Dear Salvation Army, 4 Disconnects 2 Avoid

There are real dangers to long-term membership status in the Church.
I don’t wish to confront the faithful, this is just a reminder and a warning to us all.
If I am pointing fingers I must realize I have fingers pointing right back at me as well.

The body of Christ can be an extremely powerful thing!
We are His bride, His hands and feet here on earth.
When we put of our hearts and efforts into reaching our neighborhoods, great things will happen through the power of the Holy Spirit! But what happens when the church stops functioning as it should? What do we do when there is little to no motivation to get out of the doors of that church; when those doors and walls, and everything else in the church are just safety blankets to a frightened bride of Christ?

Today, I would like to explore four very real disconnects that every church faces from time to time.
-It can effect us too if we are not careful.
-It can effect our vision and vitality of our corps.
-It can effect our leaders, our soldiers, our adherents.
These disconnects are dangerous if not treated and our hearts are not reconnected to our power source – The Holy Spirit.

4 Disconnects 2 Avoid:

Worn –
We’ve all seen it before.
It manifests itself through the Sunday school teacher who has been teaching for 40 years…
It manifests itself through the local officer who is just tired of performing the same role.
It manifests itself through the corps officer who is also tired of being “pastor”, friend, counselor…There are many other examples in which the disconnect of being worn can present itself.
It’s very common.
Burn out is real.
Officers, Soldiers, Local Officers and even Adherents experience this.
How do we avoid it?
Sometimes you can’t…I just need to say that first.
We have this “Army” mentality and with it comes this notion that we can just plow through any obstacle that comes our way. In order to avoid this disconnect we have to realize that even soldiers need to find rest to recharge. Every one of us needs to seek out Sabbath days, find mountain top moments in which to pray, relax, get away from it all and just unwind.

I have seen Officers who are definitely worn – I’ve been one of them from time to time.
You can come back from being worn, but its harder to come back from being broken because you let the worn disconnect go too long. Recognize the warning signs, and intentionally get away from it all for a bit.
Apathy –
I have to admit that I am the least tolerant to this disconnect.
I cannot stand the perceived “I don’t care” mentality that can sometimes penetrate the church.
Sometimes it happens without thinking – “If it doesn’t effect me, then I’m not going to worry and/or do anything“.It becomes “Us” and “Them”. The church versus those outsiders, those sinners, those people…those…who aren’t as good as we are…but it doesn’t stop there, it becomes this uncaring environment for the outsider and the unchurched. “Well, they don’t come to our doors, it must be because they have chosen to reject God.” -This thought process is sort of an escape clause to play church but never really being the church that Christ intended and actually GO OUT to meet people. You might as well take down the cross and any other symbols you have of the “Christian” faith and adopt some sort of club status because that’s what you have become.

Faithful followers of Christ do not have time to be apathetic to the plight of hurting and lost people in our communities. It’s not a social club. This isn’t an exclusive membership club either. We can’t pretend to help but never actually do any helping…
Know It All
This disconnect that annoys me to no end, it’s the “I know it all” mentality.
It can happen to any of us if we aren’t careful. We have spent years in church. We know all the stories from the bible. We know all the right ways to pray. We know all the right words to say as we lead parts of the service on Sunday, or lead a bible study, or Sunday school…we know, we know, we know…and yet we know nothing.
-We know nothing of complete surrender.
-We know nothing of true self-denial.
-We know nothing of true compassion.

We’ve played church for so long that we have become unteachable.
We could listen to a thousand sermons
We could hear a thousand renditions of Amazing Grace and other church songs
We could hear every bible study, every scripture reading, every heart felt prayer;
and because, deep down, we are unteachable (we know it all) we are horribly disconnected.
The Holy Spirit would have to take a jack-hammer to the heart of the “know it all” just to get through.
Oh that we would just soften our hearts once more and open our ears!
Soldiers, friends, be careful that you don’t become the “know it all” officer or soldier!
Selfishness & Power

The last disconnect within this pondering today is the disconnect of selfishness and hunger for power. Sometimes these are mutually exclusive and sometimes not. It’s about what I can get out of my corps. It’s about how I can get more. It’s about me, me, me. Look at me, look how good I am. Self-preservation is okay up to a point. We should take care of ourselves. We should be clean, and eat and go to the doctor, but what happens when everything we do is about ourselves?
NEWSFLASH: If we are Christians, if we are soldiers, then we are no longer living for ourselves, but we live for Christ and others. “The old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we are a new creation, where does this selfishness go? Where does our lust for power go?The disconnect of power doesn’t necessarily speak about high ranking officers either, it speaks about anyone who would lord their status and position over someone else, whether that be at the corps level, the divisional level, the territorial level or even the international level. This disconnect is a temptation to be somebody. It’s about me…what I can do…who I am…what responsibilities I have and the power I can exploit to impose my will on others. Don’t think for a minute that this doesn’t exist in our army, for it certainly does. Where ever there are imperfect people in church, there will be this temptation…and guess what we’re imperfect people.

