Sharing God's message

 Over the past 46 years of preaching and teaching I can count on one hand the number of times God has flipped the script on what I was going to preach at the very last minute. This past Sunday was one of those times, I was invited to speak for a pastor friend who was recovering from surgery in a small town. My family had attended this small church for a year or so about 15 years ago, and we still have a unique relationship with the pastor and members. 

The previous Sunday I had spoke at Only Believe Urbana where we currently attend while the pastor was on vacation. The message that Sunday was entitled “Walking through the darkest valley with God's grace.” The text was from Psalms 23, and I incorporated both mine and Lee’s testimony of walking through my hospitalization, diagnosis with Epstein Barr and the heart attack and into Lee's diagnosis with cancer and all the surgeries and the final words “You’re cancer free”.

As I stepped onto the platform and opened my Bible and IPad, God said clearly you're NOT going there. Understand I had spent several hours studying and preparing this amazing message (At least in my mind) all of sudden God flipped the script. Can I be honest there was no panic, fear, or even debate, simply listening and obeying. I opened my Bible to Psalms 23, left my IPad on the pulpit, stepped down onto the main floor and simply walked through this amazing passage of scripture. 

Reminding them that this passage was not written for the dead (even though it is used at most funerals and hospital visits) it was written for the living as we walk the darkest valleys, the shepherd is always there taking care of us defending off the devil with his rod, and moving us in the right direction with his staff.

As I closed, I felt that I had accomplished the task at hand. However, I'm really not sure what it was. 

Then, the next morning I got a text from the pastor. 

“Hey! I thought you would like to know that your sermon was appropriate for Sunday, a family left Church and found out that their son had taken his own life and they appreciated the message. They felt like it was meant just for them.” 

Can I help preachers today?

You never know what God’s going to do when you share the word He gives you, so prepare and then let God use you for His purpose. 

Amazing book to read!

 

This blog post was originally published at a previous blog site in 2013. However, it continues to reflect my thinking today.

Those that know me personally know that I love teaching and studying Pastoral Theology; simply looking at how and why we do the ministry we do. This includes everything from pastoral counseling, Ethics, Homiletics/Teaching, Church Leadership, and the Church Ordinance. I’m always reading and looking for good books or articles on the subject, and ironically, I came across a book on Amazon that is free to download to my Kindle entitled, “The Preacher and His Model, the Yale Lectures on Preaching, 1891.”

This awesome nine-part lecture was presented at “Divinity School of Yale University, New Haven, Conn, April 25, 1891, by Rev. James Stalker D.D. of Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Stalker was a minister, lecturer, and preacher for the Free Church of Scotland (United Free Church). From 1902-1924 he was Professor of Church History at the United Free Church College in Aberdeen, where he also added the Chair of Christian Ethics in 1905. He maintained these until his retirement in 1924.

Dr. Stalker has joined the other great British authors that I have enjoyed over the years including but not limited to C. S. Lewis and Thomas Torrance, both of whom have had a profound impact on my thinking as a Christian and minister.  Dr. Stalker has the ability through his teaching to help you develop a unique understanding of what God has called you to as a minister of the Gospel, and a preacher of the word. A great quote in the book is “Preaching is not merely the speaking of a man. If it is, then it is certainly not worth coming to church for. Preaching, if it is of the right kind, is the voice of God.”  He takes time through the short lecture series to take each student/preacher on a walk to understand the calling, ministry, purpose, and requirement.

My prayer as you read this short blog post is that you would take time to read this awesome book by a mighty man of God. Allow his thoughts to challenge you as you become the man of God and preacher/teacher he has called you to be.

 

 

 Gentlemen, it is hard to believe that this coming Sunday is Father’s Day. The past several weeks has seemed to not stop. With our oldest granddaughter graduating, open houses, birthday parties and do not forget just running around doing life.

It has also been a time of reflection, I have sat back and watched my son (who is now 32) be a father to four, (a two-year-old, twelve, fourteen, and eighteen years old). I had forgotten about the struggles of raising teenagers, and a toddler. I just had the two (Ethan and Meghan). It is amazing watching him navigate life with all the different personalities.

