Year: 2009

Bible

Is God a Republican or a Democrat?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 23, 2009

I have Christian friends who are staunch, conservative Republicans. When they read their Bible, they see God as a conservative Republican. They cannot comprehend how anyone who follows Jesus could be or think like a Democrat. Their views are found and substantiated in the Bible.

I have other Christian friends who are staunch, liberal Democrats. When they read their Bible, they see God as a liberal Democrat. They cannot comprehend how anyone who follows Jesus could be or think like a Republican. Their views are also found and substantiated in the Bible.

Unfortunately, both these groups read their Bible through the filter of their preconceived notion of politics, focusing on those verses that confirm their views, while glossing over or skipping those passages that confront their predetermined and intractable ideals.

This doesn’t just happen with politics, either. If we are not careful, this is always how we read the Bible, giving great prominence to those sections we agree with, while dismissing those that challenge our theological expectations and spiritual status quo.

We need to — we must — take off the blinders and cast aside our filters, instead reading the Bible with an open mind, focusing precisely on the parts that don’t align with our preconceived notions and preferences, which are anathemas, and that cause us confusion or even anger.

It is in truly considering all that the Bible has to say that we will have a chance for real understanding and spiritual growth.

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.

Tags Jesus, politics

Bible

Mankind and the Animal Kingdom: Conflict or Coexistence?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 20, 2009

In the story of the great flood, God is distressed with man’s evil behavior. He decides that the only recourse is to destroy man and let civilization start anew. Unfortunately, in killing all the people by a flood, all the animals will also die (except for those saved by the ark).

This, of course, is not fair to the animals. They are taken out because of man’s mistakes.

There is an interesting parallel in this today. Man’s behavior is again threatening the lives of animals. This time man’s mistakes result in excessive economic gain and greedy prosperity at the expense of animal habitat.

God did give the earth to man, but to take care of it, not to exploit it.

[See Genesis 6:5-8 and Genesis 1:26.]

Tags creation

Bible

Justice or Mercy?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 19, 2009

I have a friend who pursues justice; she wants everything to be fair. The bad thing about absolute justice is that it leaves no room for mercy. In many ways, justice and mercy are opposites:

Mercy is getting off with a warning, while justice says you deserve a ticket.
Mercy is having a test question thrown out, while justice says you got it wrong.
Mercy is receiving probation, while justice says you deserve jail.
Mercy is getting a second chance, while justice says there are no “do-overs.”
Mercy is being permitted to retract your chess move, while justice says “sorry, you took your hands off it.”

In a paradox of Godly proportions, God is both fully just yet full of mercy.

Justice says that an imperfect person cannot be in the presence of a perfect God, while mercy through Jesus allows us to do so anyway.

Thank God for his justice and his mercy—and for paradoxes!

Tags Jesus, justice, mercy, paradox

Bible

How Much is Enough?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 11, 2009

How much money is enough when you give to charity?

When considering gifts to God, that is a difficult question to answer. This is because God’s economy functions differently than ours. This is aptly illustrated in the following story:

Jesus notices the rich people giving gifts to the temple treasury. Apparently, they would make a big show of this, to call attention to themselves and their “generosity.” (Think of dropping 100 pennies into the Salvation Army kettle at Christmas time, versus slipping in a dollar bill.)

After their loud and showy performance, a poor widow shuffles up and meekly drops in two pennies. We might wonder what two cents could do, but Jesus remarks that she was the most generous all, giving all that she had.

It seems that God is more concerned with our attitude about giving then he is with the amount that we give. That’s how things work in God’s economy.

[See Luke 21:1-4.]

Tags Jesus

Bible

Is This a Test?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 10, 2009

The Bible is chocked full of strange and perplexing tales.

One such story is when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. What father in his right mind would kill his son? However, Abraham is intent on obeying God regardless of the cost.

Three days later we find him up on a mountain, with Son Isaac tied up and laying on the alter. With a knife in hand, Abraham raises his arm, ready to plunge the dagger into Isaac. Just then, God says in effect, ”Wait, don’t do it; I was just seeing if you would really obey me.”

Wow, that was close. Then God provides a ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac. Abraham proved himself faithful to God, and Isaac was spared.

Fast forward several centuries to Jesus. Jesus is himself getting ready to die; he is going to be sacrificed. Surely, he knows the story of Abraham and Isaac; every Jew knows that story.

I suspect he is wondering if his loyalty and obedience to God are being tested just like Abraham, for he says, ”Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

However, God didn’t say, ”Hold on, this was just a test of your obedience”; there was no one else to take his place. It was Jesus’ job and his purpose to die for the wrongs of the world in order to make us right with God.

Jesus obeys; Jesus dies; we live.

[See Genesis 22:1-14 and Luke 22:42.]

Tags Abraham, faithful, Father, Jesus, Jew

Bible

Entertaining Angels

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 7, 2009

As followers of Jesus, we are encouraged to be generous and giving. Hospitality is part of that. Sometimes when we show kindness to others, we will never know the affect of our actions.

