Dr Paul Allen

Courage! It is the Lord (Photo credit: Lawrence OP ) The parabolic ministry of the Lord Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning the blinding of the nation of Israel , Isa. 6:9. This was done gradually and was not completed until AD 70 when the nation was finally destroyed by the Roman government. Significantly, the multitude had been sent away and the command of the Lord was ‘pass over unto the other side’. His attention is now turned to the disciples and He is training them. They will be the ones to carry on His work after He is gone and the disciples had much to learn. This lesson was that when He gives the command there is nothing that can stop it being fulfilled. There arose a mighty storm and the ship was about to sink. The ship was full as it had taken on a great deal of water. No amount of bailing was able to keep ahead of the storm. But the Lord Jesus was in the ship! Was this storm going to cause Him to drown? Was this storm going to cause His purpose to f...

English: An image of Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as described in the Second Chapter of Daniel. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Summary justice was to be meted out on the offender, declared the herald, v. 6. The king’s golden image was to be worshipped as soon as the music played; else ‘the same hour’ the burning fiery furnace would teach others a lesson few would forget. And ‘ Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury’ had reinforced the command, vv. 13–15. In uncontrollable fury the king had increased the degree of barbarity ‘seven times more than’ his previous requirements. The ‘exceeding hot’ flame—now almost as incandescent as Nebuchadnezzar’s fury—claimed the lives of the king’s guards, v. 22. Nevertheless, those three Hebrews testified resolutely that their God was able to deliver them, v. 17. The God they described to the infuriated monarch was ‘our God whom we serve’, v. 17. They may have served Him among their own people, certainly they had in the school in wh...