Now in my sixties I reflect on what I attempted to show my son about parenting, and what I now attempt to help him show my grandchildren. I would like to share with you regardless of how you became a dad or grandfather    (biological children, stepchildren, adopted, foster, or an uncle that is the main male influence in children’s lives). It is imperative we begin training our sons to be great fathers by:

1)    Teaching them who Christ is and understanding the importance of a relationship with Him. Both through our example, and discussions, and prayers with them.

2)      Show them how to respect their mother, so that they will know how to treat their wives.

3)      Show them how to respect their grandparents, so that they will understand how to respect you in the older years.

 

I pray that you have an amazing Father’s Day 

Men and their character flaws:

            I recently taught a series on “The Men of the Old Testament, and their issues like mine.”

            It is amazing to me how many people read the Old Testament and gloss over the men and women and only seek the spiritual ramifications within the stories. There are so many things, we can learn from men, like King David, Naaman the General with Leprosy, Noah, Lot, Daniel, Elisha, Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah, and so many more.

            As I read the stories, I realized that I am no different from every man in scripture. As men, we have issues with anger, lying, cheating, blame-shifting, problems with authority, struggle to navigate fatherhood, relationships with women, and yes, even issues with God, and many more.

It appears that men today have come to view the “10 Commandments, as the 10 Suggestions.” Ironically, when we stand before God on judgment day, we will find God declaring that these are HIS personal expectations for us. And boy, have we messed up!

A pastor friend used to tell me all the time, “There are only two types of people in the world, those that need Jesus, and those that need more of Jesus.”  Which one are you?

            Three traits in the men throughout the Old Testament that I see active within the men of most churches today.

1)      I believe what God says, but I am not sure I am willing to do it His [God’s] way.

 

2)      I will call/cry [PRAY] out to God during the Crisis, but any other time God needs to stay in his lane and leave me alone.

 

3)      I will worship and learn in the temple [church] when it is convenient for me. Other than that, I have a life of my own to live.

As men, how can we change these thoughts? It is going to require us to step out of our comfort zone, and the four walls of the church building. I find it interesting in the Old Testament that God did not perform miracles, or prophets didn’t do their greatest teaching in the Temple. Men of God had their greatest impact on their family and community when they were engaging men in prayer, warfare, and study.

It was always about:

1)      Encountering men where they are, not where you want them to be.

 

2)      Engage them in a conversation about these men in the Old Testament. If they are like me, they can relate to King David’s messed-up family dynamics, Job’s grief, Daniel, being asked to eat things that are bad for him, or maybe they can relate to Elijah being outnumbered at work by people who don’t believe in his God.

 

3)      Encourage them to seek the real answers in the New Testament, introduce them to the Anointed One/Messiah talked about throughout the Old Testament, in the flesh dying for them on the Cross, and conquering death for them personally.

 

 

            

The Churches DNA:

The Churches DNA:

DNA is a scientific abbreviation for “Deoxyribonucleic acid.” the National Human Genome Research Institute states that DNA “…contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. To carry out these functions, DNA sequences must be converted into messages that can be used to produce proteins, which are the complex molecules that do most of the work in our bodies.”[1]

Just like the DNA in the human body, we find that the church has DNA. Over the centuries many individuals have attempted to alter the Churches DNA, and some have even denied its existence. However, the reality is that the Bible is very clear about the DNA of God’s church.  Strongs concordance gives the following definition of the word church … “The English word "church" comes from the Greek word kyriakos, "belonging to the Lord" (kyrios). 1577 /ekklēsía ("church") is the root of the terms "ecclesiology"[2]  As I read through the Bible I find strong evidence of the churches DNA, the foundation of which is found in creation, and is seen all the way through to the coming of the KING.

I see several intertwining parts of the church that make up the church’s DNA.  I realize that there are pastors, lay people, theologians, scholars, and people in the pew that will disagree with my view of the essentials of Church DNA. However, from my study of scripture, if a church is missing one the following parts of the DNA, it has failed to be a true Church of Christ!

Growing up in the Fundamentalist church in Michigan, we were taught the “7 fundamentals of the faith.” the Assemblies of God whom I spent a number of years ministering with have what they refer to as the “16 Tenants of the Faith,” and for a short time I spent time ministering in The Southern Baptist Convention, where they list “28 beliefs in their statement of faith.”   The following list is mine; I can’t be accountable for anyone else.

