The Allure of Mystery There are things about God, Jesus, and salvation that the Bible simply describes as “mystery,” that is, hidden truth or a mystic secret. This drives some people crazy. They want to understand all and be able to fully explain everything. Anything less causes frustration and angst. For me, I relish the realization […]
Living in the Prophetic In Paul’s letter to Timothy he talks about a prophecy that he made regarding Timothy. (A prophecy is a God-inspired foretelling of the future.) Often we think of a prophecy as being about some grand, distantly future event—like the end of the world or major catastrophe—but that is not always the […]
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan Both thought-provoking and inspiring, the movie Conversations with God, is based on the book by the same name, authored by Neale Donald Walsch. This true story is a compelling account of Neale, living among the homeless after being laid off and surviving a car accident. As Neale struggles for survival and […]
For the past week, we have enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures in the high sixties to mid seventies. Last Saturday I mowed my lawn for the last time this season. If you’re thinking that this is rather late for Michigan, you’re right. The grass really hasn’t grown much in the past few weeks, but […]
Discover Why Paul Says This In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells readers to follow his example and to the Corinthians he writes, “imitate me” (Philippians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 4:16). This strikes me as bold and audacious, arrogant and presumptuous. This seemingly brash statement, however, is illuminated when he later instructs readers to […]
Are Grace and Mercy the Same Thing? Are grace and mercy the same thing? That might seem so, since they are both good things that God gives us. However, in some respects they are opposites. Consider these simple definitions: Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. For […]
Intimacy, Fecundity, and Ecstasy in Christian Perspective By Henri Nouwen (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) Much of Lifesigns was written while author Henri Nouwen was staying at l’Arche, a loving and compassion-filled home for the handicapped. It is, therefore, not surprising that he connects that environment to this discourse. Nouwen asserts that we show signs of […]
How Does Salvation “Work”? In one Paul’s letters, he says something that is quite curious and strange. He tells readers to “work out your salvation” (Philippians 2:12). Ugh? Didn’t Paul also write that we are saved through faith and not by our “works” (that is, not of our own doing or striving)? (Ephesians 2:8-9). So, […]
In the Bible, there is the instruction to “put on the full armor of God.” To the casual reader, this might seem like a call to arms or a provocation for military action. Yet I don’t see this as a militant statement, but merely a memory aid to help people remember key items needed to […]
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan End of the Spear is the compelling true story of dedicated missionaries needlessly speared to death by the violent tribe they are seeking to help. This tragically occurs because one of the tribesmen lies about them in order to protect himself from deadly reprisals within his own clan. T he result […]