Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
First Page - Now launched! All the stories are true, or based on real events. Unlimited reading for $4.99 / month. No downloads. Read on your phone, tablet or computer.
La verdad puede ser más extraña que la ficción.
First Page - ¡Ya está en marcha! Todas las historias son verídicas, o están basadas en hechos reales. Lectura ilimitada por $4.99 / mes. No hay que descargar nada. Lea en su teléfono, tableta u ordenador.
Manna Minutes Podcast: Eye-opening Bible study in less than five minutes! Access all episodes here.
Manna Minutes en español:
Estudio bíblico que nos hace abrir los ojos en menos de cinco minutos! Acceda a todos los episodios aquí.
Manna Minutes Podcast auf Deutsch:
Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.
Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!
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¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
Christian Forgiveness of Potentially Dangerous Enemies
The Danger of Misunderstanding Christian Forgiveness
Numerous people view Christian believers in Jesus as "door mats." Part of the reason for this is that many who don't know the Lord mistake his mercy and gentleness for weakness and inactivity. Another reason for this is that far too many Christians truly behave like "door mats," thinking that they are doing the right thing.
The reason it is so important to get an understanding of what Christian forgiveness is NOT, is because you could end up needlessly putting yourself in danger if you don't understand. We know that Christ taught his followers that they must forgive others, if they want their heavenly Father to forgive them their tresspasses (Matthew 6:14-15). A good Bible study on the topic of Christian forgiveness will explain the need to forgive when the perpetrator is sincerely sorry, and when he or she is not sorry, so that hatred does not spring up in you.
Our focus is on forgiving someone who remains in the same state in which he or she was when the offence was committed. Various things might have caused the perpetrator to harm you. Those things include, but are not limited to: mental illness, envy, and demonic possession. Keep in mind that these problems do not just fix themselves. They do not just get better. They do not just go away. People might begin to behave better in an attempt to show that they have changed, and are no longer your enemy, or a threat. The truth is that whatever was in their heart that caused them to come against you remains in the heart. Only being truly born again and daily walking with Christ cleanses a dirty heart.
It is this truth that many fail to focus on when discussing what Christian forgiveness is. God expects us to use common sense. Getting saved does not cancel out our responsibility to take precaution. You can forgive your enemy without allowing him or her repeated opportunities to attack you. You can forgive your enemy while knowing all the while that he or she still harbors whatever was in the heart against you in the first place, if he or she has not allowed Christ to wash it away.
How can we say that it is biblical to believe that threat from a "former" enemy remains even when he or she has changed his/her ways, but has not been born again? Remember that the Bible tells us, "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb. The dog is turned to his own vomit again. And, the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (2 Peter 2:22).
The world says, "The dog returns to his vomit, and the leopard never changes his spots." Followers in Jesus know that a true born again believer is a NEW creature. We read, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The truth to remember about Christian forgiveness is that the one who showed himself/herself an enemy is still your enemy UNLESS he/she has been born again. Without being born again, we cannot be a new creature. Therefore, we are still the spotted leopard and sow. The behavior might appear better for some time, but the leopard is still a leopard. And, a sow is still a sow. Believers must learn and practice ALL of God's word on Christian forgiveness and any other matter to which God calls our attention.
Also by Heavenly Manna
Enemies of the Gospel in Our Families and in the Church
Dangerous Reactions To God's Truth
The Danger of Harboring Envy According to the Christian Bible
Too Far Gone Even for God's Forgiveness?
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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