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 Preachers
“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
With 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?

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.

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.

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!

September 27, 2016 3

In Perfect Peace…

You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
-Isaiah 26:3

Can I make a confession?
There are many times where my mind is not as steadfast as it should be.
Many times I become distracted by life. The ebb and flow of problems seem to mount and I find myself anything but steadfast. My mind drifts to the chaos of it all. My mind forgets to look to the source of all of life’s strength and power…and I begin to sink.

Peter started to sink because he doubted.
He doubted that he could really pull of this feat of doing what Jesus did – walk on water.
He doubted his own abilities…perhaps a part of him doubted Christ too…
His eyes drifted away from Jesus…
He looked at his own feet, his own heart, his own insecurities, and fear caused him to sink into those murky depths.

I am a lot like Peter…
some days, perhaps I am even like the rest of the disciples still standing in the boat…not moving, not chancing anything, just watching.

Perfect Peace?
I need that perfect peace in my life, do you?
I am in need of a steadfast mind, holding firm to Christ in my often turbulent life.
Can you relate to this?
Are you sometimes still in the boat with me and the other disciples, just watching Peter sink?

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me with my “steadfastness”…because many times I am anything but steadfast. Often times I get swept away with the problems of life, and I cannot find my footing any longer. Lord, guide my path. I long to rest in your presence. I desire your perfect peace in my stormy life. I am weary, and I wish to take upon your yoke in my life. Help me to trust you. Allow me to venture out of the boat and to walk where you impossibly walk, because with You all things are possible! Lead me Lord! -Amen.

September 26, 2016 0

Messy Church Outline: Abram/Sarai

Below is a workable outline for a Messy Church Event that you are welcome to use!
We adapted this idea, and obviously we made it our own.
There is a section for each table called “Talk About It” in which we try to get the “journeying groups” to engage in discussion and to really think about the theme and lesson of this specific “Messy Church”. We did add additional questions and I would encourage you to do so as well…this is just a primer, but this teaching method has a lot of potential.
-Enjoy!

Opening & Worship:
Started with some songs and a video:
Kids Tell: Abram & Sarai Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSZ22QKDUE

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 12-21
Main points:
* God calls Abram & Sarai to go on a journey with him.

His wife Sarai can’t have children, this makes them sad.
On the journey God promises Abram that he will have more children than there are stars in the sky or grains of sand in the desert.
We are all members of this family.
God’s promise starts with small things but can become incredibly massive (stars in the sky)!
God calls us on this journey as well!Time to Depart On Our Journey! (Go to stations!)

5 Stations:
#1 Camp Tent – S’mores
#2 “Stars” Table
#3 Postcards to Family table
#4 Edible Pyramids
#5 Family Portrait Table

#1. Camping Tent – Make S’mores
Need: Graham Crackers, Marshmellows and Chocolate.
Instructions: Make s’mores while talking about camping…

Talk About: The travel must have taken a long time, and they had to endure a lot out in the wilderness. Food wasn’t always so easy to come by, but Abram and Sarai still traveled and did what the Lord instructed of them while on this journey. Have you ever gone camping? What types of items do you need in order to successfully camp? What’s the longest that you’ve ever had to sleep in a tent and on the ground? How do you think this journey felt to Abram and Sarai who were well over 70 years of age at the time? Do you think they always had a good meal while traveling? How do you think they slept each night? Would this journey have been easy on Abram and Sarai?

Scripture Verse:
“…So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” –Genesis 18:6
#2. “Stars” Table – Need: Black or dark paper, a bunch of star stickers
Instructions: Create a starry sky on your paper with the stars provided.

Talk About: While Abram and Sarai were on this journey, God promised them that they would have more children than there were stars in the sky! As you create your starry sky, imagine being Abram and Sarai as they have yet to experience the completion of this promise. What must they have felt? How would they have dreamt this promise would be fulfilled? Would this journey be easy for them? How many family members can you count in your family?

Scripture Verse: “He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars–if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5

#3. “Postcards to Family Table”
Need: Post card/Cue Cards & Pens, Crayons & markers, coloring pencils.
Instructions: Design a post card to give to someone you love in your family, maybe someone living near you or maybe far away. Use the materials here to make it look beautiful.

