Dr Paul Allen

For a certain kind of Christian, assurance of salvation can feel as fickle as a winter sun. Here and there, the sky shines blue and bright, filling the soul with light. Far more often, however, the days are mostly cloudy, the sun shadowed with uncertainty. And then sometimes, the sky goes gray for weeks on end, and the heart walks heavily under the darkness of doubt. From the outside, such Christians may seem to bear much spiritual fruit: friends may mark the grace in their lives, accountability partners may encourage them, pastors may find no reason to question their faith. But for those under the clouds, even healthy fruit can look pale and sick. So even as they read their Bible, pray, gather with God’s people, witness, and confess their sins, they usually find some reason to wonder if they really belong to Christ. How does assurance sink into the heart and psyche of those prone to second-guess? The Holy Spirit has many ways of nourishing confidence in his people — not least by teach

StJohnsAshfield StainedGlass JohnTheBaptist Paul (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Psalm 145:4–7 is a beautiful Scriptural summary of our responsibility as parents. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. As parents, we do many things for our children. We feed, clothe, shelter, and nurture them. We provide for them, guide them, and prepare them for adulthood. But out of all the things we do as parents, one of the greatest and most important things we must do is show our children the glory of God. We need to recount to them his glorious deeds. We need to proclaim to them his wonders and show them his goodness. We need to teach them that they were created to be in communi

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.  Psalm 145:18 God is involved with you every moment of your life. You cannot shut Him out or turn Him away. There is not a single moment or situation with which He is unfamiliar or uninvolved.  Does God care that you are in debt and money is in short supply?  Does God care that the air-conditioning in your car no longer works?  Does God care that your feelings were hurt in an argument that you had with your stepmother? Yes! Related articles Praise: A Weapon and Benefit (christinebrooksmartin.wordpress.com) It Doesn't Matter How Good or Bad You Sound... (mainstreamworship.wordpress.com) God-confidence (cubebites.wordpress.com) He Hears (remnantposts.wordpress.com) Psalm 61:1 NKJV - Hear my prayer (pagprayer.wordpress.com) Worry (theriverbank.org) Know the Enemy (amgits01.wordpress.com) God Keeps Track of all Your Sorrows! (1safeharborisjesus.wordpress.com) I need thee, O I need thee Lord (vwoods1212.wo

English: Fresco of archangel Michael protecting Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in fire. Dark church, Cappadocia. Русский: Три отрока в пещи огненной. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) An increasingly common theme in worship songs is a refrain along the lines of “let your name be lifted higher,” “we lift your name up,” “we exalt you,” or something similar. Behind those words is the idea that in our song we lift up the name of God , which is to say we exalt his attributes. I’ve always wondered about those kind of lyrics. Is it biblical to “exalt” God? Certainly we are called to exult in God. But are what does it mean to lift God up? Does he need our help? This language is tricky in worship for the simple reason that God is not like us. In human relationships, when you praise someone in front of others, the value of the praised person increases in the eyes of those who over hear the praise. If I tell people how helpful and godly one of my friends is, your estimation of that person increa

Since Scripture is God ’s word, it is his communication to us. In Scripture, God speaks, not primarily to himself or to the angels, or to the winds and waves, but to us human beings . God cannot fail to accomplish his purpose, so his communication cannot be anything less than successful. If words are unclear, they fail to communicate; they are not communication. So Scripture must be clear. Related articles God Means What? (pukirahe.wordpress.com) Would God Do That? (aaronjacobs.wordpress.com) Moses and Simeon: Seeing God (frted.wordpress.com) 7 Things To Know About Hearing God (scottstimson.wordpress.com) Someone to speak our words (167hours.net) God is for us not against us (ourcreator.wordpress.com) Week 2 | The Scripture Is A Lens, Not A Manual (thereformedwesleyan.com) Why Some People Deny the Love of God? (pukirahe.wordpress.com) What I Don't Deserve (deeperfaithblog.com) Bible Sampler Series: The Fall (inspirefaith.wordpress.com) Stand Still...No, Get Mov

Image via Wikipedia The preceptive will of God relates to the revealed commandments of God 's published law. When God commands us not to steal, this decree does not carry with it the immediate necessity of consequence. Where it was not possible for the light to refuse to shine in creation, it is possible for us to refuse to obey this command. In a word, we steal.  We must be careful not to make too much of this distinction. We must not be lulled into thinking that the preceptive will of God is divorced form His decretive will.  It is not as though the preceptive will has no effect or no necessity of consequence. We may have the power to disobey the precept. We do not have the power to disobey it with impunity. Neither can we annul it by our disregard.  His law remains intact whether we obey or disobey it.  In one sense, the preceptive will is part of the decretive will. God sovereignly and efficaciously decrees that His Law be established. It is established and nothi

Image via Wikipedia "It is the will of God ." How easily these words fall from the lips or flow from the pen. How difficult it is to penetrate exactly what they mean. Few concepts in theology generate more confusion than the will of God. One problem we face is rooted in the multifaceted way in which the term  will  functions in biblical expressions. The Bible uses the expression "the will of God" in various ways. We encounter two different Greek words in the New Testament ( boule  and  thelema ), both of which are capable of several nuances. They encompass such ideas as the counsel of God, the plan of God, the decrees of God, the disposition or attitude of God, as well as other nuances. Augustine once remarked, "In some sense, God wills everything that happens." The immediate question raised by this comment is, In what sense? How does God "will" the presence of evil and suffering? Is He the immediate cause of evil? Does He do evil? God forbi