Category: Faith Ponderings

Get Ready!

Image

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them–to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” (Joshua 1:2-3)

 

Moses is dead.  For a short moment the people of Israel are unsure of their new leader Joshua.   He is to fill the sandals of Moses…a tall order.  After all Moses gave them the words of God.  Moses lifted his arms up as God dealt with the Amalekites.  Moses was the conduit in which God set his people free.  Now Joshua is to step into this role. 

You can almost see the uncertainty in the people’s faces.  If Joshua had not been a seasoned warrior and general already, mass mutiny and hysteria would have most certainly broken out.  Yet Joshua was the right leader for the job!    His resume was full, and he trusted God. 

Looking out onto the mass of people that he now commands, for a mere moment Joshua is nervous.  People are depending on him.  So many lives depend upon him to make the right decisions as their leader.  As the momentary panic escapes his chest with a quick exhale, he pushes all doubt aside.  ‘I have full confidence in the Almighty to provide us the way’; he thinks to himself. 

 Though they have yet to cross into the Promised Land, Joshua is just as certain as he was 40 years ago when Moses had initially sent in the spies.  Thinking back to that moment when He and Caleb were the only spies to give a positive report while the other ten spread doubt and dissension among the people.  ‘Had they only listened then’; he utters to himself, ‘things would be so different now.’  Again Joshua sighs, this time in sadness and regret.  ‘Perhaps if we had been more persuasive, they would have listened’, He wonders aloud.  He grits his teeth in renewed frustration as he dwells for just another moment on the memory.  Then, with rebirth of confidence and stubborn conviction he thinks to himself; ‘I won’t let that happen again!’

Then it happens, all at once.  God speaks to Joshua.  He had witnessed the glow emanating from Moses as he came down from an encounter with God, tablets in hand.  But now as the voice of God speaks to him, he can’t help but quiver in fear.  Joshua, the mighty warrior is in the presence of Almighty God.  In his quaking and quivering, Joshua hears God say, “Be strong and courageous!” The words of God give him encouragement and instant strength!  The One who spoke life into everything promises to be present and available.  Joshua has the ultimate adviser known in the entire universe! 

God tells Joshua to get the people ready and cross over the river Jordan into the Promised Land.  This is the moment that he’s been waiting for!    The wilderness has been inhospitable to God’s people.   The hot sun scorches the barren rocky earth and destroys any attempt of planting crops or grazing cattle.  Crossing the Jordan will provide them new life!  A New hope!  It is a chance at finally sampling the promises of God in a land that He has granted them. 

Many have died before witnessing this day.  Those who had not listened to God were all gone.  Now redemption, a second chance…Joshua was not about to blow it!  He would ensure that the people were ready this time!  God again said to Joshua; “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Joshua led with conviction and faith.  He prepared God’s people for the crossing and the conquering of the land.  He did not want to see the failure of an entire generation again!  Later in his epic journey Joshua tells the people; “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (NIV)  

What faith Joshua possessed!  When God told him to get ready and cross the Jordan, he got ready and crossed.  When God instructed him to conquer Jericho through a daily march around its walls, he and his people marched!  These new territories were foreign to him, and yet he trusted God to lead and to provide!

Application:  

How about you?  Is God calling you to get ready?  Is He asking you to make a faith journey across unknown territories?  We can’t sit on the sidelines and do nothing when God calls us.  We must act!  God tells us to gear up and get ready.  Our response depends upon how much we trust Him.  Will we go?  Will we do what the Lord has for us to do?  Joshua was a fearless leader who relied upon God to direct His path.  May we do likewise in our lives today!  We may not have to face huge armies and fortified cities like Joshua did, but may we but faithful to God!  May we be prepared to cross our river Jordans when they come…whatever they may be. 

-Just a thought.

Image

0

On A Gravel Road

I was walking the gravel dirt road

night had long since fallen

the coolness of the evening 

rushed to embrace me as 

its body, a wisp of fog descended.

Each step seemed so loud to me 

in the still silence of the cooling night

as the mule in the pasture next to me

grazing still moving onto another green blade

he must be a night owl in the mammalia world

ushering his fellow creatures off to beds of straw

laying down upon the damp earth…

as I walked loudly by, 

rocks and gravel crunching underfoot, 

I, for a moment in my existential longings

considered who I was…a mere man, 

nothing special…blessed, of course

by a God of amazing grace…all an epiphany 

on a walk on a gravel road at night.  

 

0

At night. (Poem)

Image

When the evening closes its eyes

thrusting wearied souls into slumbering beds

blankets heaped and folded 

mending the creases of the day…

once again. 