The Solution?
Plug back into the source power.
Get back to your first love which is Christ.
He must become increase and I must decrease.
Humility.
Holiness.
Self-denial.
Rest, Meditation upon His Word.
Prayer.
“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3
Questions to ponder:
Are you disconnected right now?
What sort of disconnect is it?
Can you find your way back?
Is there repentance that needs to take place?
Are you over working yourself?
What will it take to get reconnected to His power?
Is the Holy Spirit using a jack-hammer on your heart right now?Something more for this Army world to ponder today!
To God be the glory!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these ponderings on pastorspondrings.org are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army.

September 28, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, Without Borders, Without Division…

“Hardship, unbelief, suffering and poverty have not stopped our soldiery from rendering their service to God and man. The Salvation Army is a great empire, an empire without a frontier made up of a tangle of races, tongues and colors such as never before in all history gathered together under one flag.” -General Evangeline Booth

I do not wish to pat ourselves on the back today, this is not my purpose.
The purpose for this pondering is to explore the structure and foundation of our Army today.
This week we have talked about our identity and that we are more than simply a “church”…this calling that we are answering is to the front lines, to places where the church often shies away from. It is my intention to judge the church, but rather to paint the necessity of our Army to remain in the front lines.

We cannot boast that this uniform or this mission is glamorous, because it is more often than not, a tiring, thankless duty. We must get our hands dirty in order to grasp the hand of the one needing rescue from the pit. We must be available to listen to the lonely soul who feels as if they are all alone. Yes, it is often a most unglamourous (If I may make up a word) duty we are called to perform.

A Stalwart Soldier:
Storms will come.
Doubt will occur.
Leaders will come that you might not see eye to eye with.
Clouds of disillusionment might appear on your horizon.
But we MUST remain firm. We cannot retreat, despite these imperfections within our ranks.
We are all imperfect people being cleansed by a Holy God. We must allot for grace and forgiveness so that we can continue to serve Christ in the many capacities that He has placed us in.
I too struggle with “the system” from time to time.
I too question certain policies and decision from time to time, BUT this will not deter me from serving Christ first and attempting to continue this mission to the world around me.

Your community needs you.
Your town, city, neighbor – they need you!
They need a functioning, loving, graceful Salvation Army to go where no one else dares to go.

We don’t have time to become divided upon anything.
The moment we become a divided Army, is the moment that we lose ground and lose our place within our communities and most importantly God’s mission for us. When we relinquish our prejudices and societal divisions and allow the grace of God and the love of Christ to permeate us entirely, we tear down all divisions and become united again. This road that we are on is not easy, it was never supposed to be easy. Christ’s path to the cross was not easy, and we are called to pick up our crosses and follow Him – no matter where that leads us.

Are you prepared to carry that cross?
There will be person sacrifices to be made.
It is not always glamorous.
There will be bumps and bruises along the way…but we need you!
This Army of Salvation needs viable, faithful, loving, holy, Salvationists to lead the way.
Now more than ever, we must remain united as one Army throughout our World.
One mission…One purpose. Yes, we will lose comrades along the way. Attrition is real.

BUT:
-If we are more concerned with being like Christ instead of looking the part of a soldier…
-If we are focused on Kingdom building instead of personal, selfish agendas…
-If we have a deep compassion for people and are grieved by the sickness of sin instead of settling for a compromised faith…
-If we careless about attaining certain positions and ranks and care more for others…
-If we spend more time on our knees before the throne of heaven intently listening instead of jabbering away and complaining about our gripes and wants…
-If we studied more about what Jesus said and did and why He did those things instead of studying what our founders did (I’m sorry, I deeply respect our founders, but they surrendered to Christ too)…

If we do these things, and strive for holiness in everything that we are and do…these borders and divisions that we face will decrease and Christ will increase in our vision and heart. We can’t allow our minds to become consumed with these impossible, insurmountable boarders any longer – because we serve a God who does the impossible and STILL performs miracles in our communities.

