Dr Paul Allen

A vibrant prayer life is possible for you. I know it may not seem this way, but the whole thing is rigged for triumph. That doesn’t mean that prayer will be easy or comfortable. It won’t. In fact, we should prepare for the long, slow haul of discomfort, confusion, and frustration, laced with joy, love, stability, and wholeness.  There aren’t a few techniques merely to pick up so that next week the struggle for prayer will be over. Instead, there are realities that we need to grasp that lead to pathways (rather than techniques) toward intimacy with God.  These realities—like the incarnation of Christ, our participation in Christ’s exalted status, and his participation in our troubled and lowly place—rearrange how we think about ourselves, God, and the world around us. This often means unlearning lies about ourselves, God, and the world that have shaped how we’ve lived and made decisions so far. That will take time because it’s not merely changing our minds or our perspectives b...

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. (Colossians 3:5, NIV) David Robinson says, “The reason God was able to use the jawbone of an ass to give Samson victory over the Philistines was that it was completely dead, and there was no flesh left on it (see Judges 5:15).  Consider that if you want to be used by God, 'the flesh” must go and you must die. That’s not a popular message; we’d rather focus on the benefits and the blessings of serving the Lord. But there’s a price to be paid.  Jesus didn’t tell us to make converts; He told us to make disciples.  He made it hard to join, easy to leave. He wanted only those who were committed unto death. He said, “Any of you who does not give up everything cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33, NIV). What a price tag! Are you truly His disciple? The Message paraphrases Paul in these words: “Everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or d...

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deut. 30:19–20). Moses’s logic here is breathtaking. May the Lord help us feel and respond appropriately to these truths. First, spiritual life does not happen on its own (see John 3:36; Eph. 2:1–3). We must choose life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus notes, “For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt. 7:13–14).  Impurity, dishonesty, selfishness, arrogance, laziness, rash responses, and the like— these characterise the...

  Paul had been gathering material help for the Jerusalem church. The Corinthians had been tardy in contributing. Paul now challenges them. His conception of Christian giving is a lofty one. It was a “grace”, a ministry of the Holy Spirit inwrought in personal experience and outwrought in practical expression. Corinth abounded in everything else, but lacked here. Paul challenges them with two examples. Firstly, the Macedonians, vv. 1–6. They were in deep poverty and had experienced affliction, yet there was unselfish devotedness, loving others better than themselves. Despite poverty, they had shown liberality and had given spontaneously (“willing of themselves”). They had begged permission to help, and exceeded Paul’s expectations, even “beyond their power”, v. 3.  L ove does not calculate what it can spare, or what it can afford. What was the secret? “They first gave their own selves to the Lord”, v. 5. Their giving was the outward expression of their inward devotion. First ...

  Giving is not a sacrifice purely and simply; it is a “sowing” and will be followed by a “reaping”. You reap what you sow, v. 6. No man ever loses by being generous. The harvest reaped will be proportionate to the seed sown. Sow sparingly, reap sparingly. Sow abundantly, reap abundantly. Giving is not just a contribution; it is an investment. Of course, giving must not have selfish ends in view. The motive must be right. The spirit of giving is more important than the gift, v. 7. Giving must spring out of a deliberate choice, “according as he purposeth in his heart”. There must be neither constraint nor complaint, “not grudgingly”. Everyone must be entirely free to decide what to give, “not … of necessity”. Giving must be with cheerfulness. God loves the happy giver, as characterised by a spirit of real enjoyment in his giving which sweeps away all restraint. Not only does God love a cheerful giver, but He is able in His grace to see that there shall always be the means to give, v...

  “Now I Paul myself beseech you”, v. 1, has a peculiar emphasis, indicating that Paul is not only the grammatical subject of the verse, but the subject under discussion. The chapter is full of references to the accusations made against him, and forms part of the apostle’s vindication which continues into chapter 13.  Some said he was “base”, fainthearted, when with them and “bold” when not, v. 1. They claimed he “walked according to the flesh”, vv. 2, 3, was prone to self-exaltation, v. 8, and used his letters to terrify them, v. 9. Some made fun of his undistinguished personal appearance, v. 10, and the lack of majesty in his manner.  How does Paul address himself to the task of rebutting these accusations?  Does he do it with justifiable indignation?  No, he beseeches them by “the meekness and gentleness of Christ”. These qualities were of great price in his eyes, though not in theirs. He remembers the Lord Jesus. He remembers how far He was from violence and...

