Dr Paul Allen

Ghosts have long captivated the human imagination, sparking fascination and fear alike. But what is the truth behind these ethereal beings? Are they the spirits of the departed or something more sinister? As we delve into religion, history, and personal experiences, we will uncover the mysteries of ghosts and their true nature. The Many Faces of Ghosts Throughout history, accounts of ghostly encounters have taken various forms. Some claim to have witnessed the apparitions of deceased loved ones, while others have encountered restless spirits haunting specific locations. From dreams to unexpected appearances, the manifestations of ghosts are as diverse as the human imagination itself. However, understanding these discrepancies requires a deeper exploration of our religious backgrounds and beliefs. Religion and the Fear of Death Religion has often served as a solace for the human fear of death, offering explanations and reassurances about the afterlife. Different religious traditions pro

English: The Temptation of St. Anthony by Martin Schöngauer c. 1480-90. Engraving. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) There has been a renewal of interest in the work of Satan . Hollywood has given us a host of films to whet our appetite for the satanic. Within Christian circles, there has arisen a concern for ministries of deliverance . Some of these deliverance ministries have developed a bizarre and radically unbiblical view of demon possession and deliverance. We may hear that particular demons cause particular sins . There is, they say, a demon of alcohol, a demon of depression, a demon of tobacco, and so on. Others say we can recognize the departure of a demon from a human soul by a manifest sign that is linked to the particular point of bondage. You may have listened to recorded talks from some of these well-known deliverance ministers in which they teach the signs of departure of the demon. A sigh, for example, indicates the departure

Christ and The Pharisees (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:8 Spiritual knowledge of Christ will be a personal knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another person’s acquaintance with him. No, I must know him myself; I must know him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge—I must know him, not as the visionary dreams of him, but as the Word reveals him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices—his attributes—his works—his shame—his glory. I must meditate upon him until I “ comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. ” It will be an affectionate knowledge of him; indeed, if I know him at all, I must love him. An ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning. Our knowledge of him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I know my Savior, my

Author: Steve Dewitt.  Advice for single men whom God has given the desire for marriage but who have not yet found a wife. Hollywood has made a lot of money portraying women pining for marriage but not finding love. The typical plotline is predictable. Woman wants man. Man wants different woman while blind to the wonderful woman already in his life. Woman desperately tries to woo man, but man has too many issues. The stereotype is confirmed — a seemingly quality, single, adult, heterosexual man is a blight on society. He has problems. If the man is a Christian , the speculation can really ramp up. As I was single into my 40s and a senior pastor as well, I am very familiar with the bewildered looks and awkward coughs as my single status was discovered. I can summarize all of them with one experience I had while visiting some friends. The visit was going quite well until their 6-year-old daughter whispered all too loudly to her mom, "Is he married?" She replied, "No

English: Noah sent out this dove Русский: Ной выпускает голубя (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I would never go to a movie titled “ Noah ” and expect to witness an accurate account of the biblical narrative. In fact, no one should ever go to a Hollywood production of any kind and expect to see a true rendering of biblical truth. Think about it; if someone has spent millions of dollars to procure for themselves actors and directors and writers of prominence to recreate a biblical story then almost by definition they aren’t going to promote the certainty of Scripture. There is a certain beautiful but dangerous naivety in most evangelical circles that has allowed them to entertain the idea that on some level Hollywood desires to promote the glory of God when they don’t. Perhaps it comes from the newest Christian vogue of trying to win the culture by living like the culture. Perhaps we have tried to become so much like them that now we believe they are like us. Somehow believers have sed

So what about Noah ? Is it worth your time and money to see it? The answer to that question depends entirely upon what you think is worthwhile. There are at least three criteria by which I make such judgments: execution, story, and fidelity. By execution, I refer mainly to the technical aspects of the film. Was it made well? In terms of production value, Noah is not in the same category as B- movie -Bible-epic-would-be thrillers. In other words, Noah is a little less Left Behind and a little morePassion of the Christ . The cast, cinematography, special effects , acting, etc. are all state of the art. It is a bone fide Hollywood feature. We don’t often get to see biblical material depicted with such a high level of cinematic execution. That by itself makes this film more than a curiosity. On that level, this movie stands out as one of the best of its genre. And that alone draws me to the movie in spite of its weaknesses in other areas. Grade : A+ By story, I refer to the plot and ch

My first experience teaching the Bible came when I was asked at the last minute to teach a Sunday School class of first-grade boys. I was only 16 years old, and I did not exactly volunteer to teach the class. I found myself telling a familiar Bible story to six-year olds and explaining it as best I could. There have been very few Sundays since when I have not taught or preached, usually to a congregation a bit less fidgety than my first. You learn one thing fast when teaching the Bible to six-year-old boys — they often think they can “improve” on the story as found in the Bible. First-grade boys are big on special effects, blowing away bad guys, exploding just about anything, and what we might gently call “narrative overkill.” That helps me to understand director Darren Aronofsky and his new film,  Noah . Aronofsky and his co-writer Ari Handel started with the Old Testament narrative about Noah, just about 2,400 words in English translation, and exploded it into a huge Hollywood