Talk About: Families all have ancestors and extended relatives right? Sometimes families can be traced back for hundreds of years. Do you have any royalty in your family tree? Any ancestors who were criminals or famous? We may not don’t always get along, and sometimes we do. But family is family. And we are given time to connect and love each other. Imagine how Abram and Sarai must have felt when they went on this journey and had to say goodbye to their families? Do you think it was difficult to leave everyone behind? They couldn’t write postcards like we are doing right now, but I am sure that they treasured precious memories of the family as they hoped for the vast family God had promised to them in the future.

Someone Read Scripture Outloud: “God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.

^2-3I’ll make you a great nation
and bless you.
I’ll make you famous;
you’ll be a blessing.
I’ll bless those who bless you;
those who curse you I’ll curse.
All the families of the Earth
will be blessed through you.”

(Genesis 12:1-3)

#4 Edible Pyramid – Table
Need: Bread, Lunch meats, spreads, peanut butter, jelly
Triangle mold to cut the bread or knife (adult supervision please?!).

Object: Make pyramid sandwiches but cutting triangles of bread in ever-decreasing sizes with different fillings until you have made a pyramid-shaped structure. Only make sandwiches that YOU WILL EAT!

Talk About:
The ancient city of UR, was a strange place. There were people there who worshipped nature gods in buildings called ziggurats – they looked a lot like the pyramids that we have seen pictures of in Egypt. Despite all of their strange practices, these people never had an encounter with a god. Abram, however didn’t need a pyramid dedicated to a god to meet the real God. Instead Abram first encountered God out in the desert.

Scripture Passage To Read Outloud:
“Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷TheLord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring^[^c^] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

⁸From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

⁹Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.” – Genesis 12:6-9

#5 Family Portrait Table
Need: Paper, Outlines of Cars, Trains, Camels, horses, RV’s.
Poster paints, jars of water, paint brushes.

Instructions: Using the paper with the outlines of transportation (1 per) everyone can paint their family on a journey. Add extended family, church family and even friends. Think about who you will add to your vehicle.

Talk About: Abram and Sarai didn’t journey alone. Some of their family actually came with them. Abram actually had quite a large caravan of livestock, servants and family with him and Sarai on this trip. Do you think they always agreed while on this journey? Do you think it was always easy traveling with their family? What sort of challenges do you think they had along the way? Tell us about some of the trips you have made with your families? How long have your road trips been? Did you always get along?

Scripture Reading To Read Out loud:
^“So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.” Genesis 12:4-6

Closing Time: Move to another location or gather in a central place in the same room:
Suggestion – hang stars in the room…finish your celebration there!
Sing a couple of songs (if you have time)

Final talk: Highlight our time, celebrate their accomplishments
So how was your journey today?
Were you able to glimpse a little of what Abram and Sarai must have gone through as they went on their faith journey with God? Abraham was very, very old, and he was married to Sarah. They were very, very sad because they had no children. But, as we have discussed while on our journeys today, God made Abraham a special promise. God said to Abraham, “Look up and count the stars – if you can. That’s how many people there will be in your family one day…

Ask – “How many stars can you count?” God told Abraham that his family would be so large that they would be as numerous as the stars above us…wow! That’s a lot of family! And you know what? God keeps His promises doesn’t He? Look around the room at all the people here today. Just take a moment and look. We are all a part of Abraham’s family. Does that surprise you? God told Abraham to go on that journey to an unknown place, and because Abraham and Sarah were obedient, God kept His promise to them. This family of God is vast isn’t it? Think about all of the Christians throughout the world both living and dead. That adds up to be millions and millions of people, and guess what? We’re all family because of Abraham and Sarah’s faithfulness.

Prayer Response (Option)
Encourage everyone to think of something to thank God for. Ask them to put up their hand to say what they are thankful for. As people give their responses, repeat it and invite everyone to say outlout “Lord God, We Thank YOU!”

Final Blessing/Benediction:
“Lord, thank you that we are one big family of your people throughout the world and throughout history. Help us to live as one family, loving each other through thick and thin. Amen.”

(Adapted and Used – Source: Messy Church: Fresh Ideas For Building A Christ-Centered Community. Unit 1)

September 23, 2016 0

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!

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!

In 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 live 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?
Some 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!

September 20, 2016 5

5 Ways To Combat Salvation Army Burnout…

With all of the news of mega church pastors leaving, taking sabbaticals and burning out, I thought it fitting to discuss helpful ways that The Salvationist can combat burnout as well. Burnout is real, it is not something imagined or evidence of a weaker person simply giving up. We all face exhaustion from time to time, and we also face critical, stressful situations that leave us looking for the exit sign…trust me, I’ve been there on numerous occasions.