As an encouragement in being generous and giving, Paul writes, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

This is an interesting thought. Of course, we would never know if it were to happen.

However, the Bible provides a story that confirms this idea of serving angels. Three men come to visit Abraham. He offers them food and respite. Somehow he realizes that one of them is God (likely Jesus), but it is not until later that we learn the other two are angels.

No indication is given that Abraham ever comprehends the true identity of the other two visitors.

The two men (angels) leave, going on to Sodom to visit Abraham’s nephew, Lot. He, likewise, offers generous hospitality to them, even to the point of begging. There is no hint that Lot ever realizes the men are angels, either.

Even so, they save Lot twice, first from the men of the town and later from the destruction of Sodom.

Certainly we should be diligent in entertaining strangers—we’ll never know what might happen.

[See Hebrews 13:2 and Genesis 18-19.]

Tags Abraham, angel, Jesus, Paul

Bible

When You Fast…

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2009

In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers to fast. It is not optional. He doesn’t say, “If you fast…,” but rather, “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16-17). Jesus’ teaching applies to us too.

Fasting is intentionally going without something in order to better connect with God, such as to focus on prayer or seek his leading in making a decision. Typically, fasting is specifically going without food for a period on time. The length of time could be for a few hours, up to several days.

It is important to remember that the focus of fasting isn’t about suffering, but about seeking.

When we fast, we become understandably hungry for food, reminding us of the importance of being hungry for God. Imagine craving time and intimacy with God as much as we crave eating—three or more times a day.

[See Fasting for the Right Reasons.]

Tags fasting, Jesus, prayer

Bible

Now That’s Old!

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2009

In the book of Genesis, chapter 5, Adam’s family tree is listed, including the ages of him and his descendants, with many recorded life spans hovering around 900 years, plus or minus a few decades.

While some doubt the veracity of these records, I’m willing to accept these ages as presented. (In Genesis 6:3, after the great flood, God decrees that from this point forward, people will live no more than 120 years.)

In considering the ages given, Adam (who lived 930 years) would have still been alive (albeit, 874 years old) when his great, great, great, great, great, great, grandson Lamech was born.

Lamech was Noah’s father, the one and same Noah who built the ark in preparation for the afore mentioned flood. That makes one degree of separation between Adam and Noah.

Also noteworthy is Methuselah, the oldest recorded person in the Bible, living 969 years; he was Noah’s grandpa. Lamech, and likely Methuselah, would have died just prior to the flood.

In the generations after the flood, life spans steadily decreased (see Genesis 10) towards this 120 mark.

Even though we can only hope to approach the maximum age of 120, it is interesting to contemplate what we might do and how we might plan if there was an expectation of living for many centuries and seeing the our next several generations of descendants.

However, since living to be 900 is not going to happen, we need to make the most of the relatively few decades we have.

Tags Methuselah

Bible

The Writings of Doctor Luke

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 2, 2009

Paul is the most prolific writer in the New Testament. Who is second? That would be Dr. Luke.

Luke wrote an account of Jesus’ life (called “The Gospel According to Luke,” or simply “Luke”) and also chronicled the activities of the early church (called “The Acts of the Apostles” or just “Acts”).

These two accounts encompass over 25% of the New Testament and give us valuable historical information about Jesus and his followers, providing a powerful and compelling two-book combination.

Luke was a doctor and the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament. As such, his words are that of an outsider and may more readily connect with those on the “outside.” Luke wrote with simple, yet compelling language.

As a trained professional, Luke was a keen observer and provides many details and facts that are not included in the other three historical accounts of Jesus.

The book of Acts looks at Jesus’ followers’ and their efforts to continue on without him. They wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised to send to them for guidance, direction, and counsel.

Many people look to Acts for a model for how the church should function. Noteworthy in Acts is the frequent mention Holy Spirit. With about 100 references, Acts provides a close and personal insight into the function and mystery of the Holy Spirit.

Both our monthly Bible reading plan and the New Testament reading plan kick off the year with the books of Luke and Acts. Regardless of your Bible reading intentions for the year, I hope you are off to a good start—and if not, why not start today?

Tags Acts, church, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jew, Luke, mystery, Paul

Bible

Physical or Spiritual?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 30, 2009

We live in a physical world. We can interact with it though our senses; it is tangible; it is real.

While this is true, there is more —much more. There is a spiritual reality that is even more real then the physical realm that we call home. Consider that God exists in the spiritual realm; it existed first and always has.

It is from this spiritual reality that he created our physical world in which we live. (Don’t get distracted on how this creation occurred.)

In his letter to the people who lived in Thessalonica, Paul talks about our spirit, soul, and body. How do these three aspects of who we are interact and co-exist?

It’s been said that we are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. Furthermore, our soul is comprised of our mind, will, and emotions. That puts things in the proper order, giving us a good perspective on our existence and what is most important.

Although our body is temporal and will die, our spirit will live on, existing in the spiritual realm. Though it is good and right to take care of our body, it is wiser and better to care for our spirit, because we are a spirit, we just live in a body.

[See 1 Thessalonians 5:23.]

Tags creation, Paul, spiritual