A Paris Terror Attack Pondering – How We Should Respond

When someone intentionally kills another person we call it “murder”.
When someone intentionally kills multiple people we call it “mass-murder”
When a group claims responsibility for killing over 100 people we call it what it is – “Terrorism”.

I mourn, as many do, for the senseless killings that took place in Paris on Friday.
Innocent people were gunned down while they socialized at the end of the work week.
For 30 minutes in the streets of Paris, order was turned into anarchy by a handful of radical terrorists with high powered weapons and explosives.

I have read numerous posts and blogs that have somewhat reflected my anger and outrage, and the truth is MOST people are outraged when senseless violence takes place upon the innocent. I have also read numerous profanity laced comments and hate filled posts – this behavior is somewhat understandable in fits of rage, but it never helps.

What is the Christian Thing To Do?
As Christians, we are called to a higher standard…and it IS a very difficult place for many of us to remain in the midst of injustice, violence and hatred. As a Salvationist (A member of The Salvation Army) I read the response of General Andre’ Cox today. In his response he correctly stated this, which I wholeheartedly agree with:

“I want to say that my purpose here is not to make political statements. Others are better placed and carry a particular responsibility to do just that…please pray for political and national leaders. All of them, not just President Hollande and his team in France, but leaders in your country and mine.

National leadership is never easy. History shows that. These men and women need the faithful and continual prayers of the Church, regardless of our personal political persuasions. Whenever I meet with political leaders in any country I assure them of my personal prayers, and those of Salvationists in that country. It is important that they know of this.

…I exhort you today to pray, deeply, for the grace of God and the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit, to be felt and experienced, in some manner, by the hundreds of family members personally devastated by the senseless loss of life in these hours. Death comes to all, but how it comes and in what circumstances, can add layers of added grief and pain……I urge you to pray for the Church, the Body of Christ, of which our Salvation Army is a vital part…There will possibly be strong voices within the public sphere calling for vengeful retribution against those who had nothing to do with these atrocities. In some small way the voice of the Church, of you and I, can call for added grace and care in these days. We can bring light into the gloom.”

The Christian response isn’t to call for revenge or violence. My old self would greatly desire to see revenge take place, but this new creation that all of us share requires more grace, more forgiveness and especially more prayer. I also recognize that God will be the final judge, not us. All of creation is His and His alone and from this perspective we are to understand justice and redemption.

Be vigilant in prayer.
Be aware of hatred and sin in our world, but do not participate in its evil.
We are set apart, and in so doing, we must shine the light of Christ during such dark places and moments such as these! Cast aside, at all costs, these worthless prejudices which blind us to redemption of all people from all walks of life.

Rest assured that sin cannot remain in the presence of God no matter what those sins are.
Pray for our world, pray for its leaders, and for the areas of evil and terror that are present within it.
Pray that God will change the hearts of men.
Pray that we seek Him out and live for Him, so that our response to all of humanity is holy and Godly.

Please Pray With Me:
I mourn for the victims in Paris.
I pray for those who have to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
I pray for President Hollande of France, for President Obama of the United States, for other leaders in our world who will undoubtedly take action in rooting out wicked people bent on destruction and hiding behind the guise of religion.
I pray against the persecution of all kinds.
I pray for the Body of Christ to be evident through love, grace and hope in a world sometimes devoid of these life-giving qualities.
Please uphold our countries in your prayers.
Please pray for justice and for healing.
Pray that through such dark times – God’s glory will be evident.

This world is greatly complicated with politics, greed, ulterior motives and hatred, I pray that the Church seeks to reduce this instead of adding to it. May we be His ambassadors, full of His holiness and love.

Something more of the Church to ponder today.
To God be the glory, honor and power, forever and ever – Amen.

November 14, 2015 0

3 Things About Red Cups That Has Me Seeing Red…

I am just sick of red cups and this whole dumb controversy!
So why even bring it up again you ask? (Some of you are so tired of reading blog article after blog article about this topic) Why even mention anything about “red cups” or “Starbucks” or “Christmas”?
Please bear with me for a few minutes as we ponder together on this topic one last time. This isn’t the first time that “Christians” have spoken out on rather silly issues. I think it stems much deeper than a simple red cup devoid of snowflakes.

