Dr Paul Allen

The god Marduk and his dragon Mušḫuššu, from a Babylonian cylinder seal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. . . . And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech , and Accad , and Calneh , in the land of Shinar .” ( Genesis 10:8 , 10) The Bible is a book of history and has been remarkably corroborated by archaeology. There are other “bibles,” to be sure. One of the more famous is the Enuma Elish , a creation story from ancient Babylon written on seven tablets. In it the god Marduk battles the chaos goddess Tiamat and defeats her with super-weapons. Once Marduk becomes the leader of the gods, he makes heaven and Earth out of Tiamat’s body and humanity from Marduk’s blood and bone. Interestingly, Nimrod assumes the name Marduk in his own self-aggrandizing records. Little wonder God identifies this place and time in history as “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT , THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” ( Revelat...

One of the complaints we often hear is that everyone has a different interpretation of the Bible . Because many people arrive at varying conclusions when they read the Bible, there is supposedly no way to get a consensus. People point to the variety of denominations as an example that there can be no unanimity of agreement between Bible believers.  This idea neglects to take into account certain facts. The great majority of Bible readers have no problem with agreement on the central teachings of the Bible. Even those who do not believe the Bible to be true have no difficulty whatsoever discerning the main message.  Within all branches of Christianity , we find the same basic understanding as to what the Bible teaches. They usually accept the same creeds that assert such basic truths as that God made man in His image, with freedom of choice, and that man chose to rebel against God, thus bringing sin into the world.  God, because of His everlasting love, became a ma...

Do you struggle with lack of assurance of salvation ? Perhaps you’ve wrestled with this issue for some time, and have never come to a place where you were satisfied. So many times we complicate the matter and forget that Jesus said, Matthew 18:3 “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Of course let me say at the outset that I deny the idea that you can simply say a prayer and be saved. Lordship salvation is the only type of salvation and there are no other kinds. If we say that we are Christians but have no love for Him, no love for His people, and no love for his Word, the Bible would call us liars and say that the truth is not in us. In this case, lack of assurance would be warranted. Repentance is a necessary component of the Gospel , because when we truly believe we will repent. But there is a sense in which we overcomplicate the Gospel pretty regularly. And those who are saved are the ones who const...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Wikipedia ) Only a comprehensive and biblical view of the light of God ’s holiness can rescue us from the darkness.  As we recognize who God is, we will recognize who we are and what we have become, and the Holy Spirit will use that knowledge to revive in His people a renewed zeal for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and a boldness to proclaim that although human beings are great sinners, there is a greater Savior who can rescue us through the gospel. Related articles Rejection (bloggerneecy.com) Good News and the Holy Temple (betsybeadhead.com) Second Sunday after Christmas (emmanuelchatham.typepad.com) An Incredible Mystery! (josephelonlillie.com) Spiritus Sanctus: How the Holy Spirit Renews (slideshare.net) Christians urged to accept the holy spirit to tap God's blessings (spyghana.com) The Ministry of God the Holy Spirit (codybateman.org) What or Who is the Holy Spirit? (fifthmariandogma.wordpress.com )...

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead : And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ) There are many motivating reasons for serving the Lord. One, of course, is His many merciful blessings on our behalf. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God , that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” ( Romans 12:1 ). Then there is the incentive of rewards: “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” ( Revelation 22:12 ). There are also many rewards even in this present life for dedicated Christian service: “ Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” ( 1 Timothy 4:8 ). The great need o...

English: Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia )  “… And in your self–control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness.” 2 PETER 1:6  Godly perseverance is a sure evidence of true salvation.The mature Christian does not give up. His Christianity is like the steady burning of a star rather than the ephemeral brilliance (and speedy eclipse) of a meteor. The Greek word translated “perseverance” in the verse (hupomone) refers to consistent endurance in righteousness and faithfulness in resisting temptation. The precise meaning for hupomone is hard to pinpoint. There is no exact English equivalent, and it’s not common in classical Greek; but the Bible often uses it in reference to the toils and troubles that are unwelcome in life and produce inconvenience and harm. This word even includes the idea of death, as in the Jewish writings in which hupomone speaks of spiritual stamina that empowers people to die for their faith in God . Despite its script...

