In his introduction to Chapter 1 of Overcoming: Discover How to Rise Above and Beyond Overwhelming Circumstances in Life, Pastor Steve Mays notes that Joni Eareckson Tada describes discouragement as a handicap that no one sees. Specifically, those who have not been through a ministry downsizing or position loss most likely cannot perceive our struggles […]
In Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall tells the story of how Nelson Mandela emerged from his 27 years of imprisonment without becoming bitter. Nelson Mandela realized that bitterness would only hurt himself, and then revealed the key to overcoming his negativity: “If you hate, you will give them your heart and mind. Don’t give those […]
R. T. Kendall begins Chapter 4 of Total Forgiveness with a quote from William Perkins (1558-1602), an Elizabethan Puritan: “Don’t believe the devil, even when he tells the truth.” Rev. Kendall then applies that quote to Jesus’ command not to judge (Luke 6:37). When Jesus is telling us not to judge, he is not telling […]
In Chapter 3 (“The Lord’s Prayer and Forgiveness”) of Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall describes the first step in the forgiveness process: “We must begin by not judging. It is not for us to judge another’s motives. Reserving judgment for God alone shows that we are already beginning to forgive.” Rev. Kendall goes on to […]
Rev. R. T. Kendall discusses what total forgiveness is and is not in Chapter 1 of his book Total Forgiveness, presenting 10 characteristics for each of the two aspects. The 10 concepts describing what forgiveness is not are very similar to the true-false quiz assessing one’s forgiveness belief system discussed by Dr. David Stoops in […]
In his Introduction to Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall, pastor of Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years, reflects on a point in his life where he had to choose between bitterness and peace. Realizing that bitterness was only damaging himself, he concluded: “When we are bitter, we delude ourselves into thinking that those who […]
In the concluding chapter of Getting Rid of the Gorilla, Brian Jones admits that, odd as it might seem, it was through his struggles with forgiveness that he learned the spiritual discipline of joy. He states that at some point in our lives, even in the midst of problems that seem to have no fix, we […]
When moving into a new home, the major task ahead is unpacking all the boxes and settling in. Similarly, when the gorilla (unforgiveness) moves into our hearts, Brian Jones (Getting Rid of the Gorilla) tells us the first thing the gorilla unpacks is anxiety. Pastor Jones goes on to explain: “Anxiety masks the real issues […]
The process of forgiveness is not done in isolation. Not only do we need the support of good Christian friends, most importantly we need our Lord’s aid, counsel and direction. H. Norman Wright (cited by Brian Jones in Getting Rid of the Gorilla) likens this concept to a favorite childhood game: “Forgiveness involves letting go. […]
Brian Jones adds that an additional effect of showing kindness is that it softens our hearts and remind us of the true condition of our souls. However, this is not characteristic of our initial reaction to being hurt. It’s really quite understandable that our first focus is on the offender’s faults. Pastor Jones explains: “It’s […]
In Chapter 7 of Getting Rid of the Gorilla, Brian Jones states: “Hatred is what has imprisoned us. Kindness is our ticket out. We’ve got to do what disciples do. Disciples love their enemies, personal enemies with names and faces . . .” Pastor Jones goes on to discuss 3 reasons why kindness, which he […]
In Chapter 7 (“Call”) of Getting Rid of the Gorilla, Brian Jones states that he prefers the word disciple to the word Christian because the word disciple tells what a follower of Christ does, while the word Christian designates to whom we belong. Furthermore, Pastor Jones believes that discipleship is the key to getting rid […]