Today, I want to share with you 3 things about these red cups that has me seeing red, and perhaps you should be seeing red too…

Here’s why –

1. It’s A Poor Witness –
Fellow Christians, is this red cup issue really something we need to be investing our time and effort on?
Is it really a social justice issue?
Is it really worth our time?
Is it really serving to help bring to focus the birth of Christ to our world?
In actuality, I think this outcry only serves to detract from our witness.
People read about all of these outraged Christians and wonder – Is this what Christian’s want to be known for? Some of these protests by supposed “Christians” have been mean and they often have come across as downright unloving.

If I were a person on the outside looking in on this whole “controversy”, I would probably be scratching my head and wondering why these cups have stirred such an outrage in the Church. I believe the outcry really represents a very poor witness to a world with much bigger problems than what types of cups we put our coffee in or what a non-Christian company does or does not put on their coffee cups (snow flakes…really?!).

2. There Are Bigger Moral Issues To Tackle –
Our world still struggles with extreme poverty, starvation, famine and disease, this “cup” issue should be a moot point in the Christians realm. Seriously? Why are we spending so much time on the topic when human trafficking still exists, and when children in the United States and Canada still go home hungry from school? There a much bigger fish to fry than this utterly dumb topic. I only write on this today because I’m sick of it and in some ways I’m embarrassed that this is what some Christians spend time clambering about.

Where are these same voices when we read of Christians being martyred in regions around the world? Where are these same voices when we hear of people in our own neighborhoods struggling to put food on the table for their families? Why isn’t there more of an outcry from these same voices when children in our communities face gang violence and bullies in our schools? How can we fight a war on red cups when in our own backyard there are lives from all backgrounds struggling with addictions, and with sins?

3. Something About Glass Houses and Throwing Stones –
I don’t wish to sound mean or condescending, but in a very real way. this criticism seems hypocritical and pointless.
In the vein of the 2 points, I think we have to be very careful as Christians which wars we decide to engage in within the context of our world. We would be hypocrites to decry this cup issue and be absolutely silent on other pivotal, more pressing issues around us. How can we condemn a cup devoid of snowflakes and yet not fight for the dignity of all human life?

It almost seems as if we’re looking down on this coffee company and judging them by our standards, when in all likelihood, our worldview doesn’t match.
It’s one thing to hold the standard high for other believers around us, which is called accountability, but a completely different thing to expect people (and companies) from a different ideology to fall in line with beliefs they may not hold. At the root of this whole debate is the notion that everyone must walk, think, and act like we do…but its that the reality of our world? No, I don’t think it is.

Secondly, internally, don’t we have more pressing spiritual worries to consider in our own lives?
Romans 14:4 says this; “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

Another few precious verses to consider – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32

We still have our own Salvation to work out.
We still have our own personal battles that we fight today.
Let’s first tackle those internal issues before we decry the issues around us.

Philippians 2:12 says, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,”

Dear Christians,
we have more pressing things to do in this life than worry about the color of a cup and its design.
Pick your battles wisely because they will define you, and I feel this isn’t one we should be focusing on.
I’m sick and tired of this debate, so please stop!
I feel it’s only hurting our witness, not improving it.
Our efforts should be used more efficiently elsewhere, so let’s united together to fight poverty, clean water for everyone in our world, the Salvation of the lost, and bringing hope and love to our neighborhoods through genuine care and compassion.

Something more to ponder today!

November 12, 2015 2

Facing The Wall – A Pondering On Problems

“If you think of a problem as being like a medieval walled city, then a lot of people will attack it head on, like a battering ram. They will storm the gates and try to smash through the defenses with sheer intellectual power and brilliance. I just camp outside the city. I wait. And I think. Until one day – maybe after I’ve turned to a completely different problem – the drawbridge comes down and the defenders say, “We surrender.” The answer to the problem comes all at once.” -Arthur McKinsey

We all face the wall from time to time.
No, not like a child being placed in “time-out”, but like the insurmountable walls of our problems and stresses. The kind of wall that seem to effortlessly and ominously climb into the sky and cause us to panic at the sheer magnitude of our problems.

