Biblical Help When Life is Unfair

Dr. Roger Barrier, Preach It, Teach It

Editor's Note: Pastor Roger Barrier's "Ask Roger" column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople, or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your questions at roger@preachitteachit.org.

(Dear Reader, the following letter was written by a woman in another country who is in the throes of an acrimonious, three-year dragged out divorce. I am choosing not to fix all the spellings and poor grammar--except for adding a few marks of punctuation where needed for clarity. I don't want to interfere with the hurt and passion in her letter).

Dear Roger,

I would like to know why in my eyes are those who are unfaithful in their marriage are more blessed then the faithful ones.

To Fly Again

By Suzie Eller

"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)

I stood on the small ladder with light bulb in hand. The weather was frigid, and changing an outdoor light was not what I wanted to do. But with darkness falling earlier it was necessary.

Something fluttered inside the lamp, which made me hesitant to reach in and unscrew the old bulb.

Peering in, I saw a bird at the bottom of the lamp with its wings pressed close to its side, and spindly legs twisted around the base of the lamp. How had this bird made its way into the lamp? How long had it struggled to be free?

For the next several moments I removed burned out light bulbs and debris, carefully trying to release the bird from its entanglement. As I tried to lift it to freedom with two fingers, it pecked furiously at my hand.

BEING A BLESSING

By Sheila

                                                                                                                           

There are some days when I’ve just about had it. Recently, when baby-sitting a friend’s two preschoolers for the day, I realized how much one can forget in the six short years since both of my girls have been out of diapers. On that day, the three-year-old got into the paints when I wasn’t looking. 

I discovered him sitting on top of the kitchen table, making interesting designs on his clothes, and took one look at him and decided he was too far gone to interfere with now. 

One More & I'll Go Insane!

The Snake Pit (1948)

That title should read "one more mention of high-drive husbands and I'll go insane!" A wife recently commented to me about her frustration that, while it's great that churches and ministries now discuss sexuality, it is painful at times for wives who don't experience the norm.

The most common scenario described here, and on other blogs, is that of the eager beaver hubby and the sexual sloth wife. To be fair, that is the typical make-up of many marriages: A husband with a higher sex drive than his wife. However, it hardly represents the whole of marriages.

The New Face of Infidelity

Dr. Peggy Drexler


Research shows women may be cheating now almost as much as men. What are the tolls of new temptations?

Some 60 years ago, Alfred Kinsey delivered a shock to mid century sexual sensibilities when he reported that at some point in their marriages, half of the men and a quarter of the women in the U.S. had an extramarital affair. No one puts much stock in Dr. Kinsey's high numbers any more -- his sampling methods suffered from a raging case of selection bias -- but his results fit the long-standing assumption that men are much more likely to cheat than women.

Naked for Christ? Christian Nudism

Anonymous
Guest Author
We get occasional questions about or from "Christian nudists." We think the Bible is clear that nudity is to be limited to the marriage relationship, but since no single verse says this it's not always easy to "prove" this point. The following was received from a gentleman who spent two years involved in "Christian naturism" several years ago. Having "been there" and "done that" the individual can speak to the issue more directly than we can, and he makes a strong case against nudism for Christians. The author, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he wanted to help others "so they don't make the same foolish choice I did."

The Power of Forgiving Love

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by: Alan Bullock

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another but it is wise to remember that forgiveness can heal individuals, marriages, families and entire communities.  Forgiveness is a decision to release thoughts of resentment and revenge.  My wife’s sister’s husband, Bishop Haik Hovsepian, was a strong Christian leader in a Muslim country.  He was known as the “Billy Graham of the Middle East”.  Though a devoted Armenian Pastor, he continued to visit Mehdi Dibai, a Baptist pastor who had been incarcerated in prison and systematically tortured for many years because of his vocal and unwavering faith in Christ.  

His Hands
The frail hands of a Man most meek
The nails and spear His body did seek.
Water and blood flowed out like wine,
“Father forgive them,” said the One Divine.
A worm am I, you showed mercy on me
Spared by grace, can I ever thank thee?
You looked past my faults on Calvary’s hill,
The Christ who died there — He triumphs still.Though his life was threatened many times, Haik continued to visit and bring food and hope to the imprisoned pastor.  In January 1994, the fanatical Islamic terrorists made good on their threats and Bishop Haik was abducted and murdered.  He left behind three sons, a daughter and a wife, each of them with a major decision to make.  Would they forgive those that murdered their father and husband or harbor resentment and bitterness?   They chose to forgive.  The Hovsepians have gone on to become involved in a full-time ministry and have produced films reaching out to the Muslim communities with the love of Christ.

Forgiveness is mercy in action.  Forgiveness is the height of love (Matthew 5:44-45).

The cross is all about forgiveness.  The cross stands eternal as a sign of suffering and victory and of sacrifice and salvation.  Speaking to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul declared that we should be thankful unto our God who always causes us to triumph in Christ.  Because he was victorious, we too share that victory.  Be brave child of God.  Your sins are forgiven; go and do likewise – walk in the love and victory meant for you.

“…In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth” (Numbers 14:19-21)

Hope in God is the salve that wipes away the tears of hurt and remorse and brings

refreshing times to all who trust in the Lord.

MEET THE AUTHOR

ALAN BULLOCK

Alan has pioneered several churches and has also been blessed to travel the world preaching and teaching in churches and conferences as a missionary evangelist for over thirty two years.

Copyright © 2011 by Alan Bullock

http://www.daystar.com/devotions/the-power-of-forgiving-love/