Dr Paul Allen

The book of Micah begins by telling us when Micah prophesied and the cities he addressed. “The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz , and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem .” Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom, Israel , and Jerusalem was the capital of the southern kingdom, Judah. The years of the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah extended from about 735 to 700 BC. So Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and prophesied during those tragic days when Assyria conquered Samaria, took the ten northern tribes into captivity ( 722 BC ), occupied Judah, and besieged the holy city, Jerusalem. Micah is a hard prophet to understand because the book alternates back and forth between threats of doom and promises of hope. It is hard to figure out what situations he is referring to and how the hope and doom relate to each other. Probably the reason the book is arranged like this is to make the point th...

Ministry of the Apostles, a complex multi-figure icon with a full-height image of Jesus Christ, surrounded by sectors with scenes of His disciples' calling, ministry and martyrdom. Icon from the Yaroslavl Museum Preserve. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Three days after the crucifixion, Jesus rose from the grave. In the weeks that followed, He appeared to His disciples on numerous occasions, explaining to them why His death had been necessary as the Savior of the world . The Lord interacted with His followers for forty days after His resurrection, appearing to as many as five hundred at one time. The resulting anticipation was high because the hope that had died on the cross had risen again — there was no longer any room for doubt. Nearly six weeks later, Christ assembled His disciples on the Mount of Olives for one last lesson. As they gathered around Him, He instructed them, “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest p...

Why should I walk with God? 1. You are commanded to walk as Christ walked ; and it concerns you so to do, if you would approve yourself to be a member of his body: for it is monstrous, nay, impossible, that the head should go one way, and the body another. Now, our Saviour himself observed all these methods of walking with God, justifying faith and repentance only excepted, because he was without sin. 2. It is all which the Lord requireth of you, for all his love and goodness shown unto you, in creating, preserving, redeeming, and saving you. For what doth the Lord require of you, but to “do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” 3. If you walk with God, and keep close to him, you will be sure to go in the right way, in that good old way, which is called the way of holiness; in a most straight, most sure, and (to a spiritual man) most pleasant way, the paths of which are peace; the very happiness and rest of the soul. God teacheth his children to choos...

English: Baby Moses rescued from the Nile (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 2:19–23 “He went and lived in a city called Nazareth , that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene ’”(v. 23).  In  Matthew 2 , note how the evangelist has taught us about God ’s providence. We should see that Herod ’s hatred of Jesus and slaughter of the young boys in Bethlehem (vv. 16–18) parallel Pharaoh ’s attempt to kill Moses (Ex. 1:8–2:10). 

Frans Floris - The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Gathering and Protecting Mankind - WGA7949 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Some devout and well meaning believers, have been so absorbed in maintaining the Deity of Christ Jesus that they have minimized the humanity of Jesus.  Jesus did not merely have a brush with humanity, He took to Himself a genuine human nature with every human attribute except sinfulness. His human nature was in submission to His Divine Nature without sacrificing any of its humanness. Let us study the proofs of His human nature: (1) Jesus was born a natural infant in Bethlehem ’s manger and wrapped in a baby’s swaddling clothes (Lk. 2:7). (2) He grew up in the normal manner of a child (Lk. 2:39, 40). (3) He grew up in subjection to His parents (Lk. 2:51, 52). (4) Jesus was traced through two human geneologies, one of Joseph (Mt. 1), and one of Mary (Lk. 3:23–38). (5) He is called “The Seed of Woman,” “The Seed of Abraham ,” and “The Son of David ,”...

Virgin Mary and Jesus, old Persian miniature. In Islam, they are called Maryam and Isa. NOTE: See discussion page before using (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Mary the wife of Joseph, known as “the Virgin” because of her reported virginal conception of Jesus. She is portrayed somewhat negatively in Mark, less so in Matthew, and positively in Luke. She is not mentioned by name in the Gospel of John , though there are several references there to the “ mother of Jesus .” Matt. 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26 –56; 2:1–38 give differing birth stories, but both include the virginal conception. In Matt. 1:18–25, Jesus’s birth is announced to Joseph in a dream; in Luke 1:26–38, it is announced to Mary herself by the angel Gabriel. In Luke’s account, Mary accepts the angel’s announcement, humbling herself as God’s servant (1:38).  She travels from Nazareth to Judea to visit her pregnant relative Elizabeth, who hails her as “blessed among women” and as the “mother of my Lord” (1:39–45). Mary respo...

Prophet Micha (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Micah 5:1–6 “He shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God ” (v. 4a). The final prophecy we will examine in our brief study of the Old Testament teachings about the Messiah is Micah 5:1–6, a passage cited in part by Matthew  in 2:6 of his gospel. A more thorough reading of Micah’s word to Israel than we undertook when we looked at Matthew 2:6 will help us better grasp the significance of our Savior’s birthplace. As always, we begin with the original context of the prophecy in order to interpret the text rightly. Micah prophesied during the second half of the eighth century and the first decade of the seventh century B.C., a time of great moral decline in the history of Judah and Israel . The poor were oppressed and some priests were sexually promiscuous. Because of such debauchery, God sent Micah to prosecute the covenant, that is, to convict His people of...

Cover of The Holiness of God Happiness and holiness are inseparable . True holiness is unattainable without true happiness. Happiness is part of holiness — even the essence of holiness. But there’s an even deeper connection between our happiness and holiness, and it’s rooted in God’s holy character.  Holy, Holy, Holy ! Many times, a sermon on the holiness of God will start with Isaiah 6:1–5, with a dramatic recounting of Isaiah, the priest, entering the temple in the presence of God’s flowing holiness. Angels cover their faces as Isaiah falls on his face and the temple shakes and tremors in the presence of the almighty, holy God. The account is frightening, and the sermon is appropriately solemn and serious. It often ends with a grave prayer and silence. Such a sermon is vital for the health of the Church, and we need more of them. But it also compels a follow-up sermon. Joy, Joy, Joy! The awesome holiness of God that put Isaiah on his face becomes the holiness of God...

“Through the tender mercy of our God ; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.” ( Luke 1:78 ) This is an unusual, but beautiful, name of the coming Savior given Him by Zacharias when he was “filled with the Holy Ghost , and prophesied” ( Luke 1:67 ). In that same prophecy, Zacharias also called that coming one “the Highest” and “the Lord” who would “give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins” (vv. 76-77). Just six months later, Jesus was born. The Greek word here translated “dayspring” is so translated only this one time. It refers to the metaphorical spring from which the sun springs forth each day, and so is usually translated simply as “the east.” It is interesting that it is used three times in connection with the story of the wise men “from the east” who saw “his star in the east,” and then, when they reached Bethlehem once again, “the star, which they saw in the east,” led them to the one who was Himself “the dayspring” ( Matthe...