Dear Salvationists, The Mercy Seat

“The hope of the Army is in the penitent form. As soon as that goes out of use, we go out” (General Albert Orsborn)

We call it the Mercy Seat, others call it the Penitent Form, still others call it the Altar.
Why is it there?
What is it’s purpose?
Is it still valid and needed today?

Perhaps these are just a few questions that you’ve wondered about as you have participated in a Salvation Army service or meeting. Some have, perhaps, been soldiers for years and never quite understood why we do what we do when it comes time for the “altar call” or “time of response”.

Is this practice outdated or is it still useful?
What is the biblical understanding of the “mercy seat”?

I believe Major ViJay Boda puts it rather succinctly; ”

“The International Spiritual Life Commission affirmed to the whole Army world that the mercy seat in Salvation Army meetings symbolises God’s unremitting call to his people to meet with him. It is not only a place for repentance and forgiveness, but also a place for communion and commitment. The report emphasises, ‘Here we may experience a deep awareness of God’s abundant grace and claim his boundless salvation.’

Encouraging the use of the mercy seat, the commission says, ‘The mercy seat may be used by any one, at any time, and particularly in Army meetings when, in response to the proclaimed word, all are invited to share loving and humble communion with the Lord.”

This is a good explanation, and perhaps some of us are good at explaining this to new comers or new soldiers…but sometimes I think we need a refresher course. We need to break old patterns and old molds in order to better understand what we are doing at the Mercy Seat or why we have these moments of commitment at all.

Biblically speaking, the Mercy Seat is first mentioned in connection with the Ark of the Covenant. It is the “kapporet“, or the “atonement piece”. Later it was the ornate golden cover to the ark with two cherub corners. Imagine that, the “atonement piece” covers the opening to the very presence of God.

Symbolically speaking, Jesus became our once for all- atonement piece – our mercy seat. His blood makes us clean, and his provenient grace cancels our debts/sin. When we kneel at this place of repentance that we call the Altar, or Penitent Form, or Mercy Seat, we are essentially placing our sins on Christ. We lay them down, and in so doing, we are invited to pick up new clothes, a new life, this unmerited grace and forgiveness that Christ has prepared for us in His death and resurrection.

This Mercy Seat can be a sacred place.
We can kneel upon it in our corps buildings during Holiness meetings, we can find it at special events where seats have been turned around waiting for those willing to repent or seek reconciliation. These sacred spaces are not necessarily holy in and of themselves. They are just structures, constructed with human hands, but purposed for Divine encounters.

BUT WAIT…
The Mercy Seat is so much more than a specific place.
We, being the very essence and the body of Christ, now have access to this mercy seat anywhere at anytime and anyplace. No, it’s not some new application found on our cellular devices or on our computers. This Mercy Seat is never far from us, even when we find ourselves at home or bedridden with illness – it is there! This Mercy Seat is found in our hearts. When we receive Christ at a place of forgiveness and new life, such as the Altar, we also receive the blessing of His Holy Presence. The Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. Not in some sort of alien “body snatchers” way, but rather in a Creator meets and communes with Creation sort of way. With His presence comes the mercy seat of our hearts, where we can come at any time before Him to confess, commune and grow in Christ’s image.

Samuel Logan Brengle once said, “I have carried a penitent form (mercy seat) around in my heart half a century or more. And if there is ever any need, I constantly fly to thee.”

1 Mercy Seat – Many Uses (Not Just A Place For Sinners!!!)
Before I close this topic today, (honestly, this is a primer for further discussion), I would be remiss not to mentioned that the Mercy Seat is SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PLACE FOR SINNERS. It takes real courage sometimes to come before the ecclesia (body of believers – A.K.A. The Church) and kneel at the Altar. Sometimes many worry about what others might think or say (Shame on anyone who would say anything towards a brother or sister penitent before the Lord). Sometimes this erroneous thought that keeps on circulating spoken or unspoken – is that once one has gone to the Altar they shouldn’t have to go back anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth!!

