Dr Paul Allen

BAD NEWS: Each of us is personally sinful and needs a savior. If we are honest we must admit that we can be selfish, egotistical, rude, insensitive, prideful, lustful, greedy, unkind, and ungrateful. We can be dishonest, insincere, shallow, inconsistent, double-minded , and uncommitted. We can be stingy, selfish, petty, spiteful, hateful, wrathful, vengeful, and just plain mean. We struggle with laziness, indifference, worldliness, and lack of discipline. We routinely fail to give witness to Christ and to our faith. We fail to submit our will to God , to give good example, to act justly, to show mercy, and to repent. We fail to obey God, lead a holy life, stand up for justice, speak the truth, call sinners to Christ, and pray for others. Did I mention somewhere that we need a savior? GOOD NEWS:  If you understand the bad news how much more we appreciate the magnificence of the good news of a cure. Christmas -   Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord!  Chri...

With the possible exception of John 3:16, no verse in the Bible is more crucial and definitive than Genesis 3:15: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heal." As Alec Motyer writes, "The whole of Scripture is not packed into every scripture, but we may allowably expect every scripture to prepare and make room for the whole. This is what happens in Genesis 3:15" (Look to the Rock, IVP, p. 34). Several important issues emerge all at once: First, it establishes a principle that runs throughout the Old Testament, creating an expectation of a Redeemer who would be a descendent (a "seed") of Adam and Eve. Prematurely and horribly wrong, Eve thus thought her firstborn son, Cain, was its fulfillment (Gen. 4:1). Equally, in a deliberate echo of this line of thought God’s covenant with the patriarch Abraham sounds the note of a "seed" that ring...

There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. People think they're preaching the gospel to you when they tell you, 'you can have a purpose to your life', or that 'you can have meaning to your life', or that 'you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.' All of those things are true, and they're all important, but they don't get to the heart of the gospel. The gospel is called the 'good news' because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I'm not. And at the end of my life, I'm going to stand before a just and holy God, and I'll be judged. And I'll be judged either on the basis of my own righteousness–or lack of it –or the righteousness of another. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus lived a...

I love evangelism. It’s constantly on my mind. It is impossible to see a human and not think about where they will spend eternity. It brings joy to my heart when people tell me about their gospel conversations. In a video entitled “Street Preacher Invades Starbucks” (I don’t recommend watching it since it is filled with profanity) a group of men “invade” a Starbucks and then start following and screaming “repent” to a few pedestrians. As the scene got more intense, a lady said some words that should have stopped them in their tracks. I would rather go to hell than be with you! Instead of being proud of this encounter, to the point of posting it as an example of proper evangelism on YouTube, they should have been ashamed. “I would rather go to Hell than be with you”, are not some words that I ever want someone to say to me. And although Westboro and heretical “street preachers” are extreme examples, I think we are all tempted to sin during evangelistic encounters. So here are som...

 Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). Wikipedia ) The New Testament—both the Gospels and Paul’s letters—clearly states that Jesus Christ is both divine and human. Soon the early Church would be drawn into a fierce and profound debate about the nature of Christ ’s personhood. Near the end of the first century the Docetists, who (as did the Greeks) identified sin with corporeality, taught that Christ only apparently assumed the human body. They further held that Christ’s earthly life, including his suffering and death, was almost an illusion.  The Ebionites, on the other hand, denied Christ’s divinity, claiming instead that Jesus was merely a human being who was invested with divine power at his baptism (Matt. 3:16–17). Thus, the early Church was faced with two opposing viewpoints which it was responsible to address. The debate intensified when Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria (fourth century A.D.),...

The Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Three positions abound today on the question of whether Christ is the only way to salvation. All three can be detected by how each answers these two fundamental questions: First, is Jesus the only Savior? More fully: Is the sinless life of Christ and His atoning death and resurrection the only means by which the penalty of sin is paid and the power of sin defeated? Second, is faith in Christ necessary to be saved? More fully: Is conscious knowledge of Christ’s death and resurrection for sin and explicit faith in Christ necessary for anyone to become a recipient of the benefits of Christ’s atoning work and so be saved? Pluralism answers both questions “no.” The pluralist, like John Hick , believes that there are many paths to God, Jesus being only one of them. Since salvation can come through other religions and religious leaders, it surely follows that people do not have to believe in Christ to be saved. Inclusivism answers ...