Dear Army, we are an Army of Salvation that is spurred on by the resurrection power of Christ Jesus! Each of us are a standing testimony to this power. He still longs to transform lives in your corps, in your communities. Despite the darkness, Christ can and will shine His light and expose sin and deliver souls from these chains. We, dear soldiers, have the deep privilege of bearing that light into those places…if we will only commit to it and stop wavering between our old lives and our new.

“I seemed to hear a voice sounding in my ears, ‘Where can you go and find such heathen as these, and where is there so great a need for your labors?…God shall have all there is of William Booth” -William Booth

Does He have all of you yet?
Something more for our Army world to ponder today, To God be the glory!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these ponderings on pastorspondrings.org are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army.

September 24, 2015 0

The Syrian Refugee Crisis…And You!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
-Galatians 6:9

The Bad:

A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refug...A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refugee camp set in the town of Harmanli, south-east of Sofia on November 12, 2013. Bulgaria's asylum centres are severely overcrowded after the arrival of almost 10,000 refugees this year, half of them Syrian. The influx has fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment in a country already struggling with dire poverty. AFP PHOTO / NIKOLAY DOYCHINOVNIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images — A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refug…A Syrian refugee holds a baby in a refugee camp set in the town of Harmanli, south-east of Sofia on November 12, 2013. Bulgaria’s asylum centres are severely overcrowded after the arrival of almost 10,000 refugees this year, half of them Syrian. The influx has fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment in a country already struggling with dire poverty. AFP PHOTO / NIKOLAY DOYCHINOVNIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images

Since the Syrian civil war took place five years ago, an estimated 4,000,000 (that’s MILLION) refugees have left the war-torn country. Many have flooded into neighboring countries
It boggles the mind that there are countries in our world who would turn a blind eye to the plight of asylum seekers and refugees. It has been reported that some of the wealthiest countries in the Middle East are doing nothing to help welcome foreign refugees from Syria. The same can be said for some European countries as well. Let’s call it for what it is. This isn’t about fears of the economic mainframe and fears that a country can’t support a sudden influx of refugees. This isn’t about resources at all, because either the EU would step in and help as would the United Nations. In fact, just today one of the UN’s top officials said this current refugee crisis needs a global response (Source: UN Response To Current Crisis) The refusal by some nations to help displaced Syrian families is abhorrent, wrong and despicable. Apathy seems to be running rampant in parts of the world. Self-interests are in play here, as is the practice of turning a blind eye and pretending it doesn’t really exist. This is about inconvenience. Some of this is also about ethnic and ideological differences. Racism still exists. Bigotry within cultures, religion and lifestyles still exist, and is alive and kicking.

The Good:

Fleeing bombardment of their village by Syria's Assad regime, — Fleeing bombardment of their village by Syria’s Assad regime, “Um Ali,” 38, as the mother of six children asked to be called, sits in the back of the cave they have found as their own shelter. The cave, just outside the village of al Sahriah, measures about 12 by 35 feet. (Andree Kaiser/MCT)

Germany was one of the first countries to step up and do something about this humanitarian crisis.
They have pledged to take up to 500,000 refugees a year! That is amazing generosity, compassion and willingness to do something remarkable when others have turned a blind eye to the plight of these displaced families in need.
Now, the tide is (hopefully) turning – The Vatican has pledged support and is urging other nations and Christians to do the same. Some countries, like the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and France are beginning to feel the pressure to offer more than just a band-aid solution but, perhaps a new home to many who are now homeless because of this horrific civil war.

More Still Remains To Be Done:

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - JANUARY 31: In this handout provided by the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Residents wait in line to receive food aid distributed in the Yarmouk refugee camp on January 31, 2014 in Damascus, Syria. The United Nations renewed calls for the Syria regime and rebels to allow food and medical aid into the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk. An estimated 18,000 people are besieged inside the camp as the conflict in Syria continues. (Photo by United Nation Relief and Works Agency via Getty Images) — DAMASCUS, SYRIA – JANUARY 31: In this handout provided by the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Residents wait in line to receive food aid distributed in the Yarmouk refugee camp on January 31, 2014 in Damascus, Syria. The United Nations renewed calls for the Syria regime and rebels to allow food and medical aid into the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk. An estimated 18,000 people are besieged inside the camp as the conflict in Syria continues. (Photo by United Nation Relief and Works Agency via Getty Images)

