Category: Christ-like

Don’t Lockup The Holy Spirit!!

I was doing homework with one of my sons the other night.
We have four children, all in school and there are some days that my wife and I scramble to help them with their collective homework – which seems to be like our laundry: never ending.  homework

So there we were at the kitchen table, the contents of his backpack emptied and I am pouring through his homework folder trying to make sense of his disorganization (it too is a never ending task it seems).  As I am finally wading through the old papers and graded papers at last I come to the homework that needs to be done.  We both sit at the table and I begin reading it to him.  He has no idea how to fill in the answers – it’s history, one of his favorite subjects (proud Dad moments, History was mine as well).   So he doesn’t know the answers, and the questions are very specific…and then I read the very top of the page; “Use your text book from pages 265-282“.  I look over at my son, “Where’s your text book?”  He goes to his now empty backpack – it isn’t there.  “I think I left it in my locker“, he says.  “Well then, I really can’t help you with these questions, because without the text book we will probably get every one of these questions wrong.“I said this with frustration in my voice, knowing his homework would be late.  School is important and to forget some as pivotal as his text book was very unfortunate.

In that moment, homework was cancelled, or perhaps postponed until the next day…all because without the text book, the homework and its questions were beyond our reach.

It got me thinking…
holy-sThe Holy Spirit is a lot like that in our lives.
No, He’s not some text book that we stuff into our locker at school and forget about…but then again we kinda do leave him out of our lives from time to time.  We do forget about Him.  We know the story of Jesus, His love and grace and His gift to us on the cross and in the empty grave.  We believe that He is preparing a place for us, but there’s more to the story.  When He ascended the Holy Spirit came and never left God’s people.  The Holy Spirit is still real within us and can be felt in the still small voice or the gentle prodding in our lives.  Jesus even told His disciples:  “I have told you this while I’m still with you.  However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.” John 14:25-26

But sometimes, we leave Him in the lockers of our lives.  We forget He’s even there, ready and able to help us.  We think we have to guess at all of life’s mysteries all by ourselves, and so we begin attempting to take the whole world upon our shoulders…in our own strength…and when we fail (which we will) we wonder where God is, when in fact, He never left us, we forgot or left Him.

My dear fellow ponderers, take God’s holy presence with you into the fray.
Don’t forget what great power He has for you and the hope and peace He will provide you in your day.  Don’t lock Him up or compartmentalize your “Church life” from your “Home life”.  Remember He can’t be contained, He doesn’t want to share space in your life with false gods and earthly “stuff”.  He is certainly jealous for you and me.  He longs for fellowship with us, and He desires moment by moment conversations and heart to hearts.
Don’t lock up that potential, because in reality you are only limiting the joy and peace you could experience with Him intricately involved in your life…He has the answers – seek Him out and He will be found.

Something more to ponder today!

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Holiness – The Only Prescription!

“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14

The Doctor’s Visit:
Suppose I had an ailment that could only be cured by going to the doctor on a regular basis.  Now, suppose after my very first visit (which was fantastic and successful) I believed myself cured and instead of taking the doctor’s advice, I left and never came back…how foolish would I be?  I felt great for a short time, but soon enough, my symptoms returned and I was right back where I began.  You might say that I should have taken the doctor’s advice, and followed through with my treatment plan.  You might also say, that I was stubborn and foolish.

The RX Application:drugs
This is how Holiness should be to a Christ-follower!
God has prescribed to us the perfect example by which we should live – His Son Jesus Christ.

But you see, I don’t believe that Salvation is the end of this spiritual journey, instead it is only the beginning!  Once we accept Christ in our lives and believe He saved and redeemed us from sin and death, we are essentially at the very first appointment at the doctor’s office!  We still struggle.  We still need help.  We can still fall into temptation!

holyChrist’s prescription to us? A daily/moment by moment conversation with Him.  The more we visit with Him, the more we begin to reflect who He is in our lives.  Our goal (and the simple definition of Holiness) is to become like Him in every way day by day – by taking His prescription for life!  Without it, we will be like the patient (me…) leaving the doctor’s office the very first time and not following his treatment plan!