If one of our more esteemed first theologians (Brengle) went to his Mercy Seat frequently, how much more do we still need it in our lives?

The Mercy Seat still beckons us to:
-Come and Reconnect with our Savior.
-Come and bring petitions and prayers as intercessors.
-Come and cast our prayers of thanksgivings to Him.
-Come and seek forgiveness again.
-Come and find reconciliation and re-ignition.
-Come and pour out those deeply secret spaces of our hearts before the Holy Spirit who has been prodding us to let Him in.
-Come to surrender, or surrender again.
-Come and bring your brother or sister who needs encouragement and assurance.
-Come and bring your brother or sister who needs a friend.
-Come and bring your brother or sister who desires new life and is sick of sin.

So is the Mercy Seat pointless in our modern, sophisticated age?
Yes, it’s as pointless as the Son of God stepping down out of heaven and taking our sins upon himself…if that is truly pointless – then so are our lives.

No, in fact the Mercy Seat is so much more than just a kneeling place for sinners or saints…it is the exhalation of sin and in the very same moment, the inhalation of salvation, new life and holiness. It ought to be perpetuated, preached on, and emphasized over and over again – with clarity, sincerity and truth.

For more reading on this topic check out another post: Is Your Mercy Seat Broken?

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

January 19, 2016 8

Dear Salvationist -Watch Your Mouth!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29

The Holiness Movement is far from dead.
We, as Salvationists, have within our veins more than the figurative colors of red, yellow, blue…we have the image of Christ within our hearts. Not to say that other Christ-followers do not, or that we are better than anyone else, but this message, this pondering is primarily for Salvationists in our world today.

We face difficulties in our communities and in our culture which makes it hard to be truly set apart for God. The lure of many things comes knocking at our doors and begs us to participate, to comprise, to ignore this calling. Is it possible to look so much like the culture that our effectiveness in mission is compromised? Is there a line that begs and pleads alluringly to be crossed? What of our attitudes, our hearts, and our speech? Do these go hand in hand with our lifestyles, with our mission?

There isn’t a time clock that we punch when we accept this holy mission of Christ’s. We are either all in or not at all. We don’t wear the uniform to the corps but once it’s off at home we become someone else, with a different set of life rules. We are beckoned to “go into all the world…” We are asked to “take up our crosses” and follow Christ. If we are to imitate Him in every way (Ephesians 5:1), then this includes what we say.

Confession:
I can be cynical at times (That’s not a shock to some of you).
I always joke that I have the spiritual gift of sarcasm, but sometimes that sarcasm takes a very harmful turn. My speech isn’t always as it should be. Words can become barbs that are razor sharp that can cut to the heart of people faster than any blade could ever penetrate. I know this of myself. I make no excuse of this. Does that mean I wish to continue to the live my life in a verbal rut? Of course not!

Dear Salvationist
Do you have the deep desire to continue to grow in Christ?
Is there, within your heart, the Spirit’s pleading to become more than you are right now?
Are we settling for the verbal ruts, the bad habits, the inexcusable behavior? Do we make excuses and/or rationalize these away in order to make them more palatable and accepted? I can tell you truthfully that you will never really know peace within your heart as long as you continue to reside where the Holy Spirit does not want you to reside – in regards to ungodly habits and behaviors that are contrary to your covenant or promise to Him.

Like our tithe, like our commitments to God – if we continue to only give Him a portion, we will never be truly satisfied living within His will. What is God’s will for us? Read Micah 6:8 again “He has shown you, oh man what is good and what the Lord requires from you. To live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Watch Your Mouth!
Be mindful of your mission field.
Be aware of how ungodly speech corrupts your heart and those around you.
What kind of speech am I talking about? Not just profanity and course language, but (and more importantly) unkind words towards others, Gossip of any kind, malicious-hate fueled speech. Words that do not build up but instead destroy. Soldiers of this Army; more importantly Soldiers of God do not act this way…should not act this way! Watch your mouth…it can build souls and help them become more Christ-like, or it can burn the heart and fuel it into hatred towards God…that is how helpful or harmful your words can be.

