Last week I received a strange notice from my US mail carrier. It seems that the location of my mailbox is unacceptable. What’s perplexing is it’s been like that for twenty years, so I’m not sure why it’s suddenly now out of specification. There are two complaints with my once acceptable mailbox: it needs to […]
Karma is a concept found in many eastern religions that essentially says, “What goes around, comes around.” It is a sort of universal law of cause and effect. There is a seemingly karma-like verse in the Bible, which appears to paraphrase this idea. It says, “You reap what you sow.” However, in looking at the […]
I did a word study on the usage of yeast in the Bible. Here is what I found: Yeast is used symbolically to represent influence, usually negatively. Just as a little bit of yeast, permeates dough and produces a noticeable result, so to does influence, be it good or bad. [Check out where these references […]
Do You Live by the Law or by Faith? In what initially seems to be shocking statement, Jesus says that if we want to have eternal life, we must follow the commandments in the Old Testament. [Matthew 19:17] Of course, this is impossible, because if we break even one law, one time, we are found […]
When Jesus died, many dead people came to life. This is a literal, physical event that Matthew documented. This can also be understood and applied on a figurative or symbolic basis, in that for all who follow Jesus: We came alive when Jesus died. This is a new, spiritual, eternal life. In short, Jesus died […]
The Liberating Power of Trinitarian Faith By Christian A. Schwarz (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) The Threefold Art of Experiencing God is a short book (32 pages) that is packed with profundity. Author Christian Schwarz asserts that although most Christians believe in the Trinity (that God exists in three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) […]
Where do toads come from? I pondered that question during Ike’s massive deluge as I peered out my basement egress window into the window well. (The water was draining away nicely—thank you.) Sitting there as happy as could be were two toads. Being different size and color, I assume that they were not related, yet they both […]
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan Pilgrim’s Progress: Journey to Heaven is an effective and gripping modern-day adaptation of John Bunyon’s classic allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress. The story’s protagonist “Christian,” feels compelled to embark upon a journey to lift his burden and save himself from impeding doom. His ultimate destination is the Celestial City, but the path there […]
There is an account of Jesus, when a paralyzed man seeks to be healed. In a surprise move, Jesus confounds everybody by forgiving the man’s sins! Jesus had realized that this man’s greatest need was not physical, but spiritual, so he addressed that first. Knowing that it is much easier to say “your sins are […]
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan The Jesus Film (also known as Jesus) is a faithful telling of the life of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of Luke. It was shot on location, providing powerful visual support for the written account found in the Bible. Filmed in 1979, the production seems only somewhat dated, while the […]