Caution – Deadpool Is Not For Kids!

– Deadpool trailer –
This past weekend Deadpool opened at the box office, and quickly became a smash hit as well.
As a superhero fan boy, I have enjoyed all of the Marvel movies…minus a few critiques of Thor 2 and Ironman 2, but I digress.

I enjoy Marvel movies because:
1 – They have heroes, we all love hero stories right?!
2 – There are villains that push the heroes into doing extraordinary things.
3 – There is usually a cameo appearance by Stan Lee
4 – The comedic humor is always timed and appreciated!
5 – Easter Eggs – Not only are there clues and tributes hiding in the film, but at the end of the film there is usually a teaser for something coming in the Marvel Universe.

These are just a few of the reasons I enjoy Marvel movies, I’m sure that you have others as well.

Deadpool…
it’s not your typical 20th Century Fox Studios release by Marvel film.
This is a rated – R risk.
This is an adult geared film.
There is even full frontal nudity.
The language and violence is not intended for children.
Parents do not take your kids to see this movie – even Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) warned parents not to bring the kids.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that this superhero film, that no one initially wanted to make, has smashed weekend box offices around the world beating out all of the “Xmen” movies as well as “Ironman 2” and “Man of Steel”.

“The irony, as Ben Fritz of TWSJ says is, : “Deadpool,” a spin-off character in Marvel’s X-Men comic book universe, was made only after much trepidation and years of stalled development. That’s because the loud-mouthed, ultra-violent character required a film with an R-rating, a very high death count, and an insulting sense of humor about his own genre. Executives were concerned the movie would turn off most fans of PG-13 rated fare such as “The Avengers” and appeal only to the Comic-Con crowd.”

The Washington Post reports that “Deadpool is not okay for kids, but might be just what your teens need”??? (As a parent, I’m personally saying no to that!)

Others have been very critical of the movie, like one such movie goer who said this on social media over the weekend; “All I can say is that I am embarrassed for Stan Lee. I can safely say that was one of the worst super hero movies I have ever seen. The entire movie tries too hard to be cutting edge and funny. The humor is at the level of a hormonal teenage boy who is trying to sneak a peak at a playboy magazine he just found in a trash can.”

Long story short, if you’re a young adult and you want to see this film, go and watch it, but be mindful of the sophomoric humor and gratuitous violence and nudity. Also the language and even story line (or lack there of) has been criticized rather harshly. If you have teens who want to see this film, I (and many other parents) would advise against it.

I have seen every Marvel film, but I’m afraid I might have to skip this one…but that’s just me. I’ll just have to wait for Captain America Civil War to hit theaters in May.

Something for the family to ponder today.

February 16, 2016 0

PonderCast – “Who Am I?”

Check out our pondercast, share it and join the conversation!
Today’s topic is “Who am I?”

http://scottstrissel.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2016-02-16T06_48_34-08_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottstrissel.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2016-02-16T06_48_34-08_00%3Fcolor%3D43bee7%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26facebook%3Dtrue%26height%3D85%26width%3D300%26minicast%3Dfalse%26objembed%3D0&notb=1

Check it out, share and leave you comments, questions and feedback!

February 16, 2016 0

“Hello…there you are!!” – Featuring Captain Shanais Strissel

Look at this picture of thorny weeds; imagine living in it- right there in the middle of that ugly, painful nest of flesh tearing barbs. Imagine yourself moving around in there and trying to lay down at night, attempting to get comfortable enough to sleep.

Nope, not going to happen, right? There is no way to move without drawing blood, ripping flesh, crying out in pain- so you remain still, immobile, stagnant…stuck.

Now imagine this:

And we clear away all of the thorns and weeds and we find this

or this

We find freedom from entrapment, a cool soft breeze, sunlight shining on our face, weight lifted, pain relieved and cool, soothing water running along our roots.