Questions to Ponder Today:
How can I change my patterns of speech?
Do I recognize those moments when my words become barbs and are used as weapons?
What is the Holy Spirit instructing me to do within my actions and my use of speech?
What kinds of changes do I need to make right now?
Have I settled for where I am right now or am I willing to grow through the direction of the Holy Spirit?

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

January 14, 2016 5

Dear Salvation Army, The New Song Book

You know, as they say, “Out with the old, in with the new”…but a part of me is feeling a little melancholy about this one. I can still remember the old song book, now twice removed. It has been put to pasture years ago, but for a few still lingering upon shelves of Salvation Army libraries or others who feel sentimental like me. I remember how that book smelled. Its pages were crisp and contained many of the songs I grew up singing. Some of those songs are still intact, reprinted with a new paint job and a new format inside this new song book. (Phew that was a lot of “news“) Some of the old songs, will inevitably have to wait for another resurrection, until some of us sentimentals grow older and find we really do miss seeing those lyrics among the pages of a Salvo Book.

Nonetheless, I do like this new edition…it is growing on me. (Although, I realize that I too am not always amenable to change.)
The segregation of the chorus section is no more. Newer, more singable chorus are now included. The creators of this edition even took the time to incorporate scriptural referencing as well as thematic messages…it’s a Holiness meeting (and other meetings) preparer’s dream to have this new tool within these pages!

From a corps perspective, soldiers by and large, enjoy seeing this new song book among the pews. I wonder if most soldiers, adherents and attendees feel the same? I would be curious to know other people’s thoughts and first impressions of this new song book as it hits the pews around the world.

For Me:
It’s still growing on me. It’s going to take some time as I put my long goodbyes away for “old red” and begin to feel the inevitable present-tense of this new tool in songbook form.

There are other, more pressing issues to ponder about…but for just a moment I had to find time to ruminate on the passing of another song book, besides I’m going to miss seeing those red bound books in the pews…perhaps that’s just me.

What do you think of this change?
Is it good, bad, kind of the same? Tell us what YOU think.

Something more to ponder today.

Disclaimer:
The views of pastorsponderings.org are the writer’s thoughts and opinions and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 11, 2016 33

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

Dear Salvation Army, Identity Crisis or just “More than a Church”?

“We are an army of soldiers of Christ, organised as perfectly as we have been able to accomplish, seeking no church status, avoiding as we would the plague of every denominational rut, in order perpetually to reach more and more of those who live outside every church boundary.” (Commissioner George Scott Railton)

No church is perfect.
No Christian witness is flawless.
No song we sing can ever compare to the Holiness of God.

Dear Soldier of The Salvation Army,
I don’t necessarily see our mission and identity as completely “Church”.
Yes, we celebrate the resurrected Christ.
We recognize Jesus as the Son of God; the only way to eternal life and the source of salvation to the world; but this good news cannot be contained within four walls of a church building can it? No! We are called to go out into the world. Our mission as The Salvation Army is about being faithful to going out into our communities. It’s not just about feeding and clothing the poor, but this is a starting place!

We should represent the most welcoming aspect of “Church” in our communities to those who truly will “come as you are”! Many that we have the opportunity to reach will be unchurched, uneducated in “church etiquette”, and having little to no practice in biblical understanding. Some will know, but life has often times robbed them (whether through conscience choice or beyond their control) of their dignity, hope and joy. Yet, because of our mission, we have the capacity to welcome them into our buildings and provide for them more than just a morsel of food, but something more substantial – living water, and living bread.

We Are Not Perfect!
This organization is NOT perfect, it does have its flaws, it’s politics, its issues, as do we all as individuals.
There are numerous social issues we MUST fight for, however, that begs us to put these faults and imperfections aside and get back to work within our mission. If we can first get past the fact that we are flawed, we are imperfect even within our uniforms, we can make a more rapid response to the plight of people all around us.

We MUST be humble!