You know the old saying, “making a mountain out of a mole hill” – this is the mountain becoming a super mountain. This is the small speed bump in the road of life becoming a sink-hole. Sometimes we can do nothing but watch the city burn as we attempt to blow on the flames. I don’t wish to paint a dark gloomy picture today for you, but I would be lying if I said walls of this magnitude never come our way. They do. These types of problems will come knocking on our doors. They will just show up sometimes. Other times they have been cresting on the horizon for a while…perhaps we just ignored the warning signs.

Are you facing the wall today?
Does it seem insurmountable?
Do you feel heavy with burdens and heart sick with these problems you are attempting to carry?

I won’t sugar coat it for you today.
There isn’t some magical pray for you to recite and *poof* all of your problems will fade away, but I would like to offer you some perspective on your walls.

The Truth:
We all face walls.
We all endure heartache, stress, hardships…and sometimes more hardships. Life isn’t easy…this we know all too well.
BUT – We aren’t alone.
We should all know that each of us carries difficulties, we carry stress, we face walls together.

Jesus says this still to us today –
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” -Matthew 6:25-27

Another Truth:
God will show up for us!
He will be there when we call.
Sometimes He provides a means to overcome these walls.
Sometimes He provides us the endurance to wait it out.
All of the time – WE AREN’T ALONE!

“Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.” -Psalm 55:22

Waiting is the hardest part…but, we can either hem and haw about it or find the resolve to be patient. Many times I have opted to hem and haw – (gripe and complain) about my situation instead of waiting patiently. Did it help? No. Was it the best use of my time? Absolutely not.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” -Psalm 27:14

I don’t know what wall you’re facing today.
It might be a small fence, or it could be a fortified city.
Either way, you will survive this!
You matter to God!
This life we live has it trials and troubles…but I believe in the One who overcame the world…do you?

Something more to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

November 10, 2015 3

“Legacy – Owning Your Influence” – Precious Diamonds!

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
–Martin Luther King Jr.

Yesterday at church I spoke on the topic of “Legacy”.
It’s an important message for all of us to hear, not because I spoke it, but because we are all called to this holy purpose. If we claim to be a Christ-follower, we are set apart for something much more precious than common existence.

Imagine if someone were to give you a magnificent diamond to take care of. (I know, but imagine with me for just a second) The gem is extremely valuable, the clarity is remarkable and it truly is a precious stone to admire and protect. There is nothing common about this diamond, it is one of a kind and cannot be replaced. So, what do you do? You protect it. You store it in a safe place. You don’t just leave it laying around like a common rock gathered from a field.

Similarly – You are precious to God.
You are HIS prized possession. You matter to Him. There is nothing common about you in His eyes. He has saved you for a Holy purpose, and at a mighty price: His Son’s death on a cross. Because of the resurrection, because of grace, because of forgiveness and atonement, we have become His, and His alone!

Now that we know WHOSE we are, WHAT we DO matters!
A legacy isn’t so much about what we want people to remember us by, but about being found faithful in WHOSE we are. Everything that we say and everything that we do MATTERS! Everything we are inside a church building and ESPECIALLY outside a church building matters! There is nothing more off-putting to people in our communities than individuals who claim to be “Christians” but their lives consistently contradict the claim. Why would anyone want to be a Christian if they don’t practice what they preach?

What kinds of fields are we sowing in our communities?
What kinds of legacies and examples are we living out loud for our children?

How is the world better off because we have lived and are faithfully serving in it?

Perhaps it’s time to reevaluate our lives today.
Perhaps we need to re-commit our lives to Christ.
Perhaps there is a deep need for a reconciliation of our hearts and intentions to the will of God once more.

What we do – matters.
How we live – makes a difference.

WHOSE we are – defines the impact we can make in our small corners of the world.

How is your Legacy going today?
Something more to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

November 9, 2015 0

“The Feast of Bitter Berries…”

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13

Pondering:
Sometimes it is so much easier to fall into the negative elements of life.
Sometimes it is much, much harder to focus on the joys of life instead.

Have you been there?
I’m sure we all have been there.

