Dear Salvation Army – The Pathway Of Duty Is Agony Sometimes!

It is not our Salvation that keeps us Holy. It is but a component of this saving grace. It isn’t our intellect that saves us either. It is the work of Christ and the continuing fellowship of the Holy Spirit within us. We are but instruments of His peace, His love and His encouragement.

Times of Trial And Wounding:
There will be times when we are accused, slandered and wounded while serving Christ. I am not saying that we look for the opportunities to be persecuted or wounded, but they will indeed come our way if we are living out kingdom priorities as kingdom people!

There will be some who will stand in our way.
There will be some who will betray us along the pathway of duty.
There will be some who will laugh when we face out trials and wounds.
Some, even unknowingly, are ambassadors of hell as they entertain and execute malicious attacks on those who are faithful.

I am not saying we are perfect by any means.
We are all faulty, we are all in need of a daily washing of God’s grace upon us. Yet, if we choose to walk this narrow path and are led by the Holy Spirit, we will face opposition, persecution and wounds along the way. It is inevitable.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

I’m sorry, what was that?
Pure Joy? In the midst of trials of many kind?
That doesn’t sound like a joyful or fun opportunity does it?

Yet pain comes to us.
Faith produces greater faith and reliance on God, but the side-effect in this “growth process” (for lack of a better term) is that we will experience discomfort, trials and hurt along the way.

No Pain, No Gain…
I’m not a glutton for punishment, really I’m not…but I do know that there is a desired outcome to this “faith” thing. We wish to be more like Christ is every way! Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as afragrant aroma” (NASB)

Becoming an imitator of God will take a journey through pain and suffering. Why? Because our fallen world won’t allow it to happen. Because our fallen, old sinful selves and habitual wanderings will trip us up. Because imitating God and becoming like His son Jesus will take immense sacrifice…sometimes more sacrifice than most of us realize at the beginning of the journey.

We will suffer at the hands of others.
We will suffer at the hands of ourselves at times.
We will experience discomfort and even pain at the lengths in with we are called to sacrifice!

Without pain we will not gain our freedom within His holiness!
It sounds sadistic doesn’t it?
It’s not. It simply is.

Your Path Right Now…
How is the pathway of duty right now for you?
Are you experiencing any discomfort along the way?
Is it because you have had to make sacrifices?
Is it because you are at times alone in your convictions?
Is it because you have faced (or you are currently facing) persecution and ridicule from others and felt the sting of it?

We are soldiers of Christ.
We have been set apart for His holy purpose!
We will find ruts in the road. We will find agony, bruised shins, and distressed hearts at times along this journey.

Do you need to come the well of refreshing again?
He is able to refresh and restore you!
He is able to replenish your spent reserves.
He can and will carry you when necessary.
He wants to encourage us today and to spur us onward even in the midst of persecution, suffering and the onslaught of those who would see us destroyed because of this faith.

Be bold.
Be strong.
For the Lord your God is with you today! (Joshua 1:9)

Carry on and know you are loved, encouraged, and supported by the Father himself!

-Just something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

October 15, 2014 2

Dear Salvation Army: Why Quality Is Better Than Quantity

Jesus had more than 12 disciples…yet many left Him. (John 6:66)
Did Jesus call each one of these “AWOL” disciples? No.
Some joined the band later during the rise of Jesus’ popularity. But Jesus wasn’t looking for popularity. He hadn’t come to be lauded and complemented. He hadn’t come to start a Roman incursion. He came for so much more. He taught that purpose to His disciples, those with whom He confided in and hand-picked for such an important calling.

Dear Salvation Army, why is it that we feel it necessary at times to place quantity of soldiers and officers above quality? I don’t think anyone intentionally does this. I do not think we rush out and pick people off the street and throw uniforms on them just so we have “numbers” the next time the General or anyone else important in our Army comes to town. But we do see success within our Army as something of a quantitative thing don’t we?

Have we been going about this all wrong?
Could it be that instead of sheer numbers and all of these “Corps growth” initiatives we must first focus on the ones we already have in our pews who are undiscipled and unequipped for the battle? We serve many individuals who are marginalized and wounded by life. Some might be incapable of ever achieving the standards of “Christianity” that other churches expect of their parishioners. I have heard it said that the church is an emergency room for the sinner. It should be a place of triage and shelter for the broken and the imperfect. We serve many in our Army who not only need the spiritual emergency room but also long-term spiritual care! Some may never walk upright within the spiritual realms of leadership. Some may only crawl towards incremental spiritual achievements in their lives because they have been crippled by sin, shame and/or other spiritual, emotional and physical wounds in their lives. Can we accept them for who they are, where they are and mark these limited steps of growth? Are we patient enough to develop these wounded soldiers with grace, love and at times looooooooooooong-suffering? Or are we so focused on getting “others” more “capable”, desirable people into our corps buildings? We, unintentionally, stick up our noses at the uneducated, spiritually inept and broken cases already before us.

I don’t mean to make this an indictment because I too would wear a crown of guilt in this witch-hunt of pointing fingers. I too have walked the fine line of measurable growth and statistically accomplishments while unintentionally leaving the spiritually crippled of the corps in my dust. Shame on me. Forgive me.

