Dear Salvationist – Authentic Acceptance

“We church people sometimes get so ‘respectable’ that hurting people can’t stand to be around us.” (Anderson, “They Smell Like Sheep” p.42)

Could it be so in our Army?
Are there times when we, as corps-bodies of believers- have difficulty accepting new comers into our midst? Don’t be too quick to dismiss this assertion. Don’t rush to say, “well we are always friend”…those kinds of generalities do not always paint an accurate picture. It is true, even in the The Salvation Army, that change is not always easy to embrace. Change can be big stresses like moving corps buildings, but it can also be lesser stresses, yet still considered “change” such as inviting new members into you fold.

Does this quote ring true within our corps?
I’m afraid that it can if we are not cognizant of it.
Even though we fight the label of “Church” (and rightly so), we still offer worship and devotion to God and spiritual development for those we serve. So in essence what we provide to the seeker is an invitation to become a part of the body of Christ – a.k.a the Church…but it is more than that isn’t it? What we do in The Salvation Army isn’t exactly just church services and bible studies during the week. Service is a large part of who we are. But in becoming fully dedicated to service (obviously placing Christ first) are there moments when our acts of service can become viewed as despised by hurting people?

I’m Better Than You!
One of the dangers of wearing the uniform and serving the corps can be “power”. We might not do this consciously but perceived power while in uniform can bring us from humble to prideful in a heartbeat. It is very easy to complain that the dirty, disheveled person coming into our Holiness meeting is just looking for a box of food and anything we will give them. We then hold the power, we then, whether we see it or not can assume a place of superiority of that “wretch” in need. Even the disciples had moments of superiority – sometimes attempting to run of children who wanted to hang out with Jesus because they didn’t want to disturb their teacher. We can fall into this “I’m better than them” mentality if we are not careful. One of the chief dangers in becoming a close knit family in our corps is that if new people come, they are outsider and not truly welcome. Special concerted effort must be given to avoid this trap.

Our goal should be to feed the body and the soul as an Army, regardless of the grime and presumed “sin” associated with the individual seeking help. It was never our job to judge and condemn. It has always been our job to love, accept and include the individual into the body of Christ – our Corps Family.

The transitional process in each corps can be swift while at other corps it can be laborious. If you find that your corps does not handle new comers with love and kindness, then perhaps it’s time to set the record straight with your soldiers and adherents. Our corps halls must never become an exclusive social club that limits or prevents perceived “outsiders” from coming and joining this great family.

Questions to Ponder today:
How does my Corps handle visitors?
Do we welcome them with open arms?
Is there follow-up during the week after their visit?
Do we make every effort to make visitors welcome and feel accepted?
Are there certain Soldiers or Adherents (including myself) that struggles with adapting to new comers?
How can we educate our soldiers and adherents in being more inviting?

The last thing our corps should ever become is a stumbling block to those who are seeking an encounter with Jesus. We are not “Holier than Thou”, we are not “Pharisees” in uniform, we are not an exclusive William Booth Fan club either. Beware of the trappings of belonging to the Army…recapture the heart of Christ in your services to your community! We are an Army of authentic believers accepting anyone who is seeking and searching for Christ and for a family of God to belong to.

Something more for our Army to ponder today!
God Bless you!

May 18, 2016 0

Leadership

Now it’s time for your input.

Question: What does Godly Leadership look like to you?

What examples have you had of this form of leadership? What would it take for you and I to emulate this model of leadership?

As always we appreciate your ponderings on today’s topic!

May 16, 2016 0

Sermon Podcast – Civil War?

Listen to our latest Sermon Podcast – “Civil War”

or Download and Subscribe to our Sermon Podcast here – “Civil War Sermon Link”
Galatians 2:11-21

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹²For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. ¹³The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

¹⁴When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

¹⁵“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles ¹⁶know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

¹⁹“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”^[b]

Team Peter or Team Paul?

Questions To Ask Ourselves:

1. Do I live in P_______with

one another or am I always

looking for I____________s in others ? (v12)

2. Do I sometimes put R__________ & L________

before the G__________of

G_______? (v21)

3. Am I more concerned with

what O________s will think

than what G________ will think? (v20)

May 16, 2016 0

Dear Salvation Army, Practical Holiness…should be practical, right?!

