Dear Salvation Army, Why The Holiness Movement is Dead…

As with many of these articles, hear me out before you tell me how outraged you are that I would say such a thing.

Let me start by asking you four questions:
1. What is your Sunday service called? Is it called a Holiness Meeting or “Worship Service” (or perhaps even Church Service)?
2. Is Holiness lived and taught in your corps?
3. Is Holiness a focal point of your corps and it’s ministries?
4. What is the thrust of your local mission in your corps/appointment? Is Holiness a portion of this?

If you can’t honestly say “Yes” to these questions, then perhaps we ought to see where the grave of holiness is located in your building. The Salvation Army was a large part of the Holiness Movement. I do not believe that our numeric and spiritual growth stemmed from obedient officers or because we had a “tighter” core group of leaders in our Army world, instead I believe we as an Army, recognized and believed in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. I think the crux of our present age is that fewer and fewer soldiers have this realization any longer. Dare I say this is true for Officer and Soldiers in the corps. I am not questioning our salvation, for I think this remains intact, but I am questioning whether or not we believe in an Almighty God who still performs miracles in the worst of sinners?

Brother and Sisters in Christ, we cannot live and die by our seeker’s registry. This is a tremendous indication of changed lives, but it MUST not stop there. We ought not to simply celebrate the statistical measure of our seekers at the mercy seat. We ought to be discipling those newly saved souls. This is where I believe the Army has fallen short and is in dire need of changing. There has to be more than just converting people to Christ…once they get up from the mercy seat what do we do with them? Do we have measures of accountability? Do we have saints who can mentor and disciple them? Salvation at the altar is only the beginning!!

(Let me also interject for a moment that statistics can become a poor surrogate for a disengaged style of leadership. What I mean by this is, statistics by themselves can be a helpful tool when used correctly, but a harmful tool when context is not considered).

I digress…

The Holiness Movement is dead because we have worshiped at the church of numbers and figures instead of at the altar of transformation and grace. We have lost our movement and exchanged it for a growing organization dependent upon successful programming and business operations. Some of this cannot be helped. A growing Army requires more guidelines and policies to govern its structure, but at the same time I fear we have sacrificed our very soul in an effort to remain our country’s top charity or top nonprofit…but perhaps we have lost something much more vital within our DNA as an Army of Salvation.

The Holiness Movement is dead because we have exchanged The Holy Spirit’s leading at times for ambition, power and dollar signs. Many of our sacred spaces have been relegated to tiny chapels with no vision for growing souls and more vision for feeding stomachs. Please don’t misunderstand me, we do indeed reach lives for Christ by first feeding and clothing people, but what if we have become so focused on the feeding and clothing people that we have neglected the salvation? What if we have, in essence, told Jesus to wait in the vacant chapel while we filled the box of food for families? What if we have forgotten our hearts to God while we have been reaching out to man?

A Resurrection?
I pray that we can bring the dead back to life!
I pray that we would wake up and recognize the deep need of a Holiness Army once more. I pray that we would wake up and recognize that in all of our strength and power and might we are nothing apart from the Holy Spirit’s leading. In my American slang, perhaps we have “grown too big for our britches” and in our pride and even arrogance we have begun to lead ourselves instead of allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.

Make no mistake, the enemy, The Father of lies is perfectly content in watching us self-destruct in our polarizing visions and missions and efforts. Satan would celebrate in our death as a movement in exchange for another social service organization or social club. But with God all things are possible! With His power we can come to life again in the places of dormant holiness and floundering mission. We do not need more meetings to do this. We do not need more programs to institute this. What we need are soldiers willing to commit to prayer and discipleship. We need soldiers committed to living lives of holiness, which is very contrary to the society around us today! We need an Army mobilizing on Holiness and not just a march in uniforms. There has to be an inward change before we can externally represent His presence in the streets!!

Lord resurrect our Army!
Resurrect this passion in me!
I want to be Your reflection
Resurrect your presence in me!