What I’m Not Saying:
I’m not saying don’t seek out others to bring into your corps.
I am not saying don’t work to improve the spiritual conditions of your corps.
I am not saying don’t preach holiness and hold the standards high for all who come to the corps.

What I am Saying:
-Don’t forget those that God has already placed in your corps and on your ministry pathways.

-Don’t lose the emphasis on teaching and discipling your vital few who come week in and week out.

-Don’t lose heart when you look at statistical sheets and only see the same numbers associated with the same faces.

-Love your corps members even if they are incapable of loving you back (as hard as that may be).

-Be the very best representation of Christ to your corps, in your leadership and in your living examples.

-Don’t wait for more educated, better looking and polished people to come through your doors. Focus on the ones that God has placed within your ministry right now to love and to lead.

Why Quality is Better Than Quantity?
When we become satisfied and confident with loving and serving the few we take off the burden of false success driven ministry concepts. It’s not about packing your corps building to the brim every Sunday morning. It’s not about attempting another evangelistic ploy to rope the unchurched into your doors.

When we begin to love and to focus our attention upon those we already have within our corps (the “quality“, no matter how far from quality we may view our corps members) we will begin to truly love them, appreciate them, long to better disciple them, and serve them as Christ would the Church. When we focus our attention on the “few” and feed them spiritually, the love and “curb” appeal of our corps will become all the more evident in our communities.

We get it all wrong some times in our attempt to become like other churches. We look over the ministerial fences and long to be like “that” church that boasts 400 or more members on a Sunday. But the truth is we aren’t THAT church…we were never called to be THAT church. Our ministry and mission as the Army is very, very unique. Our mission will contain more elements of serving wounded soldiers day in and day out and maybe, just maybe we will see incremental or phenomenal life improvements both physically and spiritually. I am not discounting the work of the Holy Spirit here, He can and will perform miracles, and we must be diligent and faithful to His calling. Yet in other occasions we must also not give up on soldiers and corps members who never seem to move from their one position of initial conversion.

We know there is more to be had within the realms of spiritual growth and holiness for our corps members…but sometimes it may take a lifetime for that corps member to achieve this understanding as well. DON’T GIVE UP ON THEM! DON’T QUIT OR LOSE HOPE!

**Yes, fight for the weak, the hurting, the lost.
**Yes, keep up the evangelistic methods within your communities.
-But don’t forget to employ quality love, support and leadership to the few as well!

Just something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

October 13, 2014 0

Encouragement For A Soldier’s Heart…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this mama said” -(by Luther Dixon & Willie Denson)

Are you having one of THOSE days?

Our Troubles…
Our frustrations and troubles within this world look vastly different from the early church and that of Jesus’ disciples. Yet, this verse is for you and for me today. All too often we engage souls in these ministries that we are responsible for. All too often we hear other people’s problems and they become ours. It becomes a shared burden. We provide care, support and guidance to many within our flock. We feel the burden of these cares, and sometimes they weigh heavy on us.

Other times our troubles come by way of our calling. Sometimes the ministries we have been called to or placed in suddenly become a “dry and thirsty land” with very little by way of encouragement, support and hope. Sometimes instead of a passionate, flowing river of a numerically “successful” ministry we face a slim trickle of moderate or rare numeric success which makes us ponder the questions: “am I cut out for this?” and “what have I done wrong?“…and we face discouragement, disillusionment and even depression.

Still, on other occasions these troubles come by way of outward pressures in our communities or individualistic persecutions. Perhaps we face false teachers, or we must confront immorality within our church and when we do, we’re blasted as “judgmental” and shouted at with curses and graceless comments such as “how dare you, what gives you the right?” We question if we should have just let sleeping dogs lie but in our hearts we know it was the right thing to do and we did so with grace and love. Still…troubles from without and from within have left us wounded and discouraged.

About That Peace?…
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after telling them of not only His pending death but also of their pending troubles in the world…but there was hope. There is always hope in the Father. There is always hope in the Son. There is always hope in the Holy Spirit who guides us on this path. Have you ever heard the phrase “keep the main thing the main thing?” It alludes to the need for keeping the principle of our mission at the forefront of our minds.

Our Principle: The message of Christ (Messiah), the message of the cross, the message of salvation, of resurrection, of hope, of reconciliation, of love, and victory over sin and death.

When we keep “the main thing the main thing”, we realign ourselves with God and turn away from the problems of this world. Not that the problems of this world aren’t important, but rather, The Author of life itself takes His proper place in our priorities. From this place of understanding we then can look around our world and truly see how things are and how they could be. This is when we begin to see the world through the eyes of Christ because we are striving to live for Him alone. This is holiness. This is surrendering ourselves at the foot of the cross and then picking up our own crosses to follow Him.

Peace? What Peace?
Carrying our crosses and following Him (Matthew 16:24) doesn’t sound “peaceful” does it? Pain still exists. Hurtful accusations, slander and suffering will still occur. How could THIS be peaceful? One might ask. Perhaps “peace” means something differently than what we initially thought it to mean. It is certainly not the absence of conflict in our lives; for there is still conflict. It is not the absence of adversity, discouragement or suffering either; for we still encounter these on our path as well. Then what is this peace that Christ provides to us if it is not the absence of conflict? It is an eternal peace. A peace that transcends this temporal, mortal existence. It is a peace that alleviates the burdens of our former self as we embrace the image of Christ. It is a peace that resides in our lives because His Holy presence brings us assurance and hope. It is a peace that still passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7) yet conveys to us that we are not alone and we will overcome because He has overcome.