I have taught on the topic of holiness many times, and one of the biggest hindrances people have with the concept of holiness is that they will never be perfect. Admittedly some could use this as just an excuse to hard, spiritual work within the spiritual disciplines, but many honestly feel that they will never be good enough to be truly holy.

I believe this to be one of the biggest misnomers with Holiness = perfection and being “good enough” was never the goal of Holiness. Instead, becoming the image of Christ is what we should all aspire to be in our lives. This can happen all at once, (entire sanctification) but predominately what I have found to be more consistent are the incremental adjustments to habits as one strives to shatter to the molds of the former life before Christ through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the surrender of those strong holds by the Christian.

It would be impractical to equate holiness with human perfection.
This is not like a Christmas good/bad Santa (Father Christmas) list…where the bad ones do not get toys. We need to explore what being “good enough” really means in the Christian realm.

Good Enough:
Being “good enough” does not mean we walk through all the spiritual hoops and do all of the “sacred” rituals in order for us to be saved and holy. We can go to church every single day and dress the part, and never truly aspire an inch towards holiness. Doing the work, though good, is not the objective…this should merely be an outpouring, or evidence of the transformation on that inward change in our lives. Being Holy – drives the spiritual life into action. Declaring that you are a child of the Most High aligns you with the One who can transform and shape you. We, in and of our own efforts and striving, will never aspire to full sanctification – not even close. Our own efforts might draw public acclaim and pats on the back, but deep within our own conscience we will innately know that we are not, nor could ever be holy. Instead, the One who takes up residence within us, God’s very presence – at the moment of conversion, is the only means by which this complete transformation of Holiness could ever occur. So let us debunk the myth that being good enough is either possible or sufficient for practical holiness.

Executing Practical Holiness
I am on the opinion that real, authentic, practical holiness begins with a conversation.
Not just any conversation, but THEE conversation. The constant conversation between mortal and the Immortality of God. The communing with Deity and the creation. This conversation does not end. It begins at conversion and, with extreme discipline to pray, we can become in tune to listening to and for His presence.

God would come down daily and fellowship with Adam and Eve, in this fellowship, one could gather that they talked about their day, their emotions, their everything. Nothing was left out, no secret kept, no hidden agendas – just pure fellowship. Could it be that this simplistic, continual conversation with God is where true Holiness really begins? Could it be that instead of performing rituals and dressing the part and acting pious, we could ACTUALLY be Holy through conversations with God?

I have read many theologians on the topic of Holiness, many theories, many notions, and I would never presume to call myself a theologian by any means…but it seems to me that we as humans make something far more complicated than it really has to be. Not to say that these theologians make it complicated, but rather we, as people tend to over think things far too much – including what God requires from us as Christ-followers.

Yes, it says in the Bible – “Be Holy because I, the Lord is Holy” (Leviticus 20:26, 1 Peter 1:16) But what does that mean, how does that look? I would contend that in order to fully understand practical holiness, we must first become full in tune with God through the constancy of our conversations with Him. Through this first approach, we will be better receptors of His messages to us as individuals and as a part of the Vine/Body.

So…tell me, what do you think about Holiness?
What does Practical Holiness look like to you?
Is Holiness, in your estimation attainable to you?
How will you know when you have become holy?

These are tough question to answer, let alone personally answer there for real, without barriers or pretenses.

Tell us what you think!

Something more for us to Ponder today!

May 11, 2016 1

10 Funny Song Titles In The Salvation Army Song Book

*Warning: If you don’t like humor and or are easily offended by humor, please turn away now.*

I believe we can laugh with each other…right?
Laughter is a great remedy for a lot of issues in our lives.
The other day I was going through our new song book and I realized that there were some funny song titles that I had either never heard before or I was in the band and had never sung them. Perhaps as you read these you have others that you would like to share, because I know there are more. I also realize some of these song titles come from bygone days where the language was different and so was the culture, but it doesn’t stop me from having a laugh today as we explore 10 funny titles in The Salvation Army Song Book…

Please forgive me and indulge my warped sense of humor for a moment or two.

