Dr Paul Allen

Here are 10 things we must know about the Incarnation: 1. The person or active subject of the incarnation is the eternal Son. John 1:14 is clear: “The Word became flesh.” In other words, it was the Son from eternity who became incarnate, not the divine nature. The Son, who is in eternal relation to the Father and Spirit, willingly humbled himself and chose to assume a human nature in obedience to his Father and for our salvation (Phil. 2:6-8). 2. As the eternal Son, the second person of the triune Godhead, he is the full image and expression of the Father and is thus fully God. Along with the Father and Spirit, the Son fully and equally shares the divine nature. As the image and exact correspondence of the Father (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3), the Son is fully God. All of God’s perfections and attributes are his since Christ is God the Son (Col. 2:9). As the Son, he participates in the divine rule, receives divine worship, and does all divine works as the Son (Ps. 110:1; Eph. 1:22; Phil. 2:9-1...

Lyne Wallace In simple words, John gives us an important observation about the morning of the resurrection. “…It was still dark…” As always with John the words operate on two levels. Yes, it was before dawn so it was dark. John, however, was not referring to the limited number of lumens peering over the horizon. The time of day is only a servant to his greater point. The world was dark not because the sun had yet to peer over the horizon. John is not trying to describe the ordinary. The world was dark because the power of evil had if just for a moment, won the day or so it seemed. The Light of the World was extinguished, and, for all Mary Magdalene knew, that fact remained unchanged. She most likely suspected it to forever remain unchanged. Mary was beside herself in grief. Her eyes, swollen by hours of wailing, were unable to see clearly. Her wailing had drowned out both extraordinary and familiar voices. John 20 -  Mary and Jesus She watched in disbelieving horror as the soldiers...

As David looked out to the battlefield, there stood Goliath of Gath, the Philistine giant, defying Israel’s God. In David’s hands were a few small stones. Did anyone believe this shepherd boy could stand against a warrior like Goliath? As David walked onto the battlefield, he responded to Goliath with words meant to reassure Israel that they had a better champion than the Philistines. Did anyone believe these words? And who was the identity of this champion? The Lord God of Israel. All the assembly today will know, David said, that “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam. 17:47). Israel needed to learn a profound lesson. They were absolutely helpless before Goliath. The lesson was never to be missed: You can’t win this battle, so the Lord must fight and win for you. Sadly, many Christians still haven’t learned this lesson. The most common interpretation of this passage places the responsibility squarely on us to slay the Goliaths in our lives. Some of the best-selling Christian books today p...

The gospel of Luke ends with a supremely jarring statement: “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (24:50–53). What is jarring about this passage is, as Luke reports the departure of Jesus from this world, the response of His disciples was to return to Jerusalem with “great joy.” What about Jesus’ departure would instil in His disciples an emotion of sheer elation? This question is made all the more puzzling when we consider the emotions the disciples displayed when Jesus earlier had told them that His departure would come soon. At that time, the idea that their Lord would leave their presence provoked in them a spirit of profound remorse. It would seem that nothing could be more depressing than to anticipate separation from the presence o...

SUFFERINGS COMPENSATED “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us .” ( Romans 8:18) AH, SAYS someone, that must have been written by a man who was a stranger to suffering, or by one acquainted with nothing more trying than the milder irritations of life. Not so. These words were penned under the direction of the Holy Spirit by one who drank deeply of sorrow’s cup, indeed by one who suffered afflictions in their acutest forms. Hear his own testimony: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunge...

7 Lucky Gods of japan (Photo credit: Steve-kun ) "What goes around, comes around." This American idiom suggests a view of history that has more in common with ancient Greek philosophy than with the Judeo-Christian understanding of history. The grand difference between the ancient view of history and that found in Scripture is the difference between what is called "cyclical" and "linear-progressive." A cyclical view indicates that there was no beginning to the universe and no goal for it; rather, history creates itself and eventually repeats itself—forever. It was this ancient perspective that generated the skepticism that inspired Friedrich Nietzsche 's view of "the myth of eternal recurrence." Over against this view stands the biblical view of linear-progressive history. This understanding does not say that history moves in a steady incline, moving toward some evolutionary climax; rather, it indicates a movement of history that looks...