  One of the cruellest insinuations made about Paul was that he was under God's manifest displeasure. His attackers pointed to his thorn in the flesh, v. 7. It is not clear what this was, but the terms used are physical, and the indications are that it was excruciating.  Paul is forced to explain how it is that he has this disability, and in doing so he breaks a self-imposed silence of fourteen years. Fourteen years ago he, “a man in Christ”, had a stupendous experience. He was caught up to the third heaven and saw things impossible to communicate in human language.  Paul’s amazing humility comes out in the fact that he kept silent for so long about something that others would have shouted from the housetops. There had been a possibility of pride, and the Lord had taken effective steps. Paul was given that which proved both painful and humbling. He prayed the Lord thrice for its removal, addressing Him who, in the days of His flesh, had thrice prayed the Father, “Take aw...

  One of the most remarkable capacities of the human mind is the capacity to direct its attention to something it chooses. We can pause and say to our minds, "Think about this, not that." We can focus our attention on an idea, a picture, a problem, or a hope.  This is a gift from God, part of his image in us. It is an immensely powerful means of becoming what we ought to be. Have you been neglecting this great weapon in the arsenal of your war against sin? The Bible calls us again and again to use this remarkable gift. Let’s take it out, polish it, and put it to use. For example, Paul says in Romans 8:5–6, “Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” This is stunning. What you set your mind on determines whether the issue is life or death!  We have become fa...

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Ps. 8:3–4) The big question is not, does God care for me? The Bible declares he does over and over again. It tells us that God’s eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers (Ps. 34:15). It says that he is with us wherever we go (Gen. 28:15). The Bible welcomes us to bring our cares to God because he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). It tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5).  The message is clear and consistent—God cares for his own. If you are God’s child, you are never outside the scope of his constant care. The Bible is also clear and consistent when it talks of the unshakability of God’s love. His love is eternal. From the verse-by-verse refrain of Psalm 136, “for his steadfast love endures forever,” to Paul’s declaration in Romans ...

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. — Romans 6:1–4 Paul knows his audience, as he’s been proclaiming the gospel to communities like the Romans for a long time. He skillfully anticipates the objections in the hearts of his hearers. When they heard in Romans 5:2 that we stand in God’s grace, they may have thought—as you and I may sometimes think—that if there’s more grace when I sin, and grace is good, why not sin more? He replies emphatically, as he has a few other times so far, “By no means!” May we never rationalise our sin as a way to display more of God’s grace. To do so is to misunderstand God’s grace, at best, and ex...

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28–30) When we come to Christ, we are startled by the beauty of his welcoming heart. The surprise is itself what draws us in. Have we considered the loveliness of the heart of Christ? Perhaps beauty is not a category that comes naturally to mind when we think about Christ. Maybe we think of God and Christ in terms of truth, not beauty. But the whole reason we care about sound doctrine is for the sake of preserving God’s beauty, just as the whole reason we care about effective focal lenses on a camera is to capture with precision the beauty we photograph. Let Jesus draw you in through the loveliness of his heart. This is a heart that upbraids the impenitent with all the appropriate harshness, yet embraces the penitent with more openness than we...

In the Old Testament book of Ruth, we meet another woman, Naomi, whose expectations were crushed by repeated loss and trauma. Yet one of the book’s most beautiful arcs is Naomi’s redemption. She learns to trust God’s faithfulness even in seasons of deep pain. We, too, often become discouraged when hard times arrive. Scripture warns that, as fallen people saved by God’s grace, Christians will face trials in this world. We may wonder where God is and why these painful things are happening. At times, it can even feel as though God has broken His promises, and we question whether our hope was in vain. This exact situation appears in Psalm 90, one of the most important poems in the book of Psalms. What makes this psalm so powerful is not only its author—Moses—but also its placement. It opens Book Four of the Psalms and follows Psalm 89, in which the writer laments the exile and seems to say that God’s promise to David has failed. The psalmist cries out, “Where are You, Lord, in our sufferin...

Six pastors and one Christian believer in India have begun serving five-year prison sentences under the state’s anti-conversion law. The seven believers were falsely accused at a child’s birthday party two years ago and have now exhausted their legal appeals. India’s anti-conversion laws increasingly target Christians for practising and sharing their faith, criminalising religious freedom under the guise of preventing forced conversions In a troubling escalation of religious persecution, seven Christians in India have begun serving five-year prison sentences after being falsely accused of violating the country’s controversial “anti-conversion” law. The case, which originated at a child’s birthday party two years ago, has now concluded with these believers behind bars after exhausting their legal options. Six pastors and one fellow Christian were targeted under legislation that criminalises alleged forced religious conversions, laws that human rights advocates say are systematicall...