But as an Officer and Salvationist, we have a mission to serve, but what if along the way we face difficulties, discouragements, and suffer depression and loss of passion? What then? I can assure you this is nothing new, and many have been to this point…many have also walked away because of it.

I will also boldly say that The Salvation Army must recognize some of the lasting structural inconsistencies. The quasi military approach that once thrived is not as appealing as it once was to a very individualistic thriving culture. Sometimes old models of leadership need to be challenged in order for real change to take place and so that we can once again get back to mission instead of policy. So, right off the bat, understand the Titanic turning of a large, global organization (movement) is daunting and sometimes frustrating to face.

Harvard Business Review had an article that identified six virtues of a dream company, which was compiled by hundreds of business executives. For our purposes, imagine this “dream company” to be The Salvation Army…see if these virtues match:

1. You can be yourself
2. You’re told what’s really going on.
3. Your strengths are magnified.
4. The company stands for something meaningful.
5. Your daily work is rewarding.
6. Stupid rules don’t exist.
(Source: HBR Article Link)

Apart from the organizational issues, what can individual salvationists do to combat burnout while serving within its ranks (soldier, officer, employee ect.)? Here are just five ways to combat burnout in our Army. Take them for what they are, a primer that allows us to face real life issues happening all around us. This is just a “starter list”…there is much more that can be said within this topic.

5 Ways To Prevent Salvation Army Burnout:

1. Have an Identity apart from the Army
Sometimes this goes against conformity doesn’t it? We are told to dress alike, be of one army, one mind, yet we are also people who need to know who we are as God’s children who are called by Him. We must find out who we are apart from the uniform, apart from the mission. Sometimes this requires us to take a step back and reevaluate who we are and why we do the things we do. Self identity is vital to combating burnout because without knowing who we are we can become washed away by the powerful tides of stress that are rampant in any organization. When you go home, when you spend recreational time away – be yourself!

2. Find Hobbies To Enjoy
Not everything is about mission sometimes (gasp!), in order to combat burnout is a fast paced thriving movement such as the Army, we must be able to relax from time to time. Some are excellent wood workers and carpenters and they relax by doing what they love. If you paint – then paint. If you enjoy geocaching, then get out and do that! Find things to enjoy, to look forward to on your next unscheduled day. Plan for these hobbies. Be intentional in taking the time to enjoy them. This will enable you to disconnect from the everyday stress of “work”.

3. Leave Your Work At The Office!!
Seriously, we have a lot of work-a-holics in our Army. That’s not all bad. Hard work is wonderful! But when it jeopardizes your families, when they don’t know who you are anymore because you constantly work, there is something wrong with that! I would even go out on a limb and tell you overworking yourself is a sin. STOP IT! When you can, leave the work at the office. This will not always happen, I know that, but when you can leave it! Combating burnout requires us to take drastic steps, and for some of us, leaving unfinished work at the office is very, very drastic!

4. Switch Things Up!
We all get stuck in ruts sometimes. So change up your schedule. Go for a walk, spend more time talking to people instead of staring at your computer screen. Flip your schedule so that some of your work gets done at the end of the day. Do something different so that the ruts are broken, and in so doing, you might experience a little bit of perspective within your day. When you do this, take time to breathe. I own an apple watch and I laughed at first at the new update on it. It’s a new app called “Breathe”…what it does is remind me to take a full minute and focus on my breathing. It was dumb at first, but then I started doing it, I switched up my schedule in the process…but now I look forward to that moment where I just breathe and relax. Combating burnout in your life takes an effort to switch some things up. So don’t just talk about it…do it!!

5. Take Your Sabbath Seriously!
This, I consider to be one of the biggest sins in our Army.
Far too few of us really take a Sabbath. Yes, it’s our day off, but we’re still “catching up” on work. If God rested on the seventh day, don’t you think we should too? Or are we essentially saying, “I’m better than God” in our actions? When you plan your Sabbath days – TAKE THEM! Don’t bring work or ministry into your Sabbath! This is the time that you need personally to recharge your “batteries”. You need to plug yourself back into the Power source which is God Himself! Whatever that reconnection looks like to you, don’t take it for granted! Get alone with God, find the time, stop sinning in overwork and do it! If we really want to combat burnout, we must begin to realize just how important that Sabbath is for us. It’s not just another day off, it is a day (or a matter of hours) to recharge and rest.