The Addiction of Bitterness:
Sometimes we settle for the bitter berries of life that only serve to poison our souls and litter our hearts with wounds of disappointment. This can be an addiction. We can focus so much on the negative things and the hurts that it becomes like a shark frenzy at the scent of blood in the water. We need to break our addiction of bitterness. It poisons us and leaves us shriveled, broken and unlikeable to others around us.

Do you focus on the bitter berries of life?
Have you engaged or entertained others who always seem to be negative in their attitudes and their perspectives of life?

ReFuel:
The Apostle Paul empowers the readers of the letter of Romans by telling them to trust in the Lord and the outcome of this would be hope, joy and peace! If we feast on the right kinds of things, and trust in the right sources (or Source), we will find that we will be refueled, revived and full of a positive perspective once again!

We should take this verse in Romans to heart as well!
Read it again – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13

Questions to Ponder:
What sort of struggles are you facing in life right now?
What are your frustrations?
What are your discouragements?
How easy is it for YOU to wallow in these frustrations and let them affect all other aspects of your life?
How do we break free from the negativity even in the midst of our frustrations and days of difficulty?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

May we recognize the times when we’re still feasting on the berries of bitterness instead of the righteousness and peace of the Lord. May we change directions and habits in this regard so that we can truly live the life that is worthy of our calling. The God of peace will sustain us even when the future doesn’t look so bright…He is with us!

Something more to ponder today!

November 4, 2015 1

The Fake Church – And Why It Needs To Die!

“I’m H.A.P.P.Y. I feel like I can fly, I’m going to heaven, I’ll get there by and by…”
or so an old Sunday School chorus goes, but is that really true ALL the time?

Are we supposed to be happy all the time? And if we’re not happy all the time – is there something wrong with us? If happiness is the measure of our Christian faith, then I’m afraid to say that we have all failed. I am willing to venture a guess that we are NOT usually happy every moment of every day…that’s just not going to happen.

I think we do ourselves a great disservice in the Church when we pretend everything is A-Okay all of the time.
We sometimes have this temptation to “play” church because we want to keep up appearances to the false-fact that we have it all together. Leaders and Pastors of churches are especially good at this. We’re supposed to be the shepherds of the flock that we’ve been entrusted with – how could we possibly reveal that we struggle…too?

We sometimes run scenarios in our heads that sort of go like this: “I must show them that the joy of the Lord is my strength, but I can’t reveal to them I have issues at home too.” Or; “Let’s just get through this hour of worship and then I can go home and wallow in my pain – no one understands me in this church.” Let’s face it, we all know that pastoring and leadership can be a lonely place sometimes. We have to make crucial decisions, not everyone in our churches will like those decisions or even like us. We struggle sometimes making real friends because it is hard to be vulnerable to members of your own flock, especially when sometimes some members have hurt you or stabbed you in the back with gossip, back-biting and malicious silly struggles for power.

I’m not condemning anyone today, I just wonder if this is all we can become as the body of Christ (right now, in our seemingly stagnant ways and phony pretenses) – or if there is more in store for us?

One of the hindrances of real, tangible church growth is also a two-edged sword: Trust.
Pastors, Leaders and Congregants struggle with truly trusting one another.
It’s hard on all sides. Guards are often left up. Church-goers are afraid to be open and honest with their pastors; pastors are afraid to show any weaknesses or doubts in front of their congregants. The two-edged sword slices both ways, and in this regard, it keeps us from truly experiencing authentic koinonia fellowship.

The Opposite of Trust is?
Yes, you guessed it – mistrust.
If we continue to worship in the Fake Church, we will continue to wear plastic smiles, but deep down we will be a hollowed out building made up of cold individuals trying to warm a pew on Sunday mornings – it’s just not going to work. Some have been playing this game for years. Some blame their trust issues on their upbringing or their personality type, or timing, or….but the reality is we weren’t called by God to be a church of fakers. NO! We are called to be united as one body; but what happens when the body doesn’t work together or trust one another? We get a bunch of people doing a lot of hard things but never together!

