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Bible Insights

Choose With Care Whose Advice You Heed

King Rehoboam Made the Costly Mistake of Listening to His Friend’s Advice

Rehoboam succeeds his father, Solomon, as king. He inherits a sweet situation of a nation experiencing peace, enjoying power, and basking in wealth. It is his merely to maintain.

His detractor, Jeroboam, goes before him and asks for a reprieve for the people from the past burden of work and taxes. Rehoboam wisely says, check back with me in three days.

Then he asks his advisors, the same elders who served his father, what to do.

They tell him to back off a bit, be nice, and earn the people’s loyalty.

But Rehoboam didn’t like that recommendation, so he goes to his friends instead. They give him the opposite advice. He follows it, and most of the nation rebels against him to follow Jeroboam.

Rehoboam ends up with only one tribe willing to follow him, Judah. He listens to the wrong advice and loses big time.

This reminds me of kids. It’s common for small children to ask one parent a question, but not liking the answer, they check with the other parent for a more favorable response.

When they’re caught the results are never good. We do this as adults too.

Have you ever read a verse in the Bible that makes you cringe? I have. But instead of looking for ways to follow it, I look for a different verse that will let me draw a more favorable conclusion. I hold onto the second one and dismiss the first.

I shouldn’t need to wonder what God thinks about that, because as a parent I already know.

God gives us the Bible for a reason. We need to follow it. All of it.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 10-12, and today’s post is on 2 Chronicles 10:3-15.]

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

Do We Ever Place Our Traditions Over God’s Commands?

Jesus Condemns Those Who Supersede the Word of God With Their Religious Practices

Jesus asks the people, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your traditions?” (Matthew 15:3). He goes on to give an example that is culturally relevant to his audience, but which doesn’t connect so much with us today.

Of course we would never do such a thing, would we? Sadly, we too place traditions over God’s commands. Consider these four examples:

1. Vain Repetition

Jesus tells the people to not pray using vain repetition (Matthew 6:7), yet in church growing up we did this every Sunday, repeating a prayer from rote memory, as well as the Ten Commandments and often a creed.

Yet he commands us to avoid vain repetition.

Other translations say “meaningless repetition” and “babbling many words.” The Bible says to not do that, but we do.

2. Do Not Call Anyone Father

Jesus specifically teaches us not to call anyone Father (Rabbi or Teacher) because only God is our Father.

The principle seems to be against elevating our spiritual leaders with titles, perhaps suggesting we should avoid “Pastor,” “Reverend,” and “Doctor,” as well as “Father” and “Rabbi.”

Yet we do this (sometimes at the insistence of our spiritual leaders), and some traditions specifically use Father, but Jesus says not to (Matthew 23:8-10).

3. Give in Secret

Jesus tells us to give anonymously (Matthew 6:3-4), to not call attention to our charitable giving. Yet our Sunday offerings are a public event and certainly not done secretly. Yet our tradition trumps God’s command.

4. Seek Man’s Approval

Though it’s not a direct command, Paul condemns those who try to win the approval of people. Instead we should follow his example of trying to please God (Galatians 1:10).

Yet how often do ministers water down sermons in order to avoid human offense, which might cause parishioners to get mad, cause a stink, or withhold their donations?

These are a few ways we put our own preferences above what the Bible says. I’m sure there are many more. Be on the lookout for them, and then seek to do things God’s way, regardless of tradition.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 14-16, and today’s post is on Matthew 15:3-7.]

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

Leadership Lessons from the Book of Judges

The People Did as They Saw Fit in the Book of Judges; Things Aren’t Much Different Today

The book of Judges is a curious one, containing some really questionable content, especially toward the end of the book. The judges it highlights are a colorful bunch, some exhibiting quite dubious behavior.

It boils down to leadership and a lack of leadership. Judges gives us some leadership lessons.

In Judges, the people are a motley collection, and I cringe over some of their attitudes and actions. Yet despite the shortcomings of many, they do lead people to freedom and to a refocus of their attention on God.

This cycle of disobedience (rejecting God), oppression (punishment), liberation (rescue), and returning to God (obedience) is a reoccurring theme in the book of Judges.

Another reoccurring theme is the phrase, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25).

In fact, this is the concluding sentence of the book of Judges, a fitting end to a collection of stories, some of which I find quite disconcerting.

Leadership Lessons

Without the godly leadership of a king, the people flounder. (Of course, we will later learn they don’t fair too well under the rule of kings either, most of who will rebel against God and lead their people to follow their errors.)