#10 “My Heart Is Fixed” (#507)

Here’s a band-aid, and now the heart has been repaired. All is now better, you may go about your business, we’re good here! This declaration seems kind of sudden that’s all.

#9 “Come, my soul, Thy Suit Prepare” (#745)

I see a tailor standing there with measuring tape ready to get that suit all sewn and ready. We know there is a spiritual implication here, but my mind has this image of something entirely different when one says “Suit Prepare”…

#8 “O Jesus Thou Art Standing” (#614)

I can see British comedian Ricky Gervais, in his dry, dead pan sense of humor saying, “If Jesus is just standin’ there, why don’t you offer him a seat? I mean, that’s just rude isn’t it?” What is the song writer trying to say? “O Jesus you’re standing…” It just seem sort of funny sounding doesn’t it?

(yes, I know there’s more to the song lyrics, but we’re focusing on the titles here)

#7 “O Jesus Pilot Me” (#655)

Sorry, but this is what I envisioned this song title to mean –
Jesus ready to board that plane and fly us to another destination. I know it’s silly, but it’s what I first saw within that title. We know what the writer meant, but I just couldn’t help myself…sorry.

#6 “I Stand All Bewildered with wonder” (#849)
Just the word “bewilder” brought up a face like this in my mind. Like we stand there gawking, with mouths wide open and our eyes ready to pop out of our eye sockets. It just evokes in me a kind of silly moment when we’re standing there dumbfounded and truly looking the part.

#5 “I Want A Principle Within” (#496)

I know, I know, it’s not “Principal” but the first thing that popped into my head was a Headmaster standing there ready to deliver some punishment. Understandably we want to have spiritual discipline in our lives, but this isn’t it. Still this imagery came to mind.

#4 “Lord, I Was Blind! I Could Not See” (#505)

I can almost see Lockhorns (comic depicted here) having this barb exchange… “Lord, I was blind! I could not see” and then Mrs Lockhorn saying “And He still can’t see!”

Why do I get the image of a married couple making fun of one another in my mind? I saw this title and it made me laugh.

#3 “Unto Thee Will I Cry” (#794)

Sorry Dawson’s Creek, your meme is famous. And when I saw this song title, I couldn’t help but have an image of James Van Der Beek shamelessly crying. I can just see us standing there shamelessly crying like this in some way and wonder if it would look like this…
#2 “Writes A Pardon On My Heart” (#493)

I know these songs aren’t to be taken literally, but I couldn’t help myself. I get the picture in my head of my heart and someone is holding it with an ink pen preparing to write the words Pardon right into my heart tissue.

Perhaps to an outsider without the understand of atonement theories, this song title might seem confusing and down right creepy. To me, it makes me chuckle a little bit.

#1 “Do Not Go Home Without Jesus” (#415)

I get this image of my heart of a soldier leaving a worship service, driving in their car only to look over in the passenger seat and exclaim, “Oh no, I’ve forgotten Jesus!”

I understand the imagery, it just seems to translate differently to me today. And then, that Maroon 5 group sang that one song about “I won’t go home without you…”

Moral of the story, don’t take these song titles literally like me.
Perhaps you have other song titles that you think are funny, ridiculous or strange, would you please share them with us?! This is all light hearted and I hope I haven’t offended anyone. All things considered, most of these songs have some wonderful lyrics, it’s just the song titles I couldn’t pass up to mention.

May 6, 2016 12

Let’s Get Uncomfortable About Prayer

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Today is National Prayer day.
So let’s talk about prayer shall we?!

We have these images in our minds when we think about the word “Prayer”…perhaps it looks like this: or maybe maybe this:
These iconic images of prayer are okay, but are they really what prayer looks like and should be for us today? Don’t get me wrong, I am not discounting some of us might fold our hands like this when we pray, but by and large our prayer life probably looks more like this:

Driving back and forth from home to work, only to repeat this process. Perhaps after a really good, challenging Sunday service we might feel compelled to be more intentional about prayer and so we turn off the radio and simply talk to God. Realistically, the World around us seems to be a constantly busy place and our prayer life can begin to be measured out in how long it takes us to get to work.

