Dr Paul Allen

"Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem" by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Ever thought, how Jeremiah responded to Judah’s suffering at the time of the Babylonian exile ? Perhaps we can apply Jeremiah's responses to the goal of learning lessons on how the believer can respond to suffering righteously.  Jeremiah  weeps with those who weep , that he acknowledges  the role of sin in suffering , that he trusts in  God’s absolute sovereignty , and yet never finds fault with God but  recognizes the proper enemy . In the midst of his intense suffering and deep anguish, Jeremiah does not mourn as one who has no hope (1 Thess  4:13 ). Rather, he sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, the character of God. He hopes in the restoration of God’s people according to His character and His covenant. Structured Sorrow Probably the most intriguing fact about the Book of Lamentations is that the book with...

An unsaved young man saw how a family responded to their loved one suffering terminal cancer with such confidence, joy, and peace, his heart began to pay attention to the Source of that steadfastness. He began to read his Bible with greater earnestness and listen to the sermons he heard in church with greater interest. Eventually, the Lord saved him. I tell that story because it only further legitimizes the need for Christians to learn how to suffer well—how to suffer righteously . It is necessary to be equipped with a theology of suffering while not yet in the midst of a particular trial. The fact of the matter is, the heat of an intensely trying time often clouds our vision and our judgment, so that we fail to act the way we know we should. We respond to suffering sinfully because we have not prepared to suffer righteously beforehand, when our vision is clear. A Second Lesson To help prepare us to fight the unbiblical thoughts, attitudes, and actions that we are tempted to have ...

Recent days have seen a   rise in controversy   over supposed celestial journeys. Not surprisingly, they have proved to lack authenticity. But there was one individual who did experience a trip to heaven that was authentic. Nearly 2000 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote, speaking of himself: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven . And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak” ( 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Without seeking it out, the Apostle saw the real heaven; the dwelling place of God, angels, the exalted Christ , and those who trust in him as Lord and Savior. This truly was a supernatural experience beyond imagination; something of the extraordinary. And it really happened. Moreover, we fi...

"Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem" by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) To help prepare us to fight the unbiblical thoughts, attitudes, and actions that we are tempted to have in times of suffering , we’ve turned to the example of Jeremiah as outlined in the Book of Lamentations , hoping to glean five lessons on how to righteously respond to suffering. One way to suffer righteously is to identify with and suffer along with those who are suffering. We are to weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15). A second lesson to learn in the pursuit of suffering well is that we are to acknowledge sin to be at the root of suffering. Just as it is significant that Jeremiah identifies with the suffering of his people even though he had little to no part in bringing it about, it is also significant that in his deep mourning Jeremiah acknowledges Israel ’s sin. Unlike Job, Jeremiah’s lamentations in response to suffering contain no protest of innocence. ...