Dear Soldier…
Are you in need of that peace today in your life?
Are you facing discouragement, hopelessness and pain? You aren’t alone. You do not have to carry this burden by yourself. There is One who can provide you with this peace. Perhaps there is some realignment that must be done in your heart today. Perhaps we must go before the Father again with a penitent heart. Perhaps it is a simple yet constant prayer of “Lord use me and allow me to see evidence of You in my life.”

Be encouraged today! We are not alone. We are not abandoned. We are overcomers because Christ has overcome the world. Allow this peace to evident in your life today!

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

October 6, 2014 0

Dear Salvation Army – Friendly Fire!

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” -Winston Churchill

The Apostle Paul had to confront Peter…it wasn’t pretty, yet necessary. Confrontations still occur in the Church (big C)…sometimes it’s necessary, sometimes it is personality conflicts, sometimes it’s just plain sinful.

Questions: How can we tell the difference? How do we know when we’ve been a victim of friendly fire and what can we do about it?

It’s the painful memory of getting stabbed in the back.

Thoughts like “I thought you were my friend“, “I guess I finally see your true colors“, and “how could you? How could I be so blind and dumb?” run through your head but it still doesn’t eliminate the hurt and ache of the heart. It could take years for that sort of pain to finally fade away. Friendly fire causes hurts that no enemy could ever inflict because friends are closer, friend should be trusted, friends should have your back…not stab it.

Call me a cynic, but I’m no longer as naive as I once was. Friendly fire happens, and it is most definitely not absent from the church, let alone this army. When it happens we run the possibility of losing trust, every last bit of remaining trust in others including fellow comrades in this fight.

To the offenders of “Friendly Fire” –

Before You Pull The Trigger
What will it benefit?
Who is your target?
Why?
Is it motivated because of pride, power, ambition, a need to be right?
Is it motivated by righteous indignation? Will it help or hinder the mission of Christ?
Is it necessary? What will the fall out be? Have you prayed about this? Is this really what God would have you do?

This isn’t Black and White…
There is no simple answer here.
We cannot chalk every instance of “friendly fire” up to someone being right and someone being wrong. Pride and even arrogance sometimes plays a part in these tragedies. Wrong motivations tainted with pride, arrogance and rage should be called what it truly is – SIN.

Let’s face it, friendly fire can be an amazingly effective tool used by the Father of Lies to divide and conquer God’s people. Far too many incidents of friendly fire have been executed with ill intentions towards another part of the body of Christ. Brothers and Sister in Christ, THIS CANNOT BE! We cannot allow ourselves to be taken in by such a sickness. We are all sinners saved by grace, there is no one, no not one (Rom 3:10) who is perfect or holier than another saint in this Army. We are all still in need of redeeming and of this unmerited grace. We must come to the well of holiness daily…even moment by moment. When we fall victim to friendly fire whether we are the perpetrator or the one being shot, we reflect more of the world than we do of Christ.

Righteous Firings?
Yes. These do and should happen from time to time. Spiritual discipline is both scriptural and necessary if done correctly. They must be conducted with every ounce of grace and love that is humanly possible. But remember this: we are in the salvation and restoration business not the firing squad of judgement and damnation.

Disagreements and Personal Difference Of Opinion?
Yes. We are uniquely created. We possess various opinions and view points. We all grew up in many different home life scenarios and our worldviews have been shaped by these experiences. We will not always see eye to eye with each other on a vast realm of topics from politics, sports teams, favorite books, genres of music, artists, even practical thoughts on what “worship” looks like. We are all different…yet we are all unified by one amazing source of hope, liberation and love – Christ Jesus. Will we disagree from time to time? Absolutely. We will probably attempt to avoid these disagreements. We will probably squabble about our view points and sometimes struggle with the need to always be right…yet…be mindful of our unifier. Be mindful of our foundational cornerstone. Be mindful of how unique and diverse this body of Christ truly is.

From the Word:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

“I (Paul) appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:13-14

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8

Warning:
Be careful dear fellow soldiers in this great army of Salvation. Love each other. Be the best representation of Christ to your fellow comrades in this fight as you can be! Reflect Christ not only in the corps halls but in your daily lives. Pray about certain things like pride and arrogance in your life. We all struggle with these emotions and temptations from time to time. Take care to lift each other’s burdens up before the Lord in prayer. Think first before you pull the trigger on any kind of harmful action upon a fellow soldier, officer or adherent. Don’t allow Satan a foothold in this fellowship. Don’t become divided because of selfish desires or ambitions grounded in this fallen world. Instead be a source of hope and love. Rise above any and all malicious intent or evil action. Take charge of your life first and be led by the Lord in both word and deed. Live above any influence that is contrary to the lives that we are called to live as children of God.

Avoid friendly fire…forgive those who shoot you. That seems impossible, yet we hold the power to display Christ or the power to display our old ways of living…it’s our choice to make.