Christ Crucified (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) One of the most important events of the life of Christ was His ascension. We celebrate His birth, His life, His transfiguration, His atoning death on Good Friday , and His resurrection . But all of these events moved Jesus inexorably toward that moment when He would be lifted up from this planet, not simply to rise to heaven but to go to His coronation, His crowning as King of kings and Lord of lords . Immediately following Jesus' ascension comes His session. The session of Jesus; it refers to His seating at the right hand of God . Various views have emerged in church history regarding the concept of the kingdom of God . Some believe the kingdom of God is totally future, that it doesn't exist at all now, not even in part, until the return of Jesus at the end of the age. Others say the kingdom of God already has been completely realized; there's nothing left to take place. I say, "A pox on both of those houses....

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church  The mission of the church is eternal. Its origin is in eternity and its destination is eternity. God 's plan of redemption for this fallen world was not an afterthought or an expression of a plan B. Rather, before the world was even created, in all eternity God the Father , God the Son and God the Holy Spirit had a covenant among themselves that we call the Covenant of Redemption . It was God's eternal design in eternity to manifest His plan of redemption and the creation of His church . The Father from eternity agreed to send the second person of the Trinity, the Son, into the world to accomplish this plan of redemption. Together, the Father and the Son agreed to send the Holy Spirit to apply the accomplished work of redemption to God's people. So the mission of the church begins with the mission of the second person of the Trinity. A mission involves a sending. The Father sends the Son into the world in ...

 Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11).   Wikipedia ) "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his Son's name, if thou canst tell?" ( Proverbs 30:4 ) The obvious answer to these rhetorical questions must center in God , the Creator of all things. But the fascinating revelation in this Old Testament passage is that God has a Son and that both have names. When Moses asked God His name, "God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM . . . This is my name for ever" ( Exodus 3:14-15 ). Later, Moses, in his song of deliverance said: "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name" ( Exodus 15:3 ). The name Lord (Hebrew Jehovah or Yahweh) means, essentially, "I am, the self-existent one." As far as His Son's name is concerned, it is revealed in Scripture in many ways. In the Old ...

Oil painting of a young John Calvin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “The blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords , who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.” —  1 Timothy 6:15 -16 One characteristic of Paul’s writing is his proclivity to insert a word of praise that also contains significant theological exposition when a term or subject he has just mentioned brings to his mind some aspect of the glory of God . For example, his discussion of the electing grace of God, the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s people Israel, and the future salvation of the Jews in Romans 9 –11 moves him to exalt the wisdom and knowledge of God in 11:33–36. We also find a poetic description of the Son of God’s humbling of Himself in His incarnation after the apostle encourages the Philippians to serve one another in humility (Phil. 2:1–11). First Timothy 3:16 magnifies the mystery of godliness after Paul calls deacons...

Logos is giving away  The Godhead of God  by A. W. Pink . Pink explains the book this way: ”The Godhood of God! What is meant by the expression? This: the omnipotency of God, the absolute sovereignty of God. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that God is God. We affirm that God is something more than an empty title: that God is something more than a mere figure-head: that God is something more than a far-distant Spectator , looking helplessly on at the suffering which sin has wrought. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that He is ‘King of kings and Lord of lords .’ “You can get it  here . Related articles On the Mormon Concept of God (maverickphilosopher.typepad.com) Logos Free Book of the Month for May (readingacts.wordpress.com) The Road Less Traveled - Godlike (ayearofintention.wordpress.com) Ex Mormon Ed. Decker slams Joel Olsteen's comments: "Mormons are Christians" (exministries.wordpress.com) ("What kind of madness forces an...