Something more for our Army world to ponder today!
Now, tell us what YOU think, leave your comments, questions and snide remarks below.

**Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions expressed here are that of the writer’s and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army. Reader discretion is advised.**

May 5, 2017 12

Spiritual Growth – A Lawnmower Theology

What do you mean by “Lawnmower theology”? you might be asking…let me first tell you a story.

I was mowing the grass the other day.
I greatly enjoy mowing, it’s cathartic for me and it gives me time to think.
We just got a new lawnmower and I had to put it together before using it.
So I begin by putting the arm onto the mower body and attaching the pull lever to the extended arm. Then I put the nuts and bolts into the connector holes at the bottom of the arm that actually attaches to the base of the mower. Long story short, I merely tightened them with my fingers and did not use the tool needed to tighten it fully – I’m impatient like that sometimes.

I was really anxious to start up the new mower and get to mowing our neglected backyard. So I start it up for the first time, and it just purrs – it was wonderful (I know I’m lawnmower nerd). I begin to make my way around the yard, meticulously ensuring I don’t miss any wayward grass as I pass with the new machine. It was really starting to look good…and then it happened – the arm that I had attached with the nuts and bolts came loose. I had not tightened it enough and through the constant jostling and vibration of the engine, one of the bolts had come loose and was no where to be seen. I looked around in the tall grass and in places I had already mowed, I couldn’t find it anywhere – it was gone, *poof* vanished. I searched for another five minutes only to recognize that in my haste to get the job finished, I had lost a crucial component that held everything together. I had to make a run to the hardware store and purchase a new bolt and nut – only this time I used the appropriate tool (not my fingers) to tighten the bolt into place. Now, it’s not going anywhere!

Why do you I tell you this tale?
What’s the point?
I think our Spiritual Growth can be a lot like this lawnmower of mine; or rather, how we put this “Christian life” together. We are often impatient with ourselves and with God. We want to just get out there and live for him, and so we take shortcuts. I took a shortcut in assembling my spanking new lawnmower – I thought I had tightened everything down good enough only to discover I had misjudged my strength and the terrain around me. Perhaps in our lives this rings true too. We get ahead of ourselves. We cut corners and take shortcuts because we think we already know it all. We don’t take the time as we should in our Spiritual lives and explore the spiritual disciplines necessary for long-term spiritual growth and success. Instead we settle for the quick fix. We go to a service here or there and we think it’s enough – yet the things that hold our “Christian” lives together isn’t enough, and it’s certainly not strong enough either.

Why do we think we know better than God knows us?
Why is it that we become impatient with God when He seems to take a long time?
Do you get impatient with Him? I am embarrassed to say this, but I do sometimes.
I don’t always take the time I know I need with Him.
Sometimes I do all of the talking and I hardly ever hear what He has to say to me.
And so I get out there in life and I plod ahead full-steam only to realize I’m not as put together as I thought I was. I find that I, all too easily fall apart – because I didn’t take the time to truly tighten things down in my prayer life, or my faith walk. Sometimes I’m a mess…and it’s all my fault.

Have you been there?
Are you there right now?
I have to confess I’ve been there more times than I care to admit.
I’ve run so far ahead of God only to fall apart.
It’s in those moments that I realize just how much I need Him.
It’s also very humbling to know that I still have much work to be done within my life.
There are perhaps a few missing nuts and bolts that have to be replaced by God – but I have to be willing to let Him work on me. It’s painful sometimes to admit this.
It’s embarrassing to recognize that although I’ve been a Christian most of my life – I still need help, I still need work, I still fall apart from time to time.

Have you been running ahead of God in your life?
Perhaps you recognize right now that there are pieces missing in your life. That somewhere along the way you have taken a shortcut and you really aren’t as “put together” as you want everyone to think you are. The Holy Spirit still has work to do with us! He longs for us to expose those missing pieces, those broken pieces, the dirty old life that still remains. He wants us to surrender it all to Him. It won’t be easy – but in the long run we will be made whole without any shortcuts or missing pieces. He has something much better in store for us – if we allow Him complete access to us daily, even moment by moment.

