Dr Paul Allen

You may have lost or know someone who has lost a loved one — especially in such a brutal way. Lots of people ask this question in a very antagonistic and theoretical way. I think it’s the kind of question that God is very willing to hear. Perfectly Sovereign, Wonderfully Good Some Pastors at funerals will mess up or try to bring comfort the wrong way. Some might say, “I don’t think it was God’s plan for this to happen.”  Maybe all the pastor meant was that God never does anything wrong and never sins against anyone. But it’s one thing to say that God never does wrong, and it’s a very different thing to say that God does not govern or oversee or direct or control the wrong that happens in this world.  If that’s what the pastor meant — that God doesn’t do that — I think he’s mistaken, because the Bible teaches from cover to cover that God does, in fact, govern all the details of the world, including the bad things that happen to us and to our friends. That, in fact, I would argu...

We have at least nine premises to get to the conclusion that Jesus today rules over all storms, everywhere, at all time. 1. Jesus is the Son of God. When the disciples saw Jesus still the storm, the conclusion they drew was not simply that this particular miracle was an isolated event from a random Jewish teacher. They drew the conclusion that this was a particular kind of person. They saw his power as general, not specific. They said, “What sort of man is this, that even winds [not wind, but winds] and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:27). The answer in Matthew’s context, the answer to their question that Matthew wants us to draw — so, this is a teaching of the Bible — is this: he’s the Son of God. That’s who he is. That is the sort of man he is. So, rightly understood, the stilling of the storm is a revelation of who he is, and therefore it’s general. That sort of man doesn’t just luck out in this scenario, like, “Whoa, look at that. It actually works.” He doesn’t just luck out...

On 14 February 2016 there was a car accident. Actually, there were thousands of car accidents , but only one made international news , had millions of people reading about it, newscasters commenting on it, and even politicians making statements about it. The car accident in question occurred on the corner of El Camino Real and Castro Street in Mountain View California when a Lexus collided with a bus. It wasn’t a particularly bad accident by any standard. The Lexus was going at 2mph and the bus at 15mph. The worst damage done was a minor dent in the car’s bumper. So why the media attention? It had to do with whose fault this little fender bender was. It wasn’t the bus driver’s fault. It wasn’t the car driver’s fault. And that’s because the car didn’t have a driver. The car was an autonomous vehicle, or experimental driverless car, taking its passenger to Google headquarters. Google has poured over a billion dollars into the development of driverless cars . These cars have drive...

Understanding the relationship between God ’s sovereignty and human responsibility used to be simply an intellectual pursuit for me — just a stunning puzzle of philosophical ideas. Not anymore. The bitter fruit of laziness , anxiety, and pride have crept into my life whenever I’ve gotten it wrong. And on the flip side, the beautiful fruit of a restful heart and selfless love has resulted from getting it right. This is no distant theoretical or theological discussion. It’s the difference between the full Christian life and spiritual stagnation. How does our work in this world relate to God’s work? Let’s consider three possibilities, all of which I’ve tried at various points in my life. 1. God does nothing, and we do everything? Some people live this way by conviction. Believing there’s no God , they’re compelled to take full responsibility. Others simply live this way in practice. Lots of Christians are practical atheists: faced with a problem, we instinctively turn to...

When the storms of life wreak havoc on all you know and love, what theological truths anchor your soul? What doctrines do you turn to when the world around you seems to give way under your feet? What truths about God bring you the most comfort when life is uncertain and nothing makes any sense? Though all of God’s word is essential for us to read, learn, memorize, and study, and though all of God’s word teaches us all that we need to know to weather the storms of life, there is one theological truth that stands out in times of trial and suffering. There is one doctrine that brings everything into perspective and provides comfort and rest for our weary souls. The sovereignty of God. God’s Sovereignty To be sovereign means to have supreme power or authority. Kings are considered sovereign rulers over their nation. The United States is considered a sovereign nation because it governs and rules itself apart from any other foreign power or authority. God is the supreme soverei...