Dr Paul Allen

You can’t be neutral when it comes to Jesus . He doesn’t give you that luxury. If you really listen to what he says, you either need to believe that he is the Preeminent Son of God and worship him, or you need to get as far away from him as you can. He demands a hot or cold response and spews anything lukewarm (Revelation  3:15 –16). The Shocking Claims of Jesus In John chapter 5 , Jesus throws down the gauntlet. First, he healed a man who had been disabled for 38 years. On the Sabbath (verse 9). On purpose. Then when the Jewish leaders objected, Jesus didn’t even attempt to correct their faulty interpretation of Sabbath work, as he did at other times (see Luke 14:1–6). Instead, he responded with this provocative statement: “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This would have drawn audible gasps. And the leaders correctly understood Jesus’s point: he really was “making himself equal with God” (verse 18). This declaration, on top of the Sabbath healing, fueled

Titlepage of the New Testament section of a German Luther Bible, printed in 1769. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Sin is the great spoiler. It spoils our relation to God, each other, ourselves, and our environment. Not only is sin the great spoiler but also we need to know how to understand sin biblically and to face the temptation that comes with it. Without this dark backdrop, the coming and cross of Christ make little sense.  Sin is serious.  But in our postmodern society where there are no absolutes, and in an effort not to offend anyone concerning the issue of sin, we sometimes use other language: ‘done wrong,’ ‘erred,’ or ‘made a mistake.’ But the Bible encourages us not to be afraid to talk, preach, or teach concerning the Bible’s understanding of sin and its effects both personally and societally. The Puritans were right—it is only when we have first grasped the depravity of the human heart that can we ever fully appreciate the greatness of the love of God in salvation.

How do we distinguish the promptings of the Spirit of grace in His guiding and governing of our lives from the delusions of the spirit of the world and of our own sinful heart? This is a hugely important question if we are to be calm and confident that the spirit with whom we are communing really is the  Holy  Spirit. John Owen suggests four ways in which the Spirit and the serpent are to be distinguished: The leading of the Spirit, he says, is regular, that is, according to the  regulum : the rule of Scripture . The Spirit does not work in us to give us a new rule of life, but to help us understand and apply the rule contained in Scripture. Thus, the fundamental question to ask about any guidance will be: Is this course of action consistent with the Word of God ?  The commands of the Spirit are not grievous . They are in harmony with the Word, and the Word is in harmony with the believer as new creation. The Christian believer consciously submitted to the Word will find plea

Every leader wants to lead better. Much has been written on leadership and yet, as Albert Mohler proves in The Conviction to Lead , there is still more. He starts the book with “My goal is to change the way you think about leadership. I do not aim merely to add one more voice to the conversation; I want to fundamentally change the way leadership is understood and practiced.”  Mohler surveys the vast leadership industry and points out that in all the useful things that have been said about leadership, the central problem “is a lack of attention to what leaders believe and why this is central.” His burden is “to redefine Christian leadership so that it is inseparable from passionately held beliefs, and to motivate those who are deeply committed to truth to be ready for leadership. I want to see a generation arise that is simultaneously leading with conviction and driven by the conviction to lead. The generation that accomplishes this will set the world on fire.” Mohler advocates i

Image via Wikipedia By their approval of this service,they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the Gospel of Christ , and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. (2 Corinthians 9:13–14) Are you obedient to the Gospel? At first glance, that may seem like an odd question. Typically, we don’t speak in such terms, but the Apostle Paul did.  In his letters, we come across phrases similar to the one we encounter in 2 Corinthians 9:13, wherein Paul speaks of submitting to or obeying the Gospel of Christ (e.g. Rom. 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:8). In most cases, Paul speaks of those who do not obey the Gospel; however, in this instance, he praises the Corinthian church for their submission to their Gospel confession. Paul’s relationship with the money-loving, self-loving, and world-loving Corinthians was one that abounded with admonition an