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Richard DeHaan

Richard DeHaan

Richard W. DeHaan was President of RBC Ministries and teacher on RBC programs for 20 years. He was the son of RBC founder Dr. M. R. DeHaan and wrote a number of full-length books and study booklets for RBC. During his years leading RBC Ministries, Richard had the vision to use television as a way to teach Scriptures—much like his father had embraced radio. The Day of Discovery television ministry was birthed in 1968 and is now hosted by his son Mart. With his keen logical mind, Richard often questioned how a particular idea, sentence, or paragraph contributed to the advancement of the main idea in individual Our Daily Bread articles. His insights helped refine the devotional’s content standards. Often called “the encourager,” Richard was committed to faithfulness to God's Word and to integrity as a ministry. His favorite expression was “Trust in God and do the right.” Richard went to be with the Lord in 2002. Since his passing, he has been joined by his wife, Marge, and one of his four sons, Kurt.

Articles by Richard DeHaan

'They Wouldn’t Let Me!'

A woman was trapped on the top floor of a burning building. Flames and smoke blocked every way of escape. When firefighters arrived, one of the men scrambled up a ladder to the window where the woman was screaming for help, and with outstretched arms he offered to save her. But when she looked down and saw the great distance to the ground below, she panicked and drew back into the room.

The Forgotten Book

A young boy noticed a large black book all covered with dust lying on a high shelf. His curiosity was aroused, so he asked his mother about it. Embarrassed, she hastily explained, "That’s a Bible. It’s God’s Book." The boy thought for a moment and then said, "Well, if that’s God’s Book, why don’t we give it back to Him? Nobody around here uses it anyway."

The Carpenter Judge

Jesus Christ is the Inescapable One. We must either receive Him in this life as our loving Savior or stand before Him in the life to come as our eternal Judge.

Stay In The Sunshine

In his book The Best Is Yet To Be, Henry Durbanville told the story of a little girl in London who won a prize at a flower show. Her entry was grown in an old cracked teapot and had been placed in the attic window of a rundown tenement house. When someone asked how she managed to raise such a lovely flower in such an unlikely environment, she said she moved it around so it would always be in the sunlight.

Equal Access

Pastor Stuart Silvester told me of a conversation he had with an acquaintance who frequently flew his small private plane in and out of Toronto International Airport. He asked the pilot if he ever encountered problems taking off and landing a small craft at an airport that was dominated by so many large jets. His friend responded, “My plane may be small, but I have the same rights, the same privileges, and the same access to that airport as anyone else—even the jumbo jets!”

Inside Out

While giving a sermon, missionary Hudson Taylor filled a glass with water and placed it on a table in front of him. As he was speaking, he pounded his fist hard enough to make the water splash onto the table. He then explained, “You will come up against much trouble. But when you do, remember, only what’s in you will spill out.”

Dirty Dishes

When I was a boy, my father often traveled to other cities to speak at churches and Bible conferences. Sometimes my mother would accompany him, leaving my brother and me alone for a few days. We enjoyed being independent, but we detested doing the dishes.

No Grudges After Sunset

A little boy got into a fight with his brother and the whole experience left him feeling bitter. When his brother wanted to make things right, he refused to listen. In fact, he would not speak to his brother all day.

You Can Do It!

A young boy was at the barbershop for a haircut. The room was filled with cigar smoke. The lad pinched his nose and exclaimed, "Who's been smoking in here!" The barber sheepishly confessed, "I have." The boy responded, "Don't you know it's not good for you?" "I know," the barber replied. "I've tried to quit a thousand times but I just can't." The boy commented, "I understand. I've tried to stop sucking my thumb, but I can't quit either!"