Space to breathe

Space to stretch our long achy limbs

Space to let the wounds heal

So what do thorns and weeds and flowers and seeds and space have to do with – anything?

LIFE, they have to do with life and the representation of struggle, pain, agony and victory.

So, imagine with me for a moment that we all start out as a

Seed

This little seed has been gifted with potential…potential to thrive and grow and stretch into what God has encoded into its DNA to be, whether it’s a rose or an great oak tree…the potential to be

More,

To be beautiful,

To be unique…

And we are all born into families; families of other unique seeds that have already grown… but the problem comes when someone has come along and planted a bunch of weeds into the mix.

Parents are tasked with the immense responsibility of nurturing their children, their little seeds of great potential, right?

They are there to tend the soil, remove weeds, cut back unwanted growth, provide food and water and a safe environment for constant focused growth into the mighty image that we are meant to embrace- to find joy and strength and endurance alongside capable hands.

But what happens when our parents plant

Weeds

What happens when your parents only know what life among the thorns is like because that is all they have known and now they are planting weeds in yours?

What about if you go back generations and you see nothing but acres of weeds in your family lineage?

Years of abuse, neglect, bad habits, addictions and on and on and on…all of this baggage serves to cover and hide our identity, our potential to reflect the image of God in our own unique way.

What happens now?

Well, we can’t weed the garden ourselves- it would simply turn us into a bloody, pulpy mess- we simply can’t see where we are going in the midst of that mess.

We could just sit and do nothing, which would leave us to become more sad, angry and embittered to our world and leaving us to pass on our own brand of thorns.

Or,

We could desire

Any change starts with a desire to be different, to see things different, to want more out of life than we have been handed, to be more AWARE of the world around us.

It is to recognize that the weeds aren’t good for us and to desire to get the hell out of there, literally speaking to get the Hell out of our lives – that’s the noun not the verb.

When we acknowledge the thorns are there, and desire to see them gone – that’s when real life starts. God starts clearing the thorns and weeds for us. He takes on our pain, our agony, our bloody wounds and gives us peace in place of pain.

Does this mean it will be an easy journey? No. Sorry to say it but getting rid of the thorns and weeds forces us to face our own truths and it’s painful but that is the only road to freedom. The amazing thing is that we don’t walk a solitary journey; God clears the correct path and leads us to freedom and on the road to revelation.

Our true selves are discovered on that journey one root, one branch, one flower, one petal one leaf at a time until the entire beautiful, magnificent, amazingly unique plant is revealed. Well hello, there you are…

by SLS

February 15, 2016 3

Dear Salvationist – 5 Reasons Your Corps Needs YOU!

I haven’t always been convinced of these, but as the Lord has convicted me in my own life of things I have needed to deal with, it has become more and more apparent that there are a slew of reasons your corps needs you! (Phew, that was run on sentence!)

These are just 5 reasons that your corps needs YOU (Starting with #5):

#5) You are more than just a number in a roll book, your story matters!
I don’t just say this to be nice, I mean it! If you are a soldier in good standing in your corps, you matter! Your story might just be the one that leads someone else, who is similar to you, to Christ! You might feel insignificant at times, or perhaps even unwanted sometimes, but please know that regardless of what others might say or how you might feel – You are loved by the Almighty and He can and will use you in your corps right now! So don’t give up!

#4) Your corps needs mentors and disciplers!
Perhaps you are not called to become an officer, but you, dear soldier, play a vital role within your corps! If you are mature in your faith, and you know of others who are young in their faith – YOU can help them develop into tomorrow’s leaders! The corps officers can’t do it all, and we are so much stronger when soldiers are invested in the corps’ mission and we begin to work together instead of separately on our own “projects”. You can help shape young lives. You can help transform would be street thugs into kingdom people! You can fill this role, dear soldier!