I know that there are other ways that will help combat burnout, what are some tools that you have used in your ministry? What has helped you? Why not share them here and help all of us as we ponder this together! As always, thanks for reading! Something more for our Army to ponder today!

God Bless you!

September 14, 2016 3

5 Qualities Of A Great Officer

I must say right off the bat these are qualities that I have seen in Officers that I look up to, and I know that there are other fine qualities that we should all aspire to. With that in mind, I also know that every Officer is fallible and not always perfect.

5 Qualities of a Great Officer:
Here they are –

5. Others
“...do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4
The marks of a good officer must include the deep desire to help others see Christ, to be like Christ, but it takes intentionality and passion to do this! Officers, and anyone in leadership for that matter, must take the time to actually care for others. This is why we exist as an Army: Christ and Others!! Without these two things we are just another social services agency. It can be tempting to think of an appointment as a stepping stone, but if we ever entertain those notions we will forget about others and in turn we will lose our personal mission as an officer.

This doesn’t mean that we do not do self-care from time to time, but it does mean that a good officer is not self-indulgent, prideful and aloof from the people we are supposed to care for. Great officers stay connected to others, they engage others and they prompt others challenge themselves and to grow.

4. Quality, Intentional Family Time

Another mark of a great officer, is the ability to carve out intentional quality time with the family. We have all heard of horror stories of that Officer Brat or rebellious child who just left or made poor choices in life. I’m not saying that a great officer can always prevent this, because children will grow up, become adults and make their own decisions. What I am saying is that when parents take the time to be parents, and spend quality time (I know it can’t always be quantity time), we will have children who are healthier, better connected and well rounded. There are no absolutes to parenting, I know this, but I also know how important it is for officers to be parents to their children! I’ve heard it said, and I’m sure you have too that an officer’s first ministry is to their children/families.

A great officer is intentional about spending quality time with the family. Christmas time is difficult in many places in the Army, but perhaps it’s that hour you spend reading a book to your small children, or it’s the going out to get that hot chocolate.

Note: Married Officer- this includes spending quality time with each other, no matter how hard or insane your schedule is – make room!!

3. Decisiveness Even When Others Disagree

“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion.” -A Chinese Proverb

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C. Maxwell

The marks of a great Officer might also include listening to others and taking good counsel, but when the rubber meets the road, a good officer must be decisive in decisions and in the direction the ministry should go. So what if it fails? So what it we make mistakes? If we are prayerful, and we allow good counsel in, we fail knowing we did what was right. Great officers don’t just lead by consensus, but they keep to the mission, and if the mission could get lost because of consensus, they steer decisions with mission in mind.

It is much easier to lead when everyone agrees with you, but when there are dissenters and you must still make the right conscious decision, it becomes hard. Great Officers will lead sometimes despite those who will disagree. Leadership with conviction and the doing right thing, amidst conflict or opposing thought is true leadership!

*Disclaimer, if an Officer has wise counsel that is missional and good, and it is ignored, perhaps one should reconsider the above conclusion. Great Officers don’t lead like dictators and push their own selfish agendas through – this would be the antithesis of “great leadership”.

2. Compassionate and Gracious

“A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs.”

— Robert Townsend

Another mark of a great Officer is the capacity for compassion and grace. This is closely related to the care of “Others”! Compassion and grace can often be set aside of efficiency and “getting the job done”. When officers run through their administrative duties as well as their pastoral duties, the first thing that seems to go is the capacity to slow down and care for people. Being a great officer means that one will take the time to hear about other people’s problems, to show compassion and to be involved in the lives of their corps members or those they lead. If an officer wants others to follow them, it won’t be conducted through declarations of power and asserting authority, it will be done by gentleness, kindness, compassion and genuine care. The great officers that I have known possess this certain type of seemingly endless patience and grace, that kind that I can only hope to achieve. Admittedly, I am often impatient, short with people, and sometimes my capacity for compassion is lacking…But I don’t want to remain here, no, not at all! I aspire (as I’m sure you do too) to be like those Officers that have displayed this remarkable characteristic to me (us).

