Year: 2009

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Bible

Are You in Debt?

The Bible says, “Let no debt remain outstanding.” That is sage advice for any time, but especially in these troubled economic conditions. Debt, in general, and bad debt, specifically, has gotten our economy into trouble, threatening to hold us down for the long term.

However, that’s not really what this verse is talking about. You see, I stopped too soon. Had I continued, I would have read, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.”

Wow, that puts things in a different perspective. Do you have a debt of love? That is one debt that can never be repaid. We can—and should—be making regular payments, but paying it off is never truly possible.

We “vowed” love to each other.  Let’s make sure that paying back that debt—every day.

[Romans 13:8]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

The One About the Fig Tree

Have you ever heard the story about Jesus and the fig tree?

Jesus is heading into Jerusalem and is hungry.  Seeing a fig tree, he searches its foliage for something to eat.  Finding nothing, he seems to get a tad irritated, declaring that it will never again produce fruit.

The fig tree withers and his disciples are amazed.  Jesus uses this as an opportunity to teach them about praying in faith (Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-14, 20-26).

I agree with that lesson; it is astonishing, remarkable, and encouraging.

However, I also have a secondary thought about this story.  The purpose of the fig tree is to produce fruit.  When Jesus finds no fruit, he dismisses it and the tree dies; his disciples say that he cursed it.

As followers of Jesus, we are also supposed to bear fruit.  If we do not bear fruit, will Jesus dismiss us as well?

This is a sobering thought and one that is reinforced when Jesus says that he is a vine, we are his branches, and he cuts off all branches that don’t bear fruit (John 15:1-8).

If this leaves you a bit flummoxed, balance this concern with the assurance, found in the next verse, that Jesus loves us (John 15:9).

So, pray in faith, produce fruit, and know that you are loved.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

Naaman’s Decision

The Bible includes the story of Naaman, an Aramean army commander, who has leprosy (a contagious skin disease).

His Jewish servant girl suggests that he go and see Elisha, in Israel, to be healed.  Naaman eagerly goes, but feels slighted by Elisha, who doesn’t even bother to greet his powerful visitor, instead sending a servant with the simple message to wash seven times in the river to be healed.

Naaman is not used to being treated that way; he storms off in a huff.  He wanted attention; he expected that a grand and glorious display of power would be given to bring about his healing.

Fortunately, the cooler head of another of his servants prevails, essentially saying, “Don’t be proud; you have nothing to lose.”

Naaman agrees, performing the humble task of washing himself in the river — and is healed!

Sometimes when we ask for God’s help, we expect one thing, but he provides an unexpected response.  What do we do then, stomp off in a huff or dutifully follow instructions?

In Naaman’s case, he had to humble himself before receiving God’s reward; we should not be surprised when we must do the same.

[2 Kings 5]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

Harmony

Yesterday, in “Adam was a Vegetarian,” I referenced Genesis 9:2-3 where God added meat to mankind’s diet.

There is another interesting item in that passage.  In verse two, God says that from then on, all the animals would be afraid of people.  This allows us to infer that prior to that time, the animals were not afraid of people. 

That’s an intriguing thought.  Although we have domesticated some animals, most species remain wild.  Imagine living without fear and in harmony with animals, being able to sleep next to a lion or hold a rattlesnake of our hands.

And it could happen again.  In Isaiah’s prophecy, he looks to a future time when:

“The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them,” (Isaiah 11:6).

Mankind living without fear and in harmony with animals.  It happened once — and will happen again.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Adam Was A Vegetarian

Adam was a vegetarian — really, he was.  So were Eve and their kids, too.  In fact, the next several generations likely avoided meat was well.  How do I know this?

After creation, God told Adam that he could eat any plant or fruit tree for food.  Meat was definitely not mentioned as an option, (Genesis 1:29).

However, less we conclude that we are supposed to be vegetarians, consider God’s follow-up instructions after the great flood.  At that time, God gave all animals to Noah, stating that they would also be used for food (Genesis 9:2-3).

One might argue that God’s original plan was for a vegetarian lifestyle.  That is an acceptable conclusion, but it needs to be kept in balance with the also acceptable perspective that meat was given to us to be enjoyed.  Both are biblically defensible conclusions.

So, be we herbivore or carnivore, we need to get along with each other; that is even more in line with God’s desire for us.