#3) Your Corps Desperately Needs Prayer Warriors & Sunday School Teachers!
What ever happened to prayer meetings? Are we too busy to pray together any more? Are prayer meetings now considered old fashioned and unnecessary? I sure hope not!
Never, ever discount the need for prayer warriors in your corps! If you have devoted yourself to the spiritual discipline of prayer then use it to empower and protect the soldiers, adherents and leaders of your corps! Pray earnestly for God to provide miracles in your neighborhoods. Don’t just pray for corps members and what you already have in your corps, but take it out into the streets and pray for the new souls that God will lead into your midst! We need faithful, devoted, godly Sunday School teachers to lead our Sunday Schools and Bible Studies! Many of your corps already have faithful teachers who have taught for years – and if you are one of these beautiful souls, we say Thank you! Many a child has been brought to Christ because of your faithfulness! Do not for minute think you are not contributing to young people’s lives! Keep offering those prayers of salvation in your classes! Keep sharing the love and acceptance of Christ with those that you have the privilege to instruct. This is serious business – Kingdom business, and you are needed in your corps!

#2) Your Corps Needs Hospitality and Welcome Sergeants!
Do you know that the first persons a new comer sees will determine if they will stay or flee your building? Some of you have this amazing gift to make people feel wanted and welcomed. It’s a warming sense of belonging that people desire when they seek out a place of worship. You can touch the hearts of many by serving your corps in this capacity! Sometimes we take these roles for granted in our corps, and when we do, we run the risk of people experiencing a cold shoulder instead of a warm hug at the door (sorry to my Swedish friends who don’t hug). There are many roles behind the scenes that matter – sometimes much more than even the elements of worship on Sunday mornings. You can lead people to feel at home at your corps. Hospitality is needed in every corps…and sometimes it’s a lost art.

#1) Your Corps Needs Workers In The Fields Who will Roll Up Their Sleeves!
This should sum up all of our corps’ needs in soldiers (and even adherents). We aren’t social clubs or socials services – we still have a mission! We still have a purpose as an Army. Some have forgotten this. Others have neglected this. Sometimes, if we’re honest, we (I) fall into one or both of these categories. Kingdom building is hard work. It is labor intensive! I might mean you go out on late night calls to help someone in need. It will mean that we don’t just leave people at the altar, check off another seeker on our stat sheet and never disciple them – only to have them figure it out for themselves or wander away still lost and hopeless. True soldiers of Christ invest their lives in the lives of others. True soldiers of Christ love unconditionally. True soldiers of Christ must become mindful of the things which trap us apathetically into patterns of comfort and carelessness.

Dear Soldier, your corps needs you!
God has breathed into you at the moment of your conversion His presence. The Holy Spirit is our guide. He will provide us with His strength, discernment and perseverance along the way. This commitment will be difficult sometimes. There will be victories and heartaches. Unlike many of our professional sports teams today – your corps needs a lifetime contract from you – thick or thin! This is a mighty, mighty ask – I know. Some of you have experienced some heartache through fall out in leadership, or faced hardships because not everyone sees eye to eye. Some of you might be glancing at the exit doors right now…but I urge you to reconsider. I know with all my heart that we are stronger together than we are apart. I don’t presume to know your story today, but I know God understands. I also recognize that we often carry wounds and burdens…He can and will help to lighten your load. Your corps needs you…the question is will you faithfully serve?

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

*Disclaimer – The opinions of the author expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Salvation Army.

February 12, 2016 5

Dear Salvationist – Die Faker, Die!

“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8 The Message Version)

I don’t want to be known as a faker to God.
It’s not my intentions to ever appear to be something that I am not.
We can’t fool Him.
He knows us so intimately – better than we know ourselves. Why? Because He made us in His image. He’s the Creator. He’s the Author of our story, our lives.

Brennan Manning said in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel “Authentic faith leads us to treat others with unconditional seriousness and to a loving reverence for the mystery of the human personality. Authentic Christianity should lead to maturity, personality, and reality. It should fashion whole men and women living lives of love and communion. False, manhandled religion produces the opposite effect. Whenever religion shows contempt or disregards the rights of persons, even under the noblest pretexts, it draws us away from reality and God.”