Salvation is just the first dose and Holiness is the cure!
Something more to ponder today!

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5 Indicators of a Rotting Church

“The Church right now has more fashion than passion, is more pathetic than prophetic, is more superficial than supernatural.”
― Leonard Ravenhill, Revival God’s Way

I believe that the Church is truly in trouble in the Western world.
It is not one organization or singular church but Christianity as a whole.
I do not want to sound like another alarmist or crackpot spewing lists to indicate an end of days, but I do want to cast some light into what many would deem the foundational crumbling of the Church.  What are some indicators?  What would some of the symptoms be of a dying and decaying church?

Here are a five indicators of a rotting church:

5.  Professional Preachersjoel
“You can have all the doctrines right, yet still not have the presence of God” -Leonard Ravenhill
We see the flashy, eloquent preacher on television and we demand that our churchs hire preachers like that…or we long to change how our “performance” at the pulpit is executed.  I wonder if Jesus encountered flashy pharisees in His day?  If He did Jesus certainly didn’t have many nice things to say about them.  Rather, Jesus called those religious people who prayed outloud in the streets “actors” and “hyprocites”.  We can have the most professional preachers in our pulpits, but if there is no substastantive message of conviction, salvation and holiness, it is all meaningless.

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3

Preachers, this is no excuse to go to the pulpit unprepared and unstudied, no!  Instead, we must prepare harder, study more intently and lead with self-conviction and prayer!  We dont’ need any more prosperity preachers.  No more fluff and phoney messages with very little substance of the spiritual journey that we are all called to walk.

A Strong indicator of rot comes directly from those we have in our pulpits and those we choose to listen to on a weekly basis.

4.  No Hunger For Scripture
bibleWith professional preachers, also comes a lack of hunger.  Mind you, these are not always connected.  I believe this is a stand-alone problem for many within our western world.  If one were to journey to some of the poorest countries in the world, you would find a see hunger for scriptural truths and churches memorizes whole chapters of scripture…where is this hunger in the more prominent and prosperous countries?  I believe there is a direct correlation between comfort and security and the shallowness of scriptural knowledge!  Why rely on the scripture if every want, and all of life’s comforts are met (roughly speaking)?

This may sound negative, but I fear our western culture has become so soft of faith and scriptural knowledge that we are bound to enter another dark age – this time devoid of any of the truths and life lessons found in Scripture.

Is your church rotting?  Ask yourself how much time is devoting throughout your week to the study and interpretation of scripture?

3.  A Church That Is Prayerless & Building Bound
“A true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer” -Leonard Ravenhill
With the comforts of a western culture comes prayerlessness.
A church that prays together stays together – or so I’ve been told.  How much emphasis is placed on prayer anymore?  I am sure there are still some deeply prayerful places in this world.  I know that I have experienced some of these moments, but I wonder if prayer has become an after thought in our services, in our weekly schedules, in our lives as congregants?  Do you remember the old prayer meetings?  Many of those have disappeared in our churches.  They’ve been distilled down to just a five minute inclusion in our services or bible study…but should they be more prominent, more substantive?  Do we still have worries and fears, sick and dying?  Do we still have things that require corporate prayer?
pray
Secondly, another indicator (a twofer for my Minnesotan friends) of a rotting church:
We become building bound – meaning that we expect our communities to come to us.  We put up amazingly designed billboards, posters, flags and we wave them at the community…it’s like we are scattering bird seed in a trail hoping that people will follow it right up to our front doors.  We have this grandeous idea that everything we do must be done in our buildings – what happened to evangelism?  What happened to getting out into the streets?  Do we still have a concern for the drunk down the street who is caught in a habitual addiction of stumbling out of the bar that they frequent?  Do we still feel compassion for the family down the street that is dirt poor and cannot find a meal to eat in their cupboards?  A Church who remains stuck in their building (no matter how beautiful it may be) is a dying church with little mission or outreach into the community they were birthed from.