There is still hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who are seeking peace and a new home.
Syria is most notable war torn country in the news currently; but other places in the world are suffering the same fate year after year; places like Sudan – currently in South Sudan there are more than 600,000 refugees who have fled to the Southern boarders while another 1.5 million people are currently displaced and without a place to call home. (Source: South Sudan Refugee Exodus Continues)

What Can We Do?
How can we help? We are just soldiers, people, seemingly little in our community…but we are wrong, we do have a voice and must make it heard!
We must continue to give a voice to those who do not have a voice.
We must fight for the powerless, the suffering, the homeless, the refugee, the trafficked sex slaves, the child soldier.
In this current crisis, and crises like it in our world, we must stand against injustice.

In the United States:
Write your state representative or better yet call them
Here is a list of their numbers – Phone Numbers To Call
Urge them to apply pressure to offer more support to the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

In Canada:
Look up your local/governmental officials and apply pressure to help
Contact Information

In The United Kingdom:
Here are some rather current information as to what is being done in the UK –
FactSheet
But more can be done and you can urge your government officials.

I can’t list all of your wonderful countries here today but I would suggest that where ever you live, you must apply some pressure to your governmental units. Remind them, urge them to help. We cannot sit idly by while innocent men, women and children are displaced and are suffering. Turning a blind eye is a conscious choice to not care. Don’t allow apathy and selfishness to invade your heart! Do something!

More resources and information:
The Salvation Army Assists Refugees
The Greek Salvation Army Caring For Refugees
UN Refugee Agency
CNN News Report

Something more to ponder today!

September 9, 2015 1

3 Lessons That Christians Can Learn From The Ashley Madison…

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

Unless you are currently living in a cave (in which case it’s amazing that you’re even reading this right now) , you will know that a group of hackers recently released the names of nearly 90,000 clients who used the online “affair” site – “Ashley Madison”.

There have been some claims, mostly unsubstantiated, that nearly 400 Pastors would have to resign because of their involvement on the website. I don’t know about you, but this whole scandal just makes me sad. If church members and pastors are indeed involved in this fallout then what kind of testimony to the “unsaved” does that have? What would be the “Christian” fallout? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish to convey an “us vs. them” mentality here, but certainly we have to concede that we DO have a responsibility as Christians to live as “Set-Apart”. How can we set an example of godly living if we aren’t really living above reproach? How could this translate to other faith-seekers out there? Would they become disillusioned because of this display by “Christians”? Or is this just par for the course? Is this just a “Christian” issue or is it also a society issue?

Here are three lessons that Christians can learn from this whole Ashley Madison debacle:
“Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.” -Warren Wiersbe

1. The Truth Will Always Come Out:
I don’t say this to be judgmental, I say this because it’s true. Adam and Eve couldn’t hide the truth from God in the garden when they disobeyed Him, so what makes us believe that our outcomes will be any different? I know that sometimes affairs happen for many different reasons. Some because of neglect, abuse, distance, a moment of weakness and so on, but it’s still a tragedy all the same. It was never how God intended love to look like or act when it came to humankind. Sometimes I wonder if these sort of things happen because people think they won’t get caught.

I’m reminded of the scripture verse: “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” Luke 8:17 If Christians believe that hiding issues and sins will never be found out, think again.

2. Christians Aren’t Impervious To Temptation:

If you think that as a Christian you will never struggle with temptation again, then you’re sorely mistaken. Temptation is still alive among Christ-followers. When Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray, He even taught them to pray against temptation when He said “And deliver us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”(Matthew 6:13).

If we know we struggle with a specific type of temptation, then be aware of it. Be vigilant. Be on your guard! Christians, even though they are “Set Apart”, can still stumble and fall! If some Christians have been caught in this whole Ashley Madison debacle, I pray that they find healing, forgiveness and grace on their road to recovery and reconciliation! Temptation is very real, especially among those who claim to be Christ-followers.

3. If We Don’t Guard Our Heart, We Can Easily Fall!
The last lesson is this (and I believe that it’s connected to the last lesson).
-Guard your hearts.
Put up barriers to sin and temptation.
If you have trouble with overeating then don’t drive by the doughnut shop…you get my point. Take special precautions to avoid situations in which you might fall into temptation. Be proactive in avoiding such a scenario in your life. If you’re proactive, you stand a better chance of side-stepping that which trips us up. When we guard our hearts, we guard our lives; we filter the kinds of things that we allow into our hearts and minds. We are then able to withstand such a barrage on our lives.