Then as the symphonic crickets begin

and the bull frogs belching out another croak

take silence by the horns 

and speak deep into the night…

there is where we find this peace, 

when our efforts and our workings cease

we find this quiet solemn release.

In the night, blanketed in black

these stars, the lonely sojourners 

appear once again to welcome us back.

And we find our rest…but sometimes

true rest is in our finding…

Peace.

1

Attributes: AN ARMY VISION

Image

In just under a month the High Council will meet, pray, deliberate and finally elect a new General of This Salvation Army. Its message and mission is still relevant. This movement that started with William and Catherine Booth must and will carry on. There is still a war waging in our world. Not a war of flesh and blood, though it is most certainly involved, but a spiritual battle for the very souls of men and women. That is why, we as soldiers of this army, must continue to fight and be proactive in this campaign.

In recent conversations that I’ve had with fellow officers and soldiers of The Salvation Army these thoughts percolated in my mind. We may be modeled after military in form, but we all have an Army voice to one extent or another. So with that being said, I would like to outline what I would desire our next General’s vision and attributes for the global Salvation Army to be. It sounds presumptuous I know…but as soldiers, we all have parts to play and a stake we claim within these army realms. Indulge me if you will:

Image

VISION:

1. Continuity:

ONE ARMY, ONE MISSION, ONE MESSAGE: It still applies! It is still active, and I feel as if this message, this vision ought to continue and to be built upon! Far too often, I fear that when new leaders take on their new responsibilities so too they cast new visions far too quickly! Sometimes this type of leadership change model can disillusion constituents, making them frustrated and wandering in every which way directionally speaking. This “take control leadership” approach, which produces a new vision while forgetting the old vision, can lead to a polarizing and dysfunctional army. I don’t presume to have any power or say in this at all by any means but I do hope our next General would be sensitive to the path that has already been paved and to walk on its already laid foundation.

2. Relevancy:

Understandably there are many political sociological ‘hot-button’ topics throughout our global army. The continued need of our army leadership to pursue mission and purpose that is consistently relevant to the world in which we serve is of the utmost importance. This should include our perspectives and application of worship, service and all aspects of our holistic ministry.

3. Transparency:

I’ve heard this many times in previous conversations and I believe this is most definitely pertinent to the position of General of The Salvation Army as well as our immediate leaders. If our local officers and soldiery are provided transparency at the local level with message, ministry and finance; ought our territorial, national and international leadership also follow suit as well? Absolutely! Be genuine and transparent to those you lead! We continue to need leadership who will rise up and lead not because they are fearful of repercussions of others but to lead out of conviction and biblical authority.

4. Holiness

I have served under leaders who have been holy leaders. These types of leaders are respected and loved. When you have a leader who leads through holiness you will find a stronger army at the core. Holiness in leadership is crucial, without it they’re just another business administrator/CEO. True leaders are willing to lead with the promptings of the Holy Spirit and who are unafraid to risk and to adapt and change in an ever changing world.

These are just a few attributes I hope and pray our next General possess. We all can surround our High Council in prayer…and we should. And I also acknowledge that the Lord will provide and lead. By faith I believe that He will provide us the right General for just this moment in time. And I also believe that God will continue to rise up our future leaders who can carry on this great mission and propel His Great Commission into every territory in the world!

What would attributes would you like to see within our new General?

0

Authentic or Fake? (Igniting the Passion Again!)

Image

 

 

“Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”

–Genesis 5:24

 

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:20)

 

Is there meaning behind what you do in your worship? 

How is your heart?  Is it still in it?  Are you in love with God?  These questions may get to the heart of the matter.  We are called ‘Children of God’ (Gal 3:26) and yet at times we act like we are mere acquaintances of God.   I will admit that there have been times when my heart just hasn’t been in the worship service that I am attending.   Have you been to that point? 

 

Setting the stage: 

You get up and prepare for the Sunday Morning Service.  You put on your ‘church clothes’, comb or brush your hair…and make sure everything is in place.  On the way out the door you grab your Bible, which may have been resting in the same spot since last time you went to church.  You get in your car or van and race to the church because you are nearly late…someone cuts you off on your way to the church building.  Then you get to the church and find all the ‘good parking spots’ are already taken.  So you finally reach the front doors of the church building in a huff, slightly irritated and just a little bit disheveled…but you still have your Bible in hand. 

