Anna is widowed after only seven years of marriage. A devout woman, she dedicates her life to God, spending as much time as possible in the temple fasting, praying, and worshiping him.
Anna is at least eighty-four years old when Mary and Joseph show up to consecrate Jesus. First, she recognizes him as the savior who the people have been expecting for centuries.
Then she thanks God she lived long enough to see Jesus and then tells everyone about him.
After a lifetime of devotion to God, he rewards her by allowing to to see Jesus. How many other people were likewise as devout, but never got to see him?
God calls us to focus on him, but we may not receive any reward for our loyalty during our lifetime. Will we be faithful anyway?
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.
The First Brothers in the BibleProvide the First Account of Sibling Rivalry
The first two people mentioned in the Bible are Adam and Eve. The next two people are their sons, Cain and Abel. It would seem these four people should get along. They can’t. The result of the conflict is tragic. Cain kills Abel.
Here’s their story:
Cain and Abel worship God by giving him some of the output from their work. God accepts Abel’s gift but doesn’t accept Cain’s. The Bible doesn’t explain why. Though many people speculate on the reasons, we just don’t know.
There is, however, an implication that perhaps Cain sinned, either in his offering or in some other area of his life.
Whatever the reason for God rejecting Cain’s gift, Cain becomes angry. The Bible is unclear about the focus of Cain’s anger. Was he angry at God, or jealous of his brother’s spiritual success? Both are reasonable assumptions.
However, regardless of the source, Cain takes action against his brother Abel.
Cain lures Abel out to a field. There Cain kills Abel, in a pre-meditated act of murder. Only four chapters into the Bible and we already have our first homicide.
The Story of Cain and Abel Teaches Us Five Things
1. Worshiping God is serious business
The Bible tells us to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24). We can go through the motions, and we can pretend. But God isn’t fooled. He wants us to give him our very best.
This isn’t because he needs something from us but because he deserves it.
2. We must control our anger
When Paul says to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26), he implies anger is okay as long as we don’t allow it to cause us to sin. Cain’s anger caused him to sin.
3. Leave punishment in God’s hands
Whether out of anger or retaliation, Cain executes judgment on his brother. Cain kills Abel. This, however, doesn’t solve the problem. It just causes a new one.
4. There are consequences to sin
Now Cain must answer to God for what he did. Even though God is merciful in judging Cain’s sin, it’s still more than Cain can bear (Genesis 4:13).
5. Seek a Better Way
What if, instead of Cain getting mad and killing his brother, he sought to worship God in a better way? He could have asked God what he did wrong and what he should do differently. Or he could have asked his brother for help.
Had Cain taken the high road instead of lashing out in anger, we could have had a much different outcome: two brothers getting along and helping one another worship God.
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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Because of who Jesus is and what he did for us, our relationship with God the Father changes. Through Jesus we have a new connection with Papa that we didn’t have before. We can now approach him.
In fact the writer of Hebrews encourages us to do just that. He says, “let us draw near to God.” Then he builds on this instruction by listing four aspects of our approach as we draw near to him (Hebrews 10:19-22).
A Sincere Heart
Having a sincere heart suggests a proper motivation. While we can approach God when we’re in a jam, if that’s the only time we seek him, I don’t think this pleases him too much. And although we can, and should, come to him with our worries, that misses the point of drawing near to God.
The purpose of approaching God is to just hang out. This means we seek to enjoy community with him and want to worship him. We do this best when we go to him without selfish motivation or a self-centered agenda. Sincerity of heart best sums this up.
Full of Faith
Having faith in him and through him should fill us with assurance. We are his child. We can trust in this reality as we go to see Daddy.
We grasp onto this by having faith in him, a belief we can’t manufacture, but accept in confidence of who he is and our right standing with him. This is the assurance faith provides.
Cleansed of Guilt
A guilty conscience robs us of our joy. It takes away our peace. Can we rightly approach God when we lack joy and have no peace? Of course we can, but it’s better when we can draw near to him with a clear conscience, with our hearts made clean.