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

October 3, 2014 1

Dear Salvation Army – Two Roads Diverged…

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;”
(Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken)

Do you know what an intersection is? It is a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads…and in our case within The Salvation Army and every other Church, Movement, Organization – these “roads” of intersection represent one’s motivation for “signing up” or joining, our reason for remaining and our reason that we don the red trim and we call ourselves “Officers”.

I’m a picture kinda guy.
By that I mean I see things within snapshots or photographs. How things appear or ought to appear. If I can boil down the essence of something it can help me to process what I have seen and allow me to understand it. Are you a picture person too?

A colleague of mine posed this question to me and I thought I would ponder it, write it down, scatter its ashes around and piece the puzzle back together again…here goes.

The Question: “What are the intersections between being “employed” and being “deployed” in the context of a SA Officer?”

As I considered this question over and over again, it is assumed that there are multiple entry and exit points to such an intersection (e.g. “intersections”). Automatically I envisioned this picture of a four way intersection out in the country, a sapphire blue canvas sky, where all four roads diverged and then carried on their way out into the dusty, sunlit horizon.

I have written on a similar topic before – “Why I Quit Being Employed By The Salvation Army” but that was personal…to me this posed question is like a scientific dissection of sorts. We must take it slowly and layer by layer…again I’m thinking in pictures here.

To help us all understand and gain a clearer picture of this intersection of employment and deployment, we must take it picture by picture…and hopefully we can then decide what these intersections look like to us and where they lead.

The Intersection of Employment:
Within this pathway comes little by way of true passion for The Salvation Army and the mission. I will already assume someone will erroneously take this to mean that all “employment/employees” are the target of this dissection, but it is indeed not the case. I am speaking of primarily Officership of The Salvation Army and possibly potential future Officers.

Some would treat this “calling” as a place to gather a paycheck, a safe place to reside and bide their time until retirement or something better comes along. Others within the “employment” path would hinge all of their identities on their rank, their position, the power. Some who either consciously or subconsciously view their position within the Army as “employment” and attempt, at all cost, to climb the corporate/organizational ladder. When this ideological view point (either by intention, circumstance, or unintentional means) occurs the passion for one’s calling and the intention of fulfilling the Army’s mission and that of Christ’s great commission goes out the window. God forbid we find ourselves there, but if we do I pray that it becomes the crossroads to either realignment and course adjustment or an exit from the mission of The Army.

Do not misunderstand me here, I do not mean to say this is an easy fix nor can it be summed up simply with nice pretty pictures of a country intersection. It is certainly a complicated matter to discuss. Much should be done within one’s own personal time of soul-searching and a diligent prayer life. But…if we are simply employed by This army of salvation and we no longer possess the desire to serve the lost in Christ’s name, and our heart no longer belongs to its mission, then perhaps it is time to consider moving on. I do not say this lightly, but we cannot afford to become so top heavy with administrators while the well runs dry with salvation servants humbly willing to serve anywhere regardless of power, position and pride. (This is a gut punch to even my own ego and pride)

We ought to recognize that though we are an organization we are also a movement and a church (Cue the dissenters out there, sorry a continued discussion for another time). That being said, though structurally we possess the infrastructure of every other “top-down” organizational blueprint, we are an Army of Salvation hell bent of pull lost souls from the fires of hell and standing up for those without a voice. Therefore, all of Salvation Soldiers are called to serve and all are called to be holy and to possess within them a heart for Christ which extends outwardly towards others.

The Intersection of Deployment:
This is the seldom traveled route. I have long stood upon such a crossroads. I cannot conceal this or hide the fact that there have been times that I have taken a detour, driven for a mile or two on the route of employment…looked guiltily in the rear view mirror as dust plumes engulfed and temporarily obscured my view of the path that I knew I should have traveled a little while longer upon…

It should be noted that it is far easier to travel the employment route. It is far easier to sleep at night having put to bed the mission of the army, when lights have been extinguished in the tidy offices, and after the corp’s doors are locked and the parking lot has emptied. When we have compartmentalized what we do from 9 to 5 from who we are “off the clock”. This route paints a smoother road to travel on. To become “deployed” often takes us upon the rougher roads, with numerous potholes and disturbing setbacks. We face other people’s pains, heartaches and regrets. We come face to face with failure because we risk much and are willing to “go the extra mile” down this seemingly deserted road.

The path is littered with blown tires and wounded travelers. It resembles battle and war and often takes us to many a dark place where the lost are aimlessly wandering seeking guidance and direction.

Dear Salvation Army, this is the road less traveled because it is not easy, it is not desirable, it is not glamorous…and yet to journey upon it is to imitate how Jesus walked and lived. To be frank, it is saying “to hell with prestige, power, image, perceptions…and to hell with pursuits of selfish gains”, while saying “yes to humility, holiness, selflessness and Christ-like gains.” It is whispering a prayer chorus in our hearts “to be like Jesus this thought possesses me, in spirit and in deed, like Him I’ll be“; while reclaiming, from selfishness, that swampy quick-sand, getting our feet stuck kind of battle ground which is located in our minds and causing a spiritual paralysis and a stubbornness of will.

