Kindling Ministries, Ron Allen's Blog

God's purpose in this season

Almost six years ago the Lord first spoke to me about this current season in my life personally, and in the corporate  life of Heartland Church. What I heard Him say was this. "I am provoking you to intimacy, to reduce you to dependency, to promote you to greater Kingdom authority." Little did I know how that would translate into my life or the for that matter what it would for HC in this season of transition of leadership. Shortly we had crisis in several areas of life and work. Relationships, health, finances, etc. erupted in crisis. I was driven to seek God's face. I found myself powerless to do much of anything productively. I certainly didn't want more responsibility and struggled to be dutiful with the assignment I already had. God was working out what He had prophetically declared to me. It's simply another way of experiencing the cross. I am dead to sin and alive to God. Ro.6:11 I am crucified with Christ. I no longer live. Yet, the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me. Gal.2:20 God causes all things to work together for good for those He predestines to be conformed to Christ in character and conduct. Ro.8:28ff. My life in Christ in not vulnerable to accidents, but is protected by Divine power and will.This is God graduating me in the school of the Holy Spirit.

Learning about life from carrots

When I was a child, my Dad always had a BIG garden. We raised lots of veggies, sold some, gave alot away. I loved carrots. When I was 6, my Dad gave me a pack of carrot seeds and a thirty foot row in the garden to raise my own carrots. I planted them not too deep, watered, and couldn't wait for carrots. A few days went by, and then a whispy litte green shoot. Over the next few days the shoot became a little bush. I was sure I must have carrots, and in spite of my Dad's encouragement to be patient, I pulled up a carrot. All top and not much root. Day after day, I couldn't wait. I slowly and steadily decimated my row of carrots. I had lots of bushy tops, but not much root. Finally, I just gave up waiting and forgot about them for a long time. My Dad called me out to the garden one day, and low and behold, at the base of the bushy tops, there was a bright orange root sticking out of the ground. I pulled out an enormous carrot, quickly rinsed it off, and enjoyed it's crunchy sweetness. It just took a lot more time to grow the root than I ever imagined. Over the years I've planted lots of stuff. I have to admit that all to often I expected fruit, (opps, veggies,) before things had a time to really develop. Patience is a virtue. I plant, and water, and weed, but God brings the growth right on time. I hope no one pulls me up too soon.

Classroom of the Holy Spirit

Carolyn and I are in Myrtle Beach, SC. We are taking some time away. We visited the Biltmore in Asheville on the way down. Wow, what a pile of stone. So while we are here we are doing our annual marriage checkup with our friend and counselor, Chip Judd. He has been such a blessing to us these last few years. It's hard to always work on your "stuff" without some godly, prophetic help. We are blessed to have folks like Chip and Colleen, and Dave and Linda Roeder, to engage in some robust dialogue with about growth points, or sometimes the lack of growth, in a way that is redemptive and healing. Good stuff usually happens by intention. Sometimes people can tell us our short comings, failures, and sins, but cannot help us find the healing and restoration we need. Thank God for those who can help. Good marriages take effort at every stage of life. This August Carolyn and I will be celebrating 41 years of marriage. We are committed to continue to grow in our relationship with each other and the ministries to which God has called us.

We are in a season, where in the school of the Holy Spirit, that we find ourselves in different classrooms. Carolyn is in a season of finding her own voice in a more authentic and personal way. I love how Carolyn is learning to go into a room with God and with confidence in the Lord minister to those who are there. I love how she has grown as a teacher and preacher, prophetically engaging us with the Word of God. On the other hand, I am in a season when God is shutting down the voice I have exercised, and I believe is helping me discover a new voice for me to express His heart, for this season of my life. I am being provoked to intimacy, being further reduced in dependency, to more fully express God's kingdom authority through my life. I have told some about the dream I had where the Lord took me to heaven and there was a jubilant party going on. I asked the Lord what was going on. He said it was a "surprise party." I asked who the surprise party was for and He said, "That's the surprise." I woke up with the profound feeling that God was getting ready to surprise me! The Bible declares, "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him." 1Cor. 2:9  As we get older, as we have had many experiences in God, we come to think we have God all figured out. When I get opinionated because of my past experiences, God finds a way to shake me out of my presumption if I will let Him. I illustrate it this way. I prayed for a bicycle and God sent me a sewing machine. I prayed what I thought I wanted, but God sent me what I really needed. Now I have to ask Him what to do with it, unless I get offended and refuse the answer. I've done that too. Is. 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways, My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts, than your thoughts." In this season, in the church, God is doing many new things, as He releases Kingdom life and power to the Saints. Do we want it or are we satisfied with yesterday's manna?  Prov. 27:7, "One who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry, everything bitter is sweet." How hungry am I for God and for what He is offering now? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6 The amazing thing about the Kingdom of God is this. The more hungry you are for God, and the more you feed on Him, the more hunger you have for Him, yet as we continue to receive Him, He does satisfy as nothing else does. God is preparing us for what is coming next. If we want more of Him, we need to make room for Him by laying aside our opinions, and be willing to accept what He offers with delight. I want more, don't you?