I don’t wish to condemn anyone who is caught up in this scandal today.
I’m certainly not perfect, and I’m sure you aren’t either.
Here’s a newsflash – The Church isn’t perfect either. In fact, our Church doors are open to all who are imperfect and require the kind of healing and grace only Christ can offer. We might be tempted to sit back, purse our lips and judge people who have been caught by this whole Ashley Madison mess…but think again. Hold your judgements and try to offer grace. I’m not saying we allow sin to continue to be active in our churches, I’m just saying allow grace, forgiveness and love to enter into the equation before we ever consider casting the first stone. I pray for grace and healing for those in need of it today! May we all seek God’s favor in all that we are and ever hope to be as Christ-followers.

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

August 31, 2015 0

“Unplugged”

They say that the best sermon one can preach comes from personal experience…this topic is no different.
I find myself looking at my “smart” phone far too much.
I invest my time in technology and social media far more than I should.

I am not saying social media is bad, on the contrary it can be a vital tool to ministry, family and life.
But you know what they say about too much of a good thing…it might just become bad for you.
I cannot begrudge social media, after all, this audience on Pastorsponderings was grown out of social media.
You matter to this blog, these ponderings, and to me…but…we sometimes need to just unplug from it all.

We have to get away from our devices and look around us.
We have to put down our cell phones, computers and tablets and spend quality time with our families.

I don’t know about you but there is this constant need to see what other people are saying and writing about on places like twitter, facebook and tumblr. We check our status’ hundreds of times throughout our day, but God forbid we ever enter a place where there are cellular dead-zones.

I’m tired of family get togethers that look like this:
We drive miles and miles to our families for holidays and after only a short time we are doing this while we sit around and soak up the electronic silences on the couches and chairs. We are mere feet from our loved ones and yet we may as well be miles and miles away. Again, I’m talking to myself in this, but it the shoe fits…

…I must confess that I am horribly guilty of this type of technological distraction.
I just don’t want any of us waking up some day when some of our family members are gone from this life and regret not spending more quality time with them instead of facebooking our closet 1,000 “friends”.

At Play:
The other day, my sister told me of her experience at the park with her boys. They went there to play and enjoy the last remaining days of summer before school begins again. As she is watching her children play, she looked around the park at all of the other parents and she noticed, with dismay, the distraction of many of the parents. Their eyes were glued to their cell phone screens. Is it no wonder our kids seem clingy and demanding of our time these days when we don’t even realize how disconnected we are from them because we’re too busy commenting on a photo or dialoging on another group or post?

Again, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with these “social” things, but if they start becoming a distraction to our everyday lives and to our families then something has got to give…something has to change!

At Church:
Isn’t “Church fellowship” supposed to be real live connecting with people? Isn’t it supposed to be a time where we connect with God and worship Him? Isn’t Church a place where we put down our distractions and begin to LISTEN to Him? I don’t mean to say that we don’t do that else where in our daily lives, but Church ought to be a place where we unplug from the things of earth and plug into a God of the Universe. Yet, we find ourselves once again digging into our pockets for that iPhone or Android device to see what is going on with our favorite team, friend, frienemy…you get the point. Why is it so hard to unplug? Why are we constantly looking at our phones? And don’t tell me you’re just finding the scripture verse the pastor is preaching on either…maybe some of you are, but not all of you are. Are we bored with God? Are we bored with the message on Sunday? Are we easily distracted by the world around us? What is it?

I am not pointing the finger at you without first pointing the finger at me…I do this, I am equally as guilty.
I look at my screen far too many times in the day. I check status’, I read emails, I constantly text…I do all of these things. They aren’t bad things, just distracted things…especially when my son is on the soccer field playing a game…especially when my 7 year old twins want Dad time and I only give them a part of my “full attention”…especially when my 14 year old needs help with homework and I’m sitting there commenting on another post…especially when my beautiful bride is talking to me and I’m only partially listening and the other part of me is tweeting something sarcastic. You see, I need to choose my times to unplug too. I need to get away from the distractions of my devices too. I need to spend time with my family, with my church, with my God.