Still there are some of us whose prayer life resembles this:

We work hard all day long and when it comes time for us to go to bed we think about prayer. So we pray, and we are serious about it, but at the end of the day we are completely spent and so our prayers fall into sounds of deep breathing and even snoring.

I don’t say this as a guilt trip, because I’ve been guilty of this too. We mean well, it’s just that our bodies and our minds are tired and we drift off to sleep.

Let’s Get Uncomfortable About Prayer:
This will probably be unpopular among many Christians, but we are too soft. We are not as disciplined as we should be in regards to prayer. Instead of looking like this in our prayer life:

(We don’t take the intentional time we need. We aren’t focused. We lack the discipline to keep going. We struggle with many distractions such as TV, cell phones, social media, websites, books, video game…etc. )

So we end up looking more like this in regards to the discipline of prayer:

And the only time we pull out our prayers, our conversations to God, is when we are in need of something. Could it be that THIS is why we feel as if God isn’t listening? Perhaps because we haven’t really disciplined ourselves enough to have a constant conversation with Him?

It’s like the couch potato suddenly getting up from the comfortable sofa and putting on their shoes and attempting to run a marathon without any training. Sure, some might actually finish, but by and large most would fall flat on their faces in utter exhaustion.

Prayer takes work.
Real prayer isn’t a bunch of “Thees” and “Thous” thrown into some fancy sentence full of flowery meaningless words. God doesn’t want our ritualistic prayers. He doesn’t want us to be something we’re not. He wants our authenticity. He longs for us to be completely candid with Him. He already knows us, there’s nothing hidden from Him…so why do we feel as if we have to put up a wall or limit what we say to Him?

Brother Lawrence, in his little book called “The Practice of the Presence of God” said this; “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.”
― (The Practice of the Presence of God)

True prayer requires concerted effort.
It might require us to become uncomfortable.
Discipline is required to spend time conversing with the Almighty.
It is not a waste of time.
He does hear us.
He will speak…but the question is are we actually listening?

Do we need prayer?
Absolutely…BUT perhaps prayer isn’t what we have always been taught it is.
Could it be that our prayers should resemble more of a constant invitation for God to hang out with us? Could it be that instead of kneeling at our bedside, we continually begin to think and speak to our Creator? Perhaps we’ve been taught prayer is all about closing our eyes…maybe we should open them instead. God longs for our fellowship, and a part of that fellowship is our constant communication with Him. He is nearer than we think or realize. But perhaps could it be that our hearts are not completely in tune with Him? Perhaps we are out of sync due to our random, undisciplined prayer lives?

The Discipline of prayer is more than just a notch in the “Christian” belt of accomplishments (hopefully we don’t think of it like that), it is connect ourselves completely to the Divine. It is a part of Holiness. It is a part of the complete surrender the Holy Spirit is desiring from us. For many of us, a complete surrender is really scary to think about. Instead of thinking about the things we will give up, think about the life that we will gain and the peace and knowledge that brings.

I’m not there either, but I want to be.
Something more to ponder today.

May 5, 2016 0

Dear Salvationist, This Is Why We Are Here

My Social Services Director called me out of a meeting recently.
It was a Saturday afternoon, and we were engaged in a training session with a number of volunteers. My mind was on other things when she pulled me out of the meeting. I was slightly annoyed, having been focused on the topic at hand. I was convinced the call at the front door, the reason she was pulling me away, had to do with yet another client seeking service, but not really needing it. Exhaling a little as we walked toward the front entryway, I attempted to switch gears. I attempted to put on my “pastor” hat and perhaps even my administrator persona. Rounding the corner I didn’t find just another client, I found a family desperately trying to hold it together.

