Armybarmy Blog

February 18, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
For all of those feeling old out there look at Darrell Green's 50th birthday activity (DG is a former NFL player and big Christian):

http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/02/16/darrell-green-runs-4-43-40-yard-dash-on-50th-birthday/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002 (hat tip Gaetano Salvatore M)
----
Carpenter Media (AUE Territory) has produced a book called 50 WAYS TO GROW A HEALTHY CORPS. Great idea. You can buy yours at TRADE. Hat tip Lieut-Colonel Miriam Gluyas. Anyway, it got me thinking...

Here's #51:

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

It’s a nice concept. Most of us nod ‘hmm’ when we hear sentiments like that. However, if we actually take the exhortation seriously, the effects are revolutionary.

On a personal level, if you pray without ceasing you are maintaining an open line of communication with the creator, preserver, and governor of the universe, the loving God as Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day. Hallelujah. Can you imagine how that impacts your life? Great. Do it.

But as far as a way of starting a corps, think about responding to this command seriously. Pray continuously.

Early on in starting a corps in a different country we committed to a week of non-stop prayer. Because we were new and small we couldn’t dish out the usual 24/7 one-hour slots because we didn’t figure we could find 24 people to get through the first day, let alone the whole week! So Carla Evans, who was running the whole thing (big hat tip to CE, and to all who have filled a shift), determined to find eight people. That gave us three-hour shifts (8 into 24...).

By the second day we knew we were on to something. There was an excited buzz in prayer and people wondered aloud whether God might want us to continue beyond the one week commitment.

That one week of non-stop prayer carried on through the rest of our term in that corps and beyond. Three-hour shifts became part of our DNA.

What’s the upside of all of that? Well, look back at the top to see the personal blessings and then multiply them to a whole community. But also, check out just three of the effects of years of non-stop prayer in The War Room:

- Even though the corps was starting in the poorest part of the country, rife with crime and violence, not one of our people was hurt despite incarnational living and frequent regular evangelistic forays through back alleys and into dangerous situations.
- God inspired all kinds of exciting initiatives for the corps, including pro-life demonstrations, a café for indigent people opening up into an alley, redemptive retreats for prostituted persons, and several outposts.
- God gave profound understanding of His character and will for us in community.

Imagine having a corps rooted in extraordinary prayer? How fantastic! I don’t have to imagine it. You can experience it, too. It is likely you have more people in your corps right now than we did when we started.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
A 6 year-old legal battle in NYC has apparently been settled. The Salvation Army was under some attack for preaching the gospel in government-contracted situations. The Army made no comment in the NY Times link here and it is not entirely clear about the conditions and provisions of the settlement. It seems that there are some inaccuracies there and in the linked article from 2004 about the reassertion of religious mission. However, the post and the first couple of comments (there are only two at time of writing) indicate that The Salvation Army has been aggressive, uncompromising, and strategic:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/settlement-in-salvation-army-suit-on-proselytizing/
----
Holy. now.
----
The Twitter experiment continues at the top right. You can click and follow.
----
Read JAC65 (top right). Submit articles at revolution@mmccxx. net.
----
thewarcollege.com
----
Remember the poor.
----
Paul became all things to all people so that by all possible means he might save some. I guess that means he might be tweeting and facebooking and open-airing if he was still fighting down here today...
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 17, 2010 (updated 21:19)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2EMC;WHP!)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
We love to fight and fight with love.
----
Here's a taste of the poem FED UP by Captain Tanya Dooley:

"I wonder if I am the only one that feels this way:
Frustrated and angry about the injustices of this world.
Why do so many suffer violence and rape,
Being sold into sexual slavery
Whilst sex and crime is rampant on our tvs?
Why do children starve to death
Whilst we have more than enough food to eat?
Why do workers in the field have to be paid pittance
Whilst we aren’t willing to do that kind of labour
But get paid much more for sitting in an office?
Why should thousands be dying and going to hell
Whilst we are complaining about what music
We should sing or what time the service will end?"

Read the rest at JAC65 - top left.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Celebrating our seventh birthday (oldest SA blog) all month, here is another outtake from an earlier post. This one is from February 2003:

"I heard that this week from another new father who learned a lesson that I have now learned vicariously. He just disciplined his son for something and was praying about it. He sensed God surprise him with this:

"”I didn’t give you your son to make him more like you. I gave you your son to make you more like him.”

