Dr Paul Allen

The Christian needs the armour of God more today than ever, but God offers Himself as a shield to those who trust in Him. Awareness The Bible tells us that we have an enemy and one that’s more dangerous because he’s invisible. The Apostle Paul wants us to be prepared and writes in Ephesians 6:10-11 to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” This armour is necessary because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).  That means the enemy is out of our league, but what is too powerful for us is nothing to God. However, we still must “take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Eph 6:13). It is up to us to “take up” and “put on” ...

    REPORT BY MARK MORRIS In early July, Afghan pastors and church leaders made a difficult decision. They decided to formally register their faith with the Afghan government. What an absurdity to register as Christians in an Islamic republic that prohibits a person from converting to Christianity! Against the advice of many, these Afghan church leaders felt compelled, for the sake of future generations, to legally declare their true faith in Christ. “What about our children and our grandchildren?” they said. “Someone should make this sacrifice so the next generations can openly call themselves followers of Jesus.” They registered with the government, and we all prayed from outside, asking God to protect them from being rounded up and imprisoned the next morning. They were interviewed but not arrested. Dramatic Church Retreat This past weekend, we met in an Afghan/English church retreat. On the first night of the retreat, we learned that a pastor in Afghanistan received a lett...