I understand from the beginning of this post some are going to be upset, I have left off one of the key beliefs of your denomination, church, or heritage.  I can think of a dozen off the top of my head people will yell about (i.e. KJV only, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Second Blessing, etc.). They will say I didn’t spend any time telling them that Arminius or Calvin was right or wrong, hymns verses contemporary worship, and the list will go on and on and on.

 

So, what do I (Dr. Don Allen, Jr PhD) see as the DNA of the Christian Church today.  

I.                    AN EXPECTANCE AND TEACHING OF THE FOUNDATION DOCTRINAL BELIEFS

1)      INERRANCY OF THE SCRIPTURE … Simply stated that the original scripture is without error, and that through the translations over the generations we have learned the foundational truths of Christianity.

2)      THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST (to the Virgin Mary) … Prior to having any other children, God interceded in a young virgin’s life and blessed her with a child, who would be the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the sacrificed lamb for our sins.

3)      THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS AT CALVARY … Christ died on the Cross for my sins, and that he was the perfect sinless a sacrifice for my sin. This being due to the fact that he had no earthly father (God was his father), and therefore was sinless in his nature, or without sin.

4)      THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST FROM THE GRAVE ON THE THIRD DAY… HE IS ALIVE; he conquered death, the grave, and Hell for my sins. In doing so he showed the devil and the world that I can have a home in heaven.

5)      THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST TO HEAVEN TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER … He is sitting in judgement, and serving as my advocate. He is talking to the father and reminding him that through his blood stained hands and feet, I’m forgiven, and on that final day of judgement he will show once again that HE paid it all.

6)      THAT CHRIST IS RETURNING TO EARTH (Referred to as the 2^nd coming of Christ), and there will be a Rapture of the Christians…. I know many deny it will happen, but the reality is clear in scripture that Christ is coming back to earth to claim his own (those that believe in him as Savior), and at this point he will pour out his judgement on the those that do not.

 

II.                 FAITHFUL IN PREACHING AND TEACHING OF THE “GREAT OR GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST”

1)      Sadly too many churches have lost their voice in the world. They are focused on workshops, seminars, retreats, encounters. They don’t preach as we were taught in Bible College, “The Book, The Blood, and Blessed Hope”  

 

III.              PRAYER

 

1)      The church has overall lost its power of prayer. We are commanded to pray, to ask for his intercession in our lives and the intercession in others’ lives as well. We are to pray for the Kings, and world leadership (yes even a president we don’t like).We are also told to pray for the pastor of our churches, and most importantly we are to pray for the lost that they will see the truth and trust Christ as Savior.

 

 

IV.              WORSHIP

1)      I refuse and don’t have time to debate the merit of only singing hymns in church verses using contemporary courses. The foundational truth is that God told us to worship him in Spirit and Truth. When I sing, which is taught throughout scripture, I bring my heart and mind into his presence and lift up the name of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Father and exalt them above every other religion or deity.

 

V.                EVANGELISM

1)      I loved the shepherd on Christmas morning saying, “I got to tell someone about this.” Within hours after the resurrection of Christ people were a buzz about what had happen, they had to tell someone. Over the generations since the founding of the church, it has been a part of the DNA of Christianity and the Church to say “I got to tell someone.” Sadly, many churches have lost the drive to tell someone. They don’t see it as a necessity; they don’t feel it is their responsibility, and they don’t care if Hell is real or not.

 

Friends, no matter what your mindset is regarding my list, the reality is that the Christian church has a DNA, and as a whole we need to reclaim it. I know of denominations, churches, and individuals that have denied that the scripture is infallible; I have heard highly respected theologians and scholars state that they can find no evidence outside to the scripture for the virgin birth, crucifixion, or the resurrection. 

In Conclusion ...  The Christian Churches DNA is not found in the opinion of man, it is found in the very fabric of the Scripture, and the Faith it takes to accept the reality of Loving God who was willing to send his Son (Jesus) to die, conquer death, and sit in judgement of those that refuse to accept what HE has done for them.

 

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[1] National Human Genome Research Institute: https://www.genome.gov/copyright.cfm

[2] Strong concordance;  #1577. Ekklésia, http://biblehub.com/greek/1577.htm 

Men and Grief!

 

“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.”

― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

 

I received a call from a dear friend who is 81 years old. He called to apologize that he had not reached out sooner to let me know his wife passed away a few months ago. I have known this couple for over 25 years; we talked for an hour, but mostly I just listened. He shared about their life together, the impact she had on his life, family, and kids at the church. He asked me if I would come to his church and do a Seminar on coping with grief, both dealing with loss and how to help others through the process.

Over the past 30 years of counseling both in Christian and secular spaces, I have noticed a major disconnect in the grief process surrounding men. Men have been taught, and believe, that strength means avoiding the emotions and expression of grief. In addition, I realize after working in men’s ministry for over two decades, Carol Staundacher in her book Men and Grief:[i] is completely right, “an individual (man) grieving goes through three major phases: Retreating, Working Through, and Resolving.”

It is imperative that we learn not only how to encourage men who are grieving, but also to encourage those who are helping men through the process.

1)      When men are retreating, is the time to simply walk beside them as they talk. An example would be when men are retreating to their garage, workshop, or office. Encourage them to connect with others and help them not distant themselves from family and friends.

2)      When men are working through their emotions and feelings, do not expect it to happen on your time. All individuals grieve at their own pace and each loss is unique. However, always encourage them to keep moving forward. They may not be running into the new normal, but they can walk or crawl if they must, if they move forward.

3)      When they reach acceptance, it is important to understand that does not mean the grieving process is done. I lost both of my parents 45 days apart in 2009, and there are days I think of them and miss them (grief), wanting to talk to them and just hear their voices or have a dream about them. I need to share that with someone that is not going to judge but simply listen and help me move forward from today.

 

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[i] Staundacher, Carol, Men and Grief: A Guide for Men Surviving the Death of a Loved One : A Resource for Caregivers and Mental Health Professional

Is it breakfast time?

 

Is it breakfast time?

This year, I celebrated Father’s Day with my kids and grandkids by going out to breakfast at a local diner. For those that have been around me for more than a couple of days, (especially if you have gone to a restaurant with me) you know I LOVE Breakfast.  There is just something about ordering two eggs over medium, biscuits and gravy with hotcakes or French toast that makes my mouth water. To me, breakfast is the food that can be consumed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and never gets old.  As I sit here and reflect on my life, I can think of only three things I enjoy more than breakfast:

1)      First is the relationship I have with my family. The time we spend sitting, talking, reflecting on the past, and looking forward to the future. The time we share dreams and heartache. Family is like the comfort food of breakfast; you just know that it is going to be alright.

 

2)      The second being the place I choose to worship HIM. For me a lot of the joy of breakfast is preparing the plate so that I can enjoy it.  Getting those eggs just right on top of the French toast, with just the right amount of butter and syrup.   Praise and worship are the same way, it is getting my heart, my mind, and my attitude ready to enjoy the celebration that is about to take place as I enjoy his presence.

 

3)      The last is my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It can’t be like the leftovers in the refrigerator or fast-food sausage biscuit driving 60 miles an hour down the road.  It has to be personal and intentional, sitting and enjoying my time reading HIS word, meditating on HIS thoughts, reflecting on HIS love, and knowing that this is the next best thing to being in Heaven with HIM.

I realize that I must be selective if I want breakfast all day, every day, because not every restaurant serves breakfast 24 hours a day (Although in my mind they should). What is even crazier is that some don’t serve it at all.  However, the reality of my life with Christ is the same, not everyone in my family enjoys breakfast just like I do, and not everyone enjoys talking about my friend and savior Jesus Christ. Not every church is interested in serving up a daily dose of Jesus; they are more interested in serving what is popular this week that the world wants to digest, and they miss so much from that daily celebration.   Of course none of this is possible if I don’t really enjoy sitting down and patiently waiting for it all to come together.  When I go to the restaurant I have to be willing to read the menu, place my order, wait for it to come, fellowship with those around me, and pray for God’s blessing.  However, when all that is done it is time to eat.  As Christians we need to focus not on the earthly breakfast, but on the heavenly supper of the Lamb which is coming soon. Have you accepted the invitation to dinner (or in my mind breakfast…I bet God makes some awesome Biscuit and Gravy)?

Friends, enjoy your breakfast. However, more importantly enjoy your relationship with Christ and your family daily.