Dr Paul Allen

Resurrection and Descent to Hell. Russian icon, (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) That's one of the most emotionally laden questions that a Christian can ever be asked. Nothing is more terrifying or more awful to contemplate than that any human being would go to hell. On the surface, when we ask a question like that, what's lurking there is, "How could God ever possibly send some person to hell who never even had the opportunity to hear of the Savior? It just doesn't seem right." I would say the most important section of Scripture to study with respect to that question is the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. The point of the book of Romans is to declare the Good News —the marvelous story of redemption that God has provided for humanity in Christ , the riches and the glory of God's grace, the extent to which God has gone to redeem us. But when Paul introduces the gospel, he begins in the first chapter by declaring that the wrath of God is reve...

English: Stained glass panel in the nave of St. John's Anglican Church, Ashfield, New South Wales (NSW). This window depicts Jesus Christ welcoming children and teaching "of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). The inscription on this memorial window reads "To the Glory of God and in Commemoration of all the Baptisms in this Church † Erected John the Baptist Day 1932". (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “ In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” ( John 1:1-3 ) It is remarkable how many names and titles are associated with Jesus Christ (meaning “anointed Savior”) in the first chapter of John’s gospel . In verse 9, He is called “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” He is “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” in verse 14, and “the only be...

Notice for a prayer meeting (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Go Unprepared. The best prayer meetings are the ones that have been prepared. Sometimes that preparation involves putting together a list of items you will pray for at the meeting. Sometimes that preparation involves a brief devotional or another means of getting people to think about the Lord before they begin to pray. Sometimes that preparation simply involves praying —praying for the prayer meeting. Dominate. Sometimes a leader fears silence during prayer meetings, so immediately fills any silence with yet another one of his own prayers. Or he is so sure of his ability to pray that he will go on and on. And on. But there are some people who thrive in silence, who need it for their own private prayers, or who need a few minutes to work up the nerve to open their mouths and pray out loud. Only Ask. Without a deliberate effort to be thankful—to consider all the good things God has done and to thank him for them—a prayer...

GOD IS BORED OF YOU (Photo credit: Tom Coates ) The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. The believer who lives close to the Father ’s heart is free to express his feelings to Him. You do not have to be uptight with God . He knew every detail of your life the moment He created you. When you were saved, the Lord Jesus Christ understood all of your past failures and hang-ups and your future struggles. Because you are now His child for all eternity, you can be completely honest with Him. You can pour out your hurts, your anger, your disappointments, your secrets, and your dreams to the Lord. He will never reject you (Heb. 13:5). You can never turn away His steadfast love. There will be times when you do not understand what God is up to in your life. God’s presence may seem distant. Because you have God’s assurance of His presence and because of His unceasing activity on your behalf, you can still cling to Him and worship Him in the knowledge ...

Giovanni Baglione - Heavenly Love and Earthly Love - WGA1158 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Daniel 12:1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people” (v. 1a). Central to the biblical description of God is the doctrine of divine providence. Scripture is clear that the Lord did not make the world and then leave it alone to run its course. Rather, He continues to uphold and sustain His creation (Heb. 1:1–4). God’s continuing involvement with creation is according to His design as He works out “all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). What is often forgotten when considering divine providence is that the angels are some of the many secondary agents through which the primary agent — God Himself — works out His plan. Angels themselves are not divine; they are creatures who, along with everything else the Almighty has made (Rev. 4:11), have an origin in space and time. That the Lord uses angels to govern His c...

Our Lord Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "The Gospel is very simply Jesus Christ. Who among us is tired of hearing of the Lord Jesus Christ ? He is the Son of God , the Son of Man. Sent into this world to be born of a virgin that He might be sinless, that He might be born under the law, to keep the very law that you and I break day after day, after day. The perfect, sinless, Son of God has perfectly met all the requirements of God's law, and is ready to give His righteousness to us that we would have a perfect standing before God. That He went to a cross; there He was lifted up to die. There upon that cross, the sins of everyone who would believe in Him were transferred to Him. And Him who knew no sin God made to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. The great exchange of the cross—the worst about me laid upon Him, the best about Him now to be laid upon me as He shed His blood upon that cross. He reconciled sinful man to holy God . There i...

Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, painting by Rembrandt (1659) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." ( Exodus 20:12 ) This familiar command was the fifth in God's list of Ten Commandments, the law of God, and it has never been abrogated. It was quoted by Christ as His own command, when He said: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. . . . Honour thy father and thy mother" ( Matthew19:17 , 19). The apostle Paul also cited it as of special significance: "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise" ( Ephesians 6:2 ). This all indicates that God considers the honoring of parents by their children to be of great significance. Since the father has been charged with the primary spiritual responsibility for his family, it is of supreme importance that fathers lead their children properly and ...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) ". . .and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ ." ( 1 John 1:3 )   One marvelous reason for which God has adopted us ( Ephesians 1:5 ), indeed part of the very "calling" to become God's children, is to fellowship ( 1 Corinthians 1:9 ) with the great God of creation!   Jesus prayed ( John 17 ) that we, His chosen disciples, might have the same kind of relationship with the Heavenly Father that Jesus Himself had throughout eternity. Our minds m...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." ( Psalm 119:75 ) One of the most perplexing aspects of the Christian life is trying to understand God 's purpose when defeat or affliction comes into our lives, thereby hindering or even halting our ministry and testimony for Him. Many have been the servants of God who were sincerely working for Christ , seeking to obey His will and His Word as best they understood them, but then suddenly were laid aside by sickness, or had their ministries stopped by the enemies of God (sometimes even by fellow Christians ), or for some other reason, and could not discern why God allowed it. What then? When affliction comes, we must simply trust God, knowing that whatever He does is right and that our affliction is invested with His faithfulness. He is our Creato...

StJohnsAshfield StainedGlass Crucifixion (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) We need this reminder every now and then, because the idea of how we glorify God so easily becomes masked over by either purely externals (what I do), or the purely subjective experience (what I feel) of what is so often called “worship.” The truest test, or display of worship, however, is loving and trusting obedience, it is walking in the light, it is reflecting the life of Jesus : “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” ( 1 John 1:7). What an amazing truth! True fellowship with God and other believers can be had because it has been purchased by the blood (i.e. the death) of the Lord Jesus , the Son of God for all who believe! He is the satisfaction for the sin of sinners from every tribe, nation, and tongue; or, “For the whole world” (1 John 2:2). His suffering our salvation. How do I know if I am walking ...