When we think of the word pharisee, we envision a narrow-minded, hypocritical, self-righteous person. To call someone a pharisee is an insult. So, when we read pharisee in the Bible, we automatically think ill of that person. However, a Pharisee was someone devoted to following a strict moral code aligned with Moses’ instructions, which he received from […]
The Reluctant Prophet: A Novel By Nancy Rue (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) In the novel The Reluctant Prophet, by Nancy Rue, forty-something Alison is still trying to figure out what she wants to do when she grows up. Though she has been a faithful church attendee for seven years, her faith is still nominal. Then […]
When a man asks Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life,” he is showing proper respect for Jesus by calling him good. Jesus, however, is quick to assert that only God is truly good. If ever anyone deserved the label of “good,” it was Jesus. But instead he offers this accolade […]
Jesus seems to specialize in doing the unexpected. For instance, consider when the rich young ruler asks Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus side-steps the question about eternal life. Instead, he goes into teaching about good. That was unexpected. Another time, four men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus to […]
The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing, to pray continually. This seems to be an impossible task. If we always prayed, we’d be doing nothing but praying. However, Brother Lawrence did approach this goal, learning over the course of many years to be in a constant attitude of prayer as he went about his daily […]
First Meeting a Resounding Success Peter DeHaan and Jerry Barrett have started a writers critique group, Kalamazoo Christian Writers (KCW), based in Kalamazoo Michigan. The first meeting was held on July 11 at The Point, a non-profit community center located on the west side of Kalamazoo. KCW materials passed out at the inaugural meeting state: […]
Jesus gives a brief story about the interaction between a servant and his master. The conclusion is that the servant should not expect any praise or special treatment for merely doing his job. So too should be our attitude when we do what God expects of us. Instead, we—I don’t think I’m alone in this—have […]
By James Rutz (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)In The Meaning of Life, author James Rutz takes a new look at some of the standard thinking about God. He examines anew God’s creation, corrects common misconceptions about what heaven and hell are really like, revisits history to address its central theme and approaching conclusion, addresses the problem […]
In the post on forgiveness, I cited the instructions of Jesus: when someone treats us wrongly we are to first confront (“rebuke”) them about the issue. If they apologize or acknowledge their error (“repent”), then we are to forgive them. From this, we can infer a three-step process: Which evokes several questions: Frankly, I don’t know […]
Once when teaching his disciples, Jesus addresses forgiveness. He says when someone treats us wrongly we are to first confront (“rebuke”) them about the issue. If they apologize or acknowledge their error (“repent”), then we are to forgive them. Although Jesus literally says we are to do this seven times, there is actually no limit to forgiveness. […]