 

When you finally sit down in the pew as the service is about to start, you suddenly realize you didn’t eat breakfast…great one more thing to think about during church.  You stand when they tell you to stand, you sit back down when they tell you to sit, and all the while you are staring at the clock thinking about what you will do with the rest of your day.  You barely hear what the pastor preaches on…the first joke in the introduction was funny but after a while the sermon just becomes the mumblings of that teacher on the t.v. show ‘Peanuts’…”Whah, whah, whah, whah, whah.” 

 

The Heart of the Matter:

Hopefully your worship doesn’t look like that!  But if truth be told I would almost bet that you have had those Sundays.  My question to you is “why even go to church then?”  If we aren’t emotionally, physically and intellectually there in the first place, why even show up? 

 

There are a lot of people out there who go to church but fail to actually show up.  It’s unfortunate, I’ve been there, and it happens.  It makes me wonder sometimes if we aren’t acting a little like the Pharisees of old.  We’re all about the ritual of worship…we all know the right songs to sing and the right ‘Amen’s’ to proclaim at any given time in the service, but our hearts are just not in it. 

 

Dare I prod us all for a moment:  If we just show up for worship on Sunday mornings (or whatever day we attend church) but we aren’t really there…aren’t we a little like the Pharisees that Jesus talked about that were all about cleaning the outside of the cup but not too serious about cleaning the inside? (Luke 11:39)  Now I’ve probably stepped on a few toes with that one…but I have to confess…I’ve done it too!

I’ve been just as guilty of showing up for Sunday service and said all the right things and gone through all the right motions and yet my heart has not been in it. 

 

This isn’t some sort of guilt trip that I want to lay on you today.  I don’t want us all to think that we’re awful people by any means.  But what I do feel as if God wants from us all is not our ritualistic church attendance.  Or our ritualistic methodology…or even our ritualistic uniform/church clothes that we wear so that we fit in.  What God wants from us is our hearts.  He wants our worship, our undivided attention.  He wants from us authenticity in the songs we sing, the scriptures we read and in the sermons we hear or the sermons we preach.  HE DOES NOT WANT OUR LIP SERVICE!  He never did!!! 

 

He wants to make us holy, set apart people for Him!  We can’t just settle for cleaning the outside of the cup and keep up appearances of something that isn’t true on the inside!  God wants us to be real, to be vulnerable people before Him.  He calls us all to genuine fellowship with Him.  The kingdom of God begins within our authentic worship of a God who has poured out His unmerited favor on us.  How can our hearts NOT be in on that? 

 

To the pretenders out there STOP PRETENDING!  Either get on with real worship and adoration of God or just get out of the way!  To the luke-warm believer: MAKE UP YOUR MIND!  Don’t settle for a skim-milk type of passion.  Don’t stop at just being a ‘ok’ in your faith…we all have to grow and mature!  Get on with it!  To those of you who are ON FIRE FOR GOD: Don’t let your flame go out!  Keep burning for the rest of us so that we have something to aim for! 

 

RECAP:

Don’t fake it.  Don’t settle for mediocrity.  Don’t suffocate your fire with distractions, worries and things that have no eternal worth! 

 

REMEMBER: Have passion, clean the inside of the cup daily, and walk with God…He longs for you to do so! 

 

 

 

1

Electing A General…More Money, more Soldiers? More questions than answers…

Image

Correct me if I’m wrong here, because often I am.  And I do not want to rely on hearsay or useless erroneous conjecture.   But as I’ve been reading various publications and blogs of officers and leaders, I hit on a disturbing notion in regards to how Generals of The Salvation Army are elected.  Am I incorrect in assuming that a large portion of the election process is weighed within economic and statistical measures?  By that I mean do we put that much emphasis on those leaders who are perceived to have grown their territories in leaps and bounds?  If this is the case, and I hope they are not, is this biblical?  

Secondly, does this then preclude potential candidates who clearly have the intellect and godly principles from being elected based on the territories in which they are currently serving?  

Hopes:  The fastest growing regions of The Salvation Army are also within the poorest regions of this world…would the High Council consider a Commissioner from one of these regions as a viable candidate?  My hope and dream is that we begin to see the progressive movement within the Army to consider the leadership of the entire world regardless of its economic or statistical support.  

What I know:  Not much.  That much is true.  But what I do know is that This Army has been historically revolutionary in this movement!  We allow women to preach, Hallelujah!  Regardless of gender, Salvationists have more equality than a lot of churches around the world!  We are a holiness movement, and thus we must continue to rely on His promptings and proddings within our Army for ‘greater things’.  The mission is not over yet!  And we continue to need leaders to rise who will not insulate the Army and play it safe but those who are willing move it forward!   

