Dr Paul Allen

Two English homosexuals have been charged for allegedly brutally raping and killing a one-year-old baby they were on the verge of adopting. The BBC  reports  that 36-year-old high school teacher Jamie Varley and his “partner,” 31-year-old John McGowan-Fazakerley, were in the process of adopting 13-month-old Preston Davey, who in July 2023 was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and soon died. Varley, who was suspended from his teaching job upon his arrest that year, is accused of  numerous counts  relating to murder, sexual assault of a male child, child cruelty, inflicting grievous bodily harm, taking and distributing indecent photos of a child, possessing indecent pseudo images of a child, and possession of an “extreme” pornographic image. McGowan-Fazakerley, meanwhile, stands accused of allowing the death of a child, child sexual assault, and child cruelty. READ:  ‘Married’ homosexuals sentenced to 100 years for sexually abusing adopted boys for child pornog...

The fourth scroll or seal in the Book of Revelation appears in Revelation 6:7-8, and its opening releases the pale horse and its rider. Here's the key passage: "When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They gained control over a quarter of the planet, enabling them to eliminate threats such as swords, famines, plagues, and wild beasts. (Revelation 6:7–8, NIV) Symbolic Elements • Pale horse (Greek: chloros–pale green, the colour of decay) • Rider: Death, followed by Hades • Power over ¼ of the earth • Four methods of death: sword (violence/war), famine, plague (pestilence/disease), and wild beasts Practical Prophetic Application There are different interpretive lenses for Revelation, but here’s a practical prophetic application that blends biblical theology with contemporary relevance: 1. A Warning...

A little over ten years ago, the book "The Shack" became an unexpected bestseller, sparking debate and garnering appreciation from across the evangelical landscape. Although the author originally wrote the book for his children and had it copied at Kinko’s, it reached number one on the New York Times fiction best-seller list after its release. In 2017, a major motion picture based on the book returned to the top spot once again. The themes of the book are heavy, at times harrowing, and inescapably theological, though they are presented in such a way that the reader can forget it is indeed a work of theology. The theological themes touched on include the character of the church, the problem of evil (theodicy), the nature of revelation, the depiction of God, and our understanding of the Trinity. I want to speak to an element of this last theme because the novel assumes something we are all tempted to assume: in reference to God, ”Father” is ultimately a metaphor and, as such, c...

In chapter 17 of the first book of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin expresses his delight in this passage written by the fourth-century Cappadocian church father Gregory of Nazianzus. Specifically, Calvin points to the following sentence: “No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the Splendour of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the One.” Why does John Calvin find joy in these words? Calvin understands that contemplating our triune God exposes us to a truth that surpasses our total comprehension. He knew that to avoid error in our thoughts and words about God, we must be careful. Gregory of Nazianzus (AD 329–390) was one of the greatest theologians of the early church. He was instrumental in the resolution of the fourth-century Trinitarian crisis that engulfed the church. Certain of his writings, particularly Orations 20, 23, 25 and the five theological orations (27–31), are foundational works in the history of T...

Vlad the Impaler launched a midnight raid against Muslim invaders that would cause his name to live on forever as Dracula, the terror of the night. The year was 1462. Ottoman sultan Muhammad II (or “Mehmet”) had demanded tribute from Wallachia (in modern-day Romania), by way of gold and Christian boys to serve as his slave soldiers (janissaries). Vlad III Dracula — better known as Vlad Țepeș, or the “Impaler” — responded by sending the Muslim emissaries back to Muhammad with their turbans nailed onto their heads. So it would be war. Muhammad mobilised one of the largest Ottoman armies in history, according to some estimates — between 150,000 and 300,000 — and invaded Wallachia, terrorising all and sundry and engaging in unspeakable atrocities, especially against women and children. With only some 30,000 men — many of them peasants whose “armour” consisted of sheep’s wool, their weapons axes, scythes, and hammers — Vlad was forced to resort to guerrilla tactics. Though he launched sever...

  PLAYING CHURCH OR FOLLOWING JESUS? “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”  (Luke 14:26–28) Following Jesus means a shift in priorities. He becomes first so that when it comes down to either-or rather than both-and, we choose Jesus. And making that choice beautifies us in God’s eyes. The call to follow Jesus is radical, and it might very well lead us down lonely paths. Are we willing to follow his call even if it means loss and the loneliness that springs from it? If we don’t consider all this beforehand, we are likely to turn back when the going gets rough. That’s why Jesus warned would-be followers to count the cost before starting out (Luke 14:...

As you pointed out, Matthew 2:23 asserts these statements. No Old Testament prophecy corresponds to these precise words. There are two different, yet related, main scholarly explanations to illustrate what St. Matthew is attempting to say in this passage. 1. According to the first, Matthew apparently paraphrases in summary form the words of several prophets. The paraphrase is based on Jesus’ boyhood home, Nazareth, and a similar-sounding Hebrew word  netser , which is translated as “sprout,” “shoot,” or “branch.”  Recall that the family fled to Egypt because of the murderous Herod the Great, who feared the Christ Child as a potential royal competitor and thus slaughtered every male child under two in Bethlehem and the neighbouring area (Matt. 2:16-18). They returned to reside in Nazareth after word came that Herod the Great had died (Matt. 2:19-20). Scripture affirms that Jesus came to restore the throne of his ancestor King David (Luke 1:31-33) and that he is “...

We all have questions about death. What is death? Why do we die? Why do we all die? Why is death so scary? Why did Christ die? Why do Christians have to die? How can I face the death of someone I love? How can I prepare for death? How can I help others prepare for death? What happens after death? To answer these questions, we need to go to the Scripture and see what God has to say to us there. The Bible is God’s Word and is completely reliable and true. If the Bible tells us something about death, then we can stake our lives on it. We also have a lot of help. Our spiritual ancestors thought deeply and practically about death. Throughout the history of the church, pastors and teachers have sought to help God’s people face death in light of the riches of biblical truth. In the Protestant Reformation five centuries ago, the church recovered the gospel in its full biblical integrity. Martin Luther, John Calvin, the British Puritans, and their spiritual heirs have left us rich reflections ...

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the whole city stirred with one question: “Who is this?” (Matt. 21:10). That same question reverberates through the Gospel of Mark—and still echoes in our culture today. Mark doesn’t merely offer theological claims about Jesus; he constructs a narrative arc that progressively unveils His identity in dramatic, revelatory moments. Here are seven powerful ways Mark’s Gospel reveals who Jesus truly is: Mark Opens with a Bold Declaration: Jesus Is the Son of God Mark wastes no time: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). From the first verse, we’re told that Jesus is not just a man — He is the divine Son, the visible Yahweh revealing the invisible God. At His baptism, the heavens rip open and the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:11). This is more than a title; it’s a declaration of identity and purpose. Jesus isn’t merely bringing good news — He is the good news. Even Demons Recognise His Auth...

One woman with cancer told me years ago, “I’m not a believer anymore—that doesn’t work for me. I can’t believe in a personal God who would do something like this to me.” Cancer killed her God. What would happen to me? I felt like a surgeon who was suddenly on the operating table. Would I be able to take my own advice? Facing such a serious diagnosis, Keller was forced to reexamine not only his “professed beliefs” but his “actual understanding of God.” He writes, Had [my ideas about God] been shaped by my culture? Had I been slipping unconsciously into the supposition that God lived for me rather than I for him, that life  should  go well for me, that I knew better than God does how things should go? The answer was yes—to some degree. I found that to embrace God’s greatness, to say “Thy will be done,” was painful at first and then, perhaps counterintuitively, profoundly liberating. To assume that God is as small and finite as we are may  feel  freeing—but it offers no...