Dr Paul Allen

Which mark of the church is most neglected today? Could it be expositional preaching or the practice of church discipline? Could it be training leaders who live up to the character qualities outlined in the pastoral epistles? If we could ask Martin Luther, we might be surprised by his answer. In On the Councils and the Church (1539), he outlines seven marks of the church. The first six are what you’d expect: God’s church is recognized by (1) possession of God’s Word, (2) right administration of baptism, (3) right administration of communion, (4) exercise of church discipline, (5) qualified leadership, and (6) worship characterized by prayer and thanksgiving. Luther’s seventh mark, however, may surprise you. He says that Christian lives must be shaped by the cross. “The holy Christian people are externally recognized by the holy possession of the sacred cross,” he writes. “They must endure every misfortune and persecution, all kinds of trials and evil from the devil, the world, and the ...

In 2021, 360 million Christians lived in places where they experienced high levels of persecution and discrimination. Of that number, 6,175 believers were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced, or imprisoned, 3,829 were abducted, and 5,898 were killed for their faith. For the past 30 years, the Open Doors World Watch List has tracked such persecution, offered a global indicator of countries where human and religious rights are being violated, and highlighted those countries most vulnerable to societal unrest and destabilization. “The World Watch List is always sobering to read, just because the problem is so big,” says David Curry, president, and CEO of Open Doors. “But it’s not new; Satan has targeted God’s people since the beginning. It’s just gotten worse, and more sophisticated.” Persecution is extremely high in Afghanistan, which for the first time has supplanted North Korea as the most dangerous country to be a Christian.  The 2022 World Watch List reveals that persecut...

Can you imagine the despair in the room? Put yourself in the shoes of the students in that classroom as they watched their teacher drop. As the gunman shouted to the Christians to make themselves known! What would you do? So many people are using this situation as a political tool. Some are calling for stricter gun control. Some say that the man specifically targeted the school because it was a gun-free zone. Others are blaming anti-depression medication as they say that all of the major shootings in the last few years came from kids who grew up taking drugs. It’s obvious that the world is confused, is without direction, and is jumping to conclusions.  As Christians we know that the only place to get the answers is the Scripture. I wish I could visit Oregon and spend a few days praying with students and bringing them the hope that they need. We need to pray for the Church in Oregon to wisely know how deal with this situation. Here are some truths that we know when trag...

Recent events suggest that our society is growing increasingly hostile to genuine Christianity. Consequently, more intense forms of persecution may be on the horizon for the church. In the face of that reality, believers can be encouraged by reflecting on the faithfulness exhibited by previous generations of Christians, and by resting in the promises of God. Hence the re-posting of today’s article… Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a must read for every Christian. Written by John Fox over 350 years ago, it catalogs the lives of hundreds of believers who, throughout church history, were willing to give their lives for the cause of Christ. When it comes to contagious courage, I can think of no greater testimony than reading about those who embraced their Lord to the point of embracing death. One such account concerns the lives of Jerome Russell and Alexander Kennedy, two English Protestants who took a daring stand for what they believed. Because of their biblically-sound doctrine, the pair wa...

People who obey God’s will have often been discriminated against, persecuted, and killed. This history of prejudice, ridicule, and opposition began with Cain killing Abel, upon whom the Lord God had looked with favor (Gen. 4:4–5).  From that time onwards, many of God’s people have experienced reproach and affliction in various ways (see Heb. 11:35–38). This history of opposition continues until today: the execution of Jesus, Steven, James, Peter, Paul, and countless other Christians throughout the ages being only the more explicit examples of prejudice and discrimination. This is also why Jesus returns: when God restores his perfect creatio n, he will vindicate all those who have obeyed his will throughout the ages . It is not “the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars” who will live in God’s new world (Rev. 21:8). It is “those who conquer” (v. 7), that is, the people who followed the revealed will o...

The Sermon of the Beatitudes (1886-96) by James Tissot from the series The Life of Christ, Brooklyn Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 5:10–12 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. …For your reward is great in heaven” (vv. 11–12). Our flesh may not like to hear it, but biblical Christianity does not promise to make our lives better, at least in the short term. Actually, Jesus tells us that following Him as Lord will bring us many trials and tribulations. This is His point in this passage. In concluding the Beatitudes , the Savior declares “blessed” those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake ( Matt.  5:10). Jesus does not say if you are persecuted. Attacks from unrighteous people are inevitable for the Christian , not mere possibilities. In fact, persecution is such a part and parcel of serving Jesus that we should question our allegiance to Christ ...

First page of the Gospel of Mark, by Sargis Pitsak, a Medieval Armenian scribe and miniaturist (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). The portrait Jesus paints of the relationship between His disciples and the world is not a very encouraging one. The terms He uses to describe this relationship are very strong. Hatred and persecution are not only to be assumed but are a present reality. It’s not only that we are to expect the world to hate us but to realize that it actually and actively does hate us. It is a hatred born of sin, of rebellion against God Himself, of rejection of His Son. This was Jesus’ point when He said that the world would hate His followers. In a way, this should comfort and encourage us. When the world hates us for righteousness’ sake, we can be encouraged that we are in good company, for it hated o...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Matthew 5:10-12 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ...For your reward is great in heaven" ( vv. 11-12 ). Our flesh may not like to hear it, but biblical Christianity does not promise to make our lives better, at least in the short term. Actually, Jesus tells us that following Him as Lord will bring us many trials and tribulations. This is His point in today's passage. In concluding the Beatitudes , the Savior declares "blessed" those who are persecuted for righteousness ' sake ( Matt. 5:10 ). Jesus does not say if you are persecuted. Attacks from unrighteous people are inevitable for the Christian, not mere possibilities. In fact, persecution is such a part and parcel of serving Jesus that we should question our allegiance to Christ if we never face persecution for His sake. Darkness hates the light ( John...

Image via Wikipedia "But I say unto you, Love your enemies , bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." ( Matthew 5:44 )   The Lord never promised that the Christian life would be easy! If we are commanded to love our enemies, the presumption is that we shall have enemies. We must expect persecution if we are expected to pray for our persecutors.   This sermon was to His disciples, not to the multitude (see  Matthew 5:1 ), and the Lord is assuming they would inevitably have enemies, just as He did. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. . . . If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" ( John 15:18, 20 ).   He had even called such persecution a blessing. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness ' sake" ( Matthew 5:10 ). However, we need to be sure that any such persecution comes "for righteousness' sa...