1. Great Officers Admit When They Are Wrong
Here is the “pride-swallowing” conclusion to this very short list.
Great Officers admit when they are wrong. There, I’ve said…the end. (Just kidding) If they make mistakes, a good officer will own up to it. If they say something to offend, a good officer will go to that person. Great Officers, from those that I have observed, are able to humble themselves and admit to missteps. This confession allows for vulnerability and makes leadership more human and accessible.

There are, of course, underlying currents and themes here within this list:
Things like: Mission, Humility, Love, Holiness, Faith, and Wisdom.
The Characteristics are necessary for the development of Great Officer. I know that I’m not there yet, but I do strive to be the very best follower of Christ that I can be – and admittedly I fail many times. Do you? I guess it is in how we learn and grow from those failures that define us. We ought not strive to be a mediocre anything! Do not settle for mediocrity in life!

Dare I say, mediocre officers can be a dime a dozen…but Great Officers – they can be a real rarity in our Army…Dear Officers, let’s strive to be Great Officers. Not in some sort of prideful, power-mongering way, but through these qualities list above. Let Christ be seen in you every day. I must decrease, and He must increase! (John 3:30)

Something more for the Army world to ponder today!

Further Readings on this topic:
Colonel Allen Satterlee’s latest Article
Commissioner Jim Knaggs
Commissioner Harry Read’s Heart Talks Selection
and Kinda -sorta off topic, but not really:
From Good To Great by Jim Collins

September 2, 2016 5

Dear Salvationist, Does Freewill Conflict with God’s Foreknowledge?

We sing songs in our Army that speak of God’s plan for us.
We recognize that there is a plan in place…we just don’t always understand it.
A part of the question came becomes specific and personal – Is God’s plan specific, is that they way He works in every individual on the planet? Or is it more of a general plan that God has for every person – that all of them might choose Him and live according to His will?

There are some phrases that might suggest that God’s plan is specific. For instance, in the song “I’m in His hands”, the writes states: “The days I cannot see, have all been planned for me...” (Stanley Ditmer)

Does this suggest that God already knows the outcome of our lives? Is everything then, predestined to occur? Is every step that we take, every decision made, has it already been decided for us? Is free-will a farce? Or is this out of context? Is it specific to believers who have chosen to follow Christ? Is it more to do with Holiness than it is to do with the choice of man?

More to Ponder….

How do we understand passages like:
^“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29

and;

“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,…” Ephesians 1:4-5 ESV

Does this cancel out our supposed freewill?
Do we really have a choice in this world?
How do we reconcile our Free Will and God’s Foreknowledge?

Undoubtedly someone will take me to task (again) for using a beloved song from The Salvation Army to ponder this question. Some might read only the first few sentences and assume I just thrown down some sort of gauntlet in the face of what is “Army”.

My Take:
Does it limit God when we consider that we have freewill?
Does this then mean that God is not all powerful and all knowing?
Can we really put limits on God like that? -Absolutely not, that sounds ridiculous doesn’t it?

Does Freewill conflict then, with God’s foreknowledge?
I do not believe this to be the case.
Can we have both a God who is omniscient and His creation who, through His amazing love, is given the freedom to choose? I believe so.
God can know us completely, even the decisions we might make in the future.
But, He doesn’t force us to make the decisions that He desires for us, and knows will bless and benefit us. This is truly the defining love of a wondrous God!

A Parent’s Perspective:
Your child is about to make a crucial decision in life.
You, being older and, perhaps wiser, can see the variables in each decision. You can see the outcomes that will transpire in each. Do you help them make the decision? Do you force them to make the right one and then they resent you for it? Or, out of love do you direct them, but ultimately leave the choice in their hands, which allows them to learn in the process?

Now we can begin to scratch the surface of this God – Creation/Human existence. We can begin to see how hard it must be for God to watch us make our choices sometimes.
He hopes that we choose Him. He hopes that He will be included in our life choices.
How it must break His heart for Him to see His children to go astray, knowing the choices that got them there could have been altered.

Ponder This:
Does Freewill and God’s Foreknowledge conflict with one another?
Are there really an Elected few? Those He specifically chooses?
Do we limit God when we perceive Him to not be omniscient?
And what of His involvement in our lives – does He have a specific plan for you and me, or is it more generalized? What do you think?

Please leave your feedback, ponderings and thoughts below or on this social media thread.
I look forward to hearing your take on this topic.