2.  A Loveless Congregation
Dare I say that perhaps this is cog in the chain reaction of not being community driven and lacking mission & compassion for others.  Obviously no church ever desires to become loveless…but it can happen over time.  I honestly hope that this evidence of a rotting church is the dying gasp before the doors are closed for good, and all I hope to accomplish by saying that is – we (the Church) needs to love each other more!  This should be a siren call to the church to offer more compassion and selflessness amongst its congregants and its community.  love

If we lose the love of others, we have also lost the love of God – these two are inseparable! “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 1 John 4:20
If this happens – we will have a rotting church on our hands!

1. Comfort & Apathy 
Signs of a rotting church can be born out of the comforts that have become common place in the western world.  We have no need of want.  Our church buildings, many of them, are being built larger and larger.  The church, and its congregants, become apathetic to the needs of the community (again because all things “ministry” take place inside not outside of the church walls).   Apathy is a death knell to the church.  If/when we reach this point of not caring for people – we might has well lock the doors and burn the scriptures because it is useless to a dead church.
apathy
These are strong words – because I feel at times we are deaf to the warnings such as this!
We cannot allow apathy to take root in our hearts.  We cannot pretend all is well when suffering is taking place in our communities.  We cannot rest until mercy and compassion becomes our life blood again!  Sometimes our churches get so big that we start to treat it as a big corporate business and in so doing we unintentionally leave Christ out of our missional planning.

Ponder This: 
Are we striving to be or have professional preachers in our churches?
Is there still a deep hunger for Scripture in you and in your church?
What of Prayer?  Do we consider supplication to be vital and intrinsic in who we are?
Have you prayed for God to give you His vision for people around you?  If not begin to pray this prayer every day!  When you do, may your love increase for others and any residue of apathy – may it flee from you!

Something more for the Church to ponder today – to God be the glory!

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An Overwhelming Victory?

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:37-39

No matter what the world throws at us, we can discover true victory in Christ Jesus, because this temporary realm in which we now live will one day pass away and the eternal will be everlasting!  This means that despite Satan’s best efforts, and the sufferings of the flesh, if we can overcome – He can not touch our souls, for that belongs to God!

Do you feel discouraged today?  
Are you, or have you experienced physical or emotional defeat?  Sometimes we face these battles in life, and the Christian experience was never guaranteed to be easy (in fact just the opposite).  Yet through all of this, we have promises like the passage listed above.  We will NOT be separated from God…He will never separate us from His love!  We will have overwhelming victory because of Christ!  pain

So no matter what you are going through today…
No matter what kinds of persecution or sufferings you may face…
Regardless of ridicule, scorn, malice, hate, violence, jealousy and rage – we can experience this overwhelming victory TODAY!!!

We do not have to wait until we see eternity and we are with the Lord, no – His presence, His love, His encouragement is available to us NOW!  Begin to see that despite the battle waging here within the world and upon our flesh, God already stands beside us with the victory over life and death!  Know that regardless of the physical outcome – we will overcome and have this overwhelming victory!  This is why we must share this fantastic news to all the world.  This is why God’s grace must be evident in our living.  This is why we must make His ministry Our ministry everyday, because God wants all people, from all walks of life to experience this overwhelming victory!

focusIn Focus
Perhaps, if we cannot see this overwhelming victory today it is because we are focusing on the wrong kinds of things.  Yes, life is often unfair.  Yes, the world is often unjust and evil seems to permeate and seep into every facet of life.  We see these, we know this to be true, and we cry foul and lament all of these atrocities and injustices – and rightly we should.  But, despite this fallen world and all of its sins, we need to refocus our vision.  We must begin to change our perspective (which doesn’t mean we simply accept that this world is beyond saving).  Our perspective begins to change when we ask God to give us His vision for the people we meet.  What I mean is, we must ask Him to allow us to see those around us the way God sees them.

Secondly, our perspective must change in the way we view the temporal.  Yes we livefocus2 through it, but there must be a way for us to live this overwhelming victory in the here and now…and we do that by understanding it.   In our understanding of what this life is all about – Whose we are and embracing the eternal here and now, we flip the script on what “living”is all about!  When we change our perspective, we change the narrative of our souls.  What I mean by that is – we no longer simply live for ourselves, we begin to live for Christ.  Many times this is a gradual denial of self as we surrender to the will of God.  It begins with the little things of life.  Soon, as we allow these little spiritual victories to occur, we will be more inclined to seek out the larger “denial of self” moments.