So how about it?
Are you ready to put the lawnmower together the right way this time?

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

April 20, 2016 0

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 – What Do You Know About Unpopular Holiness?

Dear Salvation Army,
It might feel good to hear the acclaims of the public, to receive accolades for the work that we do…these are certainly affirming to us…but we aren’t in the business of helping people for the purpose of accolades are we?

We didn’t sign up to wear uncomfortable uniforms for the purpose of basking in the limelight did we?
No, the purpose for our movement is MORE than just helping people!
We ARE STILL a Holiness movement! Let us never forget this truth, may it never get muddied in our various pursuits to “do the most good” in our communities.

Holiness is not an easy road for followers of Christ.

It is not the popular route. Why? Because it actually demands more from Christ’s followers. It requires each of us to ACTUALLY face our sins, our hidden sins, our indiscretions, those things which embarrass us and cause us great shame. It demands that we not only look at them but we allow the Holy Spirit to cast his glorious light upon them. When we have given up fighting the Holy Spirit and have finally surrendered to His pleas, (perhaps there are those of you who relinquished right away, and of that I am envious) He then can begin this new work, this revitalizing-restoring creation within us. Entire Sanctification is very real – but it will undoubtedly be the most unpopular thing an Officer or Soldier could ever preach.

Why so unpopular?
Because it is not simple. It is hard. There is sacrifice, and in the Western Church, sacrifice is not something many are willing to really fully commit to in a long-term capacity. We live in a hedonistic culture, even in Church, and dare I say that Holiness will always be in conflict with such a lifestyle.

Samuel Logan Brengle in his book “Helps to Holiness” puts it this way – “Dear brother, do not think you can make holiness popular. It cannot be done. There is no such thing as holiness separate from ‘Christ in you,’ and it is an impossibility to make Christ Jesus popular in this world. To sinners and carnal professors, the real Christ Jesus has always been and always will be ‘as a root out of a dry ground, despised and rejected of men.’ ‘Christ in you’ is the ‘same yesterday, to-day, and forever’ – hated, reviled, persecuted, crucified…He (Christ) will pronounce the most terrible, yet tearful, maledictions against the hypocritical formalist and the lukewarm professor who are the friends of the world and, consequently, the enemies of God…Do you not see the impossibility of making such a radical Gospel as this popular? This spirit and the spirit of the world are as fully opposed to each other as two locomotives on the same track running toward each at the same rate of sixty miles an hour. Fire and water will consort together as quickly as the ‘Christ in you’ and the spirit of the world.” (pg. 92, 93, 96)

Questions to Ponder today:
Can we accept such an Unpopular Holiness?
Are we up to the challenge?
Are we afraid of this world’s ridicule and shame?
Which “spirit” will we select tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after that?

Dear Salvation Army – We cannot separate the need for entire sanctification from what we do in our soup kitchens, social services offices or on the gym floor. There should never be a distinction between what we do on Sundays from what we do the rest of the week. The entire thrust of what “we do” is to bring people to Christ for the purpose of entire sanctification – through and through.

This will be unpopular.
Many people, even soldiers will reject such a call…it’s too radical, it’s too much work, it requires too much study, patience and sacrifice…but isn’t that the purpose of becoming a true disciple of Christ – so that we become like Him in every way?! Some are far too comfortable just coming to church on Sundays. Some are happy with this familiar routine in life. They don’t want to be shaken to the core. They don’t want to be disrupted. Some have stopped learning about Christ all together – internally they have become lazy in their studies of the Bible, they have thought in their minds “no one can teach me any more, because I already know everything there is to know about God and the Bible.” -This is entirely far from the truth…I am ashamed to have even considered this phrase to be true in my own heart sometimes, yet God brings this spirit of conviction in me. Dear soldiers, we need to humble ourselves once again. We need to fall on our faces and repent. We need to allow His Holy Spirit to renew us once more…and to allow Him to complete His work in us.