Officers & Soldiers, no matter what rank you are, no matter how long you have served, no matter how “high” you go up in the structure of our Army – know this: we do not serve as soldiers in this Army to attain rank and position. This should never be our aim and first pursuit. Unlike the world around us, our mission for Christ is about winning souls, serving souls, and caring for the lost, sick and afflicted. We cannot afford to become sidetracked on fame, rank, power, position or anything that would entrap us. The father of lies would love for us to become entangled in this game of church politics and army power wrangling…because if we do become ensnared in this, we become limited within the scope of our mission and its success.

The disciples of Jesus even argued about this very thing.
They wrangled about who would be the greatest disciple.
They tried to show off, look better, be more attentive to Jesus…it wasn’t what Jesus wanted from them.
So Jesus set them straight:
^“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Luke 9:46-48)

Dear Soldiers, we must be completely humble.
None of us should think we are greater than our fellow soldier.
We need each other and so we too must humble ourselves.
“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)

No, we do not have an identity crisis in our Army…we simply have to recall what our identity is and should be for future generations! The structure of this Army is to get beyond Church walls, beyond Church boundaries, politics, policy and procedures and to reach into our communities toward those who have been rejected by everyone else. We must reach into our communities for those who are disparaged, discouraged, disillusioned, drugged out, pimped out, drunk, condemned, and without all hope.

So, what is your identity as a soldier of this army?
Are you humbly serving as a soldier of Christ?
Where is He sending you?
What is holding you back?
Who in your community is the fallen and rejected?
Can you go to them?
Will you show them love and grace and offer them hope?

Dear Salvation Army, let’s keep up this fight!
We are not finished yet!
Our calling still stands – His Holy Spirit will guide us!

Something more for our Army to ponder today!

Disclaimer: These postings and ponderings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Salvation Army.”

September 22, 2015 3

Dear Salvationists….3 Reasons To Run From Church.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Before I get a bunch of hate mail about this topic and title, let me clarify.
I am in no way suggesting that you abandon your posts and/or corps.
The body of Christ needs you.
This Army needs dedicated soldiers and officers like you, so don’t surrender or quit!

What am I saying then?

There are moments when Church fellowship has been destroyed.
There are moments when you face more hostility than acceptance.
There are moments when the body is literally broken.

Have you been there?

Sometimes the worst kinds battles occur within the walls of “Church”.
Sometimes the worst judges, juries and executioners are sitting in the pews every Sunday morning. They cast looks with furrowed eyebrows and brandish barbed words and sharpened blades of deceit. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t in every corps, nor is it in every church, but when it does happen it can destroy lives.
Sometimes it is found in the maligned uses of Scripture to fit the needs or used as a weapon.

So why run?
What do I possibly mean by this?
I don’t want to sound like a cynic today, but I am not naive to believe that every church is practicing what they preach. This sounds judgmental too doesn’t it – sorry, I don’t mean it to be. I just want to caution you, and use this as a metaphor today. The “Church” is more than four walls. The “Church” is more than what happens on Sunday. The “Church” is more than a group of people in odd looking uniforms. The “Church” is you, it is me, it is our very bodies, our very nature as Transformed new creations. So let me speak of this “Church” metaphor today, and why we should run.

What are we to run from?
3 Reasons To Run From Church:

1. Let’s run from the Gossip Church!
“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.” -Proverbs 20:19
If Church is all about backbiting, slander and all kinds of verbal abuse, then run.
Don’t associate yourselves with the Church of Gossip. Don’t hang out in its halls. Don’t participate in it’s rotten potlucks full of foul intentions and underhanded comments. These things will make you sick and poison your soul. Don’t involve yourself in this tainted fellowship, instead RUN! Gossip can seem quite innocuous at first with a mere sentence of “hey did you hear…”, or “I want you to pray for so and so because they….” -Gossip is NOT edifying to the body of Christ. So don’t a part of that Church, instead run from it and have nothing to do with it at all!

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak…” Matthew 12:36

2. Let’s run from Weaponized Scripture!
“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” James 4:11

If scripture is being abused and used to attack other people – Run.
Don’t take specific passages out of context in order to fulfill the needs of “Church”.
Don’t listen to such poison either.
Be mindful that this can be Church of one (me, myself and I) as well as a group of people.

