A Call To Revolution – A Letter to the youth of The Salvation Army (Prepare for battle)

Dear Junior Soldier, Senior Soldier and Corps Cadet, this Army that you are growing up in is a living and breathing organism. The purpose that I write this letter to you is to encourage you and to remind you that The Salvation Army is made up of more than just people but it is also and primarily a mission and a cause for Christ! I humbly acknowledge that it is at times faulty and flawed. I also acknowledge that there will be times that its soldiers and even officers are flawed. We are all sinners saved by grace, yet holiness is not always everyone’s first priority in their identity as people and soldiers of God.

That being said, there are a few instructions I would like to leave with you as you develop and grow as first of all a child of God and secondly a soldier of our Army.

These instructions are as follows:

1. Never waver in your faith (1 Corinthians 16:13).

We all have to grow up in this world. There are a lot of pressures and traps that as we grow older, become more and more appealing. Temptations abound and as we mature with age we may begin to question the very foundations of our faith. Some within our culture(s) may even tell you that what you grew up believing about the bible are very nice stories but that is all that they are. DON’T BUY THE LIE! Don’t let doubts consume you and especially be mindful of the fact that there so many people living contrary to scripture that they would love you to join them in order to justify their lifestyles and choices. Don’t allow Satan to muddy the waters of morality and these Christ-like teachings that you are learning…keep them close! As proverbs tells us, “Guard your hearts!” (Proverbs 4:23)

Also remember that though you may feel all alone at times because of this stand that you take for the cause of Christ, “Be strong and courageous!” (Joshua 1:9) You are called to be a mighty warrior for God, and you ARE NOT ALONE! God is and has equipped you for this spiritual war…so take confidence and never waver in your faith!

2. Don’t forget the purpose we fight on! (Ephesians 6:12)

The battle that is waged in this world, as the apostle Paul so aptly put is ‘not against flesh and blood’. The battle is very much a spiritual war! And so many people are trapped within the confines of sin in this world, and if you are a soldier of God your objective is to be used by the Holy Spirit for the purposes of setting captives free. We CANNOT do this in our own strength, nor by our own mortal wisdom. We are mere conduits of Him who has sent us. Don’t forget who has sent you and why we must soldier on! Sin is the ultimate slaver and is Satan’s primary tool. It is powerful and effective in a lost and dying world…but we who know the truth, we have been set free! Christ has, by his blood and death, redeemed us and delivered us from this destructive path. And since Christ has called all of us to this truth and then commanded us to ‘go into all the world’(Mark 16:15)…we must go! We must fight on!

BUT…

3. As Revolutionary Soldiers of God, use Revolutionary/Evolutionary Weapons! (2 Corinthians 10:4)

You probably didn’t have a choice growing up where you would worship. You became a member of The Salvation Army most likely because your family came here…but know that this Army IS/SHOULD be a living and breathing organism. By that I mean, the methods by which we convey the gospel of Jesus Christ ought to continue to be revolutionary and evolutionary! If we are truly using these ‘heavenly weapons’ then we MUST rely on The Holy Spirit to guide us and equip us, thereby making us effective in this fight. At times, the conduits by which we have employed these spiritual weapons need to change. It is most certainly a fine line between relevancy and complete world immersion. BE CAREFUL! That as we employ these revolutionary tactics through evolutionary means that we do not lose our focus and become so like the world that we look nothing like Christ any longer.

That being said, you are the current pulse of a whole new generation! The revolutionary methods we once employed, a generation ago, have become common place and static. Therefore BE THE PULSE of Christ to your generation! Employ new methods of ministry and evangelism in this Army that so desperately needs an adrenaline shot of passion once again!

If we are to survive as The Salvation Army that God intended, WE NEED YOU to revolutionize and make waves of change in an Army that has somewhat lost its forward momentum. The Message of Christ is still relevant and vital to this world, but the methods by which we relay His love and grace has to continue to reach an ever evolving society and culture. Proponents who insulate and protect traditions in our Army might argue that we don’t need to change and that we must plod on as we have always done…this line of thinking only serves to preserve what we’ve done in the past but doesn’t help to invest in what we will do in the present and the future. WE MUST NEVER lose sight of where we’ve been and our rich heritage that we have inherited, BUT WE MUST BE UNAFRAID to risk much for the faith and cause of Christ! This must be our identity as an Army if we are to survive and continue the battle God has placed us in.