4

From Darkness into Light (Poem)

Taking each moment

breath by breath

leaving my old life

assuming the new.

I don’t deserve this

death was my closest friend

embraced by a moment

found by the light.

Cold, lost and empty

now standing up right.

Could we be salvaged?

Could we be saved? 

Hanging by a thread

my soul in the grave…

 

But you come to me 

when I had nothing else

But you lifted me 

when I was drowning 

I was going down.

 

Confronting my demons

facing my shame

retracing my shadows

for much I’m to blame…

Yet your light falls on me

Binding all of sorrows

soaking up my broken mess

joy becomes me

joy infiltrates all that I am

penetrating my defenses

and redeeming this lost and lonely soul…

this is redemption

from darkness into light.

 

0

What am I preaching on?

Image

How is your soul? 

How is your relationship to God?  To Christ? 

In a world that struggles with acceptance and identity, there should be comfort in the fact that as a family of God, we serve One who accepts us and loves us without strings attached.  

Living for God isn’t easy…but it will be and is rewarding!  

Here’s the passage that I will be speaking on tomorrow…and I really feel that the Lord has something for us to hear from Him on this topic:  

1 Peter 4:7-11 (NIV)
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If 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.

Tune in tomorrow here on this WordPress blog as we explore this passage together…I will post the podcast of the sermon here as well as some notes…join us!

-Blessings on you today, and may you live for Him! 

 

 

0

My Morning (Poem)

The birds are singing – my alarm clock, 

as the sun peaks into my room

bending its way through our sephia blinds

winding up to the bed post

creeping in and under these eye lids…okay

I will rise, embrace this new morning.

 

stepping over discarded toys on the stairs

blurred vision, grog in my head

weighted by a slumbering dream; 

taking promise of the sunrise, 

and the brewer in hand

thick ebony grounds are scooped up, 

some granules, over flowing, coat my fingers…
i let them linger, allowing its redolent flavors to waft..

ignition of the senses, eyes gather focus 

pouring water deep down into its reservoir…

then I wait.  

Shaking cobwebs from the edges of my mind

percolating coffee, smooth romance to my ears

I think to myself, ‘watch pot never percolates’ 

and fathom countless minutes before my cup is poured

taste buds salivate linger and long for this morning’s first taste

as if all other mornings we have be deprived

and never tasted its succulent grace.

This is my morning.  

Image

0

General Election…An Officer’s perspective, and a call to a Month of Prayer.

Image

I’ve read a number of news stories, blogs and opinion pieces on General Bond and her subsequent retirement.  I’ve re-posted some here on my blog as well as commented on others.  I’ve even discussed this topic with other Officers ‘out there’…it’s fodder, news and it all effects us in some small way.  

It’s common to speculate on the sudden departure of General Bond.  It was certainly not something anyone would have anticipated until next year at her ‘scheduled’ retirement date. However, that being said I do think that simply stating ‘personal reasons’ should be respected.  We may wish to know more.  We may yearn to understand why our primary leader within The Salvation Army suddenly retired, but I seriously doubt that our queries and questions with get answered.  Do I wish there had been more information released from IHQ or from General Bond herself?  Of course I do.  But I also feel that if someone wishes to keep private matters private then we ought to respect those wishes.

Obviously one who is in Authority, as General Bond was, could have helped the Army world understand and even accept her sudden departure had more information been included instead the seemingly cryptic notice.  I believe this would have staved off all of this idle speculation.  But what’s done is done.  We as an Army march on!  We still have a war to engage and so engage we will!  

Secondly, I do not think it wrong to question our authority from time to time.  Even authority within our Army needs sharpening.  But we should also temper our questioning with wisdom, prayer and godly prudence.  After all, every authority regardless if it is the General, Commissioner, Colonel, Major, Captain or Lieutenant are all people fallible and imperfect.  But as I say this I also interject that if we are a holiness movement our actions, respect and love ought to permeate even these dialogues and ponderings.  

That being said, I pray for the upcoming proceedings as Commissioners from around the world gather at the High Council in July.

Image

Month Long Prayer Intiative: 

 

 I also petition that until then (June 21st – July 29th just over a month) that we as an Army enter a season of prayer.  As we pray; lift up our leaders and Retired General Linda Bond, pray for fellow Officers on the field, pray for the Soldiers around the world, this Mission God has placed us in.  

We march on as One Army, but first let’s gather on our knees in prayer!

Sincerely, 

Scott Strissel, Captain.

 

 

 

5

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