Today we also lack godly leadership. And without good leaders people pretty much do as they see fit. So, true to our nature, most everyone is doing whatever he or she wants.

We see this with the in vogue religion of today, where people make up their own religious beliefs, their own set of rules – or lack thereof. We are so in need of good leaders to guide us.

Yet we are all leaders, be it in society, the political arena, education, at work, in our home, and even of ourselves—we are especially leaders of ourselves.

Doing as we see fit can lead us down a wrong path. Instead, we need to let God lead us and then do what he wants.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Judges 19-21, and today’s post is on Judges 21:25.]

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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Bible Insights

What is the Cost of Obeying God?

Jeremiah Said What God Told Him to Say and Suffered For It

Jeremiah’s time as a spokesman for God is filled with frustration. Not only do the people ignore what he tells them, they sometimes do exactly the opposite.

Though Jeremiah speaks God’s truth to his people, they criticize him for his negativity—even though he is merely relaying God’s own words to them. At various times they detain him, leave him to die, and try starving him.

In today’s passage their anger towards Jeremiah, as God’s messenger, erupts into a beating and then imprisonment in a jail made just for him.

Jeremiah likely wonders why God isn’t doing more to protect his faithful servant and keep him from harm.

Jeremiah may wish he had ignored God’s call for him to become a prophet or at least watered down God’s message in order to not inflame the people.

Though we don’t know what Jeremiah was thinking, we do know he obeyed God—and suffered for his obedience.

As God’s children, we want to believe he will always protect us when we serve him, but the Bible doesn’t show that to be the case.

Obedience doesn’t always equate to protection. Sometimes it results in persecution.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Jeremiah 35-37, and today’s post is on Jeremiah 37:15.]

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

Sometimes God Tells Us Not To Pray

The Bible is Full of Surprising Verses That We Will Do Well to Explore

Sometimes I see things that surprise me when I read the Bible—things I think shouldn’t be there. One example is when God tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people of Judah.

Wait, isn’t Judah part of God’s chosen people? Yes, they are. Yet God shocks Jeremiah—and us—when he says to not pray for their well-being.

Even though they fast and give burnt offerings, God says he will ignore them. He plans to punish them for all the wrong they have done. Therefore it is a waste of time to pray for them.

I get this. One time I committed to pray for the leadership of a small, struggling church. They were good people who loved God and wanted to make a difference in their community. I prayed for them each morning for several months.

Then one day, in mid-prayer, God told me to stop. He didn’t explain why; he just said to not pray for them anymore.

I was perplexed.

Then a friend shared his experience. He was speaking at this church, giving them their Sunday message. In the middle of his lesson God spoke to him. God said “Don’t come back here; if you do it will be sin.” Gulp.

That’s blunt. But it helped confirm that I had heard correctly. Even though neither of us understood why, we obeyed. For whatever reason God didn’t want us to invest anymore effort on this church. I still don’t know why.

What I do know is that it’s useless to pray for things when God says not to. For now that is all I need to know.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Jeremiah 13-15, and today’s post is on Jeremiah 14:11-12.]

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

God Seldom Reveals the Big Picture to Us, Just the Next Step

God first comes to Abraham when he is still known as Abram. God tells him to leave all he knows and to go—somewhere—to a place God will later show him.

The final destination is apparently on a need-to-know basis and Abram doesn’t need to know.

If it were me, I’d want some details. Where are you sending me, God? Why? What is your end game? How long will I be gone? What should I pack? What preparations should I make? Am I coming back?

Then I’d do some research, check with others, and spend a lot of time thinking about it. And I’d pray, too. God would likely need to tell me a couple times before I obeyed.

I like to see the big picture, but God doesn’t seem to work that way—at least with me.

Though God promises to make Abram into a great nation, this is not conditional on Abram’s obedience. In this case God’s promise is unconditional.

Again, if it were me, I’d be tempted to ask God to make me into a great nation right where I was, without the ambiguous travel command into the unknown.

Yet Abram goes. This is his first recorded act of faith. It isn’t until he reaches Canaan that God reveals more. He promises to give that land to Abram’s descendants. That is God’s big picture, or at least a wider view of it.

Abram has to move out in faith and go to where God leads him. Only then does God give him more information.

I guess that’s why it’s called faith.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Genesis 12-14, and today’s post is on Genesis 12:1-7.]

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

How Do You Affect Others?

We have an effect on everyone we meet. We can touch them in a positive way and leave them better off for whatever time we spend with them, or our interactions can have a negative impact and produce the opposite results.

