Dr Paul Allen

The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “I’ll pray for you.” We say it often, but how many times do we actually remember to do it? It’s easy to think, “ God knows their needs, so it’s fine.” But that’s not the New Testament view of prayer: we’re meant to pray always ( Luke 18:1 ; 1 Thess 5:16). And Paul himself regularly asks for prayers .  If they weren’t important, he wouldn’t ask (Col 4:3). For this reason, it would be helpful to develop a system to track what people need prayer for, like a prayer journal. But what about the model? Psalm 20 contains such a model, and the psalmist offers some beautiful words for others: “May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble.… May he send you help … May he remember all your offerings … May he give to you your heart’s desire … May we shout for you over your victory” (Psa 20:1–5).  And then the psalmist goes on to proclaim God’s goodness and that He will answer (Psa 20:6). And this is the line I...

Image via Wikipedia Perhaps no theologian of the church has been more viciously maligned by critics than John Calvin . Scurrilous distortions of his character have portrayed him as being stern, severe, unfeeling, rigid, and austere.  So widespread and deeply entrenched is this caricature that I tread in fear and trembling when I assign readings from the Institutes of the Christian Religion to my seminary students. To cut through the false mask of Calvin, I ask my students to begin reading the Institutes not at chapter 1 but at book III, chapter 20.  This is Calvin’s treatment of prayer —a classic study not only in this godly exercise on faith but of Calvin himself. It reveals a man whose heart soars in adoration , a man who has a passion to be pleasing to God . For Calvin prayer was like a priceless treasure that God has offered to His people: To prayer, then, are we indebted for penetrating to those riches which are treasured up for us with our heavenly Father . For t...

Image via Wikipedia John Calvin (1509–1564) was one of the leading figures among the second generation of Protestant Reformers . His writings were widely distributed throughout Europe and were instrumental in the spread of the Reformation . Books about Calvin and his thought continue to roll of the presses to this very day. The following is a list of some of the best works by and about John Calvin. 

 Works by John Calvin John Calvin — Calvini Opera The complete works of Calvin in the original Latin are available in a number of places. The works are presently available online free at  Calvin Seminary’s Library . John Calvin —  Institutes of the Christian Religion  (1559) 
Calvin’s Institutes went through several editions before reaching its final form in 1559. The final edition is a Christian classic. John Calvin —  Commentaries  (22 volumes). John Calvin was a master exegete, and his commentaries are among the few written in his day that are still...