“But I’ve Been Hurt Before”
I get that! I have too. I’ve experienced the sharpening of knives in a place where God calls us to holiness. I’ve felt the scorn of supposed “loving” church members (it kind of felt more like hate at the time). I have witnessed leaders, with whom I had trusted, break my trust, burn the bridges and they stood there to watch it burn. I’m not pretending that these painful things don’t happen in Church – they do. Should they? Absolutely not! But does that mean we stop attempting to trust one another? Does that mean we put on our “church clothes” each Sunday and continue to hold up the facade while inside we’re struggling? Absolutely not!

We’ve both been hurt a time or two. Most likely (and I hope not) we’ll be hurt again. This shouldn’t hold us hostage as Christ-followers.

I Believe
-I believe God WILL work all things for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
-I believe despite ourselves, He is still prompting us to be holy!
-I believe in the transforming power of The Holy Spirit – do you?
-I believe that forgiveness is a game changer!
-I believe that the only way to transform our churches is to be authentic in our struggles and real with one another.
-I believe that God still has work to do in His Church!
-I believe that the time for fakery and phoniness (if there ever was a “time” for it) is over – unless we want to die a slow painful Church-death.

JUST STOP!
Pastors, Leaders, Church Members – Stop attending the fake church!
Put down the distractions.
-Stop playing on your phones, stop keeping to yourselves, stop sitting idle in the pews!
Stop pretending to care when you don’t.

This may sound harsh – but it’s true.
I’ve been there.
I too have played the game…and it goes nowhere!
This is why the Fake Church needs to die, and die fast!
In its place, I hope we find an authentic group of people who care for one another despite their faults, issues and struggles. I might be naive, but I believe such a Church still exists, do you?

Something more to ponder today!
To God be the glory!

November 3, 2015 3

Movie Preview: “The Peanuts Movie”

The iconic creations from Charles Schulz’s – “Peanuts” is back!
This coming Friday, November 6th, “The Peanuts Movie” will hit theaters across the country!
If you’re anything like me, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Pigpen and the rest of the gang have been members of my home since I was a child. This year, the comic strip gets another edition on the silver screen, and I can’t wait to see it!

What The Critics Might Say:
Some might bemoan the fact that Peanuts is being revived, while inwardly they’re hoping and praying that the Peanuts writers never sell out and go the way of other childhood iconic figures *cough, cough* like Jim Hensen’s “The Muppets” which has since incorporated edgier adult humor and consequently ruined childhoods everywhere.

Others might watch the movie trailer and attempt to compare the new glossy high definition images to that of the old iconic childhood films that were grainy, aged and represented a seemingly bygone era of family neighborhoods.
These same critics are probably of the mindset that you just don’t attempt to recreate a classic.

There will be the cynics out there that will undoubtedly paint the new Peanuts movie as just another way for the film companies to make money by cashing in on Schulz’s creations.

Here’s What I Think:
I can’t wait to see this movie!
I don’t care what the cynical critics might say, this comic strip is not only sentimental and a window into my childhood, but has always engaged in realistic discussion of life, love and hope. Charles Schulz always had a way to teach us something new about ourselves while we watched his films or read his comic strip in the newspaper.

Another reason that I am excited for the new Peanuts Movie is that it will be 100% family friendly!
There will not be adult humor slipped into a children’s movie unlike other “children’s movies” who have sold out.

My Recommendation:
Go and take your kids to see Charlie Brown in the new Peanuts movie!
Go and relive your childhood!
Go share the simplicities of the Peanuts universe with your children or your grandchildren!
My hat is off to Director Steve Martino and Writers Bryan & Craig Schulz (Charles Schulz’s sons) for giving new life to the Peanuts universe once more! From every kid who is now a grown adult who loved Peanuts (and still does) I say Thank you!

November 2, 2015 3

Dear Salvation Army, 3 Things Every Soldier Should Know About Holiness

It can be quite easy to simply nod our heads when a topic such as holiness comes around. We might nod our heads and deep down we really don’t understand much of it at all, we just don’t want anyone else to know.
I understand that, and I’ve been there. Today on Pastorsponderings I want to delve into the topic Holiness AND be as simplistic as possible.