Their son, Brandon, sat in a chair nearest me looking disheveled and fidgety. He wore a long sleeved shirt on a hot spring day in order to cover up the track marks on his body. I reached to shake his hand and asked for his name. He gave it, but I could barely make it out because he had so much chewing tobacco in his mouth. His mother told us his sad story. Brandon was a drug addict. He had burned all of his bridges at home, his church, and his extended family wanted nothing to do with him. His parents were bringing him to The Salvation Army because he could no longer remain in their home. His addiction had consumed him and he had begun stealing things in order to pay for his next fix. Essentially his addiction had made him homeless.

With tears in his mother’s eyes, she told me his story. How he had become addicted to heroin. How he had a 7 year old daughter that he could no longer see because drugs had become more important. He sat there long faced with sunken eyes, a shell of what he once had been. Brandon had not used in six days, and he was feeling the effects of withdrawal. In that small waiting room, parents were clinging to one final hope. A hope that would take a miracle in preventing their son from dying of an imminent drug overdose. Brandon’s parents had brought him to us because there was no where else to go.

I had entered this room full of cynicism and judgement, I had been humbled and suddenly struck by their pain and anguish. That small waiting room that usually housed a reception desk and a few chairs, became our sanctuary of prayer. I asked Brandon if I could pray with him. His mother and father joined us. We prayed over Brandon’s circumstances. We pleaded with God to grant him the strength to fight his drug cravings for one more day. Tears flowed, and my heart was rent. Can you imagine being a parent to a drug addict? Can you imagine what it must feel like watching your child become someone else, someone whose life is self-destructing because of drugs?

We prayed for Brandon. We earnestly prayed with Brandon. We held on in our prayer circle for as long as we could. We gave God this pleading. We prayed through tears…
Brandon was not ready to enter rehabilitation.
He had not hit rock bottom yet…be he was so close. He teetered on the edge of overdose and death or rock bottom and possible salvation.

As his parents left and made their way to the homeless shelter to drop Brandon off, I couldn’t help but feel deeply burdened by his story. Sure, he had gotten there by his own choices. He was a victim of his own addictions, but he could not quit…and it was killing him. Brandon had burned all of his bridges, even his parents, who loved him, had to let go. I know they weren’t giving up on him, but they had to relinquish their protection of him. They had to release him, which was an act of true tough love.

I wonder how many other Brandons there are out there?
How many of them will be brought to our doors?
How many tears will it take? Enough to fill an ocean?
How many broken promises will there be before this disease is eradicated?
How many heart broken parents will it take before sons and daughters will realize the true cost?

Unfortunately, Brandon’s story isn’t unique.
Many lives have been swept away by the use of “recreational” drugs.
As I stood there and watched him leave with his parents, I couldn’t help but feel a deep burden for him.
The Salvation Army was their last resort.
No one else would take him.
They had no where else to turn.

Isn’t that why we are here?
Isn’t that why we continue to fight?
Why we continue to wage this war against addictions, poverty, the marginalized, the criminal seeking restitution, the widow, the single parent, the parent weeping in our entryway hanging onto her last thread of hope?
This is why we are still here!
This is why we still engage the enemy in the streets and not behind church walls and ritual.
This is who we are – we are an Army of Salvation.
If you have been questioning why we continue to fight – this is why!
If you have been doubting your calling – this is why we need you!
When all other hope is gone – there we will be stand at the very gates of hell if need be to try one last time to save a poor wretch. This is why we are here. This is why we continue to fight.

If you or someone you know struggles with addictions, please click this link and find an Adult Rehabilitation Center near you! We want to help! Adult Rehabilitation Centers Here are some other resources to help as well – Addictions Resource Addictions Forum Helps

“While women weep, as they do now,
I’ll fight
While little children go hungry, as they do now,
I’ll fight
While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now,
I’ll fight
While there is a drunkard left,
While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets,
While there remains one dark soul without the light of God,
I’ll fight-I’ll fight to the very end!”
-General William Booth.

May 3, 2016 1

Sermon Podcast – “Life Is Like A Garden”

Listen to our morning Sermon entitled “Life is Like a Garden”

Or listen anywhere by downloading this sermon and subscribing by clicking on this link and clicking “subscribe” – LIFE IS LIKE A GARDEN

Scripture Text for today’s service:

Matthew 13:1-23

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[^a^]

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

¹⁸“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²²The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Some pictures to ponder while listening to the sermon –

May 1, 2016 0

Dear Salvationist, Participant Or Spectator?