Shame loads us down, but through Jesus our hearts are sprinkled clean. The guilt is gone. Our conscience is clear.
Washed Pure
Jesus not only appeases the guilty conscience of our hearts, but he also washes our whole bodies clean. He makes us pure, both inside and out. It’s all so good.
The question in all of this becomes, are these four conditions we must meet before we can approach God or four realities we realize because we are able to approach him?
The answer is both. Jesus makes these things possible, and our job is to cling to them when we approach God.
Because of Jesus and through him, we can draw near to God. Thank you Jesus.
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.
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.
In my post “What is Church,” I suggested we are the church. Church isn’t a place we go—not really. It’s who we are. As the church we should be about worship, community, and helping others.
There’s a lot I didn’t mention. That was intentional. Contrary to the actions and attitudes of many, here is what a church is not:
Church is Not an Obligation
We must never think of church as an obligation. Though most people, at one time or another, make a conscious decision to attend a Sunday morning gathering when they don’t feel like it, that falls under the category of being self-disciplined.
But if the only reason we ever go is out of a sense of obligation, then our motivation is wrong. God is not impressed.
Yes, the Bible commands us to persist in meeting together (Hebrews 10:24-25), but that doesn’t necessarily mean a Sunday church service. I think it means hanging out with other believers. That should be fun, not an obligation to fulfill.
Church is Not a Means to Appease Guilt
Some people only attend a religious service on Sunday morning because they’d feel guilty if they stayed home. They were trained from an early age that church is what you did.
If the church doors where open, they were there: Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday night prayer meeting, Thursday visitation . . .
Guilt is a powerful motivator. The avoidance of guilt can propel us to positive action, but it needs to have a benefit greater than appeasing a shame-filled conscience.
Church is Not a Routine
Many Sunday services proceed with a rote precision that attendees follow mindlessly. They come, they go through the motions, and they head home. For them the entire time holds no significance.
While their body acts, their mind drifts, and their spirit remains untouched.
Routine is the enemy of meaningful worship and true community.
An almost parallel aspect of routine exists, called ritual. Though the word ritual carries negative connotations, a positive aspect of ritual is one seeped in deep spiritual mystery.
Some people are drawn to this type of almost-mystical ritual, a sacred practice that supernaturally connects them with the Almighty.
Church is Not a Social Club
Some people pursue church meetings as nothing more than a social gathering, void of spiritual significance. They miss the true meaning of us meeting together. They dishonor God and marginalize his community of followers.
Though one of the characteristics of us as church is community, there’s a distinction between meaningful community and a social get together.
Yes, community contains a significant social aspect, but more importantly it involves intentionality in how we treat one another.
The New Testament gives us over thirty “one another” commands, which starts with the expectation that we love one another.
Church Is Not a Business Promotion Vehicle
Some people become members of a local church as a means for commerce. They join so they can sell, not serve. They go through the motions of worship, and their engagement with community consists only of networking for business.
When my bride and I were first married, another couple from our local congregation invited us to their house. We were ecstatic. Then my mother-in-law shared that this couple had recently signed onto a large multi-level marketing company.
When I asked them directly of their intention, they confirmed my fears that we would experience a sales pitch. We didn’t go, and they never talked to us again. That’s not church. That’s not even good business.
Church is Not a Place to Amass Knowledge
For much of my life I reasoned that the real purpose of a Sunday service was to learn about God. I dismissed the worship part because it bored me. I didn’t see community because it was all social. And, as an inward looking body, we didn’t do any service.
That left the sermon.
But what happens when the sermon doesn’t provide any new information? Does that mean I wasted an hour, or more? But recall the verse that says, “Knowledge puffs up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Amassing knowledge is not the reason we should go to church.
That takes me back to worship, community, and serving others.
We are the church. We gather to worship God, live in community, and serve others.