So why do I try to fool Him sometimes?
Perhaps it’s not so much me – fooling God, but rather – me fooling, or attempting to fool, others. We can become so good at this fakery, this mask that we wear that no one around us would ever suspect – that’s how good we can become at it.

I’m not accusing anyone of faking it today – that is never my place or intention.
All that I am pointing out is that sometimes, in MY own life, I attempt to fake it spiritually…and it never goes well. Have you ever been there? Please tell me that you have, I don’t want to be the only one.
——————————–
I can sing all the right songs.
I can read all the right portions of scripture.
I can dress and look the part.
But deep down inside, the real me, the one that is genuine has taken a back seat and there’s the fake me putting on a show.
———————————
I don’t say this so that you’ll have pity on me, or that you’ll judge me (or think of me differently, “What?! a pastor/officer/soldier – admitting to faking it, how dare he!”) …I’m just being honest. AND -In my honesty, I hope that there are those who also can relate, and perhaps come to terms with this fakery in their (your) own life.

Like me:
-You don’t want to just go through the motions of merely existing.
-You want to impact the world for Christ.
-You want to be authentic instead of a plastic soldier that looks awesome on the outside but is hollowed out on the inside.
-You want to reach real people for Christ because of your sincerity and genuine faith in Christ.
-You know anything less than authentic faith will NOT fool God. – He wants us to live for Him (die to self, become selfless just. like. Him.) He doesn’t want our lip-service and platitudes.

Die Faker, DIE!!!
Dear Salvationist,
I will not be a faker.
We cannot be phony about this faith, these uniforms, this army and especially WHOSE we are.

“Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you.²⁰For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it.” (1 Corinthians 6:19,20 TLB)

So perhaps you can join me as I casually, ever so silently, rather quickly – put to death my fake-self once more. Let’s cast it aside and get back to what really matters: “‘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.'” (Luke 10:27 – in reference to the Shema)

With ALL my heart.
With ALL my soul.
With ALL my strength.
And with ALL my mind.

From this flows everything else.
Die Faker Die.

Something more to ponder today.

Disclaimer: The ponderings and opinions written here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Salvation Army.

February 10, 2016 1

Dear Salvationist, On Removing All Doubt!

“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

The Biggest Pondering to consider for Salvationists – “Do you believe God can cleanse you from ALL your sins?”

This was a revelation and turning point of Samuel Logan Brengle, and perhaps it should also be a turning point for all of us! We are very good at saying that God can cleanse us completely, but believing in our own hearts and minds can prove to be at times elusive. We live with regrets, and often times, dredge up the past and those sins we would be embarrassed of if anyone ever found out.

Those deepest darkest regions of our hearts, those hidden sins – are often the only things preventing us from a spiritual explosion of growth in our lives.

Do we (I) truly believe that God can cleanse us (me) from ALL your (my) sins?
If so, why do we hold back?
Why do we doubt?
Even in my own life, I catch momentary glimpses of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. And as he begins to walk he is ACTUALLY doing it – he’s walking on the water, an impossible feat, yet it’s happening. Then something happens. Something catches Peter off guard. He looks around him, perhaps reality (his reality – men don’t walk on water) sets in. He sees the tempest of the waves, the power of the surging waters. He feels the billowing gusts of the winds. What had been an absolute conviction of faith, has now become a glimpse of mortality and human frailty. Like the deep rumbling of storm clouds, doubt settles onto Peter’s certainties. His absolutes turn into “maybes” and then into “no ways”…His eyes shift from Divinity and Eternity towards uncertainty and self-doubt. Excuses then enter – “I can’t do this,” “Who do I think I am?” “This is impossible” -Peter begins to sink. As he is facing the tempest and the horrific certainty of death by drowning, he calls out to Jesus, “Lord save me!”