Jesus didn’t care much for the abusers of the Torah and it’s many laws, this should give you an inkling of what His response would be to those who do that still today. Modern day Pharisees do exist among us. There are times to confront them and times when we should RUN from them.

If scripture is used purposely to fit a Church’s needs and/or to attack other people with it – get away from them and run! Don’t waste another moment in that fellowship. Also, spend time studying the Bible for yourself, don’t just take other people’s word at face value. Begin to develop your own understanding of what is being said. Understand the context of each passage and to whom it was originally written to. Be aware of this sort of weaponizing of scripture…the purpose of a weaponized scripture isn’t to bring people to Christ, instead it is used to condemn others and hold power and authority over them by looking down on them. If that’s the case then run from the Weaponized Scripture Church.

“If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” -Exodus 23:5

3. Run From the Loveless Church!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” Matthew 5:43-44

A Church without love is a dead church.
A heart that feels nothing for others is a sad and pitiful life.
Run from such a Church. Run from the religion of hate, judgement and condemnation. Don’t waste your time in these loveless pursuits.

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1 John 4:20

We will not always agree with one another in Church. This is different than lacking love completely. I don’t know of any church that is void of love, lacking sometimes – yes, but not void of it. But within our hearts we can become apathetic, we can become unloving and uncaring for others. Run from this Church. Run from this desire to NOT care.

What Church should we RUN TO?

1. Run to the Church of Sincerity.
2. Run to the Church of Honesty.
3. Run to the Church of Authenticity.
4. Run to the Church of Forgiveness and Grace
5. Run to the Church of Holiness – a transforming life (He is still working on you/me/us).
6. Run to the Church of Reconciliation and Restoration of the Broken

Dear Salvationist,
We can’t afford to run into the Church of gossip.
We can’t afford to run into the Church of the Weaponized Word.
We can’t afford to run into the Church of the loveless.

If we truly want to win the world for Jesus, then we have to run to the right places.
Our hearts must be in the right place.
Our lives are His, and His alone.

Something more for our Army to consider this morning.
To God be the glory!

September 4, 2015 1

Dear Salvation Army,THIS ______Changes Everything!!

“The divine breath evokes divine harmonies.” General Frederick Coutts

Dear Army,
-Are there not days when you feel tired, worn and spent?
-Are there not moments when circumstances and reality hit you square between the eyes and you can’t help but wonder about your own breaking point?
-Are there not moments when you leave home long before the sun rises and finally enter your home once again well after the sun has gone to bed?

This is fight is not a fight that we will win on our own.
What fight you ask? The fight against sin. The fight against injustice. The fight against poverty. The fight we as Christ-followers engage in every day. We will never be strong enough on our own, yet pridefully we attempt such feats only to find discouragement and loss. We can not defeat the enemy, who is the father of lies and the bondages of sin…on our own. We are not the source of strength. We were not created to be islands unto ourselves, self-sustaining and without need of help.

Our weapons of war are provided to us.
God the Father sent His Spirit to guide and to provide.
He alone has the power to equip us in these battles we fight.
The battles are far from over.
They are turbulent and many casualties within our ranks have occurred.
Yet, because of His great love and His love for those who are lost, we carry on.

So what changes everything?
What is the tipping point within the war?
What is our secret weapon you ask?

Our power comes from the One who sends us out into the fray.
Our power comes from a band of soldiers bound together in holy prayer, without personal benefit, but for the purpose of upholding one another within the very hands of God. Our power resides in His Holy Presence sustaining us in the darkest of moments and in the most dire of circumstances. He is but a whisper away and will come to our aid even before we ask Him.

The real key to this Divine power is our faith and allegiance.
Do we sincerely believe He can still perform miracles in our world?
Do we sincerely believe that God will answer, or even hear our prayers?
Do we humble incline our hearts and ears to listen to His answers that He whispers to us?
Are we prepare to move when He sends us?
Are we ready to act and to speak when we prompts us to?

