Monthly Archives: November 2023

Our Sinful Nature

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: The nativity reminds us of how precious Jesus birth was.

Me: How much we have to be thankful for!

This is from the book Vocabulary of Faith by Hampton Adams

The person who is not aware of his sin or his sinful nature should be led to consider the fact that many, perhaps all, of the truest Christians have known themselves to be sinners “saved by grace.” And their salvation from sin was not guaranteed once for all time, but is a continuing victory of grace. Sanctification, or freedom from sin or the desire to sin, is not claimed by many real Christians. The claim of achieving a sinless life is an exhibition of self-righteousness that belies the claim.

James 4:11-12

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Time With God

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: Why beat around the bush, I really like that one.

Me: Glad it is pleasing to the eye.

This is from the book Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey

At a conference on evangelism sponsored by Billy Graham in Manila, a Cambodian man mesmerized the audience with his story of daily meditation. Under the Pol Pot regime he was held in a concentration camp like those depicted in the movie The Killing Fields. Believing he had little time to live, he wanted to spend time each day with God, preparing for death. “Even more than deprivation of food, even more than the torture, I resented having no time to meet with God. Always guards were yelling at us, forcing us to work, work, work. ” Finally he noticed that the guards could get no one to clean out the cesspits. He volunteered for the wretched job. “No one ever interrupted me, and I could do my work at a leisurely pace. Even in those stinking depths, I could look up and see blue sky. I could praise God that I survived another day. I could commune with God undisturbed, and pray for my friends and relatives all around me. That became for me a glorious time of meeting with God.”

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: Psalms 78:7 (KJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: I ain’t got a dadblame thing to do.

Me: Well you can help me with this.

Prodigal: Sounds good.

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.

Click here to watch the video

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Works Done for Love

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: You have been spending a lot of time on that.

Me: This project has love in it, I work with love in my heart.

Prodigal: I am sure they will appreciate it then.

Me: I think they will.

This is from the book The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis

Oftentimes there seemeth to be charity, and it is rather a fleshly mind: because natural inclination, self-will, hope of reward, and desire of our own interest, will seldom be away.

He that hath true and perfect charity, seeketh himself in nothing: but only desireth in all things the glory of God.

He also envieth none; because he is in love with no private joy, neither willeth he to rejoice in himself; but wisheth above all good things to be made happy in the enjoyment of God. He attributheth nothing that is good to any man, but wholly referreth it unto God, from whom as from the fountain all things proceed; in whom finally all the Saints do rest in fruition.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Gems

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: I see you found red gems.

Prodigal: Yes, I thought you said something about them.

Me: Yes, a story I heard. Those are not the exact gems but thanks for trying anyway.

This is from the book The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller

Arvin Engelson, a fellow student with Kathy and me at seminary years ago, likened marriage to a gem tumbler. You put gems into the tumbler and they are brought into constructive, creative contact with each other. They knock the rough edges off of each other until each gem is smooth and beautiful. But if you don’t put a special compound into the tumbler with the gems, the stones will either bounce off of one another without any effects or may crack and shatter each other. The grinding compound in the gem tumbler is like God’s grace in a marriage. Without the power of grace, truth and love can’t be combined. Spouses either stay away from the truth–they “bounce off each other”– or else they attack one another and they shatter.

Grace can be tough. We long for grace every time we make a mistake but sometimes we want to prove we are right more than give grace. Thank God that He doesn’t always just prove He is right and instead gives us grace. The Lord forgives you and is working in your heart. Don’t close your heart up but instead open yourself up so that you may be able to determine how you can apply grace to yourself and to that other person.

Jennifer Van Allen

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: I am ready for some turkey!

Me: Me too!

This is a short video devotion

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 11:29

He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Worthy is the Lamb

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: Well, this is all going to turn out well.

Prodigal: I think so too!

This is from the book Rise & Shine by Charles Swindoll

I’ll shoot straight with you, hoping to awaken you to a subtle danger. If your motive is in any way to promote greatness for yourself, you’re in the wrong calling. There are no Academy Awards given on earth for people in ministry, nor should there be. Our rewards come later. By His sovereign choice, they come when our King provides them in the future. And it is good to remember that as soon as the crowns are placed on our heads, we will immediately remove them and place them at His feet (where they deserve to be). Why? That’s easy to answer: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, not the one who proclaims the Lamb.

1 Corinthians 4:20

For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

The Direct Leading of God

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: I am going to ask you not to eat turkey during Thanksgiving.

Me: I’d rather jump barefoot off a six-foot stepladder into a five-gallon bucket full of porcupines.

Prodigal: Maybe you can have a little.

This is from J. Tauler

How can we come to perceive this direct leading of God? By a careful looking at home, and abiding; within the gates of thy own soul. Therefore, let a man be at home in his own heart, and cease from his restless chase of and search after outward things. If he is thus at home while on earth, he will surely come to see what there is to do at home,–what God commands him inwardly without means, and also outwardly by the help of means; and then let him surrender himself, and follow God along whatever path his loving Lord thinks fit to lead him: whether it be to contemplation or action, to usefulness or enjoyment; whether in sorrow or in joy, let him follow on. And if God do not give him thus to feel His hand in all things, let him still simply yield himself up, and go without, for God’s sake, out of love, and still press forward.

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 1 Thess. 5:14

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: What a nice relaxing day.

Me: Yes, it is.

This is a short video devotion.

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 11:28

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. (ESV).

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Holy Spirit

Posted on by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: Sometimes I am up and sometimes I am down.

Prodigal: But God’s love remains the same.

This is from the book Vocabulary of Faith by Hampton Adams

Some people try to measure the love of God by the way things go with them. If they are prosperous, they talk about the love of God. If reverses come, they doubt God. But no one really knows the love of God who does not know it in such deep and fortified places in his inner life that nothing could ever cause him to doubt the love of the heavenly Father. God’s love does not keep us from adversity. It keeps us when adversity falls upon us. God’s love keeps us, too, in flush of our successes. It keeps us humble. It keeps us aware of the deep sources of our life. It keeps us aware that our life is not dependent upon these successes. This is the knowledge of God’s love that comes to us when our spirit responds to the action of the Holy Spirit.

God’s love is always around us. It is blocked at times from the distractions of our souls. Quietness is needed desperately. We think we are too busy for it, but make time. You cannot be too busy for God. We are refreshed when we soak in God’s love. It hits our spirits and we take a drink not from a well but His refreshing word. Our thirst will continue until we stop for what we need. You are in control of when you stop.

Matthew 22:37-39

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org