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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Worship Means Different Things, but What’s Important is That We Do It
Some churches call their Sunday meeting a worship service. This has always troubled me. Yes, I knew that singing to God was a form of worship, or at least it should be.
I understood the part about “worshiping God with our tithes and offerings,” even though I didn’t see God getting too much of what we dropped into the offering plate. But the sermon?
How could listening to a lecture, often a boring one, be a form of worshiping God? In truth, aside from a few songs and the collection, the bulk of most church services are either education or entertainment. Is that worship? I don’t think so. I hope not.
Here are three ways we can worship God. (And like a good three-point sermon, they all begin with the same letter.)
Singing
As I said, singing to God is a way to worship him. More broadly, music is a path to worship. That means we can sing or listen to music.
Music can also involve movement, rather it be clapping our hands, raising our arms in praise, or dance (from rhythmic swaying to getting down like David, 2 Samuel 6:14).
Yes, singing can have a physical component. It can also involve senses.
Sight: seeing others sing and dance (or watching a light show).
Hearing:listening to those around us sing and hearing the instruments.
Smell:incense or a smoke machine.
Touch:holding hands with fellow worshipers as we sing.
Taste: singing while we take communion.
For the record, I’ve experienced each of these sensory elements in worship at various church services, though not often.
Unfortunately, I’m musically and rhythmically challenged, so I struggle to worship God through music and movement. But give me a strong beat with catchy lyrics behind it, and I can engage in song as a means of worship.
Serving
Helping others, both with our time and through our money, is a tangible form of worship. I enjoy the action of doing something for others, offering it as an act of service to them and as a form of worship to God.
Similarly I like being able to give money to causes I’m passionate about or to people in need as the Holy Spirit directs me. Both are ways to serve and both offer a path for worship. I relish the opportunity to worship God through these forms of service.
Silence
In our multitasking, always-on society, the hush of stillness is an anachronism to most, one that causes many people to squirm. Few people can tolerate silence for more than a few seconds.
Yet in our silence—along with its partner, solitude—we can quiet our racing minds and still our thumping hearts in order to connect with God. Psalm 46:10 says to “be still and know that I am God.”
Yet, setting time aside to be still presents challenges. For most of us, meeting with God in silence doesn’t just happen; we must be intentional.
In my times of silence I connect more fully with God in worship, get deeper glimpses into his heart, and am best able to hear his gentle words of encouragement, correction, and mostly love. So good!
Just as I make it my practice to attend church, I have a parallel practice of giving to my community each week. I also (usually) block out one day out of seven to fast, and part of that time includes worshiping God through silence.
All three are forms of worship, though for me, helping others is more practical and resting in God’s presence is more meaningful.
God has uniquely made us and gives us different ways to worship him. When it comes to worship, one size does not fit all. Find the one that fits 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.
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.
Some Things are More Important Than Religious Practices: Focus on What Matters Most
I plan to fast one day a week. While I’m not as consistent as I would like, I follow through more often than I miss. Fasting is a spiritual act of worship for me.
It better connects me with God and sharpens my prayers. I (mostly) anticipate my fasts.
Fasting provides me with spiritual focus—providing I fast for the right reasons.
As such, I must fight against fasting for lessor, secondary benefits: saving time in meal preparation and eating, increased productivity throughout the day, and a means to keep my weight in check.
Those may be good, but they miss the main point of fasting.
Sometimes I fast with the right perspective, and other times I don’t do so well. It seems Zechariah has my struggle in mind when he cites God asking, “Was it really for me that you fasted?” Y
es, we can fast for God or we can fast for ourselves.
The first brings glory to God and the second, detracts from God. If we’re going to fast—or engage in any spiritual discipline, for that matter—we need to do so for the right reasons. If we fast, may we do so appropriately.
Yet a few verses later Zechariah seems to offer a better alternative to fasting. Again quoting God, he says to “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”
When done right fasting honors God. However acting with justice, mercy, and compassion honors God and benefits others. While the first is good, I suspect the second is better.