Questions for us to ask and answer within ourselves:
-Am I traveling upon the road of employment or deployment?
-Am I thriving upon the intersection of power, comfort, complacency?
-Why do I serve within this Army?
-Am I currently traveling upon the right road in my life, in my spiritual walk, in my Officership?
-Is it my life-long mission to be like Jesus and to serve and live for Him?
-How does this effect everything else I am and what I do?

I know there are other callings in life.
I recognize that The Salvation Army isn’t the only path to serve the Lord within.
I also understand that sometimes we will not always see eye to eye with policy and leadership…yet where does that leave us? Where are we going? Why do we do what we do as Officers…and even Soldiers?

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
(Robert Frost)

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

October 1, 2014 0

Dear Salvation Army – Highway To The Danger Zone? Pt. 2

“I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” -General William Booth

Yesterday we explored the first part of this quote by General William Booth “Danger Zone” Part 1 – “…religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance…”

Today we will explore the last portion of this seemingly prophetic quote. I would like to note however, that General William Booth is not the end all and be all of what it means to be a Christ-follower. I don’t mean that to sound disparaging or diminish what He and Catherine were able to accomplish in their ministry as co-founders of The Salvation Army. I simply wish to state that although I believe this statement to be true and even prophetic William and Catherine were far from perfect themselves. They did their best, they were good stewards of what God had given them, although I personally find their militant, staunch treatment of their children and officers to be lacking at times in compassion and forgiveness…but I digress. (See this article for further discussion on the Booth Family: A Good Father?)

I only wish to point out that though I believe Booth hits the nail on the head with this quote he also, like all of us, was imperfect and fallible. To point this out simply means that we all still struggle with life and temptation, but as children of God we are all called for a higher, holy purpose.

Politics Without God.
I must be careful here so as to not offend anyone. What I take this to mean is this: I believe all authority on earth has been allowed to exist by a sovereign God who holds ultimate authority over everything that He has created. Any political system in our world, no matter how good or bad, falls under God’s sovereignty. As children of God and as Salvationists we are called to be proactive in our outreach to the marginalized, the outcast and the poor. Presenting Christ’s grace and compassion even through social and political pressure on governmental bodies. Booth worked closely with certain political leaders to improve human labor conditions in Victorian England. Defending those who have no voice should be part and parcel with our identities as not only Salvationists but as Christ-followers. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.‘” (Matthew 25:35, 40)

Today, injecting God into politics is a touchy subject, but there are many worthy causes to fight for. For example, the blight of human slavery and sexual trafficking in our world is often an unseen but active evil that causes many innocent to suffer and die. Currently, The Salvation Army has called for an International Day of Prayer (Click on hyper link)for the victims of Human Trafficking. Here are additional resources that we can use to help fight this crime upon humanity: IHQ Resources

There are many other ways in which we can include our faith in Jesus Christ within our local and national political platforms. We should, first of all, be diligent in prayer as we ask the Lord for guidance and wisdom before we take any kind of action. Be discerning and wise. Take a stand to help the innocent and defend the marginalized. Do it with intent and love. Show respect for every political leader regardless if you like them or not. Living a holy life means that we are to conduct ourselves as imitators of Christ. Be mindful that we ought to take action in our world and to be proactive in such vital causes, not because ingrained family-learned political alignings but because we care for others and wish to “win the world for Jesus”!

Heaven without Hell
I do not wish for we Salvationists to consider Satan to be equal to the goodness and sovereignty of God. There is no equality here. No ying and yang. God has already claimed victory over sin and death through the blood of Jesus Christ. Yet we still live within a fallen world. There is certainly evil in our world. All we have to do to see it is turn on the nightly news. We live in uncertain times. Yet I believe that when Jesus stated the kingdom of heaven is here, He didn’t just mean that He was the kingdom, but that we could live as kingdom people in the here and now! There is real hell on earth for many people still today. There are also consequences for rejecting God…but it is our choice to choose Him or reject him which brings upon our personal and even eternal hell. I believe that God does not want to punish His creation, and so He extends His grace far beyond any kind of grace mankind can comprehend or imitate.

Our 11th doctrine of The Salvation Army is probably the hardest for us to grasp when it comes to us viewing God’s grace along side with that of God’s judgement:

“We believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked.”

There are positive and negative consequences to the choices that we make here on earth. How we live our lives makes a difference. How we conduct ourselves within the knowledge and practice of holiness contains eternal consequences. I would like to state here also that we should be careful in how we judge others.

“”Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

This doesn’t mean that we do not hold each other accountable within our faith. We ought be be diligent in this which must be represented and enacted with love and care of our fellow soldiers and officers and adherents.

Is eternal separation from God His desire? NO!
Is it possible to choose to live without God? YES!
Are there eternal consequences to such a choice? YES!
Heaven and Hell? Yes…but I am convinced that these eternal “destinations” are not truly how we see Heaven and Hell depicted in our society today and through representations of it by various Romantic and Renascence authors.

Hell exists just as Heaven exists here and now. In how we live, in what we choose in this life, and in whom we serve.

Heaven = a life lived for God, devoted to God and paved for us by Christ alone, also an eternal destination which is eternal life lived with Christ.
Hell = choosing to reject God, devoted to selfish desires alone and paved for us by hatred, rebellion and sin. Eternally speaking – separation from God and an eternal life lived apart from Christ.

