“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord. [ Isaiah 1:18 ] Have you noticed how increasingly difficult it has become to have a reasonable and reasoned discussion with others, at least with certain individuals? Do you have people in your life with whom it is essentially impossible to have a respectful and objective conversation (especially about religion and politics)? Have you lost friends, either by having to cut them off, or by being cut off yourself? Are there some people who now Continue Reading
Understanding Forgiveness
So much of our lives and relationships depend on how accurately we understand forgiveness and trust—and how they relate to each other. Many people make the mistake of immediately trusting those they forgive, which often leads to a great deal of pain and confusion about forgiveness, love, and Christianity in general. Just because you forgive someone does not mean trust should be immediately restored. On the other hand, many people mistakenly refuse to forgive when they realize they cannot Continue Reading
False Accusations
False accusations are as old as sin itself. In fact, the devil—who is defined as the "false accuser” and “slanderer”—falsely accused God right before the original sin occurred (cp Gen 3:1ff). Nevertheless, this has not stopped humans from frequently imitating Satan in this well-practiced scheme of our evil enemy. Furthermore, not only do these harmful sins continue to happen, they seem to be on the rise. Yet, for our purposes here, we must understand that false allegations not only Continue Reading
Forgiveness And Trust
FORGIVENESS DOES NOT EQUAL TRUST | Forgiveness has nothing to do with what a person deserves. Which is what grace, mercy, and forgiveness are all about. None of us deserve these things. Trust, on the other hand, has a great deal to do with what a person deserves (e.g., “worthy” of trust). Perhaps that is why we have the word “trustworthy,” but there is no such word as “forgiveworthy.” --from Mark's new book on Forgiveness & Trust (coming soon!) Continue Reading