Dr Paul Allen

God ’s fullest self-revelation as Savior came in the person of Jesus Christ —God in human flesh. The incarnation itself was an expression of sympathy and identification with our weakness (Heb. 4:15). In Christ , we can see countless expressions of divine compassion translated into human idioms that we easily understand and identify with—including sadness, sympathy, and tears of sorrow.  Though sinless Himself, Jesus suffered all the consequences of sin in infinite measure—and in so suffering , He identifies with the misery of all who feel the pains of human anguish. This was the whole reason God the Son became a man: “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:17–18). “For we do not have a high priest who cannot

Many contemporary Christians feel disconnected from the vibrant, Spirit-filled ministries of the prophets and apostles described in the Bible . In the Old Testament , God seemingly took the people of Israel through miraculous event after miraculous event. In the New Testament , those who watched the ministry of Jesus were seized with amazement at the miracles he performed ( Luke 5:25 ), and the apostles in the early church regularly performed signs and wonders among the people ( Acts 5:12 ).  Yet today, such miraculous events seem rare and, when we do hear reports of miracles, many Christians are skeptical. At the very least, we feel there's  something  different about the way God worked in the Old and New Testament periods and the way he works today. This raises a valid question: Why don’t we experience today the miracles we read about in the New Testament? To answer that question, we need to understand not only how God works through  providence and common grace , b

When Jesus walked upon the earth, multitudes of people were touched by His life and ministry. His Name became a household word because of the reputation of His miraculous deeds. Everyone was clamoring to be in His meetings because miracles and healings were happening everywhere He went. Like everyone else, they had heard the stories about Jesus. They had heard of the miracles that followed Him everywhere He went, and they had heard about other lepers that had been cleansed by His touch. They had no other hope for a cure as there was no medicine that could help their terrible plight. They knew if they had any chance at all of having a future it would only come through an encounter with Jesus. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and was passing through a village in the regions of Samaria and Galilee. The ten lepers heard that He was coming. Here was a potential source of healing, but could it happen for them? Or would it happen for them? Was this going to be a great testimony of vic

Lady Gaga: Queen of Pop (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Lady Gaga ( Stefani Germanotta ) speaks for millions in her song “ Born This Way ,” when she declares, I’m beautiful in my way, ‘Cause God makes no mistakes I’m on the right track, baby I was born this way (Streamline/Interscope/ KonLive , 2011) The song is a hodgepodge of pluralistic affirmations, but its dominant message is unmistakably sexual, which Gaga’s music video makes explicitly clear (viewer discretion strongly advised): No matter gay, straight, or bi Lesbian, transgendered life I’m on the right track, baby I was born to survive “Born This Way” is a pop anthem of Western culture , a musical declaration of sexual independence. But it is not revolutionary, like Queen ’s “We Will Rock You” or “ We Are the Champions ” from a generation ago. Gaga (a name inspired by Queen’s “Radio Gaga”) is singing a mainstream manifesto, a dominant cultural belief about self-identity: I am my sexuality (my sexual desires and se

The restoration to a sound physical or psychological state or to the greatest degree of health (Heb. šālōm “completeness, welfare”) possible given such limits as age and dismemberment. The process might involve regeneration as well as restoration, which included rectification of a sinful condition for which disease was often considered divine punishment (Ps. 38:3; cf. Isa. 38:10–20). Ultimately, God is the source of healing (e.g., Gen. 20:17; Exod. 15:16). Healing might be effected through prophets who acted as God’s agents (e.g., 2 Kgs. 5:3–14; 2 Kgs. 20:1–7 par. Isa. 38) as well as purification rituals performed by priests (cf. Lev. 15). By the Hellenistic period professional physicians had gained a prominent role, relying on magic and superstition as much as actual medical treatment (cf. Sir. 38:1–15). As part of his ministry of restoring humanity to wholeness, Jesus healed a variety of physical and psychological ailments (e.g., Luke 7:21–22; cf. 4:18). Although in some ins

The dynamic ministry of Jesus not only revealed God ’s heart of love for mankind’s need of a Redeemer, but unveiled God’s compassionate heart of mercy for mankind’s need of a Healer. The will of God was perfectly disclosed in His Son: ours is to seek how to most fully convey that full and perfect revelation. Just as the Fall of man introduced sickness as a part of the curse, the Cross of Christ has opened a door to healing as a part of salvation’s provision. Healing encompasses God’s power to restore broken hearts, broken homes, broken lives, and broken bodies. Suffering assumes a multiplicity of forms, but Christ’s bloodshot only covers our sin with redemptive love; His stripes release a resource of healing at every dimension of our need. The writer of this study is a missionary, pastor, teacher, and theologian, who has seen and helped multitudes to faith without presumption. 1. The Old Testament Healing Covenant (Ex. 15:26) Gods promises to keep His people free of diseases if

Jesus Speaks Regarding the Use of Medicine The Good Samaritan Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? And he said, "The one wh