This might be at the store, how we drive, with our neighbors, during work, and when we’re at church. This happens through our actions, our words, and even our nonverbal communications. It’s in person, on the phone, via text, and using email.

We have many opportunities to affect others. We can help them, encourage them, guide them, and pray for them. Or we can irritate them, cause them distress, criticize them, and discourage them.

We can make their day a bit brighter or a tad duller. We can subtly point them to Jesus or turn them off.

Though I want to live my life with intention and have a positive effect on everyone all the time, I fear I fall short more often than not. Here’s what I recently learned about this:

We Don’t Always Know the Effect We Have On Others

A few weeks ago I was at a writers conference. I attend it every year to learn and to share. Three people surprised me by individually taking time to thank me for something I said or did for them the year before. Who would have known?

We Need to Thank People When They Impact Us

Another person thanked me for the writing newsletter I send out each week. She told me how helpful it is for her and that she looks forward to it. I thanked her for her encouragement.

What I didn’t tell her was that I was quite discouraged with the newsletter: for the time it takes to do each week and my assumption that no one really cared. She refueled me to press on.

Sometimes God Leads Us to People When They Need it the Most

I also led a couple of breakout sessions at the conference. The second one did not go well. Though I know I shared useful information and provided value, I also feared I caused just as much confusion.

I do know I didn’t communicate clearly: talking too fast and stumbling over my spew of words.

When it was over the phrase “train wreck” kept popping into my mind.

Then our enemy, the father of lies, began his attack. My mind quickly spiraled out of control. Within an hour I had retreated to the bathroom to wallow in despair. I couldn’t think clearly and didn’t know what to do. Prayer eluded me.

When I emerged from my seclusion a friend’s gaze caught my attention. I don’t know if she beckoned me or if I was drawn to her. She thanked me for my presentation, the information I shared, and the value I provided.

She couldn’t be talking about me; surely she must be confused. But no, she had sat in the back row during my session. She was there for my train wreck but didn’t see it that way.

I thanked her profusely and told her just how much I needed to hear her words. My eyes misted over, and I gave her a hug of appreciation.

Her words rejuvenated me, and the rest of the conference went great – thanks to one person willing to follow God’s prompting to search me out.

She had a positive effect on me just when I needed it the most.Save

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 Worry About What You Don’t Know

There’s much about God we don’t know. For a society that craves knowledge and desires to fully understand things, what we don’t know about God can cause frustration. This keeps many people from embracing God.

They want all their questions answered before they say “Yes” to Jesus and follow him. But that’s not faith. That’s a sure thing—and we need to live by faith.

The Bible reveals some truths about God, while keeping other aspects secret. It’s easy to fixate on what we don’t know, frustrated over questions and a lack of clarity on things hidden. But this misses the point.

There are things we do know about God, things the Bible teaches us. Let’s focus on them. In these areas, God expects us to do what he says.

We’re not supposed to worry about what we don’t know, but we do need to obey him in what we do know.

[2 Corinthians 5:7 and Deuteronomy 29:29]

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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How Big Was the Promised Land?

God gave the Promised Land to the descendants of Abraham, not because they deserved it, but to use them to punish other nations who were wicked.

After he gave them the territory, their job was to drive out the other people (thereby punishing them).

Though the nation of Israel did this to some extent, their efforts were incomplete. This was to their detriment and God’s dismay.

God also gave them laws to obey. They didn’t do a good job at following through with those either.

Had they completely done all God instructed them to do, he would have given them even more territory: this time because they earned it.

Sadly they didn’t do their part, so they never received all the land God wanted to give them. The Promised Land could have been bigger, but because of disobedience, the nation missed the full blessing of what God had in mind for them.

I think it’s that way with us sometimes.

God wants to give us more, but we don’t do our part to receive it and so we miss out.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Deuteronomy 19-21, and today’s post is on Deuteronomy 19:8-9.]

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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Two Expressions of Faith

Last week we talked about Noah’s obedience and Moses’ boldness. Both actions were reflections of their faith: the faith to obey and the faith to confront.

But what if Noah didn’t obey God, instead interceding for the people? If God changed his mind (as he did when Moses fasted and prayed), the great flood would have been averted.

What if Moses didn’t boldly approach God but merely accepted his plan, allowing the destruction of the people of Israel and making Moses into an even greater nation?

Then millions would have died. Instead of there being the “children of Abraham,” we’d have the “children of Moses.” We wouldn’t talk about Father Abraham, but of Father Moses.

Had Noah and Moses acted differently, the world would have turned out much differently.

But both acted with great faith: obedient faith and bold faith. Both provide great examples for us to follow.

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.