Is anyone there yet?  
victory2Some of may be.
I know that I am on this road…although I am not as far along as I would like to be…but again, this is gradual.  Admittedly, I still get sucked into life’s many troubles.  It is like a swift moving current at times which sweeps out my feet from right under me.  I recognize that I too must still change more of my perspective in order to experience this daily dose of overwhelming victory in my life.

How about you? 
Do you feel defeated right now?
Are you struggling to see any measure of victory at the moment?
Ask God to help you flip this script.
Ask Him to provide you with an added measure of His strength.
Also, ask Him to grant you His vision for those you encounter…I guarantee your perspective will change, and with it overwhelming victory!

Something more to ponder today!

 

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Imprisoned By Fear?

There is all sorts of types of fear.
Fear that propels you into action.
Fear that keeps those you love safe.
Fear that weighs the outcomes of decisions yet to be made.
Irrational Fear
Phobias…

When we say the word “fear” sometimes it evokes different interpretations and understandings of this little four letter word.  Some see it as a challenge, while others dread.

Fear, when used  right can be helpful, but when it is not it can imprison, immobilize and prevent all forms of progress in life.

Our Faith Walk:
The Apostle Paul, after taking those first step in following Christ, post his roadside theophany,  could have fear what others thought of him.  He could have been held captive by fear following the first time he was thrown in prison or flogged for his outspoken faith…but he didn’t.  He rejoiced while in prison.  He and Silas sang songs well into the night.  Although Paul was imprisoned, he certainly wasn’t imprisoned by fear.

How about us?
How is our faith walk?
Do we find ourselves shouting “Amen” during Sunday church service, meanwhile on Monday at work we whisper to a quivering fearful heart?  Does fear hold us back?  Are we afraid of how others might perceive us if we professed our faith out loud?  What about our attitudes and intentions toward others?  Isn’t it harder to remove self from situations than it is to be selfish?  So it is with overcoming fear and replacing it with faith.  It is not that the fear is removed completely, no, instead we learn to use that fear to our advantage.  We recognize when that fear is rising in us and we must consciously decide to step out in faith…or leap.  Harnessing fear places us “out on that limb”.  We say, yes, I am afraid, but I will trust in God to lead me and direct me.  I do not know where this path will lead me, but I will follow the Lord…I will put my trust in Him.

…“I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the congregation.”13And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” Hebrews 2:12-13

Make this your prayer today:
Lord, where you lead me I will follow.
I am afraid, I admit that…but I will not run from
your calling on my life.
I want to live for you in every moment of today.
Lord, take this fear of mine and use it
motivate me into action.
Let me love those around me.
I will become less and you, dear Lord become more.
I struggle with trusting you with all there is of me,
but I acknowledge this and I ask you to remind me of your presence with me
today.
Grant me your boldness, your courage, and your love
as I walk this path that I cannot see.
Lead me Lord.
-Amen.

No Longer Slaves

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Dear Salvationist -Watch Your Mouth!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29

The Holiness Movement is far from dead.
We, as Salvationists, have within our veins more than the figurative colors of red, yellow, blue…we have the image of Christ within our hearts.  Not to say that other Christ-followers do not, or that we are better than anyone else, but this message, this pondering is primarily for Salvationists in our world today.

We face difficulties in our communities and in our culture which makes it hard to be truly set apart for God.  The lure of many things comes knocking at our doors and begs us to participate, to comprise, to ignore this calling.   Is it possible to look so much like the culture that our effectiveness in mission is compromised?  Is there a line that begs and pleads alluringly to be crossed?  What of our attitudes, our hearts, and our speech?  Do these go hand in hand with our lifestyles, with our mission?

There isn’t a time clock that we punch when we accept this holy mission of Christ’s.  We are either all in or not at all.  We don’t wear the uniform to the corps but once it’s off at home we become someone else, with a different set of life rules.    We are beckoned to “go into all the world…”  We are asked to “take up our crosses” and follow Christ.  If we are to imitate Him in every way (Ephesians 5:1), then this includes what we say.