Dear Junior Soldier, Senior Soldier and Corps Cadet member, I conclude this note to you with a word of encouragement:

Stand firm, be brave and never lose sight of the war that we wage as an Army. Don’t let the internal battle, both in your heart and in the Organization discourage you or cause you to flee the cause! Fight on and keep your focus on ‘Others’! Use revolutionary means and evolutionary tactics to claim victories in the hearts of the lost. And lastly, you are not a soldier who is by yourself in the midst of battle…never forget that! There are other soldiers and officers who will gladly join you on the front lines…and if they fail to or abandon you they should be considered ‘unfit for duty’…move on and recruit others to soldier on beside you, keeping one another accountable through love and grace and purpose.

You are our future and present…gear up and prepare for battle!

Sincerely,

A Captain in this Army and ongoing war!

June 27, 2013 1

Attention: People Pleasers…it’s pointless.

When it is all said and done, our feeble meanderings and our efforts of people pleasing will be meaningless…in the grand scheme of things and in God’s glory if we have not lived as servants first and spent our time sharing the grace of God with others we will have little or nothing to show of our earthly efforts and endeavors. -Just a thought.

June 25, 2013 0

“Don’t let my son die!”

There are no lengths in which a parent will go to in order to save their child! Few things in this world terrify a parent more than the threat of an illness or death of their child. As a parent, my worst nightmare in this world is that something would happen to one of my children. We love them dearly and we want them to live long, healthy lives free of harm and illness.

Such was the case of a royal official. His story is found in John 4:43-54. Jesus was back at the place where He had performed His first miracle at a wedding feast. The wine is long dried up, yet memories of this epic event still linger. Hearing the news that Jesus, the healer, was back in the area of Galilee, this royal official traveled twenty miles to find Him. Leaving his sick child behind in this last ditch effort to heal him, the royal official is desperate. As a parent I can imagine his heart wrenching panic and fear. His son, whom he loves, is dying. The distance is great, and yet if Jesus can heal him it will be worth it.

Finding Jesus, this worried father begs Him to come and heal his sick boy. With tears streaming down his face and panic in his eyes he makes his plea to Jesus. “Come! My son is dying!” This desperate man is facing his worst fear and not so much with his words, but with his eyes he is pleading with Jesus; “please don’t let my son die!”

Others are gathered there too. Listening and waiting expectantly for Jesus to do something…something miraculous. Jesus looks at them and sighs. They don’t understand who He is. Their Messiah is standing right there in their midst and yet they still do not believe. He says to them, “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders you will never believe.” There is certain sadness in His words. Jesus understands them all too well, and has struck at the heart of their disbelief.

For a moment, at the words of Jesus, this royal official is afraid He will not come. There is a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as this last hope seemingly appears to evaporate. Prompted by this momentary panic, he implores Jesus one last time; “Lord, please come before my son dies.” Jesus looks at this frightened father and says; “You may go, your son will live.”

The father feels relief as he hears Jesus say those words. ‘Could it be? Is my son really healed?’ He hurries off to find out, taking Jesus at His word. The twenty mile journey will take him over a day to reach home. Yet while on the homeward trek his servants meet him. They confirm this long distance miracle: his son is healed and very much a live! What joy must have filled his heart! His fears relieved, his son’s health restored! A parent’s nightmare is lifted and is replaced with a dream come true!

This is what Jesus does. The healer of the sick, the resurrector of the dead brings us hope and a chance at new life! To any parent, this is a relief. But to all Jesus comes and longs for everyone to believe in Him. He can perform a miracle in your life. He still heals and binds up the wounds of the sick, and He can still put broken lives back together again. For this royal official, Jesus provided healing for his dying son. For all of us, Jesus can and will provide the restoration that we need in our lives.

June 25, 2013 0

Sermon Podcast: “Living for God” by Captain Scott Strissel

New Sermon Podcast is up follow it here: http://scottstrissel.podomatic.com/entry/2013-06-23T11_08_34-07_00

1 Peter 4:7-11 (NIV)
⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Sermon Transcript:

Living For God

How to live consistently as a Christian:

1) Be Clear__ Minded__ (v7)

Clear minded implies that we can’t be of two minds about our faith in Jesus…it’s either all in or nothing! Peter is reminding us that our commitment to God is complete not just a portion but everything…body soul and mind.