English: Austin J40 toy car, interior (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) When I take my foot off the pedal, the car does not speed up. It doesn’t even maintain the same speed. Instead, from the very moment I take my foot off the accelerator, the car begins to slow. Allowing the car to coast is inviting the car to stop. It may take some time, but left on its own, it will stop eventually. It is inevitable. I’ve been thinking about this lately because I see in my own life a tendency to coast—to coast in my relationships, to coast in my pursuit of godliness , to coast in my pursuit of God himself. And here are some things I’ve observed: I do not coast toward godliness, but selfishness. I do not coast toward self-control, but rashness. I do not coast toward a love for others, but agitation. I do not coast toward patience, but irritability. I do not coast toward purity, but lust. I do not coast toward self-denial, but self-obsession. I do not coast toward the gospel, but self-sufficie...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness , through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." ( 2 Peter 1:3-4 ) Certain passages of Scripture simply take one's breath away. Our text for today is just such a passage. To those He has called, God has promised "all things that pertain unto life and godliness." He has provided all that we need to live godly and productive lives. It is "his divine power" (emphatic in the Greek text), imparted to us in the person of the indwelling Holy Spirit , which makes this possible. In order to properly utilize our resources, we must continue to grow in "the |full| knowledge of him." O...

"I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 1 Corinthians 12:1–11   The doctrine of the Trinity is an important cornerstone of Christian belief . In 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 , Paul refers to the deep relationship among the three persons of the Trinity: the Spirit, the Lord (Christ) and God (the Father). He illustrates how unity in the church — in terms of spiritual gifts, kinds of service and kinds of working — should reflect the unity of the Trinity. But how does the relationship among the persons of the Trinity provide evidence of Jesus ’ divine nature? Although the term Trinity is never used in the Bible, the early church fathers discerned the concept from verses like Matthew 28:19 2 Corinthians 13:14. In fact, the relationship of the Trinity can be traced throughout Scripture. For instance, consider how all were present at Creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … the Spirit of God wa...

"The Kiss of Judas" is a traditional depiction of Judas by Giotto di Bondone, c. 1306. Fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Sometimes people get the idea that the goal of the Gospel is to instill guilt in our lives. I have even met psychologists who contend that most mental illness is the result of deep-seated, religiously instilled unworthiness, regret, and repressed guilt. These doctors consequently expend much effort discrediting Christianity in order to free their clients of the source of their problem. The apostle Paul lends more light to this subject than virtually any other writer, biblical or secular, ancient or modern, in his short parenthesis in 2 Corinthians 7:8–11: Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.… I am happy … because your sorrow led you to repentance . For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leav...

Logos is giving away  The Godhead of God  by A. W. Pink . Pink explains the book this way: ”The Godhood of God! What is meant by the expression? This: the omnipotency of God, the absolute sovereignty of God. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that God is God. We affirm that God is something more than an empty title: that God is something more than a mere figure-head: that God is something more than a far-distant Spectator , looking helplessly on at the suffering which sin has wrought. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that He is ‘King of kings and Lord of lords .’ “You can get it  here . Related articles On the Mormon Concept of God (maverickphilosopher.typepad.com) Logos Free Book of the Month for May (readingacts.wordpress.com) The Road Less Traveled - Godlike (ayearofintention.wordpress.com) Ex Mormon Ed. Decker slams Joel Olsteen's comments: "Mormons are Christians" (exministries.wordpress.com) ("What kind of madness forces an...

Peter's conflict with Simon Magus by Avanzino Nucci, 1620. Simon is on the right, dressed in black. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world”  —  1 Timothy 6:6-8 A few passages in the New Testament imply that the early church dealt with the problem of false teachers aiming to enrich themselves. Peter ’s instructions to the elders warn against using the ministry “for shameful gain” (1 Peter 5:1–2). Acts 8:9–25 records the story of one Simon Magus who sought to buy the power of the Holy Spirit , presumably to get people to pay to see his own wonderworking abilities. The church fathers say that Simon was one of the founders of the Gnosticism that threatened God’s people in the second century AD. In Ephesus, Timothy confronted heretics who sold their falsehoods for the sake of worldly wealth. These men mingled error with the teachings of g...

Image via Wikipedia let's read:  Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus' words, although impressive, were sometimes ignored or dismissed; however, the miracles he performed were difficult to discount or dispute. Among Jesus' many extraordinary powers was his authority over the natural world. Matthew 14:22-33  records the miraculous event of Jesus walking on the windy surface of a stormy lake to reach his disciples . In addition, with Jesus' urging, Peter was miraculously empowered to also walk on the water.  When Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, the wind immediately became still, which caused the disciples aboard the boat to exclaim, "Truly you are the Son of God " ( Matthew 14:33 ). A similar passage in  Mark 4:39  reports that with the simple phrase, "Quiet! Be still!" Jesus quieted the furious squall. The disciples were stunned and terrified (see  Mark 4:41 ). Their fear of the storm and waves subsided but another and greater fear replaced it immediate...