Notions About God

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: My day started off with the Lord.

Prodigal: Good way to start off the day.

Me: Yes, it helps my relationship with the Lord.

This is from the book The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

To most people God is an inference, not a reality. He is a deduction from evidence which why consider adequate; but He remains personally unknown to the individual. “He must be,” they say, “therefore we believe He is.” Others do not go even so far as this; they know of Him only by hearsay. They have never bothered to think the matter out for themselves, but have heard about Him from others, and have put belief in Him into the back of their minds along with the various odds and ends that make up their total creed. To many others God is but an ideal, another name for goodness, or beauty, or truth; or He is law, or life, or the creative impulse back of the phenomena of existence.

These notions about God are many and varied, but they who hold them have one thing in common: they do not know God in personal experience. The possibility of intimate acquaintance with Him has not entered their minds. While admitting His existence they do not think of Him as knowable in the sense that we know things or people.

A close personal experience with God has made all the difference, while religion has left me feeling empty.

Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

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Leaving Everything With God

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: Did you enjoy your fishing?

Prodigal: Yes, and I even caught a fish.

Me: The Lord has blessed you!

This is from the book Joy in Christ’s Presence by Charles Spurgeon

Then this blessed Lord or ours had a sweet way of leaving everything with God. He did not stay awake, He did not worry,but He went to sleep. Whatever came, He had left everything in the hands of the great Caretaker. What more is needed? If a watchman was hired to guard my house, I would be foolish if I also sat up for fear of thieves. Why have a watchman if I cannot trust him to watch? “Cast thy burden upon the LORD” (Ps. 55:22), but when you have done so, leave it with the Lord and do not try to carry it yourself. Otherwise, you mock God; you use the name of God, but not the reality of God. Lay down every care, even as Jesus did when He went calmly to the rear part of the ship, quietly took a pillow, and went to sleep.

You want to worry. That is the natural reaction. Losing sleep and thinking about it a million ways will not help at all. The Lord has known about all this and He has it. Cast this burden to the Lord. Cast the worry and allow God to show you what he can do!

Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us?

Romans 8:35

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Unshakable

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: Look at the water just move all around out there.

Prodigal: Yes, I know. Just think Jesus walked on water.

Me: Yes, He did, reminds me that He is a great foundation!

This is from the book Living Faith by Jimmy Carter

We need to have something unshakable, like a mother’s love, something that can’t be destroyed by war, the loss of a loved one, lack of success in business, a serious illness, or failure to realize our ambitions. We need foundation on which we can build a predictable and dependable existence.

Jimmy goes on to talk about the foundation being Jesus. My foundation is being tested right now. Can I lean on people’s approval? Can I lean on my own ability to control? Can I lean on my education? Can I lean on who I am married too? Sometimes God exposes that all we really have during the wind of the storms is Jesus. That can be tough with all our emotions but it is great for our faith.

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:9

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Kingdom Living

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: How is the day so far?

Prodigal: I hope it goes a little better.

Me: Maybe if we turn to the Lord it will.

This is from the book The Burden if Light by Eugenia Price

It is easier and certainly simpler for an extremist to embark upon a life of Kingdom Living. One cannot get along comfortably following Christ unless one is completely willing to be a fool for Him. An extremist is always “completely.” In everything.

At times God wants us all in. There is no loophole for anything. We have to be willing to do everything and surrender everything. I know there is a risk in doing this tomorrow, but you know God has spoken and we trust and hold nothing back. God means all this for good so don’t worry.

1 Timothy 6:6-7

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: It is a nice day today.

Prodigal: Yes, God is so good to us all the time!

Me: I agree!

Click here to watch video.

Proverbs 2:6

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth came knowledge and understanding.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Foundation in Prayer

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: I think I am going to take some time out to pray right now.

Me: That would be a wise course of action.

This is from the book Finding Peace for Your Heart by Stormie Omartian

I came to understand that prayer is not just asking for things—although that certainly is part of it. Far more importantly, prayer is talking with God. It’s getting close to and spending time with the one you love. It’s seeking Him first, touching Him, getting to know Him better, being with Him, and waiting in His presence. It’s acknowledging Him as the source of power upon whom you depend. It’s taking the time to say, Speak to my heart, Lord, and tell me what I need to hear.

Sometimes we need to wait. We need to wait to speak and not try to verbally rush out all our words to try and prove that we have wisdom. Sometimes we need to wait and God works in the waiting.

John 18:36

My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: I hope you have a good day!

Me: I think it will be a good day!

click here for another video

Proverbs 2:5

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Shake off Negative Elements

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Prodigal: Now this guy looks like a leader!

Me: Maybe you should not judge by how they look.

Prodigal: How else can I tell?

Me: Maybe this will help.

This is from Spiritual Leadership by J.Oswald Sanders

Adding leadership potential to our lives usually requires that we shake off negative elements that hold us back. If we are overly sensitive when criticized and rush to defend ourselves, that must go. If we make excuses for failure and try to blame others or circumstances, that must go. If we are intolerant or inflexible, so that creative people around us feel hemmed in, that must go.

If we are disturbed by anything short of perfection in ourselves and others, that must go. The perfectionists sets goals beyond his reach, then sinks into false guilt then he falls short. Our world is imperfect, and we cannot expect the impossible. Setting modest, realistic goals will help a perfectionist move through a problem without discouragement.

If you cannot keep a secret, do not try to lead. If you cannot yield a point when someone else’s ideas are better, save yourself frustration of failed leadership. If you want to maintain an image of infallibility, find something else to do besides leading people.

2 Corinthians 11:28

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

What About Science?

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Jennifer Van Allen

Me: Well Data knows a lot about science.

Prodigal: Yeah, I’m no scientist but it can be helpful.

Me: Yes, I think I will show appreciation for all y’all out there who work with science and also love it.

This is from the book Beyond Opinion Living the Faith We Defend by Ravi Zacharias

The story of Galileo’s treatment at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church is often used to fuel the conflict view of science and religion. Historical research shows that this view is flawed. Galileo was no atheist. He believed in Scripture before he faced the Inquisition, and he believed in Scripture afterward. Galileo’s “crime” was that he challenged the then reigning Aristotelian scientific paradigm, that a fixed and unmoving earth was at the center of the universe. This view, be it noted, was held both by the pagan philosophers of Galileo’s day and by the churchmen who felt that it fit with their interpretation of Scripture. They were all in error.

Ironically, it was Galileo, a believer in Scripture, who correctly challenged the then reigning scientific paradigm in the name of science. One important lesson is that those of us who take the biblical account seriously should be humble enough to distinguish between what the Bible says and our interpretations of it. The biblical text just might be more sophisticated then we first imagined, and we might therefore be in danger of using it to support ideas that it never intended to teach.

In recent years, careful research has underminded the conflict thesis. Historian Colin Russell concludes, “The common belief that ….the actual relations between religion and science over the last few centuries have been marked by deep and enduring hostility…is not only historically inaccurate, but actually a caricature so grotesque that what needs to be explained is how it could possibly have achieved any degree of respectability.

What is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 1:19-20

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org