Do you have doubts? Do you struggle with worry? Are you fearful that you aren’t good enough for this cause of Christ? Wrong…don’t let second guessing hold you back either! The mind can be a battle ground that Satan likes to prowl, but if we allow him access he will give you doubt, give you uncertainty of your mission and cause you to doubt you were even called in the first place!

2)Be Self-Controlled (7b)

Secondly in order to live for God you have to be disciplined. That’s what self-control means. How do you control what you put into this body of Christ? How do you maintain your devotion life with God? How do you continue to live for Him and be clear-minded? You have to exercise self-control and be disciplined. Our lives can be chaotic at times, we may get so busy that we forget to pray or read His word and that’s when we can starve our spirit. Did you know that our spirits require sustenance? How else can we continue to live for God if we’re not reading what He has said to us? How else can we continue to live for God if we aren’t feasting on his promises and finding peace with His still small voice? Why are we to be disciplined?

Why? so that you can Pray!(v7)

We some- times doubt prayer…and its effectiveness. We sometimes doubt that prayer is really THAT vital. Have you ever had someone tell you that they would pray for you? Have you ever felt the effects of people gathered together to pray for you? Sometimes we treat prayer as if it is a secondary after thought. We pray to get ourselves out of trouble…we pray when times get difficult, but do we actually treat prayer as a primary weapon?

Do you consider prayer to be a primary weapon? IF you haven’t before I would like for you to consider the potency and power of prayer! Prayer is vital but it shouldn’t just be used as a reactive weapon…you know what I mean by reactive don’t you? Prayer shouldn’t be something we just do when something bad happens to us…or happens to someone else. Prayer ought to be a proactive discipline we should strive to hone in our own life. Instead of prayer being a reactive thing that we do, we should instead pray over every area of our lives… “Lord thank you for my family, how blessed I am that you have given me this group of dysfunctional people…” Ok maybe not quite like that…but you get what I’m saying? Pray for people and reflect on the blessings that God has given you! When we arm ourselves with proactive prayer…do you know what takes place? We have placed everything already at God’s feet! We essentially are saying the Lord’s prayer when we do this in that we’re stating in our actions “Lord, thy will be done…in all of my life!” Living for God implies that our conversations with God are not just reactionary prayers of petition…but we are arming ourselves with His might and His power. This type of prayer life creates too in us a disciplined lifestyle. We begin to expect His responses, we begin to converse with Him as freely as if we were talking to a good friend. We begin to find His hand in our lives and through the things that we experience. He guides us into a deeper relationship with Him which is holiness.

3) Love_______Deeply_ because it brings

Forgiveness and Acceptance_(v8)

3rdly in order to live a godly life we ought to love deeply. When we love deeply and without any kind of hidden agenda or selfish motives we begin to experience Agapa love. Agappa love is godly love. Love that permeates who God is…that’s the kind of love that sent Jesus to the cross for us. That’s the kind of love that doesn’t want us to remain in a state of sinfulness but wants a right relationship with us. Godly love is something that far too few possess. When we fulfill that first command to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” What we are saying is I no longer put the needs of myself first. I no longer wish to be God in my life…but I am giving God his rightful place in all things. And in the same breath I am then saying I will also love others as I love myself.

How can this be? People are tough to love aren’t they? Especially if those neighbors are seemingly unloveable people. Yet we are called to love them as we love ourself. DO YOU?

If we get this love of God right…the rest falls into place. If we can worship our Lord with all of our hearts instead of just a portion, then we can do this other thing regarding loving our neighbors.

When we love deeply as this scripture passage says we begin to focus less on the transgressions of our neighbors and instead focus more on the grace and love of God who first loved us in our awful state.

This passage says love covers over a multitude of sins…let me ask you…has someone sinned against you? Has someone wronged you so painfully? Has someone hurt you to the point that you can seem to find it in your heart to forgive them? Let God help you…You can’t possibly do this on your own. You aren’t supposed to. But when we love as God first loved us this paves the way for healing. This paves the way for forgiveness and reconciliation. It won’t be easy, but His grace is enough! His power can do the impossible! Do you believe that?

4) Use the Gifts God_ has given you!