Some may cast this pondering aside today, because it will certainly be unpopular.
But I want to call us back to the Altar. I want us to recognize the work we have left unfinished in our hearts. We cannot go any further in our mission if we do not first stop here and ensure our hearts, our lives are completely His once more. I know there is still work to be done in me…how about you?

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

To read more on this week’s topic of Holiness click the links below:
Sin and Holiness
Cheap Grace

Disclaimer: The writings, and opinions of Pastorsponders are the writers expressed opinions and do not always reflect the opinions and views of The Salvation Army.

October 22, 2015 3

Dear Salvation Army – Let’s Talk About Sin & Holiness…

I do not wish to meddle in your life, my life has its own problems, but I wanted to touch upon an important topic that I believe we pass on all too often –

It’s not easy to truly confront this head on…and mean it.
We all talk a good game, but when it comes to the follow-through, I think most of us fail.
I’m really not here to beat you up today, I just want to peel back the veneer that we have erected around this topic. I want to expose this wound and bring it out into the light. It won’t be comfortable, but it is necessary.
I believe that we as an Army aren’t progressing forward as we once were because we are too invested in our communities to confront sin as we once did.

If we don’t hold the standard high (with grace infused) we become more than bystanders, we become accessories to sin. I don’t say this lightly, because I have work to be done in my life with this as well. I merely want to poke at this festering wound so that perhaps it might heal if we expose it to the right kind of healing.

For the devoted Soldier:
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4)

Jesus has given us victory over sin, so why is it that sometimes we act like we’re still stuck in it? Could it be that we don’t truly believe Christ has delivered us, or that we can be truly delivered? I don’t mean to say that we won’t still struggled with temptation, but it doesn’t mean we have to act upon that temptation. We have been delivered, shouldn’t we act and live like those who have been given a second chance? We have been granted this new life, isn’t that something to be joyous about? Why is it then that we still struggle with this doubt? Why is it then that we still feed the old, sinful ways?

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (Romans 6:5-6)

I will be the first to confess that I do not have it all together yet.
I know that I have my many flaws as a Soldier of this Army as well as a Child of God…but I do know that Christ’s death and resurrection has transformed my life! Do I still struggle? Yes, but I also know that I have this new creation – and because of it, I deeply long to resemble Christ…but it MUST become more than that. I should want others to see Christ and not me. I should want this life to be Christ and not me. If we do not have this deep desire to see lives transformed by His Holy power that once transformed us, then I do not know why we are still engaged in this Army. That may be a bold statement, but this ought not be an army of mediocrity and wishy-washy doctrines that incorporate tolerance of sin within its ranks. We are born of something far bigger than ourselves in this “New Creation”! We are an Army of Salvation hell bent of fighting against sin – not embracing it.

Dear Soldier, this does not mean that we discourage and forcibly condemn those still struggling with sin in their lives, but it does mean that we stop placating to the culture of habitual sin. If we ignore these chains will they still be chains? Of course! We can’t simply ignore the metal bars that hold in the prisoner, we must fight with all of our strength to open the prison doors – and this is only possible with the power of the Holy Spirit!

Get On With It!
Dear Solider,
Please don’t use the phrase – “Well I’m only human” – this, I feel attempts to excuse our behaviors and indiscretions. We were made for so much more – if we have accepted this amazing gift of salvation. If we have allowed His transforming power into our lives through the workings of the Holy Spirit then we are indeed a new creation. He might still have work to be done in us, but we must be patient and continually pray for deliverance from sin as we avoid temptation.

These are bold words today, but I believe that we as an Army are up for this challenge!
Either we believe the Holy Spirit can transform from the inside out or He can’t…which is it?