There is so much more to discuss within this topic of heaven and hell. I believe General Booth states this correctly. It is human nature to want to view God as completely merciful and gracious and loving while choosing to reject any kind of consequence to unfaithfulness and open rebellion towards Him. I believe this is specifically directed first at the Church and The Salvation Army. How can we ever expect win the world for Jesus if we cannot place Him first in our lives in all and through all that we do? Secondly, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. Keep the standards high in OUR living just as God’s children are to be salt and light, a city on a hill to be seen what godly living looks like. Again, we cannot afford to live and preach wishy-washy watered down versions of the message of the cross. Redemption, love and salvation are available to the whosoever, and it is our duty as an Army of Salvation to continue to bring the lost to Christ through the power of The Holy Spirit.

Was this quote by General William Booth prophetic? I believe so.
Are we, as The Salvation Army, called to this higher, holy calling? Absolutely!

Dear Salvation Army Solider
– Keep the banner high!
-Keep Christ at the center of all that we do!
-Keep striving to live and be holy just as Christ was indeed holy.
-Shine the light of God’s holiness throughout the world.
-Do not lose the fight in your heart – Christ has already claimed this victory for all who would seek Him.

Something more for our Army to ponder today. To God be the glory!
Do you agree? Do you have something more to add? Let’s continue this conversation together! Responses and feedback are always welcome. Please add your comments and responses below. Thanks for reading!

September 26, 2014 3

Dear Salvation Army – Highway To The Danger Zone? Pt. 1

We stand on a precarious precipice as an Army of Salvation.
Conformity and capitulation knock at our door.
Our identity is often muddied in the waters of societal perceptions.
We are still a fledgling movement.
We are still a young Army in comparison to other much older establishments and even denominational entities.

Was Booth prophetic in describing the coming century? We are certainly beyond that specific century now but does it still apply? I believe so!

-The Dangers that Booth mentioned:

Religion without The Holy Ghost (Spirit):
There is a danger here to leave little room for the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on us today. We plan everything to the tee and we stringently arrange our time and, if we are not careful, we run the risk of closing the door on the Holy Spirit altogether. That doesn’t mean that He cannot still move, but when His people stop looking to Him for guidance and direction because we are far too preoccupied with appearances, policies and procedures we will begin to seek the power of people instead of God. We are a holiness movement. We were born of this theological element and we cannot abandon or lose our grip on its fundamental truth – the power of the Holy Spirit can and will guide, direct, empower and chastise and convict. We are not a holiness movement because we are stuck in this identity, but rather that this identity is how and where He has called us to exist and serve. To lose this element of who we are and the importance of holiness, we will have lost our way in the process. We practice more than just “religion”. For me this context offers more ritual than relationship. With the inclusion of the Holy Spirit we will always have crucial element of relationship in all that we do and all that we are.

Christianity Without Christ:
As silly as it sounds without Christ in “Christianity” all we would have left in practice is “anity” as in “that’s total insanity!
Christ is the cornerstone, the head of the body. Without Him we have nothing. Without Christ in our mission statement and within our vision statements as The Salvation Army, we are just another social service agency. It is like pulling the foundation up from a structure and expecting it to stand…it’s just not going to happen. Yet, what does happen when we stop professing Christ and that of His love, grace and redemption within our corps buildings and in our services? Are we more afraid of losing funding than we are of losing our faith? I am not proposing we shove “religion” down people’s throats, but I am proposing we stop hiding the fact (if we are hiding it) that we are a part of the body of Christ! Without Him we can do nothing! (John 15:5) Empty worship and empty practice is not who we are. It should never be something that we aspire to become as an Army. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:37-29

Forgiveness Without Repentance:
Grace is a free gift.
Yet gifts that are not accepted and employed are void. Jesus stands ready to offer forgiveness to all yet there is an action step for all who would receive that forgiveness – True repentance. “We believe that repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.” (Doctrine #7, The Salvation Army)

We cannot fully preach or teach the Word of God without the call for genuine repentance. Sin is real and we “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) It is imperative that a component of our “heart to God, hand to man” include the plea for all to seek forgiveness of sin. This is not something new for most of us. We understand this, yet have we washed down our doctrines or preached wishy-washy sermons because we fear offending people? What happened to boldness and truth? What happens if we without the truth of redemption which includes repentance? We could inadvertently be misrepresenting Christ and His mission for us…and God help us if we do!

Do you know why Jesus dealt more harshly with the teachers of the law than He did with the common person? Because these teachers knew better and yet they lived hypocritical lives – condemning others while they themselves were living inconsistently and sinfully. We, as purveyors of The Truth must be careful that we do not exclude this call for repentance while at the same time living penitent and holy lives day after day.

To Be Continued…
Tomorrow I will continue this conversation on the “Highway to the danger zone” (sorry Top Gun fans…now you’ll be humming that song). We will again this quote and discuss “salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”

More for our Army to ponder today! To God be the glory!

September 25, 2014 2

Opening Our Eyes

“Opening up our eyes”
By Captain Scott Strissel

“…this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” -2 Corinthians 4:4

Have you ever seen those air freshner commercials? It is the commercial where blind folded people are placed in very cluttered, dirty rooms that have been sprayed with this air freshner product. Surprisingly, the blind folded people could not detect the state of their surroundings as the air freshner covered up any trace of foul odors. Once the blind folds are removed, those who had been blinded are surprised and also revolted by the cluttered, smelly things around them. Because of their temporary blindness they were oblivious or aware.

