Dr Paul Allen

The oneness of God is under relentless assault today — though not in the way we might expect. At least in the West, very few try to make a public case for traditional polytheism. There is little pressure in the mainstream to affirm many gods (at least not formally). Rather, the pressure which continues to rise with each generation, and each passing year, is the pervasive assumption of secularism — the pressure to sideline any talk of the one God and live together as though there were none. In the ancient world, various pantheons of gods abounded. In Canaan. In Egypt. In Babylon. In Athens. In Rome. Everywhere God’s strange monotheistic people turned, they encountered polytheists. They were tempted incessantly to adopt the world’s gods to try and improve their lives. Against this pressure, the Hebrew Scriptures, again and again, assert the oneness, and supremacy, of the true God, not many gods. But today, the mounting social pressure is to believe in (or at least to live as if

English: Apple Tree walk Walk to the garden gate http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/841005 lined with fruit trees (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Just about every Christian has memorized the closing verses of Galatians and Paul's description of the fruit of the Spirit : love, joy, peace, patience , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This is the character of the man or woman who has been justified by grace through faith. Yet as we review the list, and especially as we review it slowly and prayerfully, we may find ourselves growing weary and discouraged by how little of that fruit we see. We are still angry at times, still struggling with self-control, still not nearly as gentle as Jesus Christ was and is. Paul's metaphor of the "fruit" of the Spirit can help us, though. Here are five things that are true of fruit trees and, therefore, true of the fruit of the Spirit. 1. Growth is Gradual . We are an impatient people accustomed to instant grati

Since Steve Jobs ’ death in October, numerous pro-life commentators have linked the fact that Jobs was adopted to the issue of abortion – pointing out how different the world would be if Jobs’ birth mother had simply chosen to abort her unwanted pregnancy . But it turns out that pro-life groups weren’t the only ones to make the connection: Jobs himself did. The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In the new authoritative biography of Jobs, biographer Walter Isaacson reveals how Jobs set out to find his birth mother in the early 80s, even hiring a private detective for the task. While his first efforts to find his mother failed, Jobs persisted, particularly after his adoptive mother passed away in the mid 80s. Jobs explained to Isaacson why he was so determined to find his biological mother: “I wanted to meet [her] mostly to see if she was OK and to thank her, because I’m glad I didn’t end up as an abortion,” he said. “She was 23 and she went through a lot to have me.” Eventually Jobs wa

Image via CrunchBase A new study has found that Google and other major social media sites such as Facebook have “actively” censored Christian and conservative viewpoints. The first report , conducted by  National Religious Broadcasters  (NRB) and the  American Center for Law and Justice , examined the policies and practices of several major Internet-interactive “new media” communications platforms and service providers, including Apple and its iTunes App Store , Facebook, Google, and others. Many of the top social media sites have been found to be "actively" censoring Christian viewpoints. The study found that some of the new media technology companies have outright banned Christian content, and that all social media sites, except Twitter, have speech policies more restrictive than the free speech rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. According to the study, seven of the major social media sites have banned “hate speech,” a term that the study authors point out “is o

Image via Wikipedia Is Steve Jobs Dying for Us All? Like Thomas Edison or Henry Ford , the name Steve Jobs conjures the image of an era more than a product. After battling pancreatic cancer, the Apple co-founder has finally resigned from the company and has resigned himself to one thing over which he has no control: death. In a penetrating essay in  Esquire  today, Tom Junod explores the life, lessons, and legacy of one of our era’s greatest inventors. The title itself is telling:  “Steve Jobs is Dying for Us All.” Back in January 2010, Junod contributed another piece for  Esquire  titled,  “Steve Jobs and the Portal to the Invisible” . Both are worth the read. Prominent in both articles are the emphases on Jobs as an artist, a creative genius who “makes the invisible visible” and fits an even “messianic” profile. In last year’s feature, Junod observed, There are several things that Steve Jobs isn’t. He isn’t, for one thing, democratic. “He isn’t utopian,” says Wozniak. He is messia

Image via Wikipedia "For thus saith the LORD of hosts ; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye." ( Zechariah 2:8 )   This common phrase is often used to identify an object of one's special favor or affection. The apple of the eye, of course, is not a fruit, but the pupil of the eye, so essential for sight that it becomes a peculiarly apt symbol for a prized possession.  It is used five times in the Bible as a translation of three different Hebrew nouns, none of which refer to the actual apple fruit. In each case, however, it speaks of something highly valuable to the owner.   Three of these ( Deuteronomy 32:10 ;  Lamentations 2:18 ; and our text above) are in reference to the chosen people , Israel , as the "apple of the eye" of God Himself.  God has often punished Israel for her sins and has allowed other nations to be His rod of judgment, but woe to that nation that touch

Image via CrunchBase Few of you have ever heard of Ron Wayne . A lot of you have used the products that stem from his creation. All of you need to know his story because it’s a warning to all of us. Along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak , Ron Wayne cofounded Apple Computer Inc. on April Fools Day , 1976. Yes, there was a third founder of Apple. But few people know that because just twelve days after he signed the agreement he himself drafted that would have given him 10% ownership of the company, he sold back his shares.  For $800.  If he had stuck it out, today he would be worth around  $22 billion. Instead he now sells stamps out of his home. And plays penny slot machines after midnight. A poster child for what could have been. Ron bailed on Jobs and Wozniak because he wasn’t sure about the future. Jobs spent a lot of money that Ron was going to have to pay the tab for initially. Wozniak was non-committal. And the prospect of starting a computer company just seemed too difficult

Image via CrunchBase Few of you have ever heard of Ron Wayne . A lot of you have used the products that stem from his creation. All of you need to know his story because it’s a warning to all of us. Along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak , Ron Wayne cofounded Apple Computer Inc. on April Fools Day , 1976. Yes, there was a third founder of Apple. But few people know that because just twelve days after he signed the agreement he himself drafted that would have given him 10% ownership of the company, he sold back his shares.  For $800.  If he had stuck it out, today he would be worth around  $22 billion. Instead he now sells stamps out of his home. And plays penny slot machines after midnight. A poster child for what could have been. Ron bailed on Jobs and Wozniak because he wasn’t sure about the future. Jobs spent a lot of money that Ron was going to have to pay the tab for initially. Wozniak was non-committal. And the prospect of starting a computer company just seemed too difficult