(V.11)

“Living for God” 1Peter 4:7-11

June 23, 2013 0

Misunderstood or Humorous Church Song Lyrics

I love music. I love to sing and play music. It’s a real passion of mine. Frequently I will have a lyric or two in my head throughout the day. Recently a conversation was struck up on one of those social networks about this very topic. It quickly centered on funny lyrics within songs. Most of the time these lyrics were written long ago or even recently and the implication or meaning has either been lost or was simply written into a song without much thought.

For example here is one such Meme out there from David Crowder’s ‘How He Loves’

The truth is though that when we sing these songs sometimes we just accept them for what they are but do we consider what perhaps new comers might think or interpret these songs to be?

In the very same song by David Crowder he penned these words, which were later edited:

‘And heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss.’ Ha! The first time I read that I had to laugh out loud! Did he really write that? Now I know what he was trying to say and I’m not criticizing him for it, he’s done some amazing worship songs. But I do often wonder what new comers think about these lyrics.

Here are a couple of others:

Song: Come Thou Fount – “Here I raise my Ebeneezer” most don’t know what that is and some like me think of ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens when we sing that second verse.

Song: My Jesus I love Thee – “And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow” …more like death eww…Not sure I’d be able to sing that with a straight face, however I do know that this was a poem before it was a song.

Song: Word of God Speak – “…and the funny thing is, it’s okay!” Is it really funny? Is it really okay? I don’t know it just seems like a silly line to me.

I know there are other songs out there…and if you know more please share.

Then there are the other misunderstood church hymn lyrics, for example:

“Bringing in the Sheets (Sheaves)”

Amazing Grace: “That saves a wrench (wretch) like me.”

In the Garden: “Andy Walks with me” (who is Andy?)

“While shepherds wash their socks by night”

I say all of this with tongue firmly planted in my cheek, so I hope I don’t offend anyone out there. I think it is important to consider what we are singing though before we sing it. We should also understand that there might be some misconceptions out there and also consider what new comers might be misinterpret from these songs that we sing.

June 22, 2013 4

“Step up and Go!”

Jesus gathered them together. The ‘twelve’ probably wondered what was next. They had been with Him for a while. They had witnessed miracles by His hand. Been eye witnesses to the multitudes of people who came to hear Him teach. Now Jesus called them to Him for some kind of closed door ‘huddle’. “What would He say?” some of them wondered. These disciples were still young men and in awe of their Rabbi.

They moved in close as Jesus looked into their faces and smiled. His smile warmed them, made them feel accepted and loved. Then He blessed them. Any disciple would be honored to be blessed by their teacher. Yet He went beyond the customary blessings. He gave them authority. With hands raised and face lifted up, Jesus granted them power and authority over all demons and diseases. Then, He lowered His gaze and looked once more into their eyes. He spoke to them and gave them instructions to go and preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Jesus sent them out to do what He had been doing. They had been witnesses of His words and deeds and now the disciples were to go and emulate the Teacher. There was a flutter in the stomach. A tinge of nervousness in the air. The young men had been instructed to go. They had been instructed to preach and to heal. A few wary looks were exchanged. Someone coughed nervously.

Jesus wasn’t done though. He gave them additional instructions; “Take nothing for the journey, neither staff nor bag, nor bread, nor money…don’t even pack an extra tunic.” (Luke 9:3)

Jesus sent His disciples out with nothing yet everything that they would need. He granted them a kind of authority only the Son of God could grant. They went and did as He had instructed. Some most likely encountered strong resistance. Others witnessed the mighty moving of God through their faithfulness. Every disciple who was sent learned something in their ‘sending out.’

This on-the-field training of the disciples was a turning point for them. They didn’t have it all together yet. But they went. Jesus empowered them in their sending out. He gave them what they needed most: authority and experience.

Still to this day Jesus is calling us out. He is calling us to step up. He wants to use us for His purposes and to preach the kingdom of God! The authority is His, but the ability to go is ours. Will you go where He sends you? He doesn’t send us out empty handed, but He gives us what we need for the mission! When you say ‘yes’ step up and go! Don’t be afraid or fearful of what others might think…He is sending you because He believes in you!

“So they (the disciples) departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” (Luke 9:6)

A prayer chorus comes to mind:

“For thy mission make me holy,

For thy glory make me thine,

Sanctify each moment fully,

fill my life with love divine.”

