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In: Bible and Theology, Forgiveness, Prayer and Devotions, Sin and Holiness

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) Love is a physical feeling or emotional sentiment to much of the world, and an empty action or, worse, words about action to too many in the church. Feeling and sentiment alone do no one any good. Words and promises alone do no one any good, but likewise neither does loving actions and a smile on the face while bitterness and anger linger in the heart. One of the chief reasons we struggle to consistently love is because we’ve relegated love to mere behavior. If weRead More →

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In: Bible and Theology, Forgiveness, Grace, Prayer and Devotions

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Ephesians 1:7) In the “take your own devotions seriously” category, the day after my devotions reminded us, among other things, to pray about everything and always ask God for direction and his opinion, I let my husband talk me into going out to some marketing class on Saturday morning when I’d wanted to spend a relaxing day at home.  In a classic, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death” moment, we ran off the way that seemedRead More →

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In: Bible and Theology, Forgiveness, Grace, Prayer and Devotions

Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Lev 19:17,18 Quite odd verses to put together. It appears to be saying: Don’t hate your fellow Christian in your heart, but rebuke them openly, for looking the other way at sin makes you complicit in it. Don’t take revenge or bear grudges, but love your neighbor as yourself. It’s odd to us because we have often been led to believe byRead More →

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In: Children, Forgiveness

This is an update of one of my most popular columns to date: Stressed over Prodigals? First Root out the #1 Joy Thief. Dear Andrea, I have a twenty-eight-year-old daughter, Gomer*, that is living with her boyfriend. She claims to be a Christian, but wants nothing to do with church or other Christians. She has been rebellious for the last fourteen years, ever since she moved in with her father…. …She says she does not feel guilty about having sex outside of marriage, although she does admit she is living in sin. Last May, when she moved in with her boyfriend, I told her IRead More →

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In: Forgiveness

Thank you Andrea, for being here for hurting people. The devil is so busy at destroying God’s People, and afflicting hurt and pain upon them. All the advise you have given these women. I had been in these kinds of relationships for years. Praise God, for bringing me up and out. It took some prayer and calling on the Holy Spirit to heal me and to forgive those that hurt me. I knew I could not forgive on my own, because the flesh just wasn’t allowing me to. So praise God for the Comforter, who I called upon to help me to forgive, those whoRead More →