Doctrine # 10 says this, “We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So where are you today?
This is both a personal and corporate question.
Are there still strongholds in your life?
Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit access to those strongholds?
He longs to sanctify you completely…but it requires your willingness to sacrifice every aspect of your former self.

My prayer is that we might all be challenged to live out this new creation as Soldiers of Salvation!
Something more for our Army world to ponder today!

To God be the glory!

Disclaimer: “The Views and Opinions shared in Pastorsponderings are strictly the writer’s views and opinions and do not necessarily ALWAYS reflect the views and opinions of The Salvation Army.”

October 19, 2015 2

Dear Salvation Army, Holiness Of The Heart…

“I have pledged myself until I find the holiness of the heart” -Catherine Booth.

Let us delve once more into the most important aspect of our personal salvation – personal holiness.
We are all equipped for spiritual growth. For some, it might take a lifetime, while others days or years.
We are made for so much more than we are right now. The Holy Spirit isn’t done with us yet. We are a work in progress, an unfinished masterpiece – as we are being transformed into the image of the Might High.

To me, a holiness of the heart begins with self denial.
We must have the fortitude and willingness to want to change from the inside out.
This transformation is dependent upon how reluctant or willing we are to the pleading of the Holy Spirit.
If we are “all in”, and we allow these personal sacrifices to become reality in our every day life, the holiness of the heart becomes all that more attainable. If we say we are “all in”, and yet we resist the proddings of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to our need for surrender in very specific and private spaces, we (sometimes unknowingly) hamper this holiness of the heart. Either we are fully committed to His work in us, or we resist and stunt the potential growth we could have.

Confession Time:
I cannot tell you how often I have resisted His pleadings, for they far outweigh my moments of obedience.
I hope I am not alone in this. I only say this to you so that we might understand how uncommon and unnatural this holiness of the heart can be. I am not saying it is wrong, or something we shouldn’t strive for in our personal relationship to Christ. I am just saying that the longer we resist, the more unnatural it may feel because the old unsurrendered self still takes up residence where the transformed new life should be. I confess that I am still a work in progress. I pray daily that the Lord would do His working within me, and yet this living sacrifice still slides and moves off of the altar. I do long to more like Him in every way. I do cling to the Holy Spirit. I want so desperately to be “all in” every day, every moment, and every second…I am not there yet…but I want to be.

How about you?
How is your Holiness of the heart going?
Are you struggling as well?
You aren’t alone dear Soldier, fight the good fight, do not quit, keep waging this war against sin!
Listen intently to the Holy Spirit.
We too possess this holiness of the heart, yet He is not finished with us yet!

“All there is of me Lord, All there is of me
Time and talents, day by day,
All I bring to thee;
All there is of me, Lord,
All there is of me,
On thine altar here I lay
All there is of me.”

May we delve deeply within our hearts as we listen intently to the Holy Spirit.
May we be Soldiers of this Army hell bent on pulling people back from the flames through His power.
May we be the kinds of Soldiers of God that reflect Christ’s love in every way so that others may see Him too.

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

July 28, 2015 0

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

Taking A Drink Of Living Water!

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

It’s funny how one small thing could be so important.
Take water for example, if one were to go without it for three days, the consequences would be terminal. Vital organs would shut down and the body would die. Water is THAT important to each of us. Sometimes we might take it for granted, especially those of us who live where fresh water is in abundance.

I recently suffered a mild bout of heat exhaustion…and it wasn’t pretty. It happened this week while taking my children to a theme park in Orlando. The temperature was well past the 90 degree mark, and we were in the throws of a typical Florida summer: HOT. Like a typical guy I thought I could “handle it”. We went from attraction to attraction and I apparently did not drink enough water nor stay out of sun as much as I should have. By the evening, as crowds continued to ebb and flow and we lined up for one more long wait on a new attraction, I had a pounding headache and became horribly sick to my stomach.