According to Matthew 14:31, Jesus IMMEDIATELY reached down and pull Peter up…Jesus immediately saves him. Notice that the text doesn’t say that Jesus sinks in as well. He doesn’t stop walking on top of the waters. No, he pulls Peter back up above the surface of the dark watery depths. What might have been the certainty of the grave by drowning, turned into a salvation story. Then Jesus says to Peter, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)

To me, this portrait is how I see this cleansing grace of God.
It is but a window into the portrait of our immediate cleansing.
God can and will cleanse all of our sins…IF we let Him.
It has never been about if God is able to cleanse us…
It has never been about God having enough power to cleanse us through and through…
It has always been about our doubts, our uncertainties, our inadequacies, our convictions of guilt and shame.
It has always been about our penitent hearts unwilling to see that He will cleanse the worst of sinners – including you and me.

Jesus died for ALL – His blood cleanses ALL.
Knowing and believing this truth makes all the difference!
We can have all of the wisdom of scriptures at our disposal, but if they are not employed and believed in our lives – they mean nothing, and God’s cleansing will not touch our deepest darkest sins.

“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Still applies to you and me today.
Can we consecrate our lives again to Him?
Can we recognize that God can and will purify us from ALL sin?
Perhaps this is what has been holding you back all of these years.
Perhaps you have felt unworthy of this cleansing.
Maybe you don’t feel as if you deserve it, or you doubt that you could ever live up to God’s complete and utter cleansing.

**Warning: words that are harder to live by are contained within the next statement!!**
He has made you whole, now live out that wholeness for Him!
Accept this complete cleansing.
Lay all of your sins, all of your guilt, all of your shame before Him.
He will immediately lift you out of the depths!!

By the love that never ceased to hold me
In a bond nor life nor death shall break,
As thy presence and thy power enfold me,
I would plead fresh covenant to make.
From before thy face, each vow renewing,
Strong in heart, with purpose pure and deep,
I will go henceforth thy will pursuing,
With my Lord unbroken faith to keep.

By the love that never ceased to hold me,
By the blood which thou didst shed for me,
While thy presence and thy power enfold me,
I renew my covenant with thee.

-Will J. Brand/Bramwell Coles

The Lord desires an Army of Salvationists consecrated and given to His mission completely. The Lord desires all lives fully surrendered to Him…then and only then can He cleanse us through and through!

Something more for our Army world to ponder today!

February 8, 2016 2

Persevere and Endure!

“By your endurance you will gain your lives (souls).” Luke 21:19

This is a foreboding passage.
Jesus basically tells His disciples that bad days are coming, and yet if they persevere, they will win or gain their souls. It is without question that most of the disciples endured hardship, persecution and even execution. Life was extremely hard for these Christ-followers, yet they persevered not just for themselves, but for their Rabbi – for their Messiah. The purpose that they had been given was beyond just their solitary lives – it was a purpose that brought hope into all of the corners of the known world.

From this first century context, we too can glean some meaning from these words of Jesus. Life doesn’t always contain full promises and ONLY happy days…life is sometimes hard. Sickness happens, unemployment occurs, cut backs, mounting bills, relationship issues, broken promises, loss of loved ones and friendships you thought would be long lasting. Life. Is. Hard. Sometimes.

It is certainly a sharp contrast from the lives of those first followers of Christ, but there are still many very real struggles in this life. I don’t want to list all of them today, but I do wish to convey that you are not alone. We all endure these hardships, these difficult days, these dark days. Sometimes giving up seems like the easiest thing to do – don’t. Sometimes throwing in the towel on our faith seems like the logical thing to do when anger and frustration consumes us – don’t.

