At What Point Is the Affair Considered “Physical” Biblically?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” -Matthew 5:27-28, NIV “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” -Matthew … Continue reading “At What Point Is the Affair Considered “Physical” Biblically?”

Moralizing Anger As Always Sin

Be angry, and do not sin. -Psalm 4:4a & Ephesians 4:26a, NKJV Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. -Ephesians 4:31, NKJV I purposefully placed these two verses together to highlight the confusion within evangelical Christianity as far as it comes to the emotion of … Continue reading “Moralizing Anger As Always Sin”

But God was faithful to us while we were faithless!

“Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the Lord our God. -Jeremiah 3:22, NASB “You should take him back. After all, God takes us back when we have sinned and been unfaithful to Him.” – Christian “friend” Even God required repentance as a condition for … Continue reading “But God was faithful to us while we were faithless!”

Not there to solve the marriage problems!

Attending marriage counseling with a cheater on the way out of the marriage is a very confusing experience. At least in my experience–I know there are some exceptions to this–marriage counselors and pastors are often not equipped to identify tell-tale cheating and exiting behavior then use that information to help protect the faithful partner. The … Continue reading “Not there to solve the marriage problems!”

“The Devil Made Me Do It” Excuse

….but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. -James 1:14-15, NIV (emphasis mine) James gives us clear teaching on the origins of sin. And adultery is … Continue reading ““The Devil Made Me Do It” Excuse”

Pastoral Resource: Addressing Adulterous Situations

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may … Continue reading “Pastoral Resource: Addressing Adulterous Situations”

Christian Divorce Support and Feeding “Miracle” Thinking

DivorceCare did me a great deal of good. I know I will forever be thankful for the people I met in the DivorceCare group while I was working in St. Cloud, MN. God definitely directed me to that community and group. As you can tell by visiting my RESOURCES page, I encourage people to find … Continue reading “Christian Divorce Support and Feeding “Miracle” Thinking”

It is a choice–bad one, yes–but still a choice.

  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For … Continue reading “It is a choice–bad one, yes–but still a choice.”

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?!”