Confession: blah
I can be cynical at times (That’s not a shock to some of you).
I always joke that I have the spiritual gift of sarcasm, but sometimes that sarcasm takes a very harmful turn.  My speech isn’t always as it should be.  Words can become barbs that are razor sharp that can cut to the heart of people faster than any blade could ever penetrate.  I know this of myself.  I make no excuse of this.  Does that mean I wish to continue to the live my life in a verbal rut?  Of course not!

Dear Salvationist
blood and fireDo you have the deep desire to continue to grow in Christ?
Is there, within your heart, the Spirit’s pleading to become more than you are right now?
Are we settling for the verbal ruts, the bad habits, the inexcusable behavior?  Do we make excuses and/or rationalize these away in order to make them more palatable and accepted? I can tell you truthfully that you will never really know peace within your heart as long as you continue to reside where the Holy Spirit does not want you to reside – in regards to ungodly habits and behaviors that are contrary to your covenant or promise to Him.

Like our tithe, like our commitments to God – if we continue to only give Him a portion, we will never be truly satisfied living within His will.  What is God’s will for us?  Read Micah 6:8 again “He has shown you, oh man what is good and what the Lord requires from you.  To live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”   Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Watch Your Mouth!mouth
Be mindful of your mission field.
Be aware of how ungodly speech corrupts your heart and those around you.
What kind of speech am I talking about?  Not just profanity and course language, but (and more importantly) unkind words towards others, Gossip of any kind, malicious-hate fueled speech.  Words that do not build up but instead destroy.  Soldiers of this Army; more importantly Soldiers of God do not act this way…should not act this way!  Watch your mouth…it can build souls and help them become more Christ-like, or it can burn the heart and fuel it into hatred towards God…that is how helpful or harmful your words can be.

Questions to Ponder Today:
How can I change my patterns of speech?
Do I recognize those moments when my words become barbs and are used as weapons?
What is the Holy Spirit instructing me to do within my actions and my use of speech?
What kinds of changes do I need to make right now?
Have I settled for where I am right now or am I willing to grow through the direction of the Holy Spirit?

Something more for our Army to ponder on today.
To God be the glory!

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The Gift Of Giving (Gary’s Story)

Perhaps you have stopped at a fast food restaurant and  gone through the drive thru, or you have stopped at a toll booth only to discover someone has “paid it forward” as the clerk cheerfully tells you “The car ahead of you paid for yours”.   It’s a surprising feeling isn’t it; experiencing someone else’s generosity?  Perhaps for some of us, it’s a little humbling.  For others it reinforces the need to give back.

bucket3The gift of giving truly is the meaning of Christmas.
We stop to recognize the ultimate gift that was given to humanity – Christ Jesus.  Perhaps in some small way we can give back to our communities and to specific people.  Giving isn’t always natural…sometimes it needs to be forced, sometimes we need a little convincing.

There is no need to convince Gary though, he has been giving to our Red Campaign this Christmas season in a manner of his time and talent.   Gary has been bell ringing for The Salvation Army of Evansville for as much time as he can give this year.  Some days, it is a whole day’s shift from 10 am in the morning, until it gets dark outside. He has been vigilant, dependable and a constant feature at one of our Walmart locations.   Every evening when the red kettle driver picks up Gary’s bucket, you can rest assured it is a full bucket of much needed funds.  bucket2

There is something else about Gary you should know, other than his generosity of time and talent.   For those two vital assets alone are truly commendable and honorable.  But there’s something more about Gary – something that would shake the very fabric of our lives and quake us to the core and make us evaluate everything that we hold dear and consider important in life – Gary has terminal Leukemia.