For Us To Ponder:
Do you need to unplug today?
Do you need a technology fast?
Do you find yourself constantly distracted by your cell phone or other devices?
Perhaps you need to “unplug” it for a while.
Perhaps you just need to put it down on the kitchen counter or nightstand and walk away for a while.
Cell phones have this awesome new invention called “voicemail” and it allows you to actually call someone back later (Sarcastic comment, sorry).

Is it time to unplug for a while? You decide.
Something more to ponder today…To God be the glory!

August 31, 2015 1

(Fluffy) Dessert Christianity…It’s Deadly!

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…” 1 Peter 2:2

I have a confessions to make…are you ready?
Here goes: I. Love. Dessert.

Dessert:
There I’ve said it. Phew, I feel better already.
Even though I love dessert I know that dessert alone is not going to be enough nourishment for my diet to keep me going throughout the day. Dessert is just sugary goodness…it’s fluff with little to no nutritional value. It tastes amazing (depending on the dessert) but when it’s all said and done it doesn’t help you maintain your goal weight or provide you with the right kinds of good proteins and vitamins your body needs.

What am I getting at:
I think that sometimes we as Christians are settling for Fluffy sugary, watered down religion instead of the real tangible stuff that grows and challenges us spiritually. I’m not saying it’s all bad, but sometimes it’s so shallow I can’t even get my ankles wet…if you know what I mean.

Mainstream Christianity:
By and large, whether it is on television or radio, many times the quality of the “good news” of Jesus Christ is watered down, saturated and made palatable for the consumer. It’s safe. It’s kinda lame…it’s just fluff. A lot of picking and choosing of scripture (many times out of context of the original intent and audience) takes place within this dessert Christianity. This is why I wrote about “Christian Music” a while ago and why I stopped listening to it…
We need to be away of dessert Christianity.
It doesn’t really challenge us to grow, in fact it kind of stunts our growth. Dessert Christianity keeps us right where we are at feasting on the sugar and fluff and it’s dangerous because then we don’t have to confront the tough passages where we are called to love our enemies, and the call to be holy; and the call to live sacrificial lives to the point of offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). Most of time this surface type of “Religion” sugar coats the scriptures and gives us what we want to hear instead of what we need to hear.

“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)

No offense to many of you out there, but I don’t need another wishy-washy video bible series study as a Christian bookstore prostitutes Jesus for money (and now I’ve gone and done it and upset the apple cart…sorry).

I don’t need another Joel Osteen sermon either.
I don’t need some guy in trendy jeans in front of a cool backdrop on a stage preaching sermons that water down the Bible and wedge his own interpretations either.
Gosh, a lot of times this style of “Religious” Christianity just comes off as fake and hokey. It sure sounds good to our ears but lacks complete spiritual depth and accuracy as real life Christians are living in the real world.

We don’t need anymore dessert, can’t you see our spiritual bodies are craving something more?
Perhaps some new believers are still on spiritual milk today, and that’s fine…but I do hope and pray someone can come along side these new believers and disciple them into deeper (less fluffy) waters. Get off the fluff and onto the stuff that matters, that challenges, that grows us!
The time to grow up in our salvation is now. Stop making excuses, don’t waste your time…

Something more to ponder today.

(I want to thank my wife Shanais Strissel for the countless conversations that has sparked these ponderings…you are my spark!)

August 12, 2015 0

Connecting The Dots At School – (A Pondering on our Youth)

I went to High School today…I mean I visited one, not attending one…I did attend several years ago.
We were handing out backpacks the school social workers and counselors for youth in need.
The “teenage” years are so pivotal and sometimes uncomfortable especially if you are poor and/or your parents live in constant poverty situations. Times are hard and teens don’t need that added pressure while at school if their families can’t afford the basic needs such as backpacks, pens and pencils and other school supplies.

It was a lot more this:

Than it was this:

We dropped the backpacks off at various schools today, with the knowledge that there are nine additional high schools to connect with before we are done. I looked down the hallways of those high schools and I saw a ghost of myself; scrawny, projecting a macho attitude, and yet scared…I was still naive and unsure of the world around me at that age. I couldn’t imagine having to go without something (like a backpack and school supplies) while enduring zits, ridicule from peers, mounting pressure to grow up way too fast, and dealing with constant assignment due dates in various classes.

Walking those overly waxed hallways made me realize how much we need to pray for our young people. They need our support in prayer and in encouragement. Sometimes they may act like complete grumpy bears but deep down they are searching for significance in life and we can help shape them if we just take the time to care and understand them.

