Dr Paul Allen

By Duane Garrett Speaking up for biblical principles is a dangerous thing. People may abuse you or accuse you, saying that you are a fool or even that you are evil. But Proverbs 9:7–8 gives us wise counsel in the face of such hostility: Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. The fool The “scoffer” in Proverbs 9:7–8 is a step beyond the “fool.” The fool in Proverbs is not a gullible, easily swindled person, as in “a fool and his money are soon parted.” Rather, “folly” describes actions or words that go against the rules that God established when he made the world. Folly can be immoral, undisciplined behavior (Ps 38:5; 69:5; Prov 5:23; 24:9), and it often shows itself in anger (Prov 14:17, 29). Fools are quick to speak, supposing themselves to be wiser than they really are (12:23; 13:16). They are a danger to those around them (17:12). In short,...

Kim Kardashian has been called the most famous woman on the planet, with more than 200 million Instagram followers and a reported net worth of one billion dollars. Yet in the aftermath of her divorce from Kanye West, she said that she feels like an [expletive] “failure” and “loser.” There’s a lesson here for all of us, one that is confirmed by the biblical book of Proverbs. To be clear, I don’t write this to attack Kardashian or to speak evil of her. Regardless of how she has made her money or become famous, she’s a human being created in God’s image and someone for whom Jesus died. And, based on her own words, she is hurting right now. So, my prayer for Kim Kardashian is that she would truly come to know the Lord, truly come to repentance, and truly find internal wholeness and peace. I am not here to throw stones. Peace of Mind Beats Riches and Fame Instead, I’m here to remind us that riches and fame cannot be compared to peace of mind and that no amount of wealth or popularity can me...

Proverbs 18:17, “The first to plead his case seems just, Until another comes and examines him.” “Hearers enthralled by a good speech in court can easily forget that they have heard only one side of the argument. More information is needed before a verdict can be reached. When the other party speaks in refutation, people realize they have heard only one side. The experience at court offers a lesson to all who make judgments about others. Truth appears gradually; one must listen to all sides. The old Latin axiom is relevant: audiatur et altera pars, ‘Let the other side be heard too.’ Protagoras in the fifth century B.C.E. said, ‘There are two sides to every question.'” -Richard Clifford, Proverbs, p. 172 “This observation seeks to discourage hasty judgements… Appearances can be misleading, and so critical questions need to be raised to establish the truth or falsehood of testimony. Though the primary setting seems to be the courtroom, the principle applies more broadly.” -Tremper Lon...

Proverbs 28:14 [ESV] – Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Life, like gravity, inevitably pulls you down. What are the worst experiences of your life? Who has betrayed you the worst and hurt you the most? What has most disappointed and discouraged you? What makes you angry? My purpose in asking these questions is not to revile you, but rather reveal you. One widely believed myth is that the circumstances of your life determine the condition of your heart. So, if you have had a hard life, you have the right to be a hardened person with a hard heart. We all get defensive of our hearts, especially when they are hard. When our hard heart is exposed, we quickly tell the tragic tale of the circumstances which caused it. The tragic tale may be entirely accurate and true. Life has things that are unspeakably awful and woeful. Things are so bad Jesus needed to throw Himself headlong into death to break the cycle. If yo...

BibleSPaoloFol188vFrontProv (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” ( Job 5:17 ) One of the fascinating paradoxes of Scripture (and of human life) is the oft-repeated principle that true parental love requires appropriate chastening, and chastening rightly received generates blessing and happiness. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” ( Proverbs 13:24 ). This is effective child psychology , assuming that the chastening is remedial rather than vindictive and is applied in love rather than anger. But the main teaching of such passages goes beyond parental child-training methods to the grand theme of God’s spiritual training of His children for eternity. This thought is often expressed in the Psalms (94:12, etc.), but it is especially clear in the Proverbs . “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correcti...

“When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep.” ( Proverbs  8:27 -28 ) This chapter contains a beautiful description of some of God ’s works during the creation week when God, in Christ , was creating and making all things. Christ Himself, personified as the divine wisdom, the word of God, is speaking. Verse 27 speaks of His pre-existence before the creation of the space/time universe itself. At first the “earth” matter was “without form,” with only a great “deep” of water. Then God “set a compass” on the face of the deep, activating the gravitational forces which brought it into spherical form. The Hebrew word for “compass” means “sphere.” It is the same word used in  Isaiah 40:22 , where it is said that God “sitteth upon the circle [i.e., ‘sphere’] of the earth.” Then God “established the clouds above.” The word for “clouds” mea...