His doctors have given him roughly nine months to live.  He could be doing anything with his precious time that he has left.  He could be crossing off things on his bucket list, and perhaps he is.  He could have gone home and wallowed in self-pity – no one would have blamed him.  Yet, Gary is paying it forward in such a way that lives will be touched and changed.  Gary is so much more than just a bell ringer at yet another red kettle campaign.  Gary is giving more than just another few hours at a random kettle location.  Gary is giving of himself.  This is his gift.  This is his moment to shine.
bucket4.jpg
I wonder if we’re all capable of giving as Gary is giving today?
I wonder if we could simply give without terms or conditions, and just give of ourselves regardless of the circumstances of our lives?  I recognize that life isn’t always perfect, I’m also pretty sure there has never been any promises that life is fair and perfect from the start.  Many of us have bruises and scars to prove just how unfair and imperfect life can truly be.
BUT the gift of giving truly MUST transcend our circumstances and conditions.  We shouldn’t ever say “well I couldn’t give because the moment just wasn’t right…” well, let me ask you when will the moment ever be right?    (and I’m speaking to myself right now) We can’t continue to make excuses in life – it doesn’t matter where we’ve been or the hurts we’ve endured – how we come out of those moments truly will define us.

Gary is testament to a defying circumstances.
He has touched my heart in a way that I am forever changed.
His gift is so much more than eight hours out at a Salvation Army kettle stand.  Despite his circumstances, Gary is displaying what living life should look like.

Do you have time to give?   Then give it.
Do you have talents to give?  Then give it.
Do you have treasure to give?  Then give it.
Don’t make excuses, don’t hold back, don’t squander it or hoard it.
Our gifts come in many shapes and sizes…what we do with these gifts matters!

Something more to ponder today.

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If You See This Kind of Post, Keep Scrolling…

We’ve all seen those Facebook posts that go something like this: “Type amen if you believe Jesus is Lord and Savior, Ignore if you want to go to hell”…okay, maybe I made that last part up, maybe not.   For those who have but a handful of brain cells left (myself included) can hopefully recognize how manipulative and dumb these posts really are.
smh
Stop sharing these posts…really, I honestly think these posts are doing more harm than good.  It’s not a witnessing tool, it’s a guilt trip at best and perhaps worse, it’s a condemning slap in the face.

I mean is this really what Jesus was all about?
Did He go around saying, “You better click amen and believe in me or you’ll burn in hell!”  um…no I’m pretty sure He didn’t.  Instead, I believe He was more concerned with loving our neighbors and even our enemies; He was more concerned with introducing God’s kingdom to the whosoever, and He did it all without guilting people or manipulating them.
sarcasm
So, Perhaps the next time you see one of THOSE posts, why not skip the “share” button.  Perhaps instead just keep scrolling.  I’m pretty sure even if you “liked” the post or you shared it – that $1,000,000 isn’t really coming your way.  I just don’t think our faith in Christ works that way…do you?  I mean really?!  Maybe instead of trying to feed the “Bless Me” crowd, why not seek ways in which you can ACTUALLY help others who live in your real neighborhoods or go to your school, your work place, your church.  Who knows, perhaps if we  took our eyes away from the narcissism that seems to be prevalent in social media long enough, we might again recognize there are far more pressing needs in our communities than a “click and share” post that speaks of our blessing and our riches.

Okay, rant over.
Something more to ponder today.
Get outside, go for a prayer walk around your neighborhood, ask for the Lord to show you needs in your own community that you can help with.  As Christ’s ambassadors it’s less about us and more about Him – let’s help others seem Him through our expressions of kindness, love and grace.

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Dear Salvation Army, Are You Missing Out?

It is that time of year again – Thanksgiving meals to host, Red Kettles to send out, toys to collect and pick up, volunteers to appreciate and direct…the list goes on. toys.jpg

If you go to The Salvation Army and/or are employed  by The Salvation Army, (Officer/Employee/otherwise) you know just how hectic this time of year can become.   There are moments when there isn’t enough hours in the day to get what needs to be done completed.   We can become harried, worn out and sometimes short-fused.

kettleSometimes we tend to dread this season of Christmas because we are so very busy.  Don’t get me wrong, it is a wonderful thing that we do for people in our communities, but it does come at a cost.  We can become jaded by what we do so much so that we lose sight of why we do it in the first place.  Sometimes we lose out on precious opportunities because our noses are firmly planted to “the grind”.

