Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. -Colossians 3:13, NIV “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” -John 20:23, NLT If we confess our sins, he is … Continue reading “Even God’s forgiveness of us is NOT one-sided.”
Category: Forgiveness
A Most Reasonable Expectation
“…let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts….” -Hosea 2:2b, KJV Reasonable Expectation: A faithful spouse should expect a cheating spouse–whether emotional and/or physical–will demonstrate that the affair is completely over and steps have been taken to fix the character flaw in the cheater that … Continue reading “A Most Reasonable Expectation”
Fellowship With Darkness?!
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? -2 Corinthians 6:14b, NIV Wicked or evil people may sometimes appear–or even be–good in some settings. This truth is well-illustrated in a recent interview with the 105-year-old secretary of Nazi Germany’s propagandist, Joseph Goebbels (see here). Adultery is … Continue reading “Fellowship With Darkness?!”
Forgiveness: A Drywall Parable
The Drywall Parable: Sam and Sue were having a disagreement over the color of the drapes. Sam got so overheated in the disagreement that he put his fist through the drywall next to Sue’s head. Later, he apologized for loosing his temper and punching a hole in the wall. Sue told him that she forgave … Continue reading “Forgiveness: A Drywall Parable”
The Difficulty in Forgiving
Unforgiveness is rooted in the fear that God will not repay evil according to justice. -International House of Prayer This quote from a Christian organization out of Kansas City hit home for me. In just a mere fifteen words, they cut to the heart of the struggle to forgive. This is really a question about … Continue reading “The Difficulty in Forgiving”
Cheater-speak: “Let’s not talk about that. It is in the past.”
“It is in the past.” – Cheater But is “it” really in the past? The effects and consequences of the cheating are very much in the present. -A late night “at the office.” -Another “business” trip. -That song on the radio. -A strange charge on the credit card. -An unknown phone number calling your spouse’s cell. … Continue reading “Cheater-speak: “Let’s not talk about that. It is in the past.””
Mailbag: This weekend I had a conversation with a Christian “friend”…
Michael wrote: This weekend I had a conversation with a Christian friend that really bothered me. It’s days later and I’m still bothered, hurt by his comments. Long story short, we got onto the topic of my divorce. Normally, I avoid this topic with this specific person. He is the one who told me about … Continue reading “Mailbag: This weekend I had a conversation with a Christian “friend”…”
Signs of Real Repentance
And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” -Luke 19:8, KJV (quotation marks added) So, you think your cheater has hit rock bottom and is truly … Continue reading “Signs of Real Repentance”
Rebuking is Christ-honoring behavior, too!
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned…The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy…. -Galatians 2:11, 13a, NIV Sometimes a rebuke is in order. Cephas, aka the Apostle Peter, needed a rebuke by the Apostle Paul for doing what he knew was wrong and leading others astray … Continue reading “Rebuking is Christ-honoring behavior, too!”
Disgusted with Evangelical “Leaders” Meeting Trump
Recently, prominent evangelicals met with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump in an effort to shore up evangelical voter support for Trump come election day. Such leaders included Rev. Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell Jr, Tony Perkins (President of the Family Research Council), James Dobson (famous Christian psychologist), former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Ronnie Floyd (Outgoing President of … Continue reading “Disgusted with Evangelical “Leaders” Meeting Trump”