Dr Paul Allen

“That at that time ye were without Christ , being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel , and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” ( Ephesians 2:12 ) There are many things in this world that we can easily get along without, but some that are absolutely essential: First of all, we need Christ. Otherwise we are like the Gentiles described in our text—“without Christ . . . having no hope, and without God in the world.” Secondly, if we were ever to be saved, Christ must shed His blood for our sins, for “without shedding of blood is no remission” ( Hebrews 9:22 ). In order for His death to be effective for our salvation, He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” ( Hebrews 4:15 ). Before Christ’s work actually becomes effective in our personal salvation , it must be believed and received by faith , for “without faith it is impossible to please him” ( Hebrews 11:6 ). This faith must be true faith, which transforms

BibleSPaoloFol188vFrontProv (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) What do you think is the most important aspect of a person? Is it intelligence or appearance? Could it be a sense of humor or vocation? If you had to pick the most revealing thing about a man or woman, what would it be? The Bible gives us the answer: "As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he" ( Prov. 23:7 NKJV ). Our thoughts show our true character. We can't consider ourselves accurately if we don't know God properly. Until we meet God in His perfections, we do not see His grace to sinners like us, and we do not realize our need of His sovereign power. Discouragement and anemic worship may follow. To be equipped for service, we must see God in His holiness (Isa. 6). And then we must make Him known to the nations. Related articles Healing Scriptures !00 Bible verses to get you through anything Only By Grace Bible Novena for Vocations Psalm 103:2-3 NKJV - Bless the Lord, O my soul Luke 19:10 NKJV

Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Bible specifically talks about 5 different crowns that will be given to some of God ’s people when they enter into heaven.  If you look closely at what these crowns are going to be for - they will be for work that is done for God that is beyond the normal scope of what the average Christian may attempt to do. This is for work that goes far, above and beyond what the average Christian may actually strive for. Just like trophies, rings and plaques are given to sports heroes or winning teams in sports, God apparently is going to be doing the same thing in heaven. He will be giving out certain types of crowns for the people who were willing to go that extra mile, who were willing to give that extra special effort in whatever God had called them to do. These crowns wil

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 26:1 –5 “The chief priests and the elders…plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar” (vv. 3–4). Matthew 26 opens with Jesus’ fourth prediction of His passion and resurrection. After ending His Olivet Discourse , Matthew tells us that our Lord has finished “all these sayings” (v. 1), which likely refers to all the instruction He has thus far given in this gospel. In other words, Christ ’s teaching ministry is done and it is time for Him to atone for sin and seal His victory. The Savior has already told His disciples three times that He will die and be raised (16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19), but in today’s passage He explains for the first time that this will take place during Passover . This provides a theological framework for understanding the significance of the Messiah ’s death. Just as the angel of death passed over all of those w

The Aleppo Codex is a medieval manuscript of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), associated with Rabbi Aaron Ben Asher. The Masoretic scholars wrote it in the early 10th century, probably in Tiberias, Israel. It is in book form and contains the vowel points and grammar points (nikkudot) that specify the pronunciation of the ancient Hebrew letters to preserve the chanting tradition. It is perhaps the most historically important Hebrew manuscript in existence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Here are six truths about God that can change your life if you believe and act upon them: 1. God's Love Is Unfailing "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself" (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT ). There's nothing you can do to destroy God's love for you. It's neither diminished nor increased by your actions. If you had been the only one who needed salvation, Jesus would still have died for you. (See John 3:16 God's love never fai