Dr Paul Allen

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 was arrested and imprisoned. Kennedy was only eighteen years old. After some time, the two men were brought before religious officials for questioning. Russell, being older, gave an articulate defense, usI ing the Scriptures to support his belief in salvation through faith alone. Yet, in spite of the evidence, the men’s accusers prevailed and Russell and Kennedy were deemed heretics. In keeping with...

Image via Wikipedia BY Adam Holz In late November, comedian and actor Russell Brand stopped by to chat with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show. Among other things, Ellen asked him to address rumors of marital difficulties between Brand and his wife, pop star Katy Perry . I appreciated Brand's response, and we published what he said in our Dec. 5 Culture Clips feature: "There are always rumors, aren't there? In the end you have to just not engage with Internet technology, which is difficult because a lot of the nude women websites I quite enjoy. But they've had to go. I've treated the whole Internet now like it's a wicked little liar. Yeah. I am really happily married." He also added, "I'm married to Katy. Perpetually, until death do us part was the pledge." I liked that Brand said he was happily married. I liked his willingness to admit that he had to shed some really bad habits. I liked his commitment to lifelong marriage. And I like...