These are 3 Things Every Soldier Should Know About Holiness:

1. What is Holiness?
“Wesley taught that genuine faith produces inward and outward holiness. The regenerative process inwardly cannot help but find expression in an improved moral character outwardly. The doctrine of holiness is grounded in the command to be holy as God is holy (Lev. 19:2 and other Old Testament loci). Jesus commanded, “Be perfect therefore as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). Jesus also taught that true Christian discipleship requires loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving neighbor as self (Mt. 22:34-40).” (Asbury University/Wesleyan-Holiness Theology – source: Wesleyan Holiness Theology)

We become saved, we perhaps kneel at the mercy seat and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. What then takes place is the Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence within your life. We receive this “second blessing” – as He indwells among us. With the Holy Spirit’s promptings, we are then forced to confront the “old self” still remaining within our lives. I know of individuals who, at the moment of salvation, seemed to be completely changed. I also know other individuals (myself included) who, at the moment of salvation, still struggled with the old life and with temptation.

Just because we have this passion and desire to become like the Christ doesn’t always mean it will happen over night, in fact, in my experience it is both a crisis and a process. Holiness begins on our knees accepting Christ into our lives, and it progresses so that we become less and He becomes more day by day, minute by minute.

2. What is Entire Sanctification?
“The Bible often speaks of sanctification, which basically means the total, lifelong process of becoming holy. Because the process begins with the new birth (salvation), we call the spiritual growth immediately following regeneration “initial sanctification.” That is, we begin walking God’s way. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives becomes evidence that a change has taken place…Entire Sanctification is God’s gift. We do not earn or deserve it any more than we earned or deserved regeneration. We consecrate; God sanctifies.” (Frank Moore, Coffee Shop Theology p. 68)

Is entire sanctification possible? You bet it is!
Many will struggle with this concept because we can become so tied up in the notion of perfection. Entire Sanctification doesn’t mean “Human Perfection”, it means that we have surrendered fully and we have died completely to the old self and have begun to completely live for Christ in every facet and in every way. John Wesley even addressed the debate about whether or not”ES” was a process or an instantaneous second work of grace. His answer? “Yes“. It is both a crisis and a process. From my experience the Holy Spirit still have much to teach me in regards to this faith. I am not completely like Christ yet…but I desire to be. This crisis and process has to first be an individual holiness before it can be a corporate holiness.

“The difference between our spiritual progress before and after Entire Sanctification centers on the removal of the hindrance of self-sovereignty” (Moore, Coffee Shop Theology p. 69)

3. Renew, Refresh, Restart!
How do we renew? How do we maintain this “Holiness” in our lives when there are so many distractions all around?

Samuel Logan Brengle describes the need to study and diligence –
“If you want to hold the truth fast and not let it slip, you must read and read and re-read the Bible. You must constantly refresh your mind with its truths, just as the diligent student constantly refreshes his mind by reviewing his textbooks, just as the lawyer who wishes to succeed constantly studies his law books, or the doctor his medical works. John Wesley, in his old age, after having read and re-read the Bible all his life, said of himself; ‘I am homo unius libri’ – a man of one book. The truth will surely slip, if you do not refresh your mind by constantly reading and meditating in the Bible.” (Brengle, Helps to Holiness p. 74)

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t always understand these theological terms.
Be a faithful soldier of Christ. Read the Bible. Study. Be mindful that life was never guaranteed to be easy post salvation and the second blessing. Remember that there is more for us to learn, more room for us to grow. Renew daily in Him. Find a prayer closet, make it a discipline in your life. Be aware of the distractions of life and perhaps fast from those distractions from time to time. If He is to become more and you are to become less, then you must become disciplined in this path.

“Do not be discouraged by the resistance you will encounter from your human nature; you must go against your human inclinations. Often, in the beginning, you will think that you are wasting time, but you must go on, be determined and persevere in it until death, despite all the difficulties.” -Brother Lawrence, The practice of the presence of God

Wrapping It Up:

Where are you in your faith journey?
Is Holiness important to you?
How determined are we to sacrifice self-sovereignty and take on the mantle of selflessness?
Are we committed to Entire Sanctification?
Is Christ-likeness truly our goal and passion in our lives?

Dear Soldier,
We are a Holiness Movement, we don’t wear this simply as a badge of honor, it should propel in all we are and all we do. How is your faith journey today?

