Help Me versus Make Me As I read the Psalms in the Amplified Bible this week, a curious phrase jumped out. The writer says to God, “Make me understand the way of your precepts.” Notice, he didn’t ask for assistance by saying, “Help me.” He was direct; he implored God to “Make me.” The NIV […]
Sometimes words and phrases evoke emotions in people beyond what they mean. A friend recently blogged about how the word “worship” has a negative meaning for her. Although understanding what she meant—and empathizing a bit—I didn’t think too much more about her post until a while later when I recalled my own issues with the […]
Jesus says nobody knows when the world will end. Later on Paul confirms no one knows when Jesus will return (therefore signaling the start of the end). It will happen unexpectedly, like a “thief in the night.” So if the Bible says no one knows, why do some preachers make their audacious predictions anyway? Adding […]
Should Churches Pursue Excellence in All Things? A phrase I hear from time to time at churches is pursuing excellence in all things. Other churches don’t speak this directly, but they do understand it. One reason for this may be pure, to give God our best. Or the motive may be practical, to provide a […]
A Metaphor of God’s Provision Last weekend, my wife and I attended a wedding. The minister reminded us of when Jesus was at a wedding too. In his first recorded miracle, Jesus doesn’t address a big need, such as healing someone of a life-threatening illness or debilitating condition; he just turns some water into wine. […]
Last month I wrote about our grandpuppy Zane, our daughter and son-in-law’s eight-pound bundle of delight. Zane, however, is not our only grandpuppy. Our son and his wife, also have a dog, Maximus Decimus Meridius. Max for short. Max is our first grandpuppy, a beautiful Husky. At three years old, he’s actually no longer a […]
Today in the United States, a three day holiday weekend (for Labor Day on Monday) effectively marks the end of summer. As I anticipate going to church, I know I’ll see fewer people there. I’m bothered over the low attendance. And I’m bothered that it bothers me. Growing up, only two things kept me from […]
Magazine Publisher and Editor Seeks to Give Back to Writing Community Mattawan, Michigan, Aug 29, 2013—Author Peter DeHaan will speak at the 2013 Breathe Christian Writers Conference taking place October 18 and 19 in Dutton, Michigan. “This will be the fourth time I’ve had the privilege to attend the Breathe Christian Writers Conference, and this year […]
Are We the Same or Different? I’m so excited to guest post on a friend’s blog—and I hope you’ll find it worth your time to read it! (To make it easier, I’ll try to keep things short.) It won’t take long for you to notice that my writing style is different from Grace’s. She writes […]
It’s a shocking stat, but there are 42,000 Christian denominations in the world! Yes, the church that Jesus started is currently divided into 42,000 factions. Notice I didn’t say Jesus’ churches (plural), but Jesus’ church (singular). How do I know Jesus intended there to be only one church? Quite simply because he prayed we would […]