Faith
Faith often takes us to places that we generally do not wish to be.
We long for the warm sun in our faces and the soft sand beneath our feet, but instead we stand in the bitterness of winter’s blasts numbing our faces and our hearts. Even then we’re to endure? Even here in the dark days? -Yes. We fight on. We recognize that our witness of Christ in us matters to our small corner of this world. We wage a war against these spiritual forces in our world that long to tighten, not loosen, the bonds of sin and death upon all of humanity.

Despite the season or circumstances you might find yourself in today – Faith wins.
We step out and onward knowing that God’s Holy presence is with us. We continue this calling of love. We say “Your will be done in my life – not mine.” Only in full submission does any of this make sense. Only in full submission to God do we become strong again and can access strength that is supernatural and beyond us. Only here are we able to persevere and endure. Only here will we gain the constant presence of the Holy Spirit, not that He isn’t always present, but rather, we have become finely tuned into His frequency in this world and in our lives.

So How About it?
Are you struggling today? Do you know someone who is going through a dark time?
How can this hope and light of Christ alleviate and penetrate that darkness? Are you submitted fully to Him?

Regardless of what has transpired in your life, today is what matters – how you live this moment makes a difference. We can choose to curse God for our circumstances or we can praise Him despite the difficulties that we face.

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

February 2, 2016 1

An Open Letter to Open Letter Writers –

Reader Discretion Advised:

I don’t want to sound hypocritical, me writing a letter to open letter writers and all…but please, please stop it!

You come across as whiney and it’s just so down right irritating! It’s passive-aggressive. Can I offer this suggestion, Instead, maybe just write a private letter or place a private phone call, and keep the “mob audience” at bay. Don’t rope everyone in and then try to sway them towards your opinion; or perhaps you’re doing this for recognition of some sort…either way it’s trite, tacky and annoying.

Sincerely, -the rest of us.

(Or maybe it’s just me).

January 30, 2016 0

Pastorspondering Sermon Helps…

I want to try something for my fellow pastors & officers out there.
Today, here is a sermon outline and help for pastors on the topic of Holiness.

Suggested Video Help:
Skit Guys – God’s Chisel Available for purchase at Skit Guys Website Here

Holy Living –
Focus Passage – Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Acrostic – H.O.L.Y.

1. H. The Honing Process –
The Holy Spirit desires to hone and chip off the old ways and life still remaining in us right now.
Isaiah 64:8
Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Jeremiah 18:6
He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

2. O. Others (Servants)
Service to others 1st begins to Full Submission to God –
John 12:26 “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

Others –
1 Peter 4:10
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Our service to others must be a reflection of Christ to our world.
It also helps us to live Christ out loud in full submission to Him towards His creation, His people, He died for ALL people. How will they hear or see Christ if we do not live for Him.

3. L – Living Sacrifice
“…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…”
What does a living sacrifice look like in our modern culture?
Can we take “me” “selfishness” out of our life’s equation?
“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:58

Jesus had no home here, no true possessions or land – sometimes materialism drives selfishness. A living sacrifice is willing to give up life’s comforts for a great cause than themselves. What kinds of “Stuff” get in the way of our sacrificial living?
Make a list of our “Stuff”…

4. Y – Yearning For The Chisel…
“…Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Change in our hearts and lives is NOT easy!
The Holy Spirit at the moment confession comes to us and into our lives in order to reveal that which is still present and un-surrendered in our lives. Remnants can still remain. Old hurts that have festered into bitterness or anger still remains. Sins we are not even aware of in our own hearts still linger.

Do we yearn for these changes in our lives?
Is there a hunger to learn more about Christ?
How often do we feast on the teachings of Jesus AND apply them to our lives?

(Other passages to study and look into for application into this topic of Holiness:

2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.)

Response Time:
Suggested Songs –
“Potter’s Hand”, “Create In Me A Clean Heart”, “All that I am”

Disclaimer: This should be used as a tool and not as a complete manuscript sermon. Also, I am not or have been a paid spokes person (duh) for any video references I offer here. Use with permission, ask if you’re not sure. The primary purpose of this sermon outline to get get your creative juices working, and perhaps you can come up with a better, more tangible sermon specific to your congregation/corps. Blessings on your ministry!

