Dr Paul Allen

Ghosts have long captivated the human imagination, sparking fascination and fear alike. But what is the truth behind these ethereal beings? Are they the spirits of the departed or something more sinister? As we delve into religion, history, and personal experiences, we will uncover the mysteries of ghosts and their true nature. The Many Faces of Ghosts Throughout history, accounts of ghostly encounters have taken various forms. Some claim to have witnessed the apparitions of deceased loved ones, while others have encountered restless spirits haunting specific locations. From dreams to unexpected appearances, the manifestations of ghosts are as diverse as the human imagination itself. However, understanding these discrepancies requires a deeper exploration of our religious backgrounds and beliefs. Religion and the Fear of Death Religion has often served as a solace for the human fear of death, offering explanations and reassurances about the afterlife. Different religious traditions pro...

How do angels interact with believers today? Are angels involved in our daily lives? Should we expect to hear from an angel? And would it even be possible to have an ongoing dialogue with an angel? Could a believer, claiming to talk with angels, actually be talking to a demon?” Yes, it is possible that a person who claims to be talking to an angel may be talking to a demon. And the reason I say that is because the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:14,  “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”  In other words, it’s part of Satan’s very nature that he’s deceptive and would love to distract the saints (at best), and delude them and destroy them (at worst), by drawing off their focus from Christ to angels. It is also possible that a person who claims to be conversing with angels is simply conversing with images or voices in his own head that are not in fact either demons or angels. Four Reasons for Caution But my main concern with people who clai...

Behemoth and Leviathan - they sound like an alcohol brand or words on a tee-shirt, even a TV show. But those names are in the Bible. One of the most challenging passages in the Old Testament book of Job comes in the Lord's second speech (40–41). The characters and the reader have waited a long time for the Lord to speak—only to read what is traditionally interpreted as a long description of a hippopotamus and crocodile (Behemoth and Leviathan).  The stakes are very high:  Is God right to run the world in such a way that allows such terrible suffering for one of his most loyal servants?  Is Job right to keep trusting God in the midst of much criticism?  Is it difficult for modern readers to avoid a sense of frustrating anticlimax as the book ends? The Behemoth and Leviathan are better understood as symbols of cosmic chaos and evil—that a supernatural interpretation fits better exegetically within the book of Job and within Job's ancient Middle Eastern context. It also...

The TV show Stranger Things has been quite the rage recently. With the release of its third season, it has become the most successful Netflix program on the streaming site. Essentially, Stranger Things tells the coming-of-age story of a group of adolescents (now young teenagers) in the 1980s who fight off monsters invading their small town. While the show addresses a range of important issues related to family dynamics, loss, and the power of friendship, there is an underlying worldview that I suspect many people have missed. Some have suggested that Stranger Things endorses a Christian worldview. While there are certainly some Christian themes in the movie, such as sacrifice, courage, and love, I think there is an entirely different underlying worldview­–naturalism. The show may appear to have a Christian worldview on the surface but probing more deeply reveals that the show takes place within a naturalistic framework. Let me explain. Naturalism vs. Supernaturalism Naturali...

This letter P is an example of an historiated initial (depicting Peter) in an illuminated Latin bible, 1407 AD. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “The Invincible Power of the Inerrant Word.” We understand what the word inerrant means. It means that it is without any errors as it was recorded in its original autographs. This is a flawless book in all that it states. Psalm 12:6 states, “The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” Refined to absolute perfection. It is a flawless book in all that it states. Psalm 119:140 : “Your word is very pure, therefore Your servant loves it.” Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God is tested,” meaning: it has been put into the fire. There are no impurities that remain. It is the pure gold and silver of the truth of God. Jesus prayed in John 17:17 , “ Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.” The word truthmeans reality, the way things really are. It does not mean that which the cultu...

Icon of the Pentecost (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church took place in an atmosphere of confident expectation. Not only did they expect the daily blessing and the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit ; they did not forget that Pentecost was a feast where firstfruits were offered. Pentecost was part of the final harvest. Thus, they looked ahead to Christ ’s return. Out of their own vital Pentecostal experience came the watchword, Maranatha, “ Our Lord , Come!” Nor did the passage of time dim their hope. Paul, toward the end of his life came to realize he would not live to see that glorious day when the dead in Christ shall rise. But he was no less sure that Jesus would come (2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10, 13; 4:7, 8). This hope of seeing Jesus again made the early Christians more conscious than ever of the necessity of carrying on His work in the power of the Spirit. In this age the Holy Spirit is the only One who can minister the life, po...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” Mark 14:14 Jerusalem at the time of the Passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Savior, and he had no dwelling of his own. It was by his own supernatural power that he found himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this day— Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by his supernatural power and grace he makes the heart anew. All doors are open enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for himself or lodge in the streets. It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully opened his guest chamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he readily accepted the honor which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him....

Dove representation in the Baptism of Christ by Pietro Perugino, circa 1498 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) But if there’s a doctrine that we can’t afford to be confused about, it’s the doctrine of sanctification. We all live in between the time of our past justification and our future glorification—in the present pursuit of Christlikeness. If we are concerned to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Phil 1:27), if we desire to please the Lord in all respects (Col 1:10), if it’s our ambition to put the sanctifying power of Christ on display, then we need to be clear on how we go about growing in holiness. Let's align our thoughts with the biblical teaching on the matter. Fundamentally Internal and Supernatural The first truth about sanctification that we need to consider is that the believer’s growth in holiness is fundamentally internal and supernatural. We see this in Philippians 2:13 , where Paul tells us explicitly that God is working in us, both to will and to w...

Medieval book illustration of Christ Exorcising the Gerasenes demonic (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Bible makes it clear that demons exist (see  Deuteronomy 32:17 ;  1  Timothy 4:1;  James 2:19 ), and even today we live in a society in which many people believe in angels. They know there are spiritual forces out there, and it’s not too hard to conclude that some might be malevolent. Where you see God working, sometimes those forces are more active, and that’s what was probably going on in Jesus ’ time. On this topic psychologist Gary Collins says, “My friends in clinical work have said that sometimes they have seen this, and these are not people who are inclined to see a demon behind every problem. They tend to be skeptical. The psychiatrist M. Scott Peck wrote a bit about this kind of thing in his book People of the Lie. “People who deny the existence of the supernatural will find some way, no matter how far-fetched, to explain a situation apart from...