The true power of prayer resides within His provision as well as our receiving and believing.
The receptacle has to accept that which is given in order for the light to shine.
So how is your heart today?
Do you firmly believe God has orders for you?
Are you ready to humble accept those orders?
What of your brother or sister along side you in this war?
Will you make it a matter of discipline to bring them daily before the throne of God in prayer?
Can you commit to encouraging and lifting up one another?
Forget about Church politics, policies and procedures, the jostling for political powers that occur within any Church…and pray.

It is quite astounding that we often times treat prayer as some sort of last resort in our spiritual arsenal, when it is our front-line. The disciplined solider MUST intentionally seek out the front-line weapon that is prayer. It ought not remain a knee-jerk response to times of crisis; because if we gird (arm) ourselves and bath ourselves as well as our fellow comrades in this Holy power, we will be equipped and baptized in His Holy Presence.

Prayer changes everything…if we will proactively employ its power before the daily battles begin.

Questions to ponder today:
How can I employ the power of prayer before I engage the world each day?
Am I lifting up my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (in and out of uniform)?
Have I, in the past, only resorted to prayer when everything else had failed?
How can I change my prayer life so that I can better engage the world around me?

Oh that my utterances in prayer be for You alone dear Lord.
That my heart and its intentions are bowed low before Your throne.
Gird this way, the path that you have set before me.
Baptize me again in Your Holy presence
Fill me a new today.
-Amen

Something more for our Army to ponder today!

September 3, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, 5 Ministry Life Hacks That Can Improve Your Ministry

You’ve seen all of the life hack ideas out there.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were Ministry Life Hacks? Well, there are.
I’ve done a little digging on the web as well as thought of some realistic ministry hacks on my own.
I should point out though that ministry hacks are necessarily short cuts or a means to short change your ministry…it still takes hard work and determination, but perhaps we should be thinking smarter about the way we do things instead of making it harder when there could be a simpler way.

5 Life Hacks That Can Improve Your Ministry
These might be some obvious and/or not so obvious to you.
The key in our ministries is to be relateable, realistic and holy.
How do we do these things?
-Consistency
-Be Real
-Be Honest
-Be Available
You get the point.
Anyway…here we go…

1. YouTube Mini Webisodes
Here’s a hack within a hack – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYPTlZveNPc

Your corps could do these type of videos in your services as well…it’s really very simple.
You might also consider doing these videos instead of your regular “announcement time”.

Most smart phones these days are affordable and relatively easy to navigate.
The world becomes closer to your fingertips and using it for the right reasons makes all the difference. We ought to take advantage of these media platforms. It’s really not hard. The hard part is adding content to places like YouTube that people will actually watch and/or be interested in. Make sure the videos you post are well thought out, planned and creative. YouTube channels are free. You can add one yourself with just a google e-mail account. With the use of a smart phone you can now upload simple webisodes and/or informational content to your YouTube channel. You don’t have to have a big budget on video editing equipment to get your message out to the masses. Experiment and give it a try for yourself!

2. Keep And Sync Your Lotus Notes Calendar to all your (approved) devices
(Or Google Calendar)
Again, the nice thing about modern technology is that you can organize your life.
I have a confession, I’m not the most organized person in the world, in fact I’m far from it.
I need this kind of help on a daily basis in order to keep track of my schedule and calendar of events.
You can use IBM’s Lotus Notes Calendar and have it synced to your phones…it works!
If you’re more of a web-based calendar person, you can use google calendar (Note: I really don’t work for google, seriously, it just stuff that I’ve found through trial and error that works).

Maybe you’re like me and you’re unorganized and you need help.
Try using a calendar for a month…stick with it. Any new habit has to be formed and it takes time.

3. Media Saturated Social Media Posts

Image of male touching virtual icon of social network — There will undoubtedly be someone out there who will say (and comment) “*Well, what about just using the Bible and preach the gospel, we don’t need all of this stuff!*” If that’s the case then don’t use all this stuff. This is just a means to make our ministry smarter, better prepared and sharper.

