Dr Paul Allen

This is a question commonly bandied about among Christians who feel the age of miracles is past. Its weakness lies in the implication that the miracle-working power of God is like magic, and that the signs and wonders of God’s power can be divorced from the gospel message.  Let us recast the same question in terms of salvation: If Jesus is the Son of God with power to save, why isn’t the whole world Christian? The immediate answer is that salvation is dependent upon man’s response to the gospel message. Potentially, what both questions ask is possible, for potentially, every human need has been met in the grace of God revealed through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ died for all men. The intent of God to establish a society on earth where every need is met through His love and grace is clearly revealed in New Testament teaching. It is called the kingdom of God. Jesus demonstrated it in His ministry, proclaimed its proximity, and we pray for its manifestation every time we pr...

Ministering to the Sick Ministering to the ill allows us to love our neighbours during their moments of deep suffering and, in so doing, to reflect God’s mercy ( Mark 12:31 ; James 5:13–15 ). Despite all its modern trappings, hospital ministry hearkens back to Jesus’s walks among wayward multitudes, when his touch and prayers healed lifelong afflictions ( Matthew 8:2–3 , 14–15 ; 9:20–25 ; 14:35–36 ; Luke 4:40 ; 6:18–19 ). When practised with grace, such visits offer beautiful opportunities for Christian discipleship. Unfortunately, too often awkwardness subverts our efforts to help the sick. To see someone we love struggling shakes our composure. Medical gadgetry seems foreign, and glimpses of mortality unnerve us. In our unease, and in desperation to fix the situation, we may fill the silence with advice or platitudes that discourage those whom we seek to uplift. As both a physician and a friend, I’ve failed miserably in this arena, often saying the wrong thing and witnessing the ...