English: Stained glass windows at Notre-Dame, Geneva, Switzerland. Top: God the Father; middle: Dove of Holy Spirit in trefoil; lower: Annunciation scene. Français : Vitraux de la basilique Notre-Dame, Genève, Suisse. Deutsch: Fenster in der Liebfrauenbasilika, Genf, Schweiz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” ( Hebrews 6:18-19 ) As children of God, we possess everything we need, from an invincible refuge from the enemy to a certain hope for eternity with our heavenly Father . The third verse of the hymn “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him” reminds us that our trust in Him is well placed. Trust in Him, ye saints, forever; He is faithful, changing never; Neither force nor guile can sever Those ...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “ Henceforth I call you not servants ; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” ( John 15:15 ) We possess a special place in God ’s heart. Many uplifting hymns have been written over the centuries that can lead us into a deeper love for and greater understanding of our Savior. One such hymn, “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him,” introduces many important concepts and reasons to praise . Those who know the Savior are bidden to join together in praising Him. As Christians , we not only “know” Him as Savior, He calls us His friends. He identifies His friends by their obedience to His loving commands: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” ( John 15:14 ). He proves His friendship through His own sacrifice: “Greater love hath no man ...

Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, painting by Rembrandt (1659) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen”  ( Deut. 18:15). A study of the names of Jesus will demonstrate that each name contains a variety of nuances and emphases that reflect the complexity of the God-man. The name “Savior” ultimately refers both to physical and spiritual salvation. The title “ Messiah ” that is given to Christ includes the Old Testament expectation the Messiah is to be a prophet. In the verse above we see the promise that God would raise up a prophet for Israel like the prophet Moses (Deut. 18:15). However, this new prophet would also be the Messiah who would save His people and empower them for new obedience. Since Jesus is Messiah, He is also this prophet. But we might be a bit confused when we read that Jesus would be a prophet like Moses. This is because most of ...

What’s special about this name? In Philippians 2:10–11, Paul writes, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father .” Every one ever born on this planet will give glory to God the Father by bowing the knee and saying that Jesus is Lord. Some do that willingly, others unwillingly. But they all will do it. Those who do it willingly are those to whom this truth has been revealed: “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). They can say with the Psalmist : “Come let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (Ps. 95:6–7). The second person of the Trinity has a sacred name, but so do the other members of the Trinity. Remember that Jesus prayed, “ Our Father who art in ...

Wow. God really met with us in worship tonight. The room was just so full of his presence. One of the most intense times of worship I have ever experienced. Attached to that statement was a   Instagram   selfie! This caption came across my notifications a few weeks back. This is the world in which we live, the world of the selfie. The world where people take something that is not about them and make it about them through the lens of their camera. Maybe I am alone here, but I would much rather see a picture of Niagara Falls than a face obstructing my view of it. Niagara Falls is not about us. It is majestic. It demands the full frame for viewers to feel even just a little taste of the awe of something grander than themselves. Selfie-Type Worship This is exactly what we are doing when we attempt to make corporate worship about us . Our sinful hearts want to fill up the frame of God’s glory with our faces. Our flesh wants to distract us from the infinite worth of a ho...

English: Angel of the Lord window attributed to the Quaker City Stained Glass Company of Philadelphia, PA 1912. St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Charleston, SC (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [ Luke 2:8–9] Shepherding is an unpleasant task because sheep are unpleasant and smelly creatures. Shepherds were not highly regarded in Israel, yet God had shown a special affection for them through the centuries. It was to an exiled Hebrew from the land of Egypt, who was shepherding the flocks of a Midianite priest that God appeared in the burning bush ( Exodus 3 ). It was a shepherd from Bethlehem that God called to become Israel’s greatest king (1 Sam. 16:1–13). The prophet Amos was also a shepherd (Amos 1:1). It is most likely, and would be most appropriate, that these shepherd...

English: Jesus and the centurion in Capernaum (Matthew 8:5), miniature, Codex Egberti, Trier, Stadtbibliothek, cod. 24, fol. 22r, detail (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 11:20–24 “I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you” ( v. 24 ). Matthew 11 focuses on the rising opposition to Jesus ’ mission. Although John the Baptist ’s question about the Lord’s true identity is not intended to oppose Him (because he does not go past doubt to unbelief, vv. 1–15 ), note that such doubting, if not handled properly, is the first step toward apostasy. Many religious leaders in Jesus’ day go farther down this path and become outright enemies of John and Jesus ( 9:32–34 ; 11:16–19 ). Finally, as seen in today’s passage, many common folk begin showing hostility to the Christ. We have seen individuals who trusted Jesus and were blessed ( 8:5–13 ; 9:20–22 ). However, people like the Roman centurion and the hemorrhaging woman are not nec...