Don’t Miss Out!
Here are a few things that I have learned thus far whilst being an Officer, and before that, an Officer’s kid at this time of year:

1.  Look up from time to time. eyes.jpg
Don’t become so focused on stats and figures and logistics that people get lost in the shuffle.  Look up, look into people’s eyes, take a precious moment (not the porcelain figurine) away from the busyness and look up at those around you.

2.  Take a minute break – unplug for a short time.
timeout.jpgIt sounds preposterous to “take a break” during our busiest season, but step outside.  Go get a cup of coffee.  Do something for ten or fifteen minutes (even an hour if you can afford to) that gets you away from the noise and responsibilities.  This is sometimes called “self-care”.  It’s maintenance for the mind, soul, body.  Breathe.

3.  Listen.  ears.jpg
Again, it sounds funny to say this when we have some many people wanting a moment of our time, but learn to listen…to the right things at the right moment.  The Lord DOES place people on our path that edify and encourage us (sometimes those we least suspect), and He also puts certain people on our path that we can help share His hope with.   Put down the planner, put down the pen, take your eyes off of the Christmas data entry on the computer…and just listen.

We have a distinct opportunity to reach new believers during this time of year.  Sure, there are those few who are “Seasonal Christians” who only come at Christmas and Easter, but there are also some deeply impactful moments that one can have with people who are desperately searching for something meaningful in their lives.  We know that Christ is the answer – and we (if we are listening) can spur on those deeply spiritual moments.

4.  Intentional Worship
Not only should we anticipate the business of this season, we should also anticipate God’s Holy Presences in our worship.  Worship isn’t exclusively what we do on Sunday mornings either.  Worship can take place while we drive bell ringers out to their sites – and the conversations that we engage in while in that van.  That van can become a sacred space, as sacred as any penitent form or altar.
worship.jpg
Let’s face it, we’re all familiar with certain “catch-phrases” or cliches  associated with the Christmas season.  There’s one particular cliche’ spoken often around this time of year, and it goes like this “Wise men still seek Him” – I’m not one to use these tired phrases, but we DO need to be intentional in our worship of the Most High.  There needs to be personal preparation before we come before Him.  We ought to check our motives, attitudes, grudges, conflicts at the door and navigate the deep, personal waters of our hearts.  We must set aside these sacred spaces within our hearts in order to ensure we aren’t people with divided hearts.  We do not want to miss experiencing His presence because we are too busy or too consumed with STUFF.

Questions to Ponder:
ponderAre You Missing Out?
Are you so busy that you actually dread Christmas?
Are Sunday services and other worship opportunities merely a afterthought?
How can you make this Christmas season count?
-There’s nothing specifically special about one specific day, but more people are open to Christ during this time of year.

What would happen if we listened more intently?

Don’t miss out on experiencing His Holy Presence or the opportunity to make a lasting impact on someone’s life because you find yourself too busy at this time of year.  Be intentional, be aware and be His Ambassador of grace and peace.

Something more to ponder today!
God Bless You!

 

 

Disclaimer: 
The views and opinions expressed on Pastorsponderings.org do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Salvation Army and are the sole property of Scott Strissel.  Thanks for reading!  

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The Syrian Refugee Crisis…And You!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
-Galatians 6:9

The Bad:

A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refug...A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refugee camp set in the town of Harmanli, south-east of Sofia on November 12, 2013. Bulgaria's asylum centres are severely overcrowded after the arrival of almost 10,000 refugees this year, half of them Syrian. The influx has fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment in a country already struggling with dire poverty. AFP PHOTO / NIKOLAY DOYCHINOVNIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refug…A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refugee camp set in the town of Harmanli, south-east of Sofia on November 12, 2013. Bulgaria’s asylum centres are severely overcrowded after the arrival of almost 10,000 refugees this year, half of them Syrian. The influx has fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment in a country already struggling with dire poverty. AFP PHOTO / NIKOLAY DOYCHINOVNIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images