  Students across India are facing increasing religious discrimination and persecution in educational institutions.Young believers are organising peaceful movements to defend religious freedom and human dignity. The unrest reveals growing concerns about religious liberty in the world’s largest democracy While Western nations continue to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with India, a troubling reality is unfolding within the country’s educational institutions. Students across India are speaking out against religious discrimination and persecution, raising serious concerns about the state of religious freedom in the nation. Young people, including Christian students, have been subjected to dehumanising treatment and discrimination based on their faith. What began as isolated incidents has grown into a larger movement as students band together to defend their God-given dignity and constitutional rights. The situation reflects a broader pattern of religious intolerance that has ...

  When they say “no one can return”, they're talking about reincarnation, which was a belief some of the other religions have. The God of the Bible needs us Christians to be clear on this: no matter how much the reincarnation buffs try to present evidence to the contrary, God is NOT re-sending people to be born on earth a second time. That said, of course God can send a vision of a soul from Heaven to Earth any time he wants to, since this isn't the same thing at all. I suspect Moses and Elijah weren't in normal human bodies, but were just part of a vision that “disappeared” to the human observers as soon as the vision was through. So no “meat suits” were involved at any time in this case.

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. (Jer. 46:1) I’m persuaded that much of our fear, anxiety, discouragement, and hopelessness is the result of bad theology. At its core, what is the Bible all about? The existence, character, and plan of God. Every other aspect of Scripture flows out of the reality of who God is. A bad or weak theology of God will lead to weakness in other areas of theology, and spiritual weaknesses in daily living.  I had this experience again and again in counselling. I would be working with someone who was struggling to trust God, but, as I listened to him describe who he thought God was, I immediately understood why he had trouble trusting him. I would often think, “If I thought that this was who God is, I would have trouble trusting him too.” One common mistake in our functional theology of God is thinking he is too small.   The God in our minds lacks the awesome, glorious, and incalculable power and authority th...

A glorious inheritance was won for us by Christ’s own faithful perseverance and patience. In the incarnation, he came alongside us in our sufferings, joining us in this broken world. He not only began well but also faithfully lived his entire life in service to God. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Christ “learned obedience through what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). In his case, his suffering produced endurance, character, and hope (cf. Rom. 5:3) as he persisted in faithful obedience right until the very end.  He patiently endured the disappointment over disciples who failed to understand his teaching, who squabbled over the top places in the kingdom, and who then abandoned him at the end. He patiently bore the grief of losing friends whom he loved to death and being betrayed by one of his own disciples. He patiently put up with a people who cried out, “Hosanna to the king!” one day and then, “Crucify him!” just a few days later. He patiently put up with human followers who are j...

 At the end of Genesis, Joseph dies. His last request is a testament to his unwavering faith and his awareness of a storyline that is larger than one lifetime: “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph makes the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here” (Gen. 50:24–25).  Like Joseph, we can consider our death and go to our graves in the certainty that God will do exactly as he has promised. The worker of God goes into the dust, and the work of God continues without faltering.1 Knowing this with perfect clarity, our Saviour laid down his life willingly. Will we do the same? When we know our days are short, will we be grateful for what we’ve been given or greedy for what we have not?  Yes, you may say, but Jesus knew he would be raised. He knew he could go into the grave and come back out again. Friend, so d...

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. (Ps. 20:7–8) Don’t fear your weaknesses—God supplies all the strength you need. Be afraid of those moments when you think you’re independently strong. Admit it, you don’t like being weak. It’s not fun being the last one chosen to play on the team. It’s embarrassing to be asked a question you can’t answer. It’s frustrating not to be able to figure out the directions for assembling the furniture you just bought.  It’s mortifying to forget that important appointment or the name of a good friend. It’s humbling to fail at a task, to drop the ball, or to make a promise and not be able to keep it.  We don’t like getting lost or forgetting a phone number. We all hate those moments when we feel unqualified or unprepared. We don’t like being confused or not knowing. We covet the muscles and the brains of others.  We all hate being afraid an...

For generations, Christians have believed and affirmed the true story that life is a gift from God in all of its stages. Our whole-life pro-life commitment means we believe every person at every stage of life is made in the image of God. We make a conscious commitment to value all of human life, from beginning to end—or from dust to dust, as the centuries-old graveside liturgy expresses it. But we inhabit a world that is dead set on living in a false story of aging—one that values, at most, only the first half of life but does not value its second half of bodily decline. The Christian whole-life pro-life commitment is beautiful on our lips, but it is more beautiful as it moves to our hands and feet. We assert that all of life is valuable in all of its stages, but do we prove we believe that story by living in a way that reflects this conviction? One of the simplest ways for the modern church to live counterculturally is to embrace, defend, and live as though we value all of life, inclu...