June 19, 2013 1

Electing a new General of The Salvation Army…(UPDATED)

In reference to last week’s update on the office of General and that of our call to prayer, I would like to explore a little on the topic of how the Generals of The Salvation Army are elected. Of course usually an election of the General takes place at the end of the term of a General or when they reach the age of retirement. This time, however, circumstances as they are the High Council will convene hopefully some time later this Summer, in order to elect our next General of The Salvation Army.

As mentioned last week, General Linda Bond entered retirement abruptly and in the wake of her retirement the Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Andre’ Cox will lead this Army in the interim until the High Council is able to meet.

It is interesting to note who makes up the High Council and those with a casting vote. Territorial Commanders from around the world, some times this has numbered 100, last election cycle this numbered 109. These international and IHQ Leaders will gather together for prayer, deliberation and finally a decision. I would welcome your take on the High Councils process, and additional information that perhaps I have overlooked. I also recognize that when the High Council convenes they do so with reverent intent and much prayer. Though every church has its politicking, I would tend to regard this electoral process as prayerful and deliberately considerate of many things including age of specific candidates as well as the needs of our Army as a whole.

***Updated: Since I initially wrote this the official Summons has been sent to all Territorial Leaders around the world and High Council will begin Monday, July 29th, 2013 at the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel. What I find encouraging about this process is that three days prior to the beginning of the High Council and its election process, starting on Friday, July 26th leaders will convene for prayer. ***

(General Bramwell Booth)

HISTORY:

It is interesting to note some of the history of the High Council. The Salvation Army High Council can remove Generals from active service should the present General have health issues which would make them unfit to serve. This has only happened one time in its 109 years in existence when the then General Bramwell Booth was away from International Headquarters for several months time due to ‘health’ and he was asked to resign, when Bramwell, who was then 73 years old, refused a High Council was called and convened to vote for his removal. With a vote of 55 to 8, the High Council followed through with its plan to remove General Bramwell Booth as leader of The Salvation Army. The only problem was that General Bramwell Booth wasn’t ready to relinquish his role as General and Commander of the Army. He took his case to parliament (court) and hoped that a different result would come of the British court system getting involved. His attempt, however, failed and after two months of deliberations the court ruled in favor to uphold the High Council’s decision to have Booth removed as General.

Here is a good book for further reading on the above topic, written by General John Larrson:

As mentioned before please continue to keep The Salvation Army leadership in your prayers as well as the Chief of the Staff Commissioner Andre’ Cox as he leads us in the interim.

Information for continued reading:

Here is a link to see how the day to day proceedings from 2011 took place:

http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/highcouncil2011

Currently we are unsure as to when this event will take place, but we do know that the High Council will be called and will convene later this summer, 2013.

I will attempt to post updates when possible. Here are a couple of links to help anyone interested in learning more about the high council and how it works:

http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/highcouncil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Council_of_The_Salvation_Army

(2011 High Council World Representatives & Army Leaders)

A CALL TO A MONTH OF PRAYER: https://scottstrissel.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/general-election-an-officers-perspective-and-a-call-to-a-month-of-prayer/

June 17, 2013 12

Father’s Day Sermon Podcast: “Marks Of A Godly Man”

Sermon: “Marks of a Godly Man”

Psalm 112:1-10 (NIV)
¹Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. ²His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. ³Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. ⁵Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. ⁶Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. ⁷He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. ⁸His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. ⁹He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. ¹⁰The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Follow the link here:

http://scottstrissel.podomatic.com/entry/2013-06-16T11_07_09-07_00

June 16, 2013 0

A Holiness for 1

Holiness is often something Christians view as the Everest of the spiritual realm. It is formidable, the price is steep, and many turn back within its clefts and craggy cliffs. Why is this misnomer on holiness so prevalent? Corps members whom I’ve spoken with tell me that holiness is impossible or just too hard…I am shocked when I hear them tell me this. Commonly I will ask them why they think that holiness is impossible, and usually there will be those who respond by saying because to be holy you have to be perfect. But is that correct? Holiness is perfection? I would have to say a resounding ‘no’! We are still sinners saved by grace, and ultimate perfection or total sanctification will only take place when we finally come face to face with Christ in Eternity. But though we are still imperfect, the Holy Spirit is making us perfectly into the image of Christ if we allow Him to do so.

