Dr Paul Allen

Baptism with the Holy Spirit also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or infilling the Holy Spirit, is a significant concept in Christian theology, particularly in Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions. Here’s an overview of what it entails: Biblical Basis John the Baptist’s Prophecy : Matthew 3:11 (NIV) : "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33 : These gospels make similar statements, emphasizing that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ Promise : Acts 1:4-5 (NIV) : "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" Acts 1:8 (NIV) : "But you will rec...

 ‘Queers for Palestine’ The headline declared, “WATCH: ANTI-ISRAEL ‘QUEERS FOR PALESTINE’ PROTESTERS BLOCK ACCESS TO DISNEY WORLD.” In this story, we learned that tensions “rose when anti-Israel protesters with the group Queers for Palestine blocked traffic on Saturday outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida.” Queers for Palestine? But of course! That’s like African Americans for the KKK or Jews for Nazism. A delightful mix. You can feel the chemistry. Never mind the fact that there are precisely zero queers in Palestine — because, as many have pointed out, such people would be instantly marked for death by the terrorists in charge. GLAAD So Sad Finally, we read that “Jennifer Lawrence Calls Mike Pence Gay at GLAAD Media Awards: ‘Conversion Therapy Is Not Real – Even Though You Think It Worked on You’.” After making a crude joke about gay sex and noting that “she once fell in love with a gay man but eventually realized her love would never be reciprocated,” Lawrence chose to attac...

We hear a lot these days about dechurching, deconstruction, and decline. Church attendance in America is dropping. Is this a crisis or merely a correction? Is it more of a problem or an opportunity? What can we expect for the future of the American church landscape? I’m not a prophet or the son of a prophet (Amos 7:14), but I was asked recently to speak to some church leaders about that question. Here are six answers I proposed. 1. The church’s future is certain.  Amid much hand-wringing and prognostication, we must start with one absolutely sure truth: the church has a future. Our Lord Jesus Christ said so: “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Because Jesus promised he will build his church, we should have profound optimism about the future. Yes, your local church (or mine) may fold, split, or shrink. Individual churches and denominations will rise and fall. But the church as a whol...