If your corps/ministry uses social media then use it well!
Put your phones to use by taking photos of events and posting them.
Put thought provoking content on you Corps facebook page, twitter account, tumblr and any other media platform you may use. Keep your corps members engaged through out the week. If your sermon on Sunday can spill over onto your website or social media page then do that! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stay connected and be a source of hope and challenge to your corps members and community!

It’s really taking the quote “Why should the devil have all the good music” and bringing it into the modern generation. Why should the devil have all the good media content (other than the occasional “if you love God then click ‘like’ if you don’t then ignore” dumb posts you see sometimes on places like Facebook)?

Being innovative in your ministry doesn’t mean selling the truth of the gospel out.
I. Am. Not. Saying. That. (But someone will certainly accuse me of this today…just watch)
What I’m merely suggesting is we ought to use the tools that we have at our finger tips to get that message out more and in a more accessible and visible way.

4. Be Prepared!
It’s really not a new life ministry hack.
Do you remember the old Colonel or Major that used to tell you “keep an extra sermon in your bible just in case” THIS STILL APPLIES! Preparation is King! Always have a message to speak. Be creative, be innovative, be prepared! It’s so much more than the Boy Scout motto. It ought to be the Christ-follower’s motto as well!

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter 3:15)

Maybe put down the tv remote and refrain from watching another hour of programming.
Maybe put aside that video game that you’re totally immersed in.
Maybe get up a little earlier each morning and get some spiritual preparation under your belt by spending time in prayer and meditating on God.
Maybe put aside any other distractions that might get in the way of your preparation as a minister/Officer/Soldier/Evangelist/Worship Leader/Corps Sergeant Major/YPSM (the list goes on)…

Maybe read a challenging book about the Christian faith.
Maybe do something that stretches you.
Do whatever prepares you to engage our world and those we have the privilege to minister to.

5. Connect with Corps Members Through Intentional Social Events.

If food is the way to a man’s heart, then social events are the way to your corps people’s hearts.
How else will we connect on a fellowship level if we don’t intentionally schedule events that will allow us to “let our hair down”? All families, singles, divorcees, seniors, middle agers, young adults crave some sort of social connection other than Sunday morning worship times. Don’t skimp of the fellowship times because you think it’s a frivolous waste of time. Schedule. Connect. Don’t make it all about some sort of additional bible study time. Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your corps members. This allows them access to you as a person and not just their officer or local officer. Be real. Make the attempt. This ministry life hack is the grease to the ‘cohesive body of Christ’ cog.

These are a mere five suggestions to help improve your ministry.
Do you have additional suggestions? Comment below and share with us your insight!
Join the conversation, that’s what these ponderings are all about!

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

September 2, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, 3 Things No One Told You About Wearing A Uniform…

The Salvation Army uniform is, for the most part, recognized by many people (that is unless you happen to be in uniform in an airport). It’s certainly not the most comfortable thing you’ll ever wear, but it’s certainly not the most uncomfortable either (er pantyhose…nevermind).

I’ve been wearing an army uniform since I was ~~born~~…I mean since I made a junior soldier.

https://youtu.be/Wmrwj6DDt-4

3 Things No One Told You About Wearing A Uniform:

1. Evolution Exists In The Uniform:
The Salvation Army uniform is, or should be, a fluid thing.
If you don’t believe me that there is an evolutionary process to the uniform just look at pictures of our uniforms as early as 1990…things are changing. Some of us might wish the uniform would change a little faster, but the days of the high collar and the bonnet are gone (cue the sad music and some of you will no doubt pine for days gone by). The Railton shirts and the Dorcas (maybe a better name could have been suggested) blouses are relatively new editions to our growing uniform. Perhaps one day the “Patriot” shirt and others might not be limited to only certain times of year but instead may be worn year round…thus the evolving uniform.