Can we help connect the dots?
Can we provide a listening ear?
A Shoulder to cry on?
Can we be a friend?
Can we be role models?

This school season, let’s support our youth as best we can, after all, they are our future leaders!
Something more to ponder today!
-God Bless!

August 11, 2015 1

Bits and Peaces

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…” John 14:27

We all find ourselves in places of anxiety and stress from time to time.
There are moments when such stress can lead to health issues and at the very least panic attacks.
Stress like this is never helpful or healthy, it can debilitate us and leave us feeling beaten and broken.
There are moments in my life when I have felt as if I am barely staying afloat as the waters seem to crest over me…it isn’t a pleasant feeling…it is often a very frightening and unsettling moment.

Perhaps you too have experienced these ebbs and flows of stress and anxiety.
Like wading at high-tide the waves crash into you go back out only to collect more strength in order to do it all again…If left unchecked they can eat away at you, hollowing you out until you are just a shell of what you once were. When moments like these come sometimes we buy into a lie. What is this lie you ask? It is the lie that we accept as truth…the lie that tells us that we never truly trusted God…the lie that sometimes even extends to include “God has never actually been here for you anyway…where is He now?”

Just like that ebb and flow of the ocean of stress, these lies can seep into our hearts until we accept them as truth. BUT the truth is amidst the cascading surge of anxiety there is STILL hope! There is STILL love. There is STILL protection and grace…there is STILL RESCUE AND PEACE. Jesus, the very same Lord of our lives who promised to provide His peace to His followers (which includes me and you) is with us, His life sustaining presence can give us peace and He can calm the storms in our lives no matter how fierce they may be.

Do you remember the disciples thrashing about in a boat in fear as a mighty storm threatened to capsize them? Do you remember where Jesus was at that moment? (Read Mark 4:38) He was asleep in the stern of the boat. ASLEEP! His disciples were extremely afraid and their Rabbi and teacher was asleep. They call out to Him, they wake Him with their concerns…so what did Jesus do? He got up and commanded the storm to be still. Sure, the disciples were scolded for having little faith, but consider the might of Jesus -with. His. Words. He. Calms. The. Storm. – WHAT??? Yes, with mere words spoken by Jesus, the storm completely stops.

Do you have any storms in your life that need to be stopped?
Are the storm clouds brewing around you?
Is your stress level through the roof and you can’t seem to find that peace that was promised?
Are you picking up the bits and pieces? Do not be afraid, He is with you! Even if you doubt, He can come through for you. Don’t buy into the lie that you are beyond saving or that He isn’t listening…He ~~can~~ will calm the storms…just cry out to Him!

**I should also point out that if you suffer from depression, stress, anxiety and a slew of other constant struggles that it isn’t a sign of weakness to seek out counseling and help. God has placed some very gifted counselors around us to help us. Don’t ignore the warning signs. Don’t feel as if you can “manage” it on your own, seek help and find this peace too!**

God can help you pick up the bits and pieces replacing it with peace.
Trust Him!
Something more to ponder today…To God be the glory!

July 27, 2015 1

Dear Salvation Army, Forget About The Fanfare!

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40

Dear Soldier of this army…

It doesn’t really matter if your “15 seconds” of fame only lasts for 5 seconds.
It doesn’t really matter if your community doesn’t truly appreciate you for all the good that you do.
It doesn’t really matter if none of the “important people” ever take notice.
It doesn’t really matter if your work within this mission is overshadowed by someone else’s work and they seem to get all of the glory.

So what DOES matter you ask?

Here is what matters:
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing…” Philippians 2:14
Allow the bitterness and jealousy that can creep into our hears unannounced to leave the way it came in.
Tell that bitterness that it has no place in a Soldier of God!
When we work “for God” with a chip on our shoulders and we think that everyone owes us something we will eventually realize that we haven’t been working for God at all but for the glory that we think we should get.

NEWS FLASH – The work that “we” do has never been about us, it is about Christ’s redemptive love and how it can transform lives in others. We are simply humble servants…who often forget what it means to be humble. Sometimes power (or perceived power) can go to our heads. Sometimes we forget who it is we serve and how we are to love even if there is no fanfare or earthly incentive.

