Dr Paul Allen

When I first became a Christian I was introduced to the priorities of the Christian community . I learned quickly that it was expected of me that I have a daily devotion time, a time reserved for Bible reading and prayer. I was expected to go to church. I was expected to have a kind of piety that was evident by not swearing, not drinking at the pub, not smoking, no dancing and the like.  I had no idea that biblical righteousness went far beyond these things. However, like most new Christians , I learned to emphasize such things . My personal letters and talk took on a new tone. They began to sound like pages from New Testament epistles . I soon learned to use Christian jargon in my everyday speech. I didn't "tell" anybody anything, I "shared" it with them. Every good fortune was a "blessing," and I found I could hardly speak without sprinkling my sentences with spiritual platitudes. We've all done it! Soon, however, I found that there was ...

So you’ve committed to reading the Bible again this year. Praise God . Maybe this is something new for you, one of your resolutions for the New Year . Or maybe you’re a seasoned, veteran reader, just hoping to maintain the patterns God has blessed over many years now. However much or little you have read in the past, though, will not change what’s going to happen soon, probably even some time in the next week. Maybe it’s happened already. You’ll sit down for your time in the word, spend half an hour in Genesis or Deuteronomy or Psalms or Romans, close the book, and have no idea what to do with what you just read. What do you do when Bible reading produces no obvious application — when you walk away from your Bible reading with no fantastic insights, no deep revelations, or even any profound experience of awe or wonder? This happens more often than any of us would like to admit. It unnerves us. I just heard from God, and nothing seems different. What do you do when your Bible re...

The more we wonder over the Bible, the more wonder-full we discover it is. That’s why we must think of the Bible more as a mine than a museum. Museums Are Interesting A museum is a very interesting place — assuming you’re interested in what’s on exhibit. All sorts of fascinating things are on display. You move from one artifact to another and read the plaques. It can be a beneficial, knowledge-broadening experience. But for most people, a museum visit provides mainly a superficial understanding of history, science, technology, art, athletics, or whatever else. Even if they enlist a tour guide, the increased understanding is still relatively modest, as understanding goes. The amount of time spent at each exhibit is limited. Most visitors view a display for a short time and for the most part are content taking what they see and read at face value. Repeat visits help . Regular museum visitors can become quite familiar with exhibits and even be able to converse fairly intelli...