The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put … Continue reading “Ecclesiastical Trials Are NOT Pastoral Care”
Category: Sin
You Will Never Hear Jesus Say…
You will never hear Jesus say to an adultery/infidelity survivor… 1. “You do realize that you deserved this, right?!” Truth: No one deserves to be cheated on. God demands everyone honor the marriage bed and keep it undefiled (see Hebrews 13:4). And God consistently condemns adultery including it as prohibited explicitly in the Ten Commandments (e.g. Exodus … Continue reading “You Will Never Hear Jesus Say…”
Hyper-Headship-ism
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. – Ephesians 5:23, KJV I have already written about the abuse of this specific text from Ephesians in earlier posts (see, for example, here and here). While many may be … Continue reading “Hyper-Headship-ism”
Remember Your “Cistern Story”
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing—and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. – Genesis 37:23-24, NIV What’s your “Cistern Story?” Can you think of a time when your world was … Continue reading “Remember Your “Cistern Story””
Stand Firm
The Lord is pleased with good people, but condemns those who plan evil. Wickedness does not give security, but righteous people stand firm. -Proverbs 12:2-3, GNT A regret? Maybe. I remember confronting my ex-wife one Sunday afternoon following church. It was an encounter that is forever burned into my memory. Vividly, I remember how she … Continue reading “Stand Firm”
The Devil looks prosperous right now, too….
Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. “I will give you all this power and all this wealth,” the Devil told him. “It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose.” -Luke 4:5-6, GNT Your ex or … Continue reading “The Devil looks prosperous right now, too….”
Update: Good News Regarding Karen Hinkley, Matt Chandler, and The Village Church
[TVC Lead Pastors Matt Chandler and Josh Patterson] told me that they felt awful about how I had been treated. They said I had biblical grounds for annulment or divorce, that I should have been granted my withdrawal from membership immediately, and that I never should have been put under discipline. They wanted to hear … Continue reading “Update: Good News Regarding Karen Hinkley, Matt Chandler, and The Village Church”
“We were already divorced in our hearts.”
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. – 2 Timothy 4:3, NIV Another Common Demonic Lie: “You know that we were already divorced in … Continue reading ““We were already divorced in our hearts.””
More Bad Advice
“Just let her know you are there waiting. Hold the space for the marriage.” – Pastor God did not wait forever for Israel. We see that in Jeremiah 3:8. God accepted Israel’s decisions to choose against the covenant by pursuing adulterous relationships. This is part of the reason I find the advice above unhelpful. It … Continue reading “More Bad Advice”
Necessary But NOT Sufficient
The pastoral impulse to “save” marriages is strong. It is flattering and exhilirating to be a part of a resurrection story where a marriage comes back from its adulterous death. I get it. Who really wants to be the divorce attorney’s pastoral equivalent encouraging only marriage funerals? I don’t. I love miracle stories and would love to be … Continue reading “Necessary But NOT Sufficient”