Dear Salvation Army,
Dear Salvation Soldier…
So what if no one sees you doing the work that you’ve been called to do.
So what if all that you do for the kingdom is unseen.
So what if no one ever truly thanks you or appreciates you.
We aren’t in the people pleasing business.
We aren’t in it for the glory of ourselves…and if we are we might wish to reconsider our motives within this mission.

Is this a common struggle amongst our ranks?
Yes…no…maybe?
Perhaps it’s never spoken but deep down we resent the lack of accolades.
Perhaps sometimes we go home after a long and weary day and feel as if no one even cares.

What matters more to us? –
People’s praises of our deeds?
God’s rewards and praises of our faithfulness?

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Forget about the public notoriety.
Forget about fretting whether you are in someone’s “good” graces.
Forget about pleasing people while forgetting to help those in need.
Do everything that you do (even/most importantly behind the scenes) ALL for the glory of God!

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

July 22, 2015 1

Dear Salvation Army, A Practical Guide To Personal Holiness

Before you click away from this article and judge this post as “too boring” let me ask, do you want to be like Christ? Is being like Christ important to you? If the answer to both questions is ‘yes’ but you don’t know where to begin, let me help by offering a few suggestions today. This is not an exhaustive list, this is merely a primer, a starter for all of us. Dear Soldiers of our Army, we need to be a holy Army for God! Holiness is available not only to officers or older adults, it is available to ALL of us! Without holiness, without the Spirit’s transformation in us, we cannot be all that He has intended us to be! Dear Salvation Army, we still are in need of Holiness today! We still need a fresh anointing of His presence.
Do you believe Holiness is possible?

Let me clarify here as well about the topic of Holiness –
Holiness ~~Might be~~ IS possible for all believers in Christ.
BUT Holiness is NOT human perfection – so let’s get that false notion out of the way right now. Human perfection is something many people chase after in order to make themselves “better”, but does human perfection actually exist? NO, the only perfect person to walk this earth was Christ…and even that statement at times troubles me because if Jesus were fully God and fully Man…well let’s leave that conversation for another time. Human perfection does not equal holiness! We are created in the image of God but because of sin we have a marred image of God within us. Human perfection or the pursuit of such a goal can lead to arrogance, pride and even self-defeat.

Holiness is first personal before it is corporate…
1. SET ASIDE TIME IN YOUR PRAYER CLOSET DAILY
Understandably the prompting of such a transformation can be prompted within the corporate setting, but real transformation and change BY the Holy Spirit often takes place within our own private prayer closets. The deeply spiritual moments, if we allot time for them, can be pivotal in our understanding of what the Holy Spirit longs to do in our lives, and the strongholds we have yet to surrender to Him. Without our daily prayer closet moment with God, we can compartmentalize and push aside its importance within our busy lives. The prayer closet can be an actual location that you go (usually alone) to and meditate on scriptures as well as prayer. Some people write in journals, some people draw, some people express this moment differently. Our prayer closet moment each day can be something that prods us, something that spurs us onward, and something that allows us clarify in a deafening world as it puts us in tune again with the Holy Spirit.

2. INTENTLY ASK, BUT ACTIVELY LISTEN!
When we set aside this time within our prayer closet, we must be intentional in its purpose. Naturally we will want to tell God everything (which He already knows) and sometimes it can become a gripe fest (trust me I’ve had my share), but instead – how much listening do we actually do in these possibly sacred times? I’m not saying we don’t ask for help in specific areas of our lives, but we should also actively listen to the Spirit’s voice. He can and will guide us if we can stop talking for ten seconds and listen to Him. Be attentive to the prodding and pleading of the Holy Spirit. He longs to transform us, and He will help us!

3. BEGIN TO LOVE
This begins with our friends and colleagues, but should extend to those who are not friends but rather enemies. Loving people despite what they do to us can transform any situation into an evangelical moment for others to see Christ in you. Love without strings attached. Love without stipulations. Love because Christ first loved us, and if we ACTUALLY want to emulate Him we must put aside our preconceived notions about others, our judgments, our phoniness and simply love (which is ironic because loving our enemies is never “simple”). Love anyway, despite our grudges, our differences, our former prejudices…love. When we can tear down these old strong holds of resistance with love, we open up molded walls that the Holy Spirit wants to remove in our lives. Breaking these old tired barriers allows us to be vulnerable and yet available to His Spirit’s transformation of our lives.

Lord, break me, melt me, mold me, use me!
Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.
May it be so with us!
Something more to ponder today, to God be the glory!

July 21, 2015 0

Category: Faith