Holiness first and foremost is submitting to the will of God in every aspect of our lives. We say to the Lord, “Not my will but Yours, and you can have all there is of me.” Does this imply that we automatically become perfect? Absolutely not. We still struggle, we still ought to pray “Lord lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” Because the fact of the matter is we will still face temptation in this life. Holiness isn’t about automatically living in perfection, but rather about walking in the footsteps of Jesus and allowing His Holy Spirit to transform you into the image of Christ in this life. We reject the old sinful self, as well embrace the new creation which is Christ in us.

Another aspect of holiness that I feel we often get wrong is this notion that it’s a corporate holiness. Meaning that holiness is first done as a body of Christ. I think we get this backwards. We have to first be transformed and sanctified individually before we are holy in corporate fellowship. General Shaw Clifton once put it this way in reference to Samuel Logan Brengle: “His (SLB) constant emphasis was upon personal holiness. Now we hear much today about institutional holiness but I cannot help thinking sometimes that this misses the point. There can be no institutional holiness without your personal holiness and mine. Only then can institutional holiness flow through an organization.” (Select Writings, Clifton. pg.181)

So what does this holiness for one look like?

Like Daniel of old, do we have a prayer closet? A place where we daily kneel before our Lord and pray and fellowship with Him? These moments of solitary fellowship are vital to our personal holiness. Do we allow Him the first fruits of our time, our talent and our treasure? Is He included in everything that we do or do we often leave Him at home with our devotions or bible by the night stand? I believe Brother Lawrence had it right as well, and let me take his ideology one step further. We practice the presence of God in every moment of every day…is it possible? Yes. Difficult? Of course! But transforming holiness in our personal lives ought to be moment by moment within our day and not just during our devotions in the morning or evening. Our fellowship with God on a moment by moment basis draws us closer to Him and to His very will for our lives.

These are sacred things should not to be trifled with or taken lightly. If we, as His people, are truly serious about living holy lives and embracing this theology of holiness then, as difficult as it is, we ought to practice living within His presence on a moment by moment basis. This is a holiness for one! We invite Him into our thoughts, every corner of them. The Holy Spirit will bring conviction when areas yet to be surrendered are brought into His light. He will also provide affirmation to us when we are growing and on the right path.

When this intimate setting for one is preserved in us and our lives are His, then and only then will can we begin to look at the corporate body of Christ through the lens of holiness.

June 14, 2013 0

Sad News: General Bond to Retire.

Today shock waves reverberated around The Salvation Army world when the news of the sudden retirement of its General, Linda Bond was announced. Many expressed sadness and confusion along with many, many questions.

(The Official News Link: http://news.salvationarmy.org.uk/announcement-retirement-general-linda-bond )

I believe as an Army we should refrain from idle speculation and avoid the winds of gossip and instead lift up our leadership and General Bond in prayer. If we are truly One Army, then we ought to come together as one Army and bathe this sudden transition in prayer. Though many hearts are burdened and saddened with questions, may our mission and our purpose never waver! We are an Army of Holiness and if we are truly sanctified people then we have placed our trust fully on God in the midst of often turbulent news.

I, personally was honored to hear General Linda Bond preach the word of Christ, and I felt His Holy Spirit fall upon His people. I was challenged and blessed by her ministry, and though I am but a lowly corps officer I felt God’s empowering words flow through her messages.

General Linda Bond has left a lasting impact on this Army, though her leadership was cut a year short, I am confident in the One who appointed her through the Army leadership located around the world. I also pray for whatever lies ahead for General Bond as she heads into retirement, knowing that the Lord is truly not finished with her yet.

May God continue to Bless The Salvation Army, it’s ministry and mission around the world…and may we ever be diligent in proclaiming Christ in everything we do!

God Bless you General Bond, and we will continue to lift you up in our prayers as you move into retirement!

***Update: please read a follow-up to this article on this blog regarding the High Council and dates of initial proceedings: https://scottstrissel.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/electing-a-new-general-of-the-salvation-army/

A CALL TO A MONTH OF PRAYER: https://scottstrissel.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/general-election-an-officers-perspective-and-a-call-to-a-month-of-prayer/

June 13, 2013 12

Category: Church