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.
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.
Being Active at Church May Seem a Wise Use of Time, but It’s Often Misplaced Action
One Sunday at church I passed our associate pastor as I scurried from one assignment to the next. “How are you?” he asked.
Instead of lying with a socially acceptable response, I told him the truth. “Busy.” I sighed.
As I scampered away he gave an approving nod with a knowing smile. “As long as you’re busy about the right things.” He even raised his eyebrows for emphasis.
Even though I returned his nod and his smile, I knew he was wrong. I was too busy.
This happened as a young twentysomething. A decade or so later, I hadn’t learned my lesson. Being between pastors, my church (a different one) needed me.
In addition to volunteering for things that interested me, I also said “yes” to whatever it asked.
I thought that being busy for God was my duty, a way to show him my love and devotion.
At the height of my folly I served in ten roles. I was in several leadership positions, served on committees, and had a prime teaching assignment.
These kept me busy on Sunday mornings and several evenings each week. I was the guy who made things happen.
There wasn’t much that occurred there I didn’t know about.
I wore my busyness as a badge of honor, and I shortchanged my family in the process. I was busy, too busy.
Wisely I phased out of my responsibilities. I began to say “no” to new ones. At first I declined with a heap of guilt, but eventually “no” empowered me. I began to feel free. I spent more time with family – and with God.
Now I have established some guidelines to keep me from overcommitment, three simple rules: Be involved in only one role at church.
Volunteer for only one activity in my community. And no more than one evening away from home per week.
Though I’m yet to find a place where I fit at my present church, I do enjoy a weekly volunteer opportunity to give to others. And these things seldom take me away from family in the evenings.
It’s a good balance, and I’m glad to not be so busy.
I can’t find a single place in the Bible where God commands us to be busy for him. What he does want is for us to worship him, be in relationship with him, and put him first.
But putting church first is not the same has making God first.
God doesn’t reward us for our many church activities. Though the cause may be noble, the activity is misplaced.
We honor God best when we put him first, not by being busy for him.
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.
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.
Jesus says to give “to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s,” Luke 20:25, NIV. While the context of this relates to paying taxes, the ramifications go beyond money.
The Roman government, in general, and its ruler (Caesar), specifically, have an array of expectations that go beyond tax revenue.
Caesar proclaims himself as god, and we see the far-reaching implications. Caesar wants for himself what the Jewish people reserve for God.
Many critics of today’s church claim “the church is only after your money,” and in doing so they imply God only values us for our bank account.
While this is sadly true at too many church institutions, it’s not what Jesus intends for us and is far from God’s heart.
Yes, God wants us to give ourselves to him. As we seek to put this into practice, however, giving to God becomes more art than rule. Here are some considerations.
Give Our Money
When most people think of giving to God, they only think of money. Yet, we can’t actually write a check and hand it to God – and what would he do with it anyway?
We give our money to God by using it to bless others and support causes that align with God’s heart, according to his Holy Spirit direction in our hearts. This may or may not be the local church.
It could be a parachurch organization, to address a pressing social issue, or to help our neighbor in need. Regardless, when we give cheerfully as God directs us, we in effect give to God.
Give Our Time
We spend time with people we value: family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and so forth. The people we ignore must not be important to us. The same applies with God. Again, this may or may not happen at church.
We spend time with God when we fast, pray, study the Bible, and practice silence and solitude.
We also spend time with him when we sing to him and talk with others about him. And when we invite him to join in our gatherings, we spend time with him, because he is there.
Give Our Worship
In singing songs at church about God and to God, we give to him. We can worship him in other ways, too, such as prayers of praise, sharing with others our stories of his goodness, and enjoying his creation. I often worship him when I write.
Give Our Love
Perhaps the most misused, most misunderstood word in English is love: I love my wife, and I love to watch movies. I love nature, and I love the color blue. I love spring, and I love to write.