Something more for the Army world to Ponder today !

September 1, 2016 2

You’re a Liar, I’m a Liar – Here’s Why…

Whether we care to admit it or not, we are liars.
Go ahead, soak it up, take it in…
Some of you are probably offended by this accusation.
Some of you might be nervous – don’t be.

The Lies
The biggest lie that we tell ourselves is this: “I don’t need God.”
The second biggest lie that we tell ourselves is: “every thing is okay.”
And then there are those lies that we tell God – “Lord I promise if you get me out of this situation I will never do that (insert whatever “that” is here) again!” Or, we go to the altar at some fancy big church event and confess our sins in a big emotional altar call and make promises that only last that weekend…in essence we lie because deep down we know we don’t plan on changing.

We also lie to God by telling Him that He’s the only God in our lives, but let me ask you, how many hours a day do you spend on the internet or on social media? How many hours a day watching tv, netflix etc…? Are there other things that consume all of your time? Are there things that you would shamefully admit that you’re obsessed with? Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of this stuff, but when we spend hours and hours and hour a day gaming or web surfing or whatever – we have become consumed, and when we become consumed by something other than God – we have essentially set up idols to false gods in our lives. Basically, whatever takes the place of God – becomes our god…and we are then liars who claim we know God, but rather, we only know of God.

1 John 1:8-10 says; “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

God Doesn’t Lie
What God says – He means.
What He says He will do – He will do.
God doesn’t break His promises to us – We are usually the ones who break our promises to Him. Do we need Him? Absolutely, and yet our ego at times convinces us that we can go it alone and we don’t need Him to “interfere”. Don’t lie to God, He’s not fooled. Also, don’t lie to yourself!

Stop The Lies
So what’s the point?
Do some soul searching in your life today.
Be humble,.in other words, put yourself low, look hard and deep at your own life right now – without any sugar coating or facades (which are lies that you have told yourself).

– Another lie we might hear in our minds from time to time is this: “I am not good enough to be called a Child of God, (or to be called a “Christian”)” We might buy into that lie because of guilt and shame, but God’s grace through Jesus Christ can remove that guilt and shame completely – making us totally covered by grace and completely forgiven! Don’t buy this lie anymore!! God loves you, and He wants you to know how valuable you are to Him!

We tell ourselves a lot of lies…and sometimes we start to believe them.
We also try and tell God lies too…but we aren’t fooling Him, He knows.

Be Honest.
Allow the Lord access to every part of your mind today…even the spaces in the recesses of your mind that you are ashamed of. He already knows, but we have to let Him in and allow His light to shine onto those dark, shameful places in order for healing, true healing to take place. Admittedly, this is a work in progress for all of us. There will be times when we lie, or believe a lie in our minds again. But the next time that happens, recognize it and within that recognition, plot and strive to change that behavior. Ask God to help you in those moments! True sincerity and admission/penitence moment by moment allow us access to God, and it also provides us with tangible spiritual growth.

Pray.
Lord, I confess my lies to you today.
Lies that I have told, and the lies that I have believed about myself.
I am weakened by these lies, but I know that with your strength I can be whole again!
Walk beside me today Lord, reveal to me the moments of my dishonesty to you and to those I come in contact with. Convict me when I live double-mindedly. Lord, I do not want this barrier to remain between us. I know this has stunted my spiritual growth, and I desire to be closer to you. Lead me Lord, I desire to give all there is of me to you – even those spaces in my life and mind that I am ashamed of. Wash me clean again. -Amen.

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

August 26, 2016 1

3 Promises For Troubled Times

We all encounter trouble in our lives. Difficulties. Stress and sometimes heartache. Some have simply chalked this up to “life“…”well, life isn’t fair” they sometimes say. The fact that we know life has trouble and difficult days also carries with it a heavy, unseen burden. We sometimes look around the corner at the next thing, almost anticipating trouble because things are going too smoothly; or that was just “too easy”…

Life is not always fair.
The disciples of Jesus understood this better than anyone.
They followed Jesus, who would be tortured and executed like a criminal.
After His resurrection and ascension, they continued to follow Jesus, and to do His will on this earth – that led to their imprisonments, tortures and executions. Life certainly had its troubles for the disciples.

