Dr Paul Allen

If God promises in  1 Peter 4:14  that the Spirit of glory and of God is going to rest upon you with that much personal, precious helpfulness in the hour of trial, why wouldn’t you want to seek him? Why wouldn’t you want to spend all of your life getting as near to him and as much of him as you possibly can?  https://hopecollege.com And if we add to  1 Peter 4:14 , the wider scope of the Spirit’s work, the enticements get better and better, and more and more. We know from  John 3:5  that it’s the Holy Spirit that causes us to be  born again . “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” We know from  1 Corinthians 12:3 , “No one can say ‘ Jesus is Lord ” except in the Holy Spirit.” We know from  Romans 8:13  that you must put to death the deeds of the body  by the Spirit  or perish. We know from  2 Thessalonians 2:13  that all our e...

The healing of the demon possessed boy ( Matt. 17:14–20 ) at first glance seems to be only one more in a series of miraculous healings recorded by Matthew. What makes this one unique is Jesus ’ emphasis on the role of faith. It is true that faith is prominent in the miracles recorded in chapter 9, but in chapter 17 it is the lack of faith that is emphasized by Jesus. That God is not dependent on human faith for accomplishing His work is clear from the accounts of other miracles recorded by Matthew. The transfiguration of Jesus immediately prior to the healing of the boy is a prime example. It was a spectacular miracle; yet no human faith was involved. This is also true in the feeding of the five thousand ( Matt. 14:13–21 ) and the four thousand (15:32–38). So the first thing we need to learn about faith and the power of God is that He is not dependent on our faith to do His work. God will not be hostage to our lack of faith. The second thing we need to learn, however, is tha...

I’m guessing that, as you read this, several things are demanding your attention. Since sitting down to type this article, my email reported two new messages, my phone alerted me to a new text, and Spotify just finished its third consecutive commercial — and I’m only finishing the second paragraph! Times are few and far between when we are completely undistracted. And distractions do not stay in the car when we enter into church on a Sunday morning. We arrive with the intent to worship Jesus with focus. But the burdens of our week, the tensions of our morning, the children by our side, the anxiety of our upcoming schedule, and the wandering of our thoughts all conspire to distract us. Blame It on Technology? Because temptations toward distractions often arrive through our devices, distraction can feel like a new problem unique to our current technological age. But that reaction concedes defeat too easily. If distraction is technology’s fault, then we have no way to es...

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” ( Proverbs 15:35 ) The God who created and made all things is not only omnipotent, He is omnipresent. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” ( 2 Chronicles 16:9 ). David’s insightful Psalm 139 is certainly one of the most striking affirmations of God’s omnipresence . “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” ( Psalm 139:8-12 ). God’s omnipresence, however, should not be understood in a panth...

Third window in the north aisle with two lights depicting the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus. This window was created by Patrick Pollen in 1958. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “James and John the sons of Zebedee approach him, saying to him, ‘Teacher, we wish that you might do for us whatever we might ask you.’ ” The disciples James and John have previously been mentioned together, along with Jesus and Peter , in Mark 5:37 on the occasion of raising up the daughter of Jairus .  These three were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (9:2), and they will be together again in Mark 13:3 when they ask for further clarification of Jesus’ prophecy of the temple’s coming destruction.  According to Mark 3:17 Jesus surnamed James and John Boanerges, that is, the “ sons of thunder ” (on this problematical epithet, see Guelich, 161–62).  They approach Jesus, the “teacher” (διδάσκαλε—on the lips of the disciples in 4:38; 9:38; on the lips of others in 5:35; 9:17;...

God simply doesn’t do things our way. His plans are not our plans — his thoughts not our thoughts ( Isaiah 55:8). His ways are higher. And not just a little bit higher. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). Yes, he is Creator almighty, and we are mere creatures. He is infinite; we are finite. He is God, and we are not — but don’t miss the jewel in the context of these often quoted verses from Isaiah 55: While we are not gracious by nature, he is. Where our only reflex is to dole out punishment, he stands ready to forgive — and not just forgive, but “abundantly pardon.” Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7) He is a God beyond our natural expectations and inclinations, not just in the power of his might, but in the wideness of his mercy...

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” ( Luke 12:32 ) The world tends to measure success by size, and this seems generally true in the Christian world as well. The most “successful” churches are considered to be those with the largest congregations, or the largest budgets, or the greatest number of converts baptized each year, or some other quantitative index. But this is not God ’s criterion. At the judgment seat of Christ , “the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” ( 1 Corinthians 3:13 ). Not how big it is, but of what sort it is! Quality, not quantity, is the criterion. Christ’s encouraging words to the “little flock” were given toward the end of an extended warning against the desire to accumulate wealth. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness,” He had said ( Luke 12:15 ), speaking to His small group of followers. He was their Shepherd and would provide the needs of His “little flock.” Christ’s warnings agai...

English: The Flight of the Prisoners, c. 1896-1902 , gouache on board, 8 15/16 x 11 5/8 in. (22.7 x 29.7 cm), Jewish Museum, New York, NY. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Many times when we suffer, the first Bible book and Bible character that pops up in our mind is Job. And that makes sense. That’s why the book of Job is in the Bible—to teach us how to actually trust in God’s sovereignty and respond to suffering righteously. But the suffering that Jeremiah , the weeping prophet, endured at the time of the Babylonian captivity was just as severe. Job’s sufferings were indeed horrifying, yet there’s something to be said for the fact that his sufferings were fairly personal. Jeremiah’s sufferings, on the other hand, were on behalf of an entire nation wickedly brutalized and ripped from its land. On top of that, Jeremiah himself had not followed in the unfaithfulness of his countrymen which brought this judgment upon them. All the while, he acted righteously and proclaimed the word ...

Resurrection. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” ( Acts 20:7 ) Given the fact that everything about God ’s Word was specifically inspired by its Author, it is appropriate that this important phrase, “the first day of the week,” occurs exactly eight times in the Bible . The first six of these ( Matthew 28:1 ; Mark 16:2 , 9; Luke 24:1 ; John 20:1 , 19) all stress the fact that it was on this day that the greatest event in history (since the creation) had taken place. The creation of the universe had taken place on the first day of the week, and now its Creator had conquered sin and death itself on that day. In the Bible, of course, the number “seven” represents completeness, so “eight” represents a new beginning—a new creation, a resurrection. The last two references tell us just how the early Christians reme...

StJohnsAshfield StainedGlass Baptism (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles ; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” ( Colossians 1:27 ) The fact that Jesus Christ is actually in each believer is both a great mystery and rich in glory. In fact, it is our very hope and assurance of glory in the age to come. How Christ may be both seated at “the right hand of the Majesty on high” ( Hebrews 1:3 ) and yet living in us is surely a mystery, yet it is fully true. He Himself told His disciples: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. . . . Abide in me, and I in you. . . . He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” ( John 14:23 ; 15:4-5). The apostle Paul also confirmed this great truth: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, b...