Author Archives: Jennifer Van Allen

Symbols

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

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Me:  I just finished going to the store.

Prodigal:  How did it go?

Me:  My cash disappeared faster than cabbage at a rabbit convention.

Prodigal:  Maybe we should change the subject to get your mind off of it.

 

This is from the book Escape the Coming Night by Dr. David Jeremiah

 

Why is there so much symbolism in the Book of Revelation?  Do you wonder why it couldn’t have been as simple and straighforward as the Gospel of John?  Here are some reasons.

To begin with, symbolism is not weakened by time.  John was able to draw the great images in God’s revelation and write them into an exciting drama; symbols can stand the test of the years, with out relating to one particular era or culture.

Symbols also impart values and arouse emotions.  H0w much more graphic it is to speak of “beasts,” instead of “dictators.”  There is more color in referring to “Babylon the Great”  than the “world system.”

 

Revelation may not be able to be understood completely on this day but it still holds great truth.

 

Proverbs 1:10

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Vivid Assurances

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

 

Me:  I love the sound of that running water!

Prodigal:  Me too!

Me:  Probably good spot to share.

 

This is from the book Beyond Our Selves by Catherine Marshall

In my own case, it was precisely while my prayer was still unanswered that I received the most vivid assurances of God’s reality.

What this comes down to is the simple but powerful truth that God can be trusted in this regard as in all others.  Hope is always of God; hopelessness is always of evil.  Faith is always right; fear and despair are always wrong.

We can rest on the love of God, knowing that His love for us boundlessly surpasses our own.  Nothing can ever separate us from that love except out own blind unwillingness to receive.

 

Truth be told, I am caught in feelings of hopelessness from long years of prayers that have yet to be answered.  It started last night.  The despair was driven away from not my own prayers ,but from the prayers of friends that dearly love me and knew that it was what I needed the most.

Since then I am fully unwilling to receive God’s love at the moment and His joy.  Years of counseling others, I know where I am.  I am looking entirely too much on those gifts I want God to bless me with instead of looking mostly at God.  I guess I just need to confess that with all my love of the Lord, with all His blessings in my life, I too get distracted at times.  So what now?  I think it has been confessed and now, I am going to release them.  The blessings and all that I am focused on.

Instead I focus on my LORD!  You stayed with me during all this.  You in soft loving ways kept pointing me back to you.  I am back my LORD.  I am sorry my LORD.    I am yours my LORD.

LORD, how you never said goodbye, you just waited for me to receive again.

 

Matthew 10:27

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

 

 

Prodigal:  Hope you are having a good day.

Me:  Yes, I am.

Prodigal:  I am too.

 

 

Time for another video.

 

click here to watch

 

proverbs 1:26

I also will laugh at your calamity;  I will mock you when your fear cometh;

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Serving the Lord

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Me:  I can see that you are in Tampa.

Prodigal:  Yes, I am enjoying the time here.

Me:  Let me share with you about another village.

 

Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yahanna

 

One such village was Bhundi in Rajasthan.  This was the first place I was beaten and stoned for preaching the Gospel.  Often literature was destroyed.  It seemed that mobs always were on the watch for us, and six times our street meetings were broken up.  Our team leaders began to work elsewhere, avoiding Bhundi as much as possible.  Three years later, a new team of national missionaries moved into the area under different leadership and preached again at this busy crossroads town.

Almost as soon as they arrived, one man began tearing up literature and grabbed a 19-year old missionary, Samuel, by the throat.  Although beaten severely, Samuel knelt in the street and prayed for the salvation of souls in that hateful city.

“Lord,” he prayed, “I want to come back here and serve You in Bhundi.  “I’m willing to die here, but I want to come back and serve You in this place.”

Many older Christian leaders advised him against his decision, but being determined, Samuel went back and rented a small room.  Shipments  of literature arrived, and he preached in the face of many difficulties.  Today more than 100 people meet in a small church there.  Those who persecuted us at one time now worship the Lord Jesus, as was the case with the apostle Paul.