Bon Appétit!

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

The Origin of Purim

Our Jewish friends will be celebrating Purim this week. (For 2009 Purim begins at sunset March 9 and ends at sunset on the 10th, though some apparently celebrate it for two days.)

The origin of Purim is found in the book of Esther, which is a beautiful and moving story:

In a rags to riches manner, Esther was whisked from obscurity to become queen.  From her new position of access and influence, she was able to stop a plot to kill her people, the Jews.

This was done at great personal risk as she could have been summarily executed.  Esther’s bravery shows how one person can make a difference

To commemorate this event, an annual celebration was commanded, which is still celebrated today:

“And Mordecai recorded these things, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both near and far, to command them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and also the fifteenth, yearly.

“As the days on which the Jews got rest from their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a holiday — that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days of sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor,” (Esther 9:20-22).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

Fasting for the Right Reasons

Although many people ignore its practice, fasting is demonstrated in the Bible and is an encouraged practice.  (See the blog entry, “When You Fast…”.)

However, fasting rightly requires fasting for the right reasons.  Here are some of them:

Wrong reasons for fasting includes to earn God’s attention or favor, out of a sense of duty and obligation, or to gain the respect of others.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

Miracles and an Ant Farm

If you accept that God exists and exercises providential care over his creation, it is, therefore, reasonable to expect that from time to time, miracles will occur – either for our own good or for his pleasure. 

As such, an occasional divine intervention is not an irrational desire, but a reasonable expectation.

At the risk of trivializing God and his care for us, consider a person wishing to enjoy an ant farm.”  That person would need to first establish the ant colony and would therefore understandably opt to do what is needed to ensure its ongoing survival.

At the same time, he or she would also seek an overall “hands-off” mentality in order to most effectively enjoy the ants in their natural, everyday existence.

In other words, the ant farmer would intervene (that is, do an “ant miracle”) when there was a prevailing reason to do so, but not as a matter of course.

Although God is much more generous and caring than an ant farmer, the analogy is nonetheless helpful in understanding the possibility of miracles occurring in our world today.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible

Here I Am

A reoccurring statement in the Bible is “Here I am.”

This was often said to God when he calls out or speaks to one of his children.

  • Twice, when God called to Abraham, Abraham responded with, “Here I am,” (Genesis 21:1 and 22:11).
  • Abraham’s grandson Jacob had similar experiences.  Once an angel came to Jacob in a dream (on God’s behalf) and another time God spoke to Jacob in a vision at night.  Both times Jacob replied by saying, “Here I am.” (Genesis 31:11 and 46:2).
  • Some 400 hundred years later, God spoke from the midst of a burning bush and Moses said, “Here I am,” (Exodus 3:4).

Abraham, Jacob, and Moses were all expectantly ready to listen to God.  We need to do the same.

Later Jesus said, “Here I am” in obedience to do the will of his father, (Hebrews 10:7-9, which is quoting the prophetic text in Psalm 40:7).

Lastly, this phrase is spoken to us by Jesus.  He says,

“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me,”(Revelation 3:20).

Jesus is saying that he is ready for us; he is waiting; all we need to do is open the door for him.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Lessons from the Life of John Mark

There is an interesting story that begins in Acts 13.

God tells the church to commission and send out Barnabas and Paul to other cities, telling the people they meet about Jesus.  They do this, taking with them John (also called, John Mark or just Mark).

The thing is, God didn’t tell them to take John Mark; he apparently doesn’t belong there.  This is borne out later, when John Mark deserts Barnabas and Paul to return home.

Later, Barnabas wants to give John Mark a second chance (an example of mercy), but Paul says “no” (an example of justice).  They part company over this disagreement, each going their separate ways. 

This might seem like a bad thing, but it turns out to be a good thing, as they are then able to cover twice the ground, doubling their effectiveness and outreach.

For John Mark, his story ends on a positive note, too, with him and Paul later being reconciled (an example of grace) and Paul esteeming John Mark as his fellow worker and as being useful to him.

This is a great lesson in life.  Despite making mistakes along the way, we can still finish well.  John Mark did and so can we.

[See Acts 13:2-3, 5, 13; Acts 15:36-41; Colossians 4:10, Philemon 1:24, and 2 Timothy 4:11.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.