Sin has a way of blinding us all as well. In that state of blindness we are oblivious to our surroundings and just how bad it truly is. We can cover it up for a time, we can pretend it is something other than what it truly is, but eventually we have to open our eyes and see. We have to look around and wake up. Sin tries to convince us that things are okay when in fact things certainly are not. We can’t cover up our sins. We cannot live these blinded lives anymore. We must wake up and allow God to clean our cluttered hearts. Let God open our eyes today! -Just a thought.

September 15, 2014 0

Mark Driscoll Was Right…

Questions some of you might be thinking about right now having read the title:
“What was Mark Driscoll right about?”
“Did I miss something?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Barf, barf, barf…what?”
“Has this blog and its writer joined the dark-side?”

The Preamble:

Let me clarify what Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church was right about before the pitchforks come out and the mobs with torches attack.
We all know him because of the recent news stories and the controversy surrounding his ministry in the recent years. If you have been living under a rock or haven’t really cared one way or another, here’s a link to read up on: Driscoll Controversy

I am not here to throw more fuel on the funeral pyre of Pastor Driscoll’s ministry. I think there are plenty of bloggers out there who are doing a bang up job in that department…maybe a little too much. I do not wish to become a bitter blogger who dances and celebrates whenever a “celebrity Christian” falls from grace. I pray that this never becomes my identity or the identity of this blog http://www.pastorspondering.org.

Mark Driscoll’s response – Update from Mark Driscoll

Here’s what Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church got right:
Mars Hill Church was founded in 1996 and has since become the largest multi-church “Mega Church” in the United States.

Why did they grow so fast?
What was their secret?

Mars Hill Church understood and was a major catalyst for the Emergent Church movement. Along with its modernistic church/rock feel they had a way of connecting with younger generations of our country. They were able to plug tech-savvy generations into a very relevant God with whom they could relate to and understand. Mars Hill Church, not just Mark Driscoll, branched out and created a relevant heavy worship music driven service(s) to reach the young adult/single adult communities in over 5 states. At their peak they had a weekly attendance of over 12,000 members. They were successful at being cutting edge. They were willing to take risks. They were creating other disciples and branching out through small groups and para-churches…they. got. evangelism. right.

What We Can Learn From Them:
There is much to learn from Mars Hill Church and other churches out there who have been very successful at reaching people for Jesus. There should be something good to take away from such ministries. Are there downsides? Negative implications? Controversy and inaccurate/jumbled up theologies? Yes, yes and yes.

But…

Could we be more cutting edge?
Could we take more risks in evangelism and discipleship?
Do we develop leadership based ministries that cultivate and grow additional disciples and leaders?

Another lesson to draw from Mars Hill Church in my opinion is this:
Success is not solely about numbers.
We can play the statistics game. We can do “splashy” events to draw in a few extra families…but is it only about sheer numbers of attendees? No.

Success in ministry is about being faithful to the place(s) God has called your ministry to be. If He has called you to minister to a senior citizen demographic then minister to those seniors through relevant and dynamic methods that will be suit them. If God has called you to minister to the outcasts and rejects in society, then prepare relevant and hard hitting applicational methods to best suit the down and out. Where God has called us, we must respond and be willing to step up and extend a hand to all who would hear and receive.

From Discoll to Willow Creek – Change is tough!
A few years ago (2008) Mega Church Willow Creek recognized that their ministries needed to have a “re-alignment” from Seeker-Sensitive services to developing a more mature discipleship growth initiative (to read more on this, see this article: Willow Creek’s change). This adjustment took guts and could have been seen as a detriment to their ideology and mission as a church…but they took this step anyway.

I am not trying to lump Willow Creek in with Pastor Mark Driscoll here. But what I am attempting to do is display the need for change in any church regardless of where God has placed us. We cannot operate in the long term using the same tools we first began with. Perhaps for Mars Hill Church the old tool here is Pastor Mark Driscoll…perhaps a long term change requires a new identity and new leadership…I don’t know, I’m just spit-balling here.

When it comes to change there are some truths here to be grasped:
Life changes. Times progress. Culture and society changes. I also do not believe that the Holy Spirit is ever static in reaching out into our brokenness and restoring shattered lives. We too should recognize the pivotal moments when change must take place. We too ought to be prepared to move when the Holy Spirit tells us to move.

Can we learn something from Mars Hill Church? Yes.
Can we learn something from the whole Mark Driscoll debacle? Yes.
Are we willing to adjust our ministries and are we prepared to move when the Holy Spirit moves us?…..um…maybe? I don’t know if we truly are. I’m just being honest. I can’t say that we are really prepared for such a venture. It’s scary. Change is frightening to a lot of people. Risks also have their downside which is known as failure. Are we prepared to face failure?…I don’t think we truly are.