Re-engaging in academic pursuit.

About 25 years ago I started to work on a post-graduate degree from Fuller. Some years I did a lot of work on it. Then with the pressures of church leadership, parenting, and doing lots of other stuff, it fell by the wayside. I guess I didn't really need another degree. Then over the years, from time to time, I would take the odd class and try to get going again. About ten years ago I started over at Trinity Seminary. For a couple of years I did several classes, then it all got crowded out again. Now I am at the ripe old age of 61, doing it again. I found a school that will take much of what I have done, let me work it over, take some additional classes that I would want to take anyway, and hopefully before I get distracted again, actually end up with a doctorate. I don't really need another degree, but I do need to be a learner. I have spent alot of time trying to be a good teacher and now I am simply trying to be a good learner. The discipline of intentionally studying, not just what I want to explore, but what other wise and learned folk say is good for me is a challenge. I thought I would be much smarter when I got old than I am. I actually can remember when I was smart. Or at least I thought I was. There is so much more I want to understand. This season of my life, more than learning facts, I want to hear God. I want to know His personal counsel. I want to have a daily sense of dialogue, more deep, more profound, than I have ever known. I want to really be God's friend. Doing the friend thing with God is scary and yet I know that is what God has always wanted out of my relationship with Him. Journaling, meditating, reflecting, listening, all with the passionate pursuit of His still small voice. I have been having an increasingly sober conversation with God that reminds me of how small I am, how good and wise He is, and of His plans and purposes yet to be engaged and experienced. I need God, and He wants me. What a wonder. God has far more confidence in taking the weak and foolish to confound the strong and smart than I think makes human sense. But hasn't he always done that? And He isn' finished yet.

Visiting churches, an exercise of appreciation

One of the activities that I have embraced during this sabbatical, is to visit other congregations in my city and across the country. Wherever there is a life-giving church, there is much to appreciate and learn. Where there are Believers who passionately pursue the presence of God, and persistently serve out of faith working by love, we can see the dynamic of God's Kingdom. Styles may differ, but the Holy Spirit conforming us to Jesus Christ in character and conduct is unmistakeable. Today I visited a traditional evangelical congregation and a contemporary missional emergent fellowship. Wow, what a difference in style. But looking deeper, I saw a common thread of men and women, young and old seeking to know God and do His will. I think when I was younger and smarter I would have missed it. The danger of being analytical is that my examination will lead me to be critical is a way that all I can see is what's wrong, or more accurately, what I don't like, and then miss what is right and what is anointed. I honor God and others when I appreciate what is right and fruitful. Doesn't the word disciple mean being a learner? Then I must choose to be teachable. And then I must take responsibility for my choices. I want to make better God-choices today, than I did in the past. God is building His church and I pray He let's me in on it.

Visit to Life Center, Harrisburg, Pa. May 23-25

Carolyn and I accompanied by Nate and Jeanie Skaggs, drove to Harrisburg, PA, for the weekend to visit Life Center Church, pastored by our friends, Charles and Anne Stock. This weekend was a conference with Bill Johnson from Redding, CA. We had an outstanding time. Renewal is busting out all over. The worship was powerfully anointed with a tangible sense of the Presence of God. And our friend Bill Johnson was as always deeply revelatory in his teaching. His powerful one-liners take awhile to digest. I was able to reconnect with our friend, Randy Clark as well. His ministry, Global Awakening, has taken revival all over the earth. Carolyn and I hope in this season of sabbatical to reconnect with many of the anointed ministries that we have known over the years, as well as make some new friends too. We heard reports of the outstanding renewal time at Heartland, Sunday pm. God is not going to pass us by in this season. Press in for more of what God has for you.

Taking a sabbatical, reassessing life...

In the years since I started pastoring in December of 1965, other than a couple of weeks vacation every year, I have not been very smart in not taking bigger chunks of time away from ministry for refreshment and reflection on my Christian walk. In the last few years, I have come to value more extensive and intensive periods of time away to listen to God, and rest. Right now I am beginning a 90 day sabbatical away from the day to day oversight of overseeing a church and staff. For a couple of years I have been intentionally transitioning from being the go-to-guy for everything in our church to being the "grandpa." Someone recently asked, "If you are not the number one guy, and Andy is now the number one guy, what are you the number 2 or 3 guy?" Neither. I am not in the pecking order, I am, "grandpa." My role is transitioning into a resource, support, special projects guy. So as I explore where the next season is going to take me, I will be blogging about the stuff I am wrestling with and exploring.