3 Promises For Troubled Times

1) The Presence Of God:
No matter where we are in life, whether we are currently in a chapter of distress or a chapter of peace, we do have an assurance of the constant presence of God with us. We truly are never alone when He is near. God’s Holy presence is with us, and the only times we are alone is when we are not spiritually connected to Him, not the other way round. He longs for constant fellowship with us. His promise to Joshua long ago is the same promise to us today: The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

2) The Protection Of God:
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Yes, we will face pains and hurts of life in all shapes and sizes, this we will not avoid.
But rest assured, we are not without protection from the arrows of the evil one. God’s presence with us means that we are protected by Him as well! Now, as I say this, we read many stories of Christians who are martyred for their faith around the world…does this mean that God’s protection wasn’t with them? Of course not! I believe God does protect us from the father of lies so that we are not tempted or lost to God’s will. We can choose to fall away, but when we walk with Him, the evil one has no claim on us. Remember too that though evil can befall humanity through acts of violence, the worst it can do is claim our lives which are temporary shells containing an everlasting soul. The evil one is held back by the protection of God upon His people, who are called Sons and Daughters – children of God.

3) The Power Of God
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29)
Obviously this verse was written for a specific audience in mind, but it makes it no less true and relevant to us today. When we are weak – He is strong! God’s power is readily available to us when we humble ourselves and stop attempting life in our own strength. God will lift up the fallen. He will strength the weary…and if you and I are one of those today – we can take comfort in knowing that God’s power is here for us.

You may feel beaten up by life. You may feel like giving up, but know that He is presence is here, He will protect you, and His power is here to sustain you!!

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” ThereforeI will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.“

He will lift you up, call out to Him, persevere through your trial, and know that you are loved and called son or daughter of the Most High!

I know a fount, 545

1.
Say, are you weary? Are you heavy laden?
Burdened with sorrow, weighted down with care?
Are you in bondage? Do you want deliverance?
Come, then, with me, there is refuge from despair.

Chorus
I know a fount where sins are washed away,
I know a place where night is turned to day;
Burdens are lifted, blind eyes made to see;
There’s a wonder-working power in the blood of Calvary.

2.
Are you still doubting power to keep from sinning,
Power that can change the heart and make it new?
Are you still longing for a full salvation?
You may receive it and live a life that’s true.

3.
Fettered and bound by chains of self-indulgence,
Missing the blessings God on man bestows,
Seeking for joy but only sorrow finding?
Come to the waters where grace and mercy flow.

4.
Wondrous Deliverer! Sin-forgiving Saviour!
Cleanser of hearts! Unfailing friend and guide!
No one has ever trusted unavailing,
No one has claimed of his love and been denied.

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

August 18, 2016 0

Book Review: “The Bard And The Bible”

I love going into bookstores.
For me, the feeling of being surrounded by books, perfectly placed on shelves in an array of multicolored backings and bindings is extremely appealing to me! And don’t even get me started on the smell of those pages and bindings, for I have been known to plant my face firmly within those pages as I try to capture the ever inviting fragrance bound there…I’m weird like that, and I won’t apologize.

As I usually wander around the isles of these book stores, I occasionally come across something unique. Something that grabs my attention and it compel me to pick it up and read it. Have you been there? Let me tell you about my recent find: I recently picked up the new devotional by Bob Hostetler that is entitled “The Bard And The Bible” and it’s not like any other 365 day devotionals that you have ever read.

A one of a kind devotional:
Usually, what I have found is that a 365 day devotional is typically a group of randomly selected spiritual thoughts bound together in one book. Well, this devotional isn’t like that at all. In fact, I am really enjoying The Bard and the Bible because of this uniqueness. Hostetler has brought the rich, eloquent phrases of Shakespeare together in a coherent devotional that sheds deeper meaning on many passages of the Bible that we’ve all grown up with.

Now I know what you might be thinking, “a daily devotional with quotes from Shakespeare, will I even understand this book? It sounds too complicated for me.” Let me ease your mind and tell you IT IS NOT! Believe me, this is a great devotional to get you thinking. Yes, it will challenge you, but in a good way! I love history, and in this devotional I not only experienced a spiritual challenge for the day, but I got to learn more about Shakespeare and his plays through the eyes of various characters.

This is a one of kind devotional that I think many will love! It’s one of those soon to be treasured keepsakes (in my opinion) that you will want to pick up with your morning coffee or tea and read. I recently bought my own copy, and I find myself already doing just that!

I give “The Bard and The Bible”