Something more for our Army to ponder today, to God be the glory!

Re-read this week’s conversation on Holiness here by clicking on the links below:
Sin and Holiness
Cheap Grace
Unpopular Holiness

Disclaimer: The writings, and opinions of Pastorsponders are the writers expressed opinions and do not always reflect the opinions and views of The Salvation Army.

October 23, 2015 2

Dear Salvation Army – What Do You Know About Unpopular Holiness?

Dear Salvation Army,
It might feel good to hear the acclaims of the public, to receive accolades for the work that we do…these are certainly affirming to us…but we aren’t in the business of helping people for the purpose of accolades are we?

We didn’t sign up to wear uncomfortable uniforms for the purpose of basking in the limelight did we?
No, the purpose for our movement is MORE than just helping people!
We ARE STILL a Holiness movement! Let us never forget this truth, may it never get muddied in our various pursuits to “do the most good” in our communities.

Holiness is not an easy road for followers of Christ.

It is not the popular route. Why? Because it actually demands more from Christ’s followers. It requires each of us to ACTUALLY face our sins, our hidden sins, our indiscretions, those things which embarrass us and cause us great shame. It demands that we not only look at them but we allow the Holy Spirit to cast his glorious light upon them. When we have given up fighting the Holy Spirit and have finally surrendered to His pleas, (perhaps there are those of you who relinquished right away, and of that I am envious) He then can begin this new work, this revitalizing-restoring creation within us. Entire Sanctification is very real – but it will undoubtedly be the most unpopular thing an Officer or Soldier could ever preach.

Why so unpopular?
Because it is not simple. It is hard. There is sacrifice, and in the Western Church, sacrifice is not something many are willing to really fully commit to in a long-term capacity. We live in a hedonistic culture, even in Church, and dare I say that Holiness will always be in conflict with such a lifestyle.

Samuel Logan Brengle in his book “Helps to Holiness” puts it this way – “Dear brother, do not think you can make holiness popular. It cannot be done. There is no such thing as holiness separate from ‘Christ in you,’ and it is an impossibility to make Christ Jesus popular in this world. To sinners and carnal professors, the real Christ Jesus has always been and always will be ‘as a root out of a dry ground, despised and rejected of men.’ ‘Christ in you’ is the ‘same yesterday, to-day, and forever’ – hated, reviled, persecuted, crucified…He (Christ) will pronounce the most terrible, yet tearful, maledictions against the hypocritical formalist and the lukewarm professor who are the friends of the world and, consequently, the enemies of God…Do you not see the impossibility of making such a radical Gospel as this popular? This spirit and the spirit of the world are as fully opposed to each other as two locomotives on the same track running toward each at the same rate of sixty miles an hour. Fire and water will consort together as quickly as the ‘Christ in you’ and the spirit of the world.” (pg. 92, 93, 96)

Questions to Ponder today:
Can we accept such an Unpopular Holiness?
Are we up to the challenge?
Are we afraid of this world’s ridicule and shame?
Which “spirit” will we select tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after that?

Dear Salvation Army – We cannot separate the need for entire sanctification from what we do in our soup kitchens, social services offices or on the gym floor. There should never be a distinction between what we do on Sundays from what we do the rest of the week. The entire thrust of what “we do” is to bring people to Christ for the purpose of entire sanctification – through and through.

This will be unpopular.
Many people, even soldiers will reject such a call…it’s too radical, it’s too much work, it requires too much study, patience and sacrifice…but isn’t that the purpose of becoming a true disciple of Christ – so that we become like Him in every way?! Some are far too comfortable just coming to church on Sundays. Some are happy with this familiar routine in life. They don’t want to be shaken to the core. They don’t want to be disrupted. Some have stopped learning about Christ all together – internally they have become lazy in their studies of the Bible, they have thought in their minds “no one can teach me any more, because I already know everything there is to know about God and the Bible.” -This is entirely far from the truth…I am ashamed to have even considered this phrase to be true in my own heart sometimes, yet God brings this spirit of conviction in me. Dear soldiers, we need to humble ourselves once again. We need to fall on our faces and repent. We need to allow His Holy Spirit to renew us once more…and to allow Him to complete His work in us.

