By Jonathan Allen, Wednesday 24th July 2019 at 9:42am One of our objectives as a family of charismatic Messianic Jewish congregations is that every one of our people should experience the power and presence of God. Not, perhaps, for every person at every service, but on a consistent basis. It is the experience of God…
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By Jonathan Allen, Friday 19th July 2019 at 12:29pm Chan moves on to talking about how seriously people are about reading the Bible and implementing it in their lives and the life of their congregation. He notes how in the book of Acts, the early disciples devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and…
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By Jonathan Allen, Friday 12th July 2019 at 12:59pm Francis Chan visualises a major disfunction in what ‘church’ or ‘congregation’ looks like and the blueprint he sees the Bible mandating. He likens this to ordering a steak in a restaurant, then being served a plate of spaghetti, with the claim that this is the best…
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Daniel Gillespie was born to a Jewish mother of Puerto Rican descent and a Gentile father of Irish descent. He was raised in a Christian home, understanding the importance of Israel and the Jewish people and celebrating the feasts. As a child, he would dream of one day becoming a Rabbi; however, he had a…
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By Jonathan Allen, Monday 18th June 2019 at 12:42pm Francis Chan has a very high view of the church. He says that it is the way that God wanted to show the heavenly beings His wisdom. Messianic Judaism, on the other hand is often less complimentary, sometimes being very disparaging. Given that God has allowed…
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By Jonathan Allen, Monday 3rd June 2019 at 8:23am Three things seem certain in this world. What, three? I thought there were only two: death and taxes. No, there are three: death, taxes and complaints. Why do we complain so much? Chan offers this analysis: We live in a culture today where we are used…
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By Jonathan Allen, Friday 31st May 2019 at 2:21pm Francis Chan tells us that one of his favourite scenes in Scripture is the dedication of Solomon’s Temple in ” 2 Chronicles 7. He wishes he could have been there to see it! The priests could not enter the house of Adonai because the glory of…
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By Jonathan Allen, Wednesday 29th May 2019 at 2:38pm In parashat B’Midbar, the Levites are commanded to camp around the Tabernacle, rather like a layer of insulation, to stop the Israelites from just rushing into God’s presence without thinking or in the wrong state. Francis Chan picks up from there for people today: We live…
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By Jonathan Allen, Sunday 26th May 2019 at 2:51pm Moving on through the first chapter, “The Departure” of Francis Chan’s book, Letters to the Church, I found this section of his narrative chillingly familiar. I’m often sad when I speak to Christians across the United States because I don’t hear people speaking [about loving their…
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By Jonathan Allen, Thursday 23rd May 2019 at 3:59pm A friend recently recommended that I read Francis Chan’s latest book, Letters to the Church. Frankly, I was skeptical. But I did purchase a copy and, when it arrived, started skimming through the font matter. Then I reached the beginning of the first chapter, which he…
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