Biblical Christianity from Peter DeHaan

What Are You Afraid Of?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 28, 2008

Jesus is sleeping in a boat; the disciples are crossing the lake. A major strong whips up and the disciples are overwhelmed—remember that several of them were fishermen, so it must have been a bad one to scare them.

In a panic, they wake up Jesus.

He says, “You have little faith; why are you so afraid?”

Upon contemplation, this question of Jesus is eye-opening.

Jesus implies that fear is a symptom of faithlessness. Conversely, if we have faith, there should be no reason to fear.

When we have fears—and we all do—we need to, in faith, give them to Jesus and trust him to take care of us.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 8-10 and today’s post is on Matthew 8:23-27.]

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.”

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags faith, Jesus

Bible Insights

When You Give, Pray, and Fast

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 26, 2008

When, Not If

In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, there is a word that is interestingly repeated by Jesus. It is the word when:

“When you give to the needy…” [Matthew 6:2]
“When you pray..” [Matthew 6:5 and 7]
“When you fast…” [Matthew 6:16]

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say if you give, if you pray, or if you fast.

It seems that Jesus is telling us that giving, praying, and fasting aren’t options, but expectations.

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags fasting, give, Jesus, pray

Bible Insights

What Does the Lord’s Prayer Really Say About Forgiveness?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 22, 2008

Don’t Withhold Forgiveness

When you pray, be careful what you pray—I’m serious, be very careful.

In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples (also called “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father”), one part says:

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

Some translations use the word “sins” or “transgressions” in place of debts, but the intent is the same.

The request is that God will forgive us…to the degree we forgive others.

That is, if we forgive fully, we are asking God to forgive us fully. However, if we only forgive partially—keeping grudges, holding on to ill-feelings, or harboring hate—then we are asking God to only forgive us partially.

Our lack of forgiveness towards others could limit the amount of forgiveness we receive. Ouch!

So when I pray that prayer, I do so carefully and with some trepidation; some days, I even want to skip that part!

However, skipping it is not the answer.

A better solution is to be steadfast and diligent in forgiving others—then we can likewise expect the same from God.

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags forgiveness, prayer

Bible Insights

An Example of Obedience in the Life of Joseph

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 21, 2008

An Example of Obedience in the Life of Joseph

Four times, Joseph received instructions from God:

1. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him to go ahead and marry Mary (Matthew 1:20).

2. Later, an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream, warning him of the threat on Jesus’ life and instructing him to flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14).

3. A third time, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him it was safe to return from Egypt (Matthew 2:19-20).

4. Lastly, Joseph received additional instruction in a dream to go to Galilee and not Judea (Matthew 2:22).

Each of the times God spoke to Joseph, he obeyed without question or delay:

He married Mary, as instructed,
he got up and left for Egypt in the middle of the night,
he later returned to Israel, and
he settled in Galilee.

God can speak to us in various ways: by a dream, vision, or even angels, through the Bible or others, or the Holy Spirit.

However we may hear from God, there is but one acceptable response: to obey without question or delay, just as Joseph did.

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags angel, Egypt, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joseph, Mary

Reviews of Books & Movies

Video Review: Time Changer

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 14, 2008

Reviewed by Peter DeHaan

Time Changer cleverly contrasts the moral conditions in the United States circa 1890 with those of today, by allowing upright Bible teacher Russell Carlisle to transport himself from the 19th century into the future using a time machine.

The difference is startling and the impact is compelling, allowing viewers to see just how much moral values have changed in one century.

Just as Carlisle is shocked by common everyday occurrences, so should we—but we aren’t. And that’s this movies point.

If you’re looking for light entertainment—with some well-known actors—that will give you something to think about, this is it, but don’t expect cinematic excellence, as its production quality is somewhat lacking.

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

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags righteousness

Bible Insights

Are You an Alien?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 8, 2008

Do You Belong Here?

The Bible sometimes calls the followers of Jesus, aliens*. This seems like a strange and insulting label.

An alien is someone who doesn’t belong, an outsider.In common usage, an alien is from another country, but jumping to the world of sci-fi, an alien is from another world or alternate existence.

Is this starting to come into focus? If we follow Jesus, we don’t belong here; we are just passing through to the home that awaits us in heaven.

We are indeed aliens—but do we act like it? Acting like aliens means we have a different focus, different goals, and different priorities. It means we are different and people should see that difference.

Are you an alien—or do you belong here?

* See Ephesians 2:19, Hebrews 11:13, and 1 Peter 2:11; some translations use words like exiles, migrants, strangers, and temporary residents. The Message uses the phrase, “world is not your home.”

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags follower of Jesus

Bible Insights

Jesus was Jewish

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 4, 2008

That statement catches many Christians (that is, followers of Jesus) off guard. It is easy to label Jesus, since he is the impetus for Christianity, as a Christian, even though his time spent on earth was as a Jew.

Indeed, he was born a Jew, into a Jewish culture, and had a clear Jewish lineage. He was raised and educated in Jewish beliefs and traditions.

His ministry was primarily to Jewish people (though he certainly ministered to non-Jews and made it clear that his message was for all people, his focus was the Jews).

In addition, most of his disciples were Jews, as presumably were most of his followers.

In fact, initially Christianity was viewed as a sect of Judaism.

Yes, Jesus was Jewish.

As such, there is much that his followers owe to and can learn from Jewish traditions and beliefs.

This is one important reason to study the Old Testament and to embrace our common ground with our Jewish bothers and sisters.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Acts 26-28 and today’s post is on Acts 28:22.]

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags Jesus, Jewish

Personal Posts

Wedding Photo and a Few More

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 4, 2008

Several readers have asked for photos of our daughter’s wedding. Here is one of the bride and groom, flanked by my wife and I, along with Dan and his betrothed.

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.

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

Tags family, Sacred-Secular Divide

Bible Insights

The Curtain in the Temple was Torn in Two

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 31, 2008

The “Holy of Holies” (also called “the Most Holy Place” or “the Holiest of all”) was the innermost part of the tabernacle and later, the temple.

It was so sacred that only the high priest could enter it and then only once a year.

When Jesus died, the veil (which was very thick, more akin to a wall) in the temple around the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. This is significant for two reasons:

First, being torn from the top down signifies that it was God’s doing. Since it was 30 feet high, a person would only be able to tear it from the bottom up. In effect, God was saying, I’m changing the old way of doing things.

More importantly, this opened up the Holy of Holies, showing that everyone could now approach God, at any time—not just the high priest once a year.

Jesus changed things indeed, making it possible for all us to directly approach God.

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags Jesus, temple

Bible Insights

Sarah Laughs at God

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 25, 2008

In Genesis 18:10-15 we read the amazing story of Sarah being promised a son in her old age. When she hears this, she laughs—I would to; it seems preposterous. But for an all-powerful God, nothing is impossible.

In fact God rhetorically asks Abraham (Sarah’s even older husband) “Is anything too hard for [me]?”

Sarah’s laughter at God’s promise may have been delight, but more probable, it was doubt. Even so, God did as he promised and Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham within the year.

Despite Sarah’s laughter over what was humanly impossible, God later commends her for having faith, Hebrews 11:11. Although she doubted, she apparently had enough belief so that God would later esteem her for her faith.

We may not have immense faith, but a little faith, even with some doubt sprinkled in, is enough for God.

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

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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

Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

Tags Abraham, doubt, faith, Sarah