My Two Cents:

Mark Driscoll, Lief Moi and Mike Gunn did something right when they founded Mars Hill Church. They longed to engage a younger generation. They took risks…and they adjusted and changed. I cannot say that I agree with Driscoll’s stance on a lot of topics, especially Women in Ministry, his use of language (in the past), his treatment of former staff members, his use of mission funds… I cannot say that I am all too pleased with what has taken place on either side of this debacle in Seattle…honestly it’s quite sad for the Church (big ‘C’). I also know that I have no right to judge. I also know that I am not in any position to criticize, but I would rather err on the side of grace, prayer and compassion than I would on harsh judgement, negative responses and name calling.

Jesus was very harsh with certain teachers of the law in His day. He did not hold back…but He was also God’s Son. He understood what people were thinking and He cut to the quick when dealing with judgmental, hypocritical law abiding scholars. I sure don’t want to end up on the wrong side of that conversation with my Lord. That is why I think it prudent to prayerfully point out inaccurate theological teachings. We should conduct ourselves with prudence and respect while attempting to live out holiness practically and reverently. Does that mean there isn’t room for debate, constructive criticism and disagreement? No, not at all…just be careful because in the process we may miss out on or overlook some very teachable moments.

Just something more to ponder today.
Okay, now you can light your fires and hoist your pitchforks. 😉

September 8, 2014 1

Dear Salvation Army – Hell?…No!

“We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.” (Salvation Army Doctrine # 6)

People are going through hell right now.
Sometimes life choices and wrong decisions lead to hell on earth.
Sometimes hell breaks loose upon the innocent by others or financial woes and health issues.

Hell is alive and well here on earth.
But…

Does it have to be? NO!

You see, though hell in the realms of eternity is “eternal separation from God”, there are many, many people who are enduring hell while they live here and now. Suffering is real. Sin is real. Sorrow, anguish, guilt, pain…all real. What can we do about this hell on earth? Are we not called to do something? Are we not called to offer compassion and care?

Who is the whosoever?

It was you and me.
It might have been our Moms and Dads, our brothers or sisters.
It is that neighbor across the street.
It is that person who comes to our food-shelf.
The drug addict who is on his fourth round of rehab.
It is anyone who is living through hell right now and wants to be saved from it.

Jesus came to free us from hell both on earth and after earth.
He came to redeem us from certain death because of sin.
He chose to willingly die in our place and His blood makes us clean.
Jesus died for the whosoever…regardless of the depths of sin and decay in the heart.

What if I’m not good enough to save?
This question is such a lie. Don’t buy this lie!
“For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
That’s right…ALL. Everyone one of us is not good enough. Everyone of us has fallen short, messed up, screwed up, royally wasted every opportunity and burned every bridge in our wake. It is for everyone who has thought hope – should never, could never be ours…but it is!
Jesus has saved you. You don’t have to be good enough…we will never be good enough to save ourselves. Jesus comes to our level and plucks us from our own personal hells. He can do that for others as well.

Dear Salvationist, people around our corps buildings and other places that we hang our shield and crest…some people around our neighborhoods are going through horrific hells right now. We can help! We should help! This isn’t some sort of social fellowship without an outward reaching – NO! We are called to be Christ’s hands and feet and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, help extinguish the flames of hell in peoples lives today. We have this sacred duty to perform. We are charged with not only the souls of our brothers and sisters in uniform, but in the soul care of the helpless, downtrodden, the outcast and the poor. All of whom have experienced hell on earth. All of whom may never have felt the soft touch of compassion and love before. Who may initially spurn our efforts and attempts to help because they fear we have ulterior motives because that is what the world has taught them through hard lessons.

Sin and death and hell are here and now. People aren’t required to wait to reap these rewards in some sort of horrific afterlife punishment because they are enduring them now.

Beware of Hardened Hearts and Apathetic Care!
We minister to many who have been marginalized and cast out from society. Many carry with them that bitterness from hard living. Dear Soldier, it would be very easy to become angry with such a soul. It could sometimes be very justifiable. We serve many who might take advantage of our gifts of compassion, and yet because of God grace that we have firmly accepted, we cannot in good conscience and love, harden our hearts and provide empty apathetic care to those in need. We may be the only light of Christ in a world of hell that they see. Take every opportunity to share that light! Take every opportunity you have to rescue these poor souls from their own personal hells.

Can we leave a poor wretch in such a condition if we have the power to transform lives in Jesus name? I say ‘no we can’t’!
Hell is more than some fire-pit of punishment doled out on the wicked at the end of all things. Hell is here and now among us. Hell’s flames of sin has decimated families, wrecked havoc on the hearts of men and women and Satan would love to convince us that there is nothing that we can do to help extinguish such a fire. Don’t buy that lie! We are witnesses for Jesus! We can live as kingdom people here and now, and in so doing we can say to Hell – NO! While we aid our poor brothers and sisters who are without hope by employing the Holy Spirit as our guide and strength.

“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

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7-7

“Storm the forts of darkness, bring them down, bring them down!
Storm the forts of darkness, bring them down, bring them down!
Pull down the devil’s kingdom,
Where’er he holds dominion,
Storm the forts of darkness, bring them down.
Glory, honor to the Lamb,
Praise and power to the Lamb;
Glory, honor, praise and power,
Be forever to the Lamb.”
(Storm the Forts of Darkness, Robert Johnson 1884)

Something more for our army world to ponder today…to God be the glory!
“Go for souls…and go for the worst!”

September 5, 2014 2

Category: Christ