“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This petition, especially when coupled with the addendum in v. 14-15 (“if you do not forgive others the Lord will not forgive you”) has caused concern for some of God’s people. Let me say first that this passage is not concerned with forgiveness of sins and justification on the basis of the cross and resurrection. Certainly, that is not how the disciples would have understood Jesus. Rather, what is in …
Category: Pastoral Issues
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 In the last post I cited what is often called “The Lord’s Prayer.” It would be good to have a brief exposition of it. Let us begin by dividing it up: “Pray, then, in this way: Introduction and First Petition: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. 10 ‘Thy kingdom come Second Petition: Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Third Petition: ‘Give us this day our …
In the last book he wrote, C.S. Lewis made this observation: To confess our sins before God is certainly to tell Him what He knows much better than we. And also, any petition is a kind of telling. If it does not strictly exclude the principle that God knows our need, it at least seems to elicit His attention. Some traditional formulae make that implication very clear: “Hear us, good Lord” – …As if, though God does not need to …
a. The first voice of the creature The first thing that prayer is is communication with God. If language is a gift of God then prayer is, or ought to be, the first or primary use of language. As such it is the first voice of the creature, whether audible or in silence; speaking to the Creator. As such it is never speaking to some “god,” but is always speaking to THE God. If in no other way (and I …
My title is taken from Donald Bloesch’s book, which is one of the best books on the subject. I want to mention here that in my view the best book on prayer is either Prayer by John Bunyan, or How to Pray by R. A. Torrey. Both books get to the heart of what it is to pray, though Torrey hits the nail on the head more quickly than the great Puritan. a. Just what is Prayer? Prayer is the …
Review of Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God’s Resources in Scripture, by Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert, editors, Nashville: B&H Publishers, 2012, xv + 308pp., hdbk, $32.99. This book is a much needed fillip to those of us who try falteringly to help hurting people by pointing them back to Christ and His Word. There are many resources now available to the biblical counselor to guide him or her in their attempts to become better …
http://www.scrollpublishing.com/store/Ravenhill.html The link above is to David Bercot’s short Bio of the Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill. We have been reading his book Why Revival Tarries at our midweek study. Though somewhat dated and not always in line with my own theology, this work always stirs up my spiritual torpor and makes me feel uncomfortable. I need that! Ravenhill lived in Lindale, TX in the last years of his life. Once a month I take a Bible Study in nearby Mineola, and …
Fred Butler has been writing some good stuff about Christian ‘Survivor Blogs.’ He is not without sympathy for those who have been on the wrong end of overbearing pastors who “lord in over the sheep,” in contravention of 1 Peter 5. I myself have suffered at the hands of proud, control-freaks in ministry (twice), and I have counseled several couples who have been battered and bruised by Christian “leadership.” It happens far too often, and these men will answer for …
http://www.confessionalsbytes.com/2010/03/fighting-for-faith-beth-moores-false.html The link above goes to Chris Rosebrough’s “Fighting for the Faith” radio program. It’s worthwhile dropping by there once in a while to see what’s going on in the crazy world that is “American Evangelicalism.” Recently, for example, Rosebrough and a friend were escorted out of Elephant Room 2 before even getting a chance to sit down. It seems some of the elephants didn’t want Rosebrough in the room! Anyway, this piece is about the nonsense regularly spewed out …
Dan Phillips has been getting a few mentions here recently, but I couldn’t refrain from recommending to you his review of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s Spiritual Depression; a book which has had a huge influence on me. First, like Dan, this book gave me solid meaty counsel when I was depressed (for many years). It gave me more than a few fluffy proof-texts and made me see that God knows! Second, it showed me how powerfully the Bible could be expounded …