Since the Syrian civil war took place five years ago, an estimated 4,000,000 (that’s MILLION) refugees have left the war-torn country.  Many have flooded into neighboring countries
It boggles the mind that there are countries in our world who would turn a blind eye to the plight of asylum seekers and refugees.  It has been reported that some of the wealthiest countries in the Middle East are doing nothing to help welcome foreign refugees from Syria.  The same can be said for some European countries as well.  Let’s call it for what it is.  This isn’t about fears of the economic mainframe and fears that a country can’t support a sudden influx of refugees.  This isn’t about resources at all, because either the EU would step in and help as would the United Nations.  In fact, just today one of the UN’s top officials said this current refugee crisis needs a global response (Source: UN Response To Current Crisis)   The refusal by some nations to help displaced Syrian families is abhorrent, wrong and despicable.   Apathy seems to be running rampant in parts of the world.  Self-interests are in play here, as is the practice of turning a blind eye and pretending it doesn’t really exist.  This is about inconvenience.  Some of this is also about ethnic and ideological differences.  Racism still exists.  Bigotry within cultures, religion and lifestyles still exist, and is alive and kicking.

The Good:

Fleeing bombardment of their village by Syria's Assad regime,
Fleeing bombardment of their village by Syria’s Assad regime, “Um Ali,” 38, as the mother of six children asked to be called, sits in the back of the cave they have found as their own shelter. The cave, just outside the village of al Sahriah, measures about 12 by 35 feet. (Andree Kaiser/MCT)

Germany was one of the first countries to step up and do something about this humanitarian crisis.
They have pledged to take up to 500,000 refugees a year!  That is amazing generosity, compassion and willingness to do something remarkable when others have turned a blind eye to the plight of these displaced families in need.
Now, the tide is (hopefully) turning – The Vatican has pledged support and is urging other nations and Christians to do the same.  Some countries, like the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and France are beginning to feel the pressure to offer more than just a band-aid solution but, perhaps a new home to many who are now homeless because of this horrific civil war.

More Still Remains To Be Done:

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - JANUARY 31: In this handout provided by the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Residents wait in line to receive food aid distributed in the Yarmouk refugee camp on January 31, 2014 in Damascus, Syria. The United Nations renewed calls for the Syria regime and rebels to allow food and medical aid into the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk. An estimated 18,000 people are besieged inside the camp as the conflict in Syria continues. (Photo by United Nation Relief and Works Agency via Getty Images)
DAMASCUS, SYRIA – JANUARY 31: In this handout provided by the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Residents wait in line to receive food aid distributed in the Yarmouk refugee camp on January 31, 2014 in Damascus, Syria. The United Nations renewed calls for the Syria regime and rebels to allow food and medical aid into the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk. An estimated 18,000 people are besieged inside the camp as the conflict in Syria continues. (Photo by United Nation Relief and Works Agency via Getty Images)

There is still hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who are seeking peace and a new home.
Syria is most notable war torn country in the news currently; but other places in the world are suffering the same fate year after year; places like Sudan – currently in South Sudan there are more than 600,000 refugees who have fled to the Southern boarders while another 1.5 million people are currently displaced and without a place to call home. (Source: South Sudan Refugee Exodus Continues)

What Can We Do?
How can we help?  We are just soldiers, people, seemingly little in our community…but we are wrong, we do have a voice and must make it heard!
We must continue to give a voice to those who do not have a voice.
We must fight for the powerless, the suffering, the homeless, the refugee, the trafficked sex slaves, the child soldier.
In this current crisis, and crises like it in our world, we must stand against injustice.

In the United States:
Write your state representative or better yet call them
Here is a list of their numbers – Phone Numbers To Call
Urge them to apply pressure to offer more support to the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

In Canada: 
Look up your local/governmental officials and apply pressure to help
Contact Information

In The United Kingdom:
Here are some rather current information as to what is being done in the UK –
FactSheet
But more can be done and you can urge your government officials.

I can’t list all of your wonderful countries here today but I would suggest that where ever you live, you must apply some pressure to your governmental units.  Remind them, urge them to help.  We cannot sit idly by while innocent men, women and children are displaced and are suffering.  Turning a blind eye is a conscious choice to not care.  Don’t allow apathy and selfishness to invade your heart!  Do something!

More resources and information:
The Salvation Army Assists Refugees
The Greek Salvation Army Caring For Refugees
UN Refugee Agency
CNN News Report

Something more to ponder today!

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