Dr Paul Allen

“I love Jesus but not the church.” This is seemingly the increasing cry of our generation. Many of us can think back to a time in our lives when specific people within the church, and sometimes in the name of the church, hurt us. That hurt can run deep and be as minuscule as being the topic of someone’s gossip, and at other times being as immense as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. As a result, rather than finding the church to be beautiful and lovely, we view the church as ugly and foul. You confess that you love Jesus and desire to follow him faithfully, but your love for the church has grown cold and distant. It’s impossible to love Jesus and not love the church. I’m not talking about loving an organizational structure or programs, but the church for who she is as God’s people and the bride of Christ. The church—which was created by God, bought by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit—exists to be a reflection of God’s indescribable love. Learn to see beyond methodology and

Love is a complex thing. Contrary to popular notions, love is not a feeling or an emotion that you can fall into and then fall out of. Love is complex, meaning that love involves many things. Classically speaking, our human faculties are made up of the mind, the will, and the affections. Love is rooted in knowledge, exercised in the willful decision, and experienced in the affections. To love someone involves all of this. To love someone means that you also love the things about someone. This is most true of our love for God. We love Him, and that leads us to love everything about Him. One of those things is His Word. To love God is to love His Word. Psalm 119 says, “Oh how I love your law!” (v. 97). Because the Word is the means that God uses to speak to us, we need to love it and use it. Let’s consider how to do that. BY OUR DUTY TO READ IT We are to love God by loving His Word. Therefore, it is our duty to read it. Just as we give presents because we love someone and they ope

Radical obedience to Jesus relativizes natural relationships. By  natural relationships , I mean relationships established by ordinary, non-miraculous processes, such as the relationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and so on. By  radical obedience , I mean that the supreme value of Jesus has taken hold of us at the root ( Latin   radix ), and we seek to live in a way that shows that supreme value, with the teachings of Jesus and the apostles as our guide. By  relativizes  natural relationships, I mean that the claims of natural relations are never absolute in comparison to the claims of Christ , and that total devotion to Jesus may at times prevent even biblically sanctioned forms of respect and affection. This means that following Jesus often introduces ambiguity and sorrow and pain into family relationships . If you are looking for a religion that will make all your relationships clearer and smoother and happier, you will fin

As we celebrate the 500th year of the reformation this year, I’ve been very encouraged by the fact that there are so many in the church who understand that the reformation is not over. This year is an opportunity for the church to really explore what the Roman Catholic church actually is, and ask whether or not it teaches the truth. Secondly, each believer must ask himself whether, when speaking with the Catholic individual, they are asking the right questions. Many Christians may accept the fact that the Roman Catholic church is a false church that teaches works-righteousness , but may have “the neighbor” who says he really loves Jesus , making it very difficult to figure out how to really know if they believe in grace or if they believe in works. I understand the dilemma. I have had many conversations recently during which someone, either Mormon or Catholic, who had all the same words until we got to the heart of the Gospel , and then simply denied it.  I th