Dr Paul Allen

Icon of the Pentecost (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) We quench the Spirit by not allowing Him to work in us as we ought. This is what is brought out by the word quench. It is not ‘stifle’; it is stronger—Quench ! Quenching immediately conjures up the image of fire. That is why the Apostle used the word translated ‘quench’; it brings us at once to the notion of fire.  You ‘quench’ a fire; so what he is really saying is, Do not quench the fire of the Spirit that is within you. Of all the images used with respect to the Holy Spirit there is none used more frequently than that of fire. John the Baptist used the word quite dramatically. Some of the people, having heard his preaching, said, ‘Is not this the Christ ?’ John overheard them and said, ‘I am not the Christ. I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will through

Heard a great message at Hillsong Conference a few weeks ago on Jericho from Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church using Jericho titled "Don't Stop On 6". The point that stuck with me was that those with Joshua had no idea how many times they would circle Jericho before the walls would come down.  I thought there was a powerful metaphor in that for us to not give up when facing our walls. Don't give up fighting through your trials because this may be the last time around the wall before it comes tumbling down. Just keep marching as if it was the 6th day, you never know what God will do. Pastor Brian Houston from Hillsong Conference Sydney - No Other Name spoke highly of this message from Steve Furtick. #NoOtherName. Thank you Steve!  Related articles Hillsong Worship: Latest Hillsong album 'No Other Name' to be rebranded (crossrhythms.co.uk) Greg Laurie promotes Furtick's new book (standupforthetruth.com) A Baptist Pastor goes

Bill Hybels shared at Hillsong Conference the message: 15 minutes with God. He challenged his friend about allocating time to have devotions and meet with god. Years later he met this same friend who looked completely different. Bill had a meal at his house and the man showed him his rocking chair . Bill had challenged him about his devotions, so he bought a good rocking chair, got his coffee, Bile and chair and started a life changing habit. Bill encouraged the Hillsong Conference to allocate time to God each day by doing the same thing. Brain Houston, thanked Bill for his insight and contribution over the years to the Christian church in Australia.  Related articles Hillsong - Australia's most powerful brand (mumbrella.com.au) A Baptist Pastor goes to a Hillsong Conference! (exposingerror.wordpress.com) Hillsong Conference 2013 ... On Live! (becauseheartmatters.wordpress.com) SOAR 2014 Song List (aaronwilliamsblog.com) Colour 2013 (vspeech.wordpress.com) C

Hillsong Church London logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Brian Houston , senior pastor of Hillsong , led a "Let's talk church" segment on the final morning of the Hillsong Conference in London . Joined by a panel which included his wife, Bobbie, and Gary and Cathy Clarke, who head up Hillsong London , Brian led a discussion on the importance of good decisions, and making a positive impact on the lives of generations to come. "Some of you haven't met your children yet, but you're making decisions now that will affect them," Brian noted. "We can't be indecisive - never underestimate the power of decisions. There is no such thing as a small decision, if the consequences are great - that's just a big decision in disguise." He offered some general advice, suggesting that we "don't make permanent decisions in temporary circumstances," before highlighting the seven most significant decisions Christians are faced with in life

Christ and the Samaritan woman  (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.' (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How is it that you, a Jew , ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?' (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)" ( John 4 :7-9) In John 4:7-9, Jesus crossed three barriers.  The first was that which separated Samaritans from Jews. In the eighth century BC, the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and deported the Israelites who lived there. In their place, the Assyrians brought other peoples to populate the land (2 Kings 17:24). These Gentiles sought to worship both the gods of their homelands and the local deity, the God of the Israelites, so they mixed the religions. This was a grave offense to the Jews, and over the centuries their hatred only grew as the Samaritans developed their o

The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) What kind of God could be influenced by my prayers ?  What could my prayers do to induce Him to change His plans? Could I possibly give God any information about anything that He doesn’t already have?  Or could I persuade Him toward a more excellent way by my superior wisdom?  Of course not. I am completely unqualified to be God’s mentor or His guidance counselor . So the simple answer is that prayer does not change God’s mind.  But suppose we ask the question of the relationship between God’s sovereignty and our prayers in a slightly different way: “Does prayer change things?” Now the answer is an emphatic “ Yes !” The Scriptures tell us that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” ( James 5:16 ). This text declares that prayer is effectual. It is not a pious exercise in futility. That which is futile avails nothing. Prayer, however, avails much. That which avails much is never fut

Butler’s mosaic. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In the New Testament a. Systems of slavery in  NT times Jewish slavery, to judge by the Talmud, remained governed as always by the tight national unity of the people. There was a sharp distinction between Jewish and Gentile slaves. The former were subject to the sabbath-year manumission , and the onus fell upon Jewish communities everywhere to ransom their nationals held in slavery to Gentiles . Thus no fundamental division into bond and free was recognized. At the same time the whole people might be thought of as the servants of Yahweh. By contrast, Greek slavery was justified in classical theory by the assumption of a natural order of slaves. Since only the citizen class were, strictly speaking, human, slaves were merely chattels. While this idea was carried into practice only in the rare cases where common sense and humanity broke down, the fact remains that throughout classical antiquity the institution of slavery was simply taken f

A 13th century book illustration produced in Baghdad by al-Wasiti showing a slave-market in the town of Zabid in Yemen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I. In the Old Testament a. Introduction Under the influence of Roman law , a slave is usually considered to be a person (male or female) owned by another, without rights, and—like any other form of personal property—to be used and disposed of in whatever way the owner may wish. In the ancient biblical East, however, slaves could and did acquire various rights before the law or by custom, and these included ownership (even of other slaves) and the power to conduct business while they were yet under their masters’ control. Slavery is attested from the earliest times throughout the ancient Near East, and owed its existence and perpetuation primarily to economic factors. b. Sources of slaves (i) By capture. Captives, especially prisoners of war, were commonly reduced to slavery (Gn. 14:21, claimed by the king of Sodom; Nu. 31:9; Dt. 20:1

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553): Adam and Eve. Beech wood, 1533. Bode-Museum, Berlin (Erworben 1830, Königliche Schlösser, Gemäldegalerie Kat. 567) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The emphasis placed on pride, and its converse humility, is a distinctive feature of biblical religion, unparalleled in other religious or ethical systems . Rebellious pride, which refuses to depend on God and be subject to him, but attributes to self the honour due to him, figures as the very root and essence of sin. We may say with Aquinas that pride was first revealed when Lucifer attempted to set his throne on high in proud independence of God (Is. 14:12–14). The fallen devil (Lk. 10:18) instilled the craving to be as gods into Adam and Eve (Gn. 3:5), with the result that man’s entire nature was infected with pride through the Fall (cf. Rom. 1:21–23). The ‘condemnation of the devil’ is associated with pride in 1 Tim. 3:6 (cf. ‘the snare of the devil’ in 1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:26); pride was his undoi