Reviewed by Peter DeHaan The Other Side of Heaven is a wonderfully inspiring real-life saga that is a part love story (on two levels) and part adventure, with a touch of spirituality mixed in for a pleasing result. In the 1950s, fresh out of college, young John Groberg (Christopher Gorham) agrees to a three-year missionary […]
Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships By Carl Medearis bMost Christians are fearful and distrustful of Muslims and author Carl Medearis asserts that Muslims are likewise fearful and distrustful of Christians. In both cases, these attitudes are largely misplaced, resulting from misinformation, false stereotypes, and the highly publicized work of a radical minority—from both camps. In […]
The One About the Fig Tree Have you ever heard the story about Jesus and the fig tree? Jesus is heading into Jerusalem and is hungry. Seeing a fig tree, he searches its foliage for something to eat. Finding nothing, he seems to get a tad irritated, declaring that it will never again produce fruit. […]
A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America By Mike Yankoski (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) College student Mike Yankoski felt a promoting to truly understand what it was like to be homeless—by living among them. After careful planning Mike, and friend Sam, embarked on a six-month, six-city odyssey that completely changed all their perceptions […]
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 […]
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 […]
Jesus is sleeping in a boat; the disciples are crossing the lake. A major strong whips up and the disciples are overwhelmed—remember that several of them were fishermen, so it must have been a bad one to scare them. In a panic, they wake up Jesus. He says, “You have little faith; why are you […]
In Genesis 18:10-15 we read the amazing story of Sarah being promised a son in her old age. When she hears this, she laughs—I would to; it seems preposterous. But for an all-powerful God, nothing is impossible. In fact God rhetorically asks Abraham (Sarah’s even older husband) “Is anything too hard for [me]?” Sarah’s laughter […]