Some may cast this pondering aside today, because it will certainly be unpopular.
But I want to call us back to the Altar. I want us to recognize the work we have left unfinished in our hearts. We cannot go any further in our mission if we do not first stop here and ensure our hearts, our lives are completely His once more. I know there is still work to be done in me…how about you?

Something more for our Army world to ponder today, to God be the glory!

To read more on this week’s topic of Holiness click the links below:
Sin and Holiness
Cheap Grace

Disclaimer: The writings, and opinions of Pastorsponders are the writers expressed opinions and do not always reflect the opinions and views of The Salvation Army.

October 22, 2015 3

Dear Salvation Army, Cheap Grace…

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I believe that one of the major failings of the “Seeker Sensitive” movement is that many times it became a numbers game with very little by way of discipleship after repentance. Do we do this still in our Corps, dear Army? We are “over the moon” about seekers coming to the altar, but then we don’t really know what to do with them once they come. BUT…Is that it?

I don’t wish to point fingers because I realize that I am also pointing at me.
I am not always very good at the “what happens next phase”.
In the old Army, there are numerous stories of drunkards becoming gloriously saved. The amazing thing was that the old Army soldiers and officers knew what to do next. These drunkards had a perpetual problem of the habitual kind. Once such story recounts how this drunkard, now saved knew he had to change his old patterns of life, so each day after work this man was met at the doors of his place of employment by fellow members of The Salvation Army. They literally walked him to and from work each day for the purpose of helping him overcome his addiction at the local bar. That is truly determination. That is truly going the extra mile.

How are we going the extra mile?

I don’t say this to guilt us into something.
I am quite serious about asking this very question in my own present ministry.
BECAUSE…
-It won’t matter how good you preach on a Sunday…
-It won’t matter how good the band sounds…
-It won’t matter how immaculate your chapel may be…
-It won’t matter how friendly your soldiers are to visitors…
IF
There isn’t accountability and discipleship taking place throughout the week.
This one stipulation is a major time requirement!
It involves all of us being completely invested in one another’s lives.
We aren’t simply playing church on Sunday and then we have nothing to do with one another throughout the week. There MUST be something more to our corps than just worship services.

Cheap Grace:
-It is apathy and the lack of concern for the “continuance in a state of salvation…” of ourselves and others. (Doctrine #9)
-It is forced fellowship without love.
-It is the Monopoly game “get out of jail” card type of repentance where the rationale “I can always come back and ask for forgiveness next Sunday at the altar” is uttered in our hearts but sincerity and true repentance is lacking.
-It is more concern for the preservation of program than the preservation and salvation of souls.

-It is found in our surfaced, shallow calls for forgiveness but never the reconciliation of believers.
-It is acceptance of sin and a lack of conviction to call out sin within the body of Christ.
-It is ignore the Holy Spirit’s promptings to relinquish control over those deeply hidden strongholds of the heart.

Cheap Grace still exists, but many times we’ve become so blind to it.
It is almost common place.
We cry out sins in the street and lifestyles in our culture and yet we don’t talk about unmarried soldiers living together without the bonds of marriage. We decry the plight of people “over there” yet we don’t really take the time to look into the eyes of people in our buildings and around our neighborhoods.

We don’t need to look outside our walls to find Cheap Grace, because it still exists in the church…it still exists even in the Army.

Again, I don’t say this to point fingers that I am not willing to first point at me.
I have blindly accepted cheap grace from time to time.
I am still in need of forgiveness and to give that forgiveness to others.
I have at times ignored the Holy Spirit’s plea in my own life to tear down remaining strongholds of my heart.
I too confess that I have not always discipled as I should.
I have not always taken the time to truly fellowship with other believers that helps to sharpen iron and forge holy communion with one another…

Doctrine #7 says this:
“We believe that repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.”

Yes, cheap grace still exists.
I am still working to eradicate it from my life, how about you?
Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

Yesterday’s Blog – Dear Salvation Army, Let’s Talk About Sin and Holiness!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in Pastorsponderings are the writer’s view and opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Salvation Army.

October 20, 2015 2

Author: Pastor'sPonderings