And I love God. If our love of God means anything, we show it by how we use the money he blesses us with, how we invest our time, and how we worship him. Our love for him is a fitting response to his love for us (see 1 John 4:19).
Give Our Devotion
The act of devotion encompasses the first four items, but our zeal for God also goes beyond them. We set aside other pursuits to focus on God; we put him first, not in word but by our deeds.
Devotion involves sacrifice and focused attention, as though nothing else matters, because nothing else truly does. Giving to God is a lifelong, fulltime pursuit. As our maker, liberator, and friend, he deserves nothing less.
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.
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.
Two weeks ago I wrote that a spiritual discipline is something we do to draw closer to God or to honor him. To be of value we need to do this willingly with joy and in anticipation.
I gave 17 possible disciplines to consider. Going to church wasn’t on the list.
Should going to church be included as a spiritual discipline? Reflect on three spiritual disciplines that touch on the practice of church attendance:
1. Community
This is simply spending time with other people who follow Jesus in order to form meaningful spiritual connections. This can happen at church on Sundays; at least it should.
Yet at too many churches community doesn’t happen at all, and for other churches the community is superficial. Plus true community can happen at times other than Sunday morning. And that community is often richer.
2. Sabbath
We treat one day a week differently than the other six. I’ve been looking at the Old Testament Law about the Sabbath.
I keep reading that it’s a day of rest. I also see that we are to keep it holy, but so far I’ve not read that we are supposed to go to church on the Sabbath.
Besides sometimes we pack our Sabbaths so full with well-meaning spiritual activity that we end the day exhausted, not rested. I doubt this pleases God.
3. Worship
A third spiritual discipline that could relate to Sunday morning church attendance is worship.
Yes, we can worship God at church on Sunday mornings; we should worship him there. But we can also worship him on other days, at other times, and in other places.
I go to church on Sundays in expectation of community, and sometimes I worship God while I’m there, but I don’t find it restful.
I do go in hopes of drawing closer to God and to honor him, so I meet the first two parts of this being a church discipline, but the willingness factor is often missing, while the attitudes of joy and anticipation are things I must strive to conjure up.
I pray for all three of these mindsets each Sunday morning.
I suppose that going to church on Sunday mornings emerges as a spiritual discipline for some people. That might explain why I attend, but as spiritual disciplines go, I do a poor job at it.
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.
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.
When the Bible instructs us to “Fear God,” it means to honor, worship, and reverence him. That’s a holy fear, not a terrifying one. We need to fear God in that way, but we need not cower in fear if we encounter him.
Matthew’s biography of Jesus tells how the Jewish leaders arrest Jesus and pressure the Romans to killing him. The Roman soldiers crucify him. Joseph of Arimathea buries him. The Romans seal his tomb and guard it.
An earthquake shakes the place and an angel shows up to open the crypt. Jesus emerges all dazzling and lightening bright. The soldiers tremble in fear and fall into a dead faint.
The angel tells two women, friends of Jesus, “Do not be afraid.” Then he adds that Jesus is alive; go tell the disciples.
They leave, still afraid but also with joy, holding onto hope that the impossible has happened. As they go they meet Jesus. He too says, “Do not be afraid.”
If you watched a man die and be buried, what would you think if you later saw him alive and he spoke? How would you react if you saw an angel or even God?
I’d be afraid.
And I’m not sure if hearing the words “Do not be afraid” would help me a whole lot. It’s only in the movies that we see dead people walking about. And talking with supernatural beings isn’t something most people ever experience.
We would have reason to be afraid.
Some thirty times in the Bible, angels and even God tells people, “Do not be afraid.” This occurs in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, from Genesis to Revelation.
The patriarchs, the prophets, the disciples, and others all hear these words.
If we love God, we need not be afraid of him. When we see him, we should stand in awe. That’s the right response. “Do not be afraid.”
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.
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.