 

Acts 26:18

To open their eyes, and to turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Heart of Spiritual Leadership

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

 

 

Me:  I have enjoyed the day so far!

Prodigal:  Me too, how do we sum it all up?

 

This is from John Mott

Leadership in the sense of rendering maximum service;

leadership in the sense of the largest unselfishness;

in the sense of full-hearted absorption in the greatest work of the world: 

building up the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Unselfishness that many may not see is in the heart of the leaders service.  At times we keep our mouths shut, we allow some minor activity to take place because even though the focus is on people building up their ego and not focus on Christ.  Why would we do that?  Because sometimes we save the battle for something bigger.  You have to let go some time.  You have to know that God may just have to deal with that person and you cannot be the person who says something.  So do not be selfish.  Be humble and quiet and allow the Lord to deal with that person, even if it is not until much later.

 

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Everything You Have

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Me:  How was it living here.

Prodigal:  We were so poor our Sunday supper was fried water.

Me:  Money isn’t everything.

 

Everything a believer has must come from Christ, through the channel of the Spirit of grace.  Just as all blessings flow to you through the Holy Spirit, nothing good can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act apart from the sanctifying operation of the Spirit.

Charles Spurgeon

 

So do not take credit where it is not yours today.  It was the spirit and the ‘spirit only so, then you know where to turn your  praise too!

 

1 Corinthians 1:9

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Resolutions for Avoiding Misery

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

 

Me: How’s your friend?

Prodigal:  She’s a wild boar wearin’ lace.

Me:  Maybe this will help you.

 

Choose to love—rather than hate

Choose to smile—rather than frown

Choose to build—rather than destroy

Choose to persevere—-rather than quit

Choose to praise—rather than gossip

Choose to heal—rather than wound

Choose to give—rather than grasp

Choose to act—rather than delay

Choose to forgive—rather than curse

Choose to pray—rather than despair.

 

 

Psalm 140:6

I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

That Won’t Ever Change

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal:  I really want this selfie-stick.

Me:  Chickens don’t hop into your mouth already fried.  You are going to have to work for it.

Prodigal:  I guess you are right.

Me:  Speaking of hard work let me share about parenting.

 

This is from the book Undone a Memoir by Michele Cushatt

 

This is the true test of parenting, when you find your child in a mess of their making and you have to decide whether you’ll guard your heart and keep him at arm’s length, or love him in the middle of it.  Not agree with him, condone his behavior, or rescue him.  Maybe not even like him.  But there is strength in the person who digs deep to both disagree and love with equal passion.  To make convictions known, maybe even say goodbye.  But who, at the end of all the tough decisions, has the guts to say, “I love you. And that won’t ever change.”

 

Psalm 138:3

In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodgialpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

The Pit

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

 

Me:  Prodigal you look depressed.

Prodigal:  I am.

Me:  What are you going to do?

Prodigal:  I’m still waitin’ for the parade to come marchin’ down my street.

Me:  Maybe this will help.

 

The Pit

 

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.

A SUBJECTIVE person came along and said:

“I feel for you, down there.”

An OBJECTIVE person came along and said:

“It’s logical that someone would fall down there.”

A PHARISEE said:

“Only bad people fall into a pit.”

A MATHEMATICAN

calculated how he fell into the pit.

A NEWS REPORTER

wanted the exclusive story on his pit.

A FUNDAMENTALIST said:

“You deserve your pit.”

An I.R.S. man

asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.

A SELF-PITYING person said:

“You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen MY PIT!”

A CHARISMATIC said:

“Just confess that you’re not in a pit.”

An OPTIMIST said:

“Things could be worse.”

A PESSIMIST said:

“Things will get worse!”

JESUS, seeing the man, took him by the hand and LIFTED HIM OUT  of the pit.

 

–source Unknown

 

Psalm 135:3

Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org