2. The Uniform Opens Doors:
Perhaps someone once told you that the uniform opened doors, but you didn’t believe them. It really does, if you still don’t believe me just wear it traveling sometime and you’ll see. Some soldiers have joked that they have worn their uniforms to coffee shops and received a military discount. Besides the occasional discount (which of course isn’t the reason we wear our uniforms) visits to governmental offices and dignitaries tends to go a lot smoother when wearing of our polyester finest. The uniform can open some doors…not all. There might be places and occasions where the uniform is not welcome, so bear that in mind too.

3. In Times Of Crisis, The Uniform Changes Lives:

All joking aside, moments of crisis do take place around us, and The Salvation Army uniform is recognizable! After the horrific events of 9-1-1, The Salvation Army’s presence in New York and ground zero was sought out. Counseling took place for rescue workers and individuals by uniformed Salvationists. When you wear the uniform, the opportunities to impact lives in crisis increases. In times like these 1 Peter 3:15 comes to mind; “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

The Salvation Army uniform is a unique thing. It can be annoying to wear from time to time but it can also be a witness tool, a blessing and a door opener. I used to take the use of the uniform rather lightly…there are times that I still grudgingly donn it on, if I am honest. But the older I get the more I see its vital use within the Salvation Army’s ministry. I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be changes made in the future to it, but I am saying I hope we don’t simply relegate its use only for Sundays.

Perhaps there are more things that no one told you about wearing The Salvation Army uniform that you would like to share with us. Comment below, we’d love to hear your responses as well!

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

August 13, 2015 10

Dear Salvation Army, You’re Not Qualified!

“I’m sorry, but you’re just not qualified for this position.”
This could be a devastating sentence to hear if you were applying for a job or ministry position.
One might ask themselves; What does “not qualified” mean?
Does it mean that I’m not good enough?
Does this mean that I have no worth?
Am I useless?
Am I wanted?
What’s the point in even trying?

Not being qualified could have this effect on us.
Knowing that there are others out there in the world who are far more qualified than we are…this has a broad brush stroke within the context of The Salvation Army. There are far better humanitarians out there. There are numerous philanthropic organizations who have Phd’s and world wide recognition for their star studded supporters.

I don’t mean to drag The Salvation Army’s name through the mud, that is not my intention (be patient, I’m getting to my point) here with this topic of “qualifications”.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” -C.S Lewis

Jesus walked upon the shoreline looking for the unqualified; He was looking for the willing.
Not the know-it-alls, or the scholars, or the lawyers or the strongest and best…he was looking for the willing.
Is it no wonder that He begins his search among the most humblest of places? He called to the first would-be disciples and they dropped their nets and followed Him. They weren’t the most educated. They weren’t the brightest of their classes. They were simply willing to follow him. Were they perfect when it came to following the Rabbi? No. Numerous times Jesus calls them “You of little faith“…He didn’t call the qualified, no, He qualified those He called.

Questions to Ponder:
Do you consider yourself worthless or do you lack self-confidence?
Do you feel unqualified?
What would it take for you to feel worthy of God’s calling upon your life?

Can I be honest with you?
Most days, when I put on this uniform, I feel undeserving, I feel unqualified, like I can’t truly do this work alone…
There have been many days when I have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that I indeed am unqualified and was never called to “know-it-all” or assume command. I have been called to be faithful to Him. There will be days that many of us feel largely unqualified for the tasks that are put before us…don’t panic, You will be alright! God will provide you with His direction, peace and provision. Can we JUST be faithful in the moments of being unqualified? We may never “have it all together”. We may never individually command world-wide respect, but if that’s why we’re Soldiers in this Army, I’m afraid we’ve mistaken the mission for something else.

Guess what?
You’re Not Qualified.
I’m Not Qualified…
But God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies those He calls.

I don’t believe this is a cliche, I truly believe that God’s provision will sustain those who are faithful.
Stand firm today, dear Soldiers.
Stand firm in His grace and love.
Don’t forget that you’re unqualified, but also don’t forget that He has called you and He will equipped you for the battles, for the journey, for the sea of overwhelming tasks that are placed before you.

This is something more for our Army world to ponder today!
To God be the glory!

August 4, 2015 4

Category: Soldiers