

You would keep me from evil, that I may no longer be viewed as a pain in the butt!” So God granted him what he requested.

The mother of Jabez gave him a terrible legacy—and the God of Jabez took it away!

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
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Christian Living

Say Amen for the Right Reasons

The convention in the circles I move in is that the word “amen” is the concluding statement of a prayer. Most people give that word little thought—or if they do, it may seem no more than a comfortable ritual or trite tradition than anything significant.

Upon reflection, it seems that when we say amen at the end of a prayer may be akin to telling God, “goodbye.”

In group settings, for the people who are listening to your prayer, “amen” is a signal that the prayer is over, that you are finished, or “I’m done.” It is now time for other activities to resume.

Lastly, for those who feel a need—be it of conviction or compulsion—to echo your “amen” with an “amen” of their own, it’s like saying, “I agree.”

Apparently, “amen” has three meanings: “goodbye,” “I’m done,” and “I agree.”

The Amplified Bible provides some additional insight, parenthetically rendering “amen” to mean “so be it” or “so let it be.”

The next time you pray in private, I challenge you to mix it up a bit and skip the “amen,” instead using “so be it” or “so let it be.”

However, for public prayers, it may catch people off guard. So unless you’re with people you trust and who love you, it might be best to stick with the traditional “amen,” even if it has become a bit of a ritual.

Can anyone say amen?

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Bible Insights

A Different Perspective on the Bible

Perspective on the Bible

In one of the blogs I read, someone posted a comment. The message only somewhat tied in with the topic and the backlink was to an unrelated website.

I dislike the idea of giving the author’s rant any more exposure by repeating it, but once I set aside the invective nature of the post, I saw both truth and insight within. Here is the comment:

“The bible is a poorly edited anthology of 3rd Century literature. Calling it ‘God’s Word’ perpetuates the church’s fraud.”

Let’s break it down:

Poorly Edited

Yes, the Bible is poorly edited. In fact, aside from what is necessary in the process of translation, the intent is that it is not edited at all. This is a good thing.

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works. With the Bible’s creation spanning a couple of millennia and written by about forty authors, it is definitely an anthology.

Third Century

This is only somewhat correct and a great oversimplification. The components of the New Testament were being compiled in its present assemblage in the third century, even though that effort started a couple of centuries prior.

The contents of the Old Testament were assembled much earlier. The actual writing of the various sections, called books, of the Bible, however, certainly predates the third century.

Literature

The Bible is literature—great literature, in my opinion. Based on worldwide sales, it is the most popular literary work ever.

God’s Word

Yes, this is what many people call it. I do too!

Perpetuates the Church…

The Bible is a resource that propels the church forward, though I believe that could happen even without the Bible.

Fraud

The Bible acknowledges that its message will seem as foolishness and be offensive to those who’ understand it (1 Corinthians 1:18-25), so the writer’s conclusion is consistent with what the Bible says.

My only hope is that the author who penned this comment will one day see fit to change the final word from “fraud” to “faith.”

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 1-4, and today’s post is on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.]

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Christian Living

Do You Love God?

Love God

When I pray, it’s not just about making requests. It is also about giving God my words—and my heart. Sometimes this means that I tell God I love him. Yes, it is true; I do love God.

Although simply saying, “I love you” is a great place to start, God deserves more than that. I let him know how much I love him and affirm that I would be lost without him.

Yet, as I contemplate my love for God, I eventually reach a point of consternation, for I realize—if I am to be completely honest—that my love for God seems to be conditional.

That is, I might just love him only because of what he has done for me and is doing for me, a love that is a “because of” kind of love, not an “in spite of” kind of love.

I am left with the soul-piercing question, if God did absolutely nothing for me would I still love him?

While that query gives my pause, I need not pause too long, for I know that regardless of how deep or fickle, absolute or conditional my love for God, he will not reciprocate in kind.

God’s love for us is unconditional. There is nothing we can to that will cause him love us anymore—and nothing we can do that will cause him to love us any less.

Thank you, God. I love you!

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Bible Insights

The World’s First Murder

World’s First Murder

Cain and his younger brother Abel both gave offerings to God. This was well before the life of Moses and the laws that God gave to him, therefore, there was no requirement to give an offering. 

In fact, there was not even a precedent for doing so. 

Cain and Abel’s offerings were the first ones recorded in the Bible.

For reasons not fully explained, God accepted Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s. One possible hint is that while Abel’s offering was a choice part of the best that he had, Cain’s gift was merely “some” of what he had. 

Another hint is found in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, where Abel’s faith in giving a better offering is affirmed. Implicitly, Cain’s faith was lacking.

Regardless, Cain reacted poorly to God’s snub, becoming jealous of Abel and angry, culminating in the premeditated murder of his brother—the world’s first. However, even after this brutal act, God did not turn his back on Cain. 

Although God meted out punishment to Cain, he also provided protection.

Cain did an evil thing; however, he was not an evil man. Despite Cain’s downfall, he was a man who had sought God, giving a gift that was not asked for or required.

[Genesis 4:1-16, Hebrews 11:4]

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.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
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