post

WHAT IS THE “MILLENNIAL REIGN”?

** I realize that what I have written below is against the grain of how most people think about “prophecy.” But I appeal to you to ask the Lord to show you His mind in Christ by the Holy Spirit. It appears to me that what many folks think about the future is bogus, and they are being misled by what J.N. Darby and C.I. Scofield foisted on Bible-believers years ago. Some of what I say may be totally new to you, but please hang in there and see if it doesn’t help bring clarity to the Lord’s purpose … [Read more...]

post

A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT SIN

Attendees at the 22nd Searching Together Gathering, July 15-18, 2021, Dodgeville, WI. In the course of the 22nd Searching Together Gathering (July 15-18, 2021) in Dodgeville, WI, I responded to a thread of discussion we were having about "sin." Here is the 44 minute audio of my remarks. … [Read more...]

post

Pulpit or Participation?

A video regarding biblical church leadership and participation from personal experience, from April, 2020 https://youtu.be/0dnPpL4Iq28 "For some of you, this may be one of the most important forty minutes of your life." -- Alan Allison, Spokane WA … [Read more...]

post

“Our assembling together may be disrupted some day by governmental upheaval,” 1981

I’m now in Tucson, Arizona, finishing up the manuscript of Elusive Community for publication. In light of the many concerns surrounding the intrusion of the CoronaV, it is appropriate to reflect on how this disease has so far affected what is called “church” in light of some prophetic remarks I made in 1981. What are three key pillars that church leaders connect with practicing church in America? Building to meet in; pastor to give sermon; a way to collect tithes. All three of these have been … [Read more...]

post

FROM BUILDING TO BODY

Building to Body Transitioning from Institutional to Organic Church Jon Zens After hearing what I shared in the sessions at a conference in Mexico City, a brother from America suggested that I write about how a traditional church could morph into an organic ekklesia. After reflection, here is how I would respond to such an idea. One common question that often comes up is “How can typical church structures move from the status quo to being more like family, where there is more body-life?” … [Read more...]

post

“Jailed Because of the Mystery,” Col. 4:2

In early May Dotty and I made a trip to Eastern Wisconsin. On May 3 we got together with some saints in Racine, and had a wonderful time together. I shared some thoughts from the opening verses of Colossians 4, "Jailed Because of the Mystery." I hope this session will draw your heart to Jesus, Who is the Mystery . . . . … [Read more...]

post

ROMANCING THE PASTORATE – A RESPONSE TO EUGENE PETERSON”S “The Pastor: A Memoir”

As most of you know, Eugene Peterson passed away on October 22, 2018. He was certainly a distinguished evangelical leader for many years, and positively influenced many people in the course of his life. He espoused the traditional view of "the pastor," yet candidly admitted to the many problems encamped around it. In my 2011 book, The Pastor Has No Clothes, I wrote the following thoughts about his book, The Pastor: A Memoir. ROMANCING THE PASTORATE: A Response to Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor: … [Read more...]

post

NEW BOOK ON WHAT JESUS TALKED ABOUT THE MOST

  My good friend Frank Viola has just released a powerful new book on the kingdom of God called Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jonathan Cottrell recently interviewed Frank on the new book. If you order it now, you can get 3 exclusive bonuses. This is explained in the interview. I believe you will enjoy the interview. There have been many books written on the kingdom of God. How is your newest book, Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, … [Read more...]

post

“EYES ON ISRAEL”? NO, EYES ONLY ON THE “SON”

Precious Friends -- Below are some new resources that I trust encourage you as we walk with Christ!  Jon Podcast: On August 31, Chris Fales interviewed JZ concerning his journey to Christ as the New Covenant, 1972 - 2017. 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of Jon's ground-breaking article, "Is There A 'Covenant of Grace'?" In 1980, John Reisinger called this article "the first shot fired in 20 … [Read more...]

post

RENDER NOT TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S

RENDER NOT TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S by Alan Allison, Spokane WA [We have a guest author on this occasion. His article, I believe, is very important as it illustrates how the government’s view of “the church” is shaped by how it sees “church” function. It raises questions that we would do well to reflect upon. No doubt, some tax laws have been changed since this article was written, but the basic points still stand. “Render Not” was originally published in Searching Together, … [Read more...]