Dr Paul Allen

“And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” ( 1 Kings 3:28 ) Although God ’s wisdom is expounded in depth in the Scriptures , there are only seven times that the specific phrase “the wisdom of God” is used as such. The above text is indicating that God’s wisdom can actually be manifested in men through divine inspiration. The Persian king recognized this also in Ezra . “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges . . . all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not” ( Ezra7:25 ). The wisdom of God thus is always consistent with the laws of God—that is, with the Scriptures. The first New Testament reference is from Christ . “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles” ( Luke11:49 ). Here the Lord is applying a scriptural principle from 2 Chronicles 36:15-...

… I will fear no evil, for You are with me …(Ps. 23:4). Just how important is trust in the life of a Christian? Let us consider some relevant verses: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” ( Prov. 3:5); “Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the word of His servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon his God ” (Isa. 50:10); “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion , which cannot be moved but endures forever” (Ps. 125:1); and “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe” (Prov. 29:25). With just these few verses we learn how vital trusting God is to our salvation. Unless we believe in His Word and trust in Him, we cannot hope to enter His everlasting kingdom. We need to be constantly reminded of this because we are so prone to trust in ourselves, to allow fear and past experiences to inhibit us from trusting in God, to refuse to depend upon ...

English: By Rembrandt. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” ( John 7:15 ) In the midst of the annual Feast of Tabernacles , “ Jesus went up into the temple, and taught” ( John 7:14 ), and the unique caliber of His teaching (literally “indoctrinating”) caused the Jewish scholars there to “marvel.” Their question on this occasion was how an uneducated man, who had never been taught by the scribes and rabbis, could have acquired such a remarkable understanding of the Holy Scriptures . He had never had formal training in the Word; yet, when He taught, “he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” ( Matthew 7:29 ). His answer to their question was amazing: “My doctrine [or ‘teaching’] is not mine, but his that sent me” ( John 7:16 ). There are two factors at work here. First of all, His working knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures was encyclopedic, acquired in the same way any other...

St. Louis de Montfort taught that the goal of Marian consecration is "holiness": the gradual sanctification of the soul, so focus turns away from self-love and towards the love of God through Mary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Sanctification is a fundamentally internal and supernatural work. And so true holiness of heart is not something that we can accomplish directly in ourselves. Instead we learned, secondly, that sanctification is a sovereign work of the Spirit of God . The Scriptures everywhere attribute that work to Him. But while it’s unmistakable that the Spirit is the sovereign agent of sanctification, that fact in no way contradicts the reality that He effects this transformation through the use of means which the believer must appropriate. God has ordained that the Spirit accomplish this glorious work through means. So when Scripture commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, it is commanding us to make diligent use of the means the Spir...

Matthew 26:47–56 “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled?” (vv. 53–54). One of the best ways to understand biblical doctrine is to study how the same word in the original biblical languages unites two concepts. As an example, look at the relationship between the coming of the kingdom of God and the death and resurrection of Jesus . When our Savior announces the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, the Greek verb engizein (“to be at hand”) is used (Matt. 4:17). The same form is used in Matthew 26:46 to describe our Lord ’s imminent betrayal and the whole complex of events surrounding His crucifixion and rising from the dead. God’s kingdom and Jesus’ death both draw near — one is impossible without the other. The teaching ministry of Jesus and the events of redemptive history that precede His incarnation are importan...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." ( Hebrews 12:3 ) Faith in Christ does not make one immune to spiritual weariness and faintness of mind. This condition may arise from frustration at our own natures, our inability to love God as we ought, to pray effectively, to understand the Scriptures, or to bear fruit for Him. We may feel that our best efforts to represent God in our community have been of no avail, and very few show by their lives that our witness and ministry have been effective. Sometimes we may question why God does not choose to favor all those who follow Him with material blessings and pleasant circumstances; but instead, at times, the wicked prosper. Looking at the tide of evil sweeping our world can leave us faint and weary. But the answer to our dilemma is Christ! Reflection on Him will re-energize even th...

Our Lord Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ , that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain." ( Philippians 2:16 ) There is such beautiful correlation between the Living Word (Christ) and the written Word (the Bible ) that certain Scriptures could well apply to either one. Such is the case with our text. The Philippians were exhorted to hold forth the Word of life, which presumably could mean either Christ, the Living Word, or else the Scriptures, which speak of eternal life. The same dual meaning can be discerned in such texts as 2 Timothy 4:2 ("Preach the word") and Hebrews 4:12 ("The word of God is quick, and powerful"). In fact, there are many beautiful figures of speech that are applied in the Bible to the ministries of both Christ and the Scriptures in a believer's life. For example, Christ is "the light of the world" ( John 8:12 ), but als...

Map of Assyria (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with His anger, and His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue like a devouring fire (Isa. 30:27). The judgment of Assyria is emphasized by Isaiah because it was one of the most ruthless nations in the treatment of God ’s people. The Assyrians and the Babylonians received harsh judgments from the Lord because they had dared to abuse those whom He loved. Those who attacked the Jews were, in essence, attacking God Himself. The result of such a brash and willful defiance of God would be desolation. This judgment would come by the name of the Lord. By emphasizing God’s name, Isaiah contrasts divine power with the physical defenses of men. He does this several times, beginning with the “name of the LORD” in verse 27. Then he writes, “His breath is like an overflowing stream, which reaches up to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of futility.” Th...

Image via CrunchBase Just a few hours of work a day can reward you with rich dividends! With no money down, and all from the comfort of your own home, you can become unbelievably wealthy ! Millions have tried it and have testified to the results. Hard to believe? The rich treasure I’m talking about is the Word of God .  Do you have any idea of the rich treasure we possess in the Scriptures?  Do you affirm what David said of God’s words? “They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” ( Psalm 19:10). Do you agree with Psalm 119:14? “I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, As much as in all riches” (Psalm 119:14) Are you of the same mind as Psalm 119:72?  “The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces ” (Psalm 119:72)  And if you believe this, are you allowing the Word of Christ to richly dwell within you? ( Colossians 3:16). We live in a ...

The Transfiguration Lodovico Carracci 1594 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Jesus and the two disciples On the Road to Emmaus, by Duccio, 1308-1311, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Road to Emmaus appearance, based on Luke 24:13-32, painted by Joseph von Führich, 1830. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The following doctrines and texts have proved priceless ballast for me in steadying my own soul, and keeping my seminary experience on track, when Jesus and his gospel haven't been as pervasive in the classroom as they are in the Scriptures. 1. The Whole Universe Is About Jesus. Not only with respect to God the Father are all things "from him and through him and to him" (Romans 11:36), but the same can be said of God the Son. Indeed, Paul says in Colossians 1:15 –20 that all things — in creation and in redemption — are in Jesus and through Jesus and for Jesus. Everything exists wi...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia There are four widely recognized aspects to the biblical call to a teaching ministry in the church. Aspiration is the subjective part. “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” ( 1 Tim 3:1 ). “Aspires” in Greek is “to reach out for.” Desiring the office is a part of the burgeoning call, but not the only one. Those who feel called to teach, can get frustrated when their spiritual leaders don’t immediately proffer the keys to the kingdom and a pulpit of their own. This happens when one ignores the 3 other aspects to the call. You’d be surprised how shocking it is for some to hear that they need to be skilled to do this job. They think that since the harvest is plentiful and the workers few, they are literally God ’s gift to the kingdom, and anyone offering preaching advice is a mere speed bump to their mega-church aspirations and must “get behind me Satan .” But “able to teach” ( 1...