Jesus doesn’t need a fan club.
He doesn’t need cheer leaders on the sidelines happily applauding but never stepping foot on the field.

If you are a soldier or adherent of The Salvation Army – we don’t need a fan club either.
We don’t have time to sit on the sidelines and cheer.
Every member of this army should an active participant in this great mission we are called to.

Distractions:

I understand that there are times when we peer over the fence at other churches and ministries and we wish we were like others – but this isn’t what we’re called to do either. We might also get so caught up in over analyzing everything within the four walls of our buildings that we lose sight of the hurting people outside of our buildings who need someone to bring them hope and to share with them the love of Christ. We were made for so much more than just keeping a uniform warm and a pew occupied. Our lives have been offered into a greater service than just selfish ambition and personal gain. We are not serving ourselves but we are to serve our communities and those in it through Christ-like selflessness. We cannot afford to become distracted by elements of worship or fence-peering or dressing to impress. No, we have communities to serve in and to love regardless of how we might be treated along the way.

Along with our distractions, there is also the distraction of social media and cellular devices. Although these can be used for good, they can also distract and pull us further away from one another. It sounds hypocritical talking about this as I write this blog article, and I’m equally guilty of this, but how much time do we devote every day to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? One might contend that they are bringing encouragement and hope by posting, and perhaps you are, but by and large we are so consumed by the social media that we sometimes neglect to look up from our tiny screens and into the communities we currently live. We need breaks from these devices. We need to look up and see real needs right in front of our faces – right there in your own community!

General Andre’ Cox recently said this at the National Advisory Organization Conference – “Never has there been a time when people were more engrossed with communicating, but who is really listening?’ He continued: ‘The virtual environment cannot replace looking someone in the eye, talking directly to them and knowing that they listen. God must also get frustrated with us because he keeps talking, but do we listen? … He has spoken most clearly to us through Jesus. When God sent Jesus he gave us a clear example of how to order and live our lives.”
(Source: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr270416)

So let me ask you again, are you a participant or a spectator?
Are we still listening to the Holy Spirit as He leads us?
He is active and available…but are we?

Jesus doesn’t need a fan club, He desires disciples and soldiers who are willing and able to step out onto the mission field (both here and far away) and serve Him boldly and unashamedly. Are you available? Are you ready to participate in the battle for souls around you? We cannot do this work, this calling with out first listening to His Holy Presence as He provides the wisdom and guidance for this army of salvation.

It’s time to get on with it and step up…are you ready?

April 29, 2016 1

Are We Lying To Ourselves?

I think we all do it from time to time.
Do what you ask? We lie to others and to ourselves.
We convince ourselves that everything is okay, and that we are “fine”…but deep down we have been lying to ourselves, convincing our hearts and minds that we need not grow or that growth is not necessary any longer.

I don’t want to pick this scab…I really don’t.
I’m afraid of what lays beneath it.
But you know what? The funny thing is the Holy Spirit doesn’t want us to settle. He doesn’t want us to become static – this Pilgrim’s Progress is very real, and very needed for all of us. I can only speak for myself, but I have recognized the times when His holy presence wanted to move me into deeper fellowship with Him while I resisted because I was afraid of what I would have to surrender. Has this happened to you too? I kept lying to myself, trying to convince my heart and mind that I had imagined the prompting, and that I was fine and not in need of fixing…oh but I was wrong.

It is very hard to face the truth of spiritual undernourishment and the necessity for us to move. It is dangerous territory when the Holy Spirit desires to penetrate our prideful hearts and even more terrifying to admit these liabilities and struggles to others around us. We might tell ourselves, “I don’t need help, I’ve got this…and even if I don’t I’m going to fake it until I do.” And so we never ask for help and sometimes we tell the Holy Spirit “I don’t want to move, I’m perfectly comfortable right here.”

