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Mart DeHaan

Mart DeHaan

Mart DeHaan is the grandson of Our Daily Bread Ministries founder, Dr. M. R. DeHaan, and the son of former president Richard W. DeHaan. Since 1969, he has served the ministry in a variety of roles and, in addition to being heard regularly on Discover the Word radio, continues as a senior content advisor and contributing writer for the Our Daily Bread devotional. He and his wife, Diane have two children, Benjamin and Jennifer.

Articles by Mart DeHaan

Unexpected Ways

In 1986, five-year-old Levan Merritt fell twenty feet into the gorilla enclosure of England’s Jersey zoo. As parents and onlookers cried out for help, a full-grown male silverback, named Jambo, placed himself between the motionless boy and several other gorillas. Then he began to gently stroke the child’s back. When Levan began to cry, Jambo led the other gorillas into their own enclosure as zoo-keepers and an ambulance driver came to the rescue. Thirty years later Levan still talks about Jambo the gentle giant—his guardian angel who had acted in a shockingly unexpected way, changing his perception of gorillas forever.

Elijah may have expected God to act in certain ways, but the God of gods used a rock-shattering wind, a powerful earthquake, and raging fire to show His prophet Elijah how not to think of Him. Then He used a gentle whisper to show His heart and to express His presence (1Kings 19:11-12).

Elijah had seen God’s power before 18:38-39). But he didn’t fully understand the One who wants to be known as more than the greatest and most fearsome of gods (19:10, 14).

Eventually, that quiet whisper found fullness of meaning in the powerful gentleness of Jesus, who said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Then he quietly allowed Himself to be nailed to a tree— to deepen our understanding of the Great God who loves us.

The Sovereignty of God

Parallels of Peter and Paul. Peter is prominent in Acts 1–12; Paul in 13–28. This reflects the change in the makeup of the church from a primarily Jewish to a largely Gentile body. Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, was uniquely chosen to be God’s leading ambassador to the Jews. Paul, the highly educated Pharisee and Roman citizen, was chosen to be…

The Miracles of God in Acts

Some people say they don’t believe Christians should expect God to do the kind of miracles that are recorded in the book of Acts. Other people are continually talking about experiencing miracles of healing. The literature of faith healers abounds with amazing claims. Interestingly, Eve Simson, a university professor of sociology, made the following statement:

Over the years, while conducting…

The Young Adulthood of the Church

About the time that Paul made his decision to return to Jerusalem (c. AD 57), the growing church had reached young adulthood. God had led the church through a significant period of transitions. Believers had developed much strength and had matured in the face of persecution. The churches, however, had to function without Paul’s personal visits because he was arrested…

The Adolescence of the Church

Adolescence is that time in life between late childhood and young adulthood. It is a difficult period because it is a time of dramatic transition and change. Boys are becoming men and girls are becoming women. A new identity emerges, and with it come new roles and new expectations. In Acts 10–20 we see the church in her adolescence making…

The Childhood of the Church

The infant church in Jerusalem grew rapidly. The people who had come to know God through Christ were a joyful and united group. In the beginning they experienced little if any persecution. Ideal circumstances for an infant! Infancy, however, doesn’t last very long. And as the infant becomes a child, he inevitably experiences pain, disappointment, and discipline. These elements are…

The Birth of the Church

The book of Acts is the record of the ongoing life of Christ. The Son of God had died. He had been buried. But He had risen from the grave. He had appeared to His disciples—not once, not twice, but repeatedly. He had even taught them truths about His kingdom, although they wouldn’t understand some elements about it until later.…

A New Name

As God began doing something new, the way His people referred to themselves also began to change. They no longer saw themselves merely in terms of their national origins. Now, both Jew and Gentile locked arms and hearts in the form of a bold new coalition of believers in Jesus Christ. Before long they were known as “Christians.” They met…

A Well-Researched Record

In 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the public was barraged with rumors, gossip, hearsay, and opinions. So the Warren Commission was appointed to investigate and report its findings. They produced a well-researched written record that answered key questions, putting to rest many of the wild rumors that were floating around at the time.

Following a sensational event,…