Yes, water is THAT important.
I learned a valuable lesson that day.
(It’s good to still learn lessons, and I hope we never stop learning them…however hard they may be from time to time)

I also have a new found appreciation for a nice cold glass of water.
If you have ever been truly thirsty while working out in the hot sun, you too will understand.
Nothing quenches your dry throat and deep thirst like a cold cup of water.
Water brings with it life…a spark to carry on…a refreshing spring to desert land.

Similarly, Jesus uses this cultural understanding of a dry and thirsty land to explain what He had come to do for all who were seeking. He would quench the thirst of the heart and soul. He could bring a refreshing like no other known to earth. His “living water” would provide life – true eternal living – to the soul! How could we not wish to drink from this source of living water? How could we not yearn for His presence in our lives when the world around us at times is a rather arid and lonely place? His living water can heal our brokenness. His living water can restore our static and sun burnt lives. He provides this freely…and the beauty of this living water is that we can come to this source of real life and drink over and over again.

Are you thirsty today?
Have you been to the living waters? It will quench the thirst of your soul! Jesus longs for us to come to Him and stay beneath his fellowship and beside these living waters. Sometimes, I must confess, that I have thought (like my bout with heat exhaustion) that I could handle it on my own…but I was wrong. Perhaps you’re a bit like me. Perhaps there are days where you feel that you require no such support and that this living water is not really needed. May we run to these living waters once again. Don’t wait too long! Don’t assume you have it all “worked out” and that you don’t need His help. Drink from these living waters again…and be healed!

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

July 16, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, 150 Years!!!

Since its inception, The Salvation Army has been a beacon of hope to those in need.
It is hard to believe that 150 years has gone by since its start. I am proud to be an Officer within its ranks while at the same time I know that we still have room to grow, adapt and improve. Like any form of ministry, time passes, culture and customs evolve, and with it so should the delivery of the same message of Christ.

The Past
I recognize the innovators in our army who were bold and unabashed in their proclamations of faith and salvation for all. We need this fervor today. Sometimes we still need to be civilly disobedient and unafraid of being arrested. We need to be reminded of where we came from and why we are still an army. We STILL have a mission as soldiers of this army.

We STILL fight for those without voices. We STILL ought to be the safe harbor for people to go. We STILL should “do something” for those who find themselves in hopeless situations and cannot find their way out.

The Present
There are many social platforms within which we can fight for those in need.
There are many single mothers and fathers out there struggling to do “right by their kids” and have hardly enough food to put on the table for them. There are countless drug addicts in our communities who need to get clean and who need someone in uniform who cares for them despite their current behaviors. There are so many outliers in our communities, those who have been ostracized, marginalized, brutalized and victimized…they need us! Where ever we look we can find poor souls who need our help. Where ever we look we can find poverty, rejection, dejection, panic, sadness and grief…and we can still help bring relief to the many with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Questions:
Are we still a sanctified Army or is there still further cleansing to be done?
Have we given ourselves entirely to the will of the Father or are we still holding on to remnants and identities?
Are we lacking passion and zeal for His purposes within we as soldiers of this army?
Are we asking for His direction and guidance through these turbulent and often volatile times?

Today I celebrate the 150th Anniversary of this Army…and yet I know that we have much work to be done. I do not wish to downplay all that we HAVE done already, but rather I recognize the work that STILL needs to be done. We can only do so much in our own strength, but when we allow God’s holy presence to take up the fight within our faithfulness, we can do anything…I truly believe this!

To my comrades who are in London today, and have gathered with 18,000 other soldiers for Boundless 2015, I say please spur us onward! Let us run and not grow weary! (Isaiah 40:31) May we be on our knees earnestly praying for the many souls we can reach in His name. May we begin to witness the miracles again for an Army filled with His Holy Spirit…renew us, reignite us, cleanse us, and spur us onward Dear Lord!

To God be the glory!

July 2, 2015 0

Tag: Holy Spirit