Stop Lying.
When will we come to terms with our lies?
When we will confront this elephant in the room?
This is about personal holiness, not personal convenience.
The Holy Spirit desires to move us, to spur us out of our comfort and into the fire of spiritual discipline. Through this holy fire we can become further refined and purified. Perhaps some of us must walk through this purifying fire over and over again just to surrender the hidden sins of the heart. This isn’t a guilt trip by any means, this is a deep personal conviction. I believe one of the reasons our churches are dying is because we have been lying to ourselves and to each other for far too long. We have bottled up our comfort and refused to become vulnerable to the Holy Spirit. We have pushed accountability aside and desired to privately entertain the desires of our own hearts and have turned the mission of others into a self-indulged power trip.

But I don’t believe it’s too late.
I believe that there is still time.
I know the tide can turn, if we would only stop lying and start moving back into the fire.

Begin To Feel The Flames Again…
I began anew this very topic with an accountability partner recently, and I began to recognize just how far I have come in my faith but also just how stagnant I have become.
At the risk of oversharing, I was convicted in my own life because I have been neglecting the Holy Spirit’s presence. I have been ignoring His pleading. I have been lying to my heart and mind that I require no further refinement…how wrong have I been?!

I need to feel the heat of refinement again…do you?
I need to stop lying and start confession my needs…do you?
The only way our churches will grow in the right way is when we are found on our faces before the Almighty and we burn with His refinement once again.
So how about it? Are you ready to begin to feel the flames again?

For further reading, please consider this tried and true (albeit difficult confrontation of questions) approach: A word of caution, don’t ask all of these questions all at once…perhaps digest a few poignant questions at a time, then pray about this or get with an accountability partner and talk it out.

The 22 Questions of John Wesley’s Holy Clubs Over 200 years ago when Charles and John Wesley were students at Oxford University, they started a small group that met for regular prayer, bible study, and discipleship. In their private devotions, they’d use these questions to “methodically” examine their spiritual lives to help them be spiritually accountable in the faith and encourage growth in their commitment to Christ. This became the beginning of the Methodist movement. John Wesley asked himself these questions every day & recorded his responses in a journal in order that he could grow spiritually. How might a commitment to this kind of honest examination of your spiritual life sharpen your commitment to Christ? How might this kind of spiritual accountability impact the mission of Christ in the world?

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17. How do I spend my spare time?

18. Am I proud?

19. Do I thank God that I am not like other people?

20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22. Is Christ real to me?

About The Holy Club ” John and Charles Wesley and a handful of other Oxford students devoted themselves to a rigorous search for holiness and service to others. The Holy Club, the name given to John and Charles Wesley’s group by their fellow collegians in mockery of their emphasis on devotions, was the first sign of what later became Methodism…
(Source: https://fairhopechurch.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/the-22-questions-of-john-wesley.pdf)

A Shorter version of this comes from General William Booth – so if you wanted to condense and ask the most relevant questions –
William Booth had 11 Questions for the Weekly Self-Examination of the Soul.

How must you answer them before God?….

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5 RSV)

1. Am I habitually guilty of any known sin? Do I practice or allow myself any thought, word or deed that I know to be wrong?

2. Am I so the master of my bodily appetites as to have no condemnation? Do I allow myself any indulgence that is injurious to my holiness, growth in knowledge, obedience, or usefulness?

3. Are my thoughts and feelings such that I should not be ashamed to hear them published before God?

4. Does the influence of the world cause me to do or say things that are unlike Christ?

5. Do my tempers cause me to act, or feel, or say things that I see afterward are contrary to that love that I ought to [show] always to those about me?

6. Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners? Do I feel concern about their danger and pray and work for their salvation as if they were my children?

7. Am I fulfilling the vows I have made to God in my acts of consecration or at the penitent-form?

8. Is my example in harmony with my profession?

9. Am I conscious of any pride or haughtiness in my manner or bearing?

10. Do I conform to the fashions and customs of the world, or do I show that I despise them?

11. Am I in danger of being carried away with worldly desire to be rich or admired?

Selected material from: Chosen to Be a Soldier – Orders and Regulations for Soldiers of The Salvation Army 1977 (pp. 17-18)

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

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