Dr Paul Allen

Anthony Costello A dead Christian is of no value to the Devil. Only a Christian still alive is worth Satan’s time and efforts. This is an obvious truth, assuming the particular, physically deceased person was indeed an actual man or woman of God. Upon the physical death of the truly faithful and genuinely regenerated person, they enter Christ's presence and are forever secure from Satan’s attacks.  But for those who still live, they are in the Devil’s crosshairs and ever susceptible to his attrition. The Devil’s plan of attack is always twofold: to discourage the true believer from being effective for God’s kingdom and to use the false convert to destroy the Church from within. As to the latter aim, the Devil realizes that the best and most effective way to attack God’s Church on earth is through those who consider themselves “Christians” but who deep down know they are not (Acts 5:1-8).  Or, the Devil can work through those who are so self-deluded, they genuinely believe themselve

One year ago, we lost our youngest daughter to her longstanding battle against addiction. Walking alongside her in this multiyear struggle sank us into parts of this broken world we never dreamed we would inhabit. Dark places with desperate people became familiar terrain. We fought for life. Death won. Now our precious daughter is gone. Each morning I stare into the eyes of her 2-year-old son, now entrusted to us. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about grief. I have seen how it attacks meaning and motivation. Grief creeps up and seizes a moment, an hour, an afternoon. I think it’s going to be like this for a while. The shadow of death; the empty chair; the burden of shame; the clay pot, broken. Ministry, if I’m honest, is conflicting. It’s been more splendid than I possibly expected and more painful than I ever dreamed. Somewhere along the way, I began to think differently about resilience. It’s no longer the place I am reaching for after the pain. It’s the work of God, in and through my

English: Lucas Cranach the Elder: Law and Grace, Gotha version, 1529, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, Germany (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness .’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, “I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get me the victory,” defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckons on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for “ Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. ” They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return