January 28, 2016 0

Dear Salvation Army, Convenience or War?

“We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to make war…and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus” – William Booth

Today I wish to ponder upon our identity and that of our action as a Salvation Army.
I believe the chief dangers of our Army currently is comfort and prosperity. I speak primarily to the Western world “Army”. Not as an indictment, but rather as a conviction of mine. We are comfortable. We have where places in the world does not have even a roof to worship under. We can call it blessed, and it certainly is, but within that “blessing” there is the real danger of becoming lazy.

-Lazy with Jesus’ teachings.
-Lazy with the need to leave our buildings.
-Lazy with the necessity for Holiness.
-Lazy with the Officer or Local Officer in their preparation for Sermons and Teachings.

Comfort can produce these dangers if safe guards are not in place, and spiritual disciplines are absent. (I am not calling anyone lazy in this pondering, merely warning all of us of its lure and harming effect it has on our mission)

General Booth’s quote here seems to indicate that it is not The Salvation Army’s mission to maintain . Are we doing this right now? Are we simply playing it safe and maintaining the status quo? What of Spiritual and Corps Growth? What we are we doing within the context of Suffering/Serving Humanity that leads to lives being transformed? Our Army is NOT about becoming like another Church…or is it? Is it an erroneous thought that we are Church or that our evangelistic approaches should mimic that of other churches? What are the dangers of such an approach? Do we get it wrong sometimes when it comes to this train of thought (Distancing ourselves from being just another “Church”)?

I know that the Booths truly believed that they could win the world for Jesus, and i’m not doubting that this is possible, BUT…was this quote simply used to rally the forces in some sort of pep talk/rally OR are we to wage spiritual warfare everywhere we look?

Some Truths:
We have become slightly (maybe more than slightly) comfortable in our cozy corps and structured programs. We have sort of evolved, funding sources have more guidelines, we have more to lose and so we protect the ground we have already gained and risk much less often…tell me is this Booth’s vision of our Army?

I do not wish to sound like a militant Salvationist, but are we lacking something in this current approach? I know that I’m not the only one asking this. I know that there are leaders all around the world in our Army seeing this very same danger. So…how do we fix it? How do we go about turning the ship (sometimes Titanic-like behemoth) around?

I Believe…
*I Believe we are not to be an Army of Convenience.
*I Believe we are not to be an Army of Comfort.
*I Believe that if we barricade the corps doors and insinuate ourselves with program and “play” church, and look like all the other churches – we will have lost our Blood and Fire Souls!
*I Believe this generation needs to step up our efforts in the fight against sin in our communities.
*I Believe a little civil disobedience in order for deaf ears to hear of the hope of Christ needs to be utilized once more.
*I Believe that we need to rely less on where our next funding source is coming from and more on the Great Provider to grant us these gifts.
*I Believe that Holiness in our Ranks means that our mission will not face extinction.
*I Believe that without prayer in the pews we will not have warriors for Christ in the streets.
* I Believe that without spiritual disciplines employed in our personal daily walks, we will be greatly weakened, Christ’s image not realized, and more susceptible to the lures of temptation.
* I Believe that our Army is in need of a revolution which can only begin on our knees in full submission.
*I Believe what make us an effective army is the Holy Spirit’s power, and the obedient-servant hearts of soldiers!

I do not belong to a convenience Army…do you?
May we continue to wage war in our communities on sin.
The darkness is very real in towns and cities.
Suffering because of sin still occurs…and we cannot, we will not turn a blind eye to those who are suffering!

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

Disclaimer: The Opinions and thoughts of the writer do not necessarily reflect the opinions and thoughts of The Salvation Army.

January 27, 2016 2

Category: Faith Ponderings