"I think I will remember that as the 8 month-old youngster I know and I hang out together in the months to come. God wants me to become like him. And, unlike my inclination to figure that this means cute, adorable, and a JOY (with a sensational hyper-ventilating laugh), I think that God means I am to recognize that I am totally unable, entirely needy, utterly dependent on God. I bring nothing to the table. I cannot do anything useful. I am pretty well useless. I need God."
----
Holy. now.
----
The first TC SPEAK salvocast happened today. You can watch it on demand at isalvos.com. It is Commissioner Jim Knaggs's show with host Captain Rowan Castle, muso Phil Laeger, and this week's guest, Major Ray Begley. Next week will feature guest Major Brendan Nottle.
----
Start a corps.
----
In the last 14 hours or so isalvos weekly meeting featured Aaron White and Danielle Strickland and lots of people are watching it on demand since the live show at isalvos.com. You may want to join them to hear about justice and protest and hope and righteousness.
----
Remember the poor.
----
Some Christians are offended when confronted with 'selling' the Gospel. I read recently a guy who used to be a salesman and is now an effective evangelist. He said there are a lot of similarities and at least one huge difference. The main difference he identified is that the vast majority of sales types are motivated by greed - what they can get out of it - while the motivation in 'selling' the Gospel is love - what they can give.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 16, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
United Nations names The Salvation Army the 'lead agency' in Haitian earthquake relief "responsible for the well-being of the Haiti earthquake survivors and to serve that community and have a prominent voice to communicate their needs of food, water, shelter and security."

http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=144890
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Happy seventh birthday (month) for the armybarmy blog. Of course, the website is closing in on 15 years old (armybarmy.com and its parent site - Williams Lake Corps). Did you know that this site one the first and only global SA website competition. So it is the reigning champion salvo site for more than a decade running. Praise the Lord.
----
But technology moves on. Commissioner Jim Knaggs has more than 42000 followers on Twitter. And, Wednesday morning Melbourne time (8am), Tuesday night in London (9pm?), Tuesday afternoon in NYC (4pm) and early afternoon in LA (1pm), Commissioner Knaggs's first-ever TC SPEAK salvocast airs at isalvos.com live (and 'on demand' forever after). Host Captain Rowan Castle will be joined by guest Major Raymond Begley and muso Phil Laeger for the TC's first weekly show. There will be a live chat function for your to participate in the conversation.
----
Holy. now.
----
Today's iSalvos.com meeting features Danielle Strickland and Aaron White with hosts Bev and Grant Whitehead. It starts at 9pm Melbourne time (10am in London, 5am in NYC, 2am in Vancouver). Tune in live for the chat or catch it when you wake up. It is an Olympic special as guest Aaron White is at the epicentre of Olympic protest and righteousness.
----
Remember the poor.
----
"Nothing says 'I love you' like a clear, persuasive presentation of the Gospel." Have you said 'I love you' to anyone today?
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 15, 2010 (updated Tuesday 5:44am)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2JM)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
God is helping us to start a bunch of corps. Some people are wondering what the difference is between chapel and corps, congregation and corps, or outpost and corps, and why you might want to upgrade to corps? Here are some distinctions that might help catch it:

- a chapel is a meeting that serves. A corps is a mission that fights.
- a congregation gathers for edification. A corps deploys to save the world.
- an outpost is a servant of a corps. A corps has autonomy to prosecute the salvation war.

Now, that is not intended to slam chapels, congregations, and outposts (nor is it comprehensive, of course - it's a thumbnail). I’m all for them (MMCCXX is aimed at seeing new outposts in 2000 cities in 200 countries in 20 years). But the strengths of a corps outweigh the benefits of ‘chapelcy’, ‘congregationtude’, and ‘outposthood’.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
JAC65 includes Living Out Salvationist Charism
by Eleanor Burne-Jones. In it she says,

“It took me three years of reading and conversation with other students and leaders for the penny to drop that engaging with people in postmodernity doesn’t just mean tweaking a program in creative ways, or removing it from the church building and relocating it in a trendy coffee shop. This adjustment will impact how we do everything and how we think, in TSA it will impact our structures (the easy bit) and our collective culture (the difficult bit) and it will wonderfully engage and stretch our imagination and creativity. Because the changes required are so deep, I wonder if we will develop different ways of being Salvation Army in different geographical locations and even in different age groups. If this happened, what would hold Salvationists together as one people, one ‘Save the World’ Army mission team’? I hold it will be the charism of the Salvation Army, not a mission statement, or a vision statement.”

Read the rest of JAC at top right.
----
iSalvos.com meeting is Tuesday (go to the site for the hour countdown). Momentum is growing for this new initiative that could morph into a corps anytime… Check it out.
----
Holy. now.
----
TC SPEAK is a brand new salvocast featuring Commissioner Jim Knaggs that starts Tuesday 1pm in Vancouver, 4pm in NYC, 9pm in London, and 8am Wednesday in Melbourne.
----
Remember the poor.
----
I know a guy who was buying something at a store recently. The person serving turned out to be a Buddhist. And though didn’t get saved on the spot he heard enough to get convicted (and the email address scored will help, too). Doesn’t the Bible exhort us, ‘Make the most of every opportunity’?
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. Love is the strategy. And that’s the reason it’s the strategy (it does not fail).
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 14, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(HB2LC)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Rob Reardon’s blog (http://rob-reardon.blogspot.com/) has some great stuff recently, including The Salvation Army arranging a massive trade of guns for Bibles, updates on Haiti, and a take on uniform. Check it out.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Did you read JAC65 yet? Andrew Clark has a piece called "Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army". In it, he says, "It strikes me that if there is to be a future for The Salvation Army, our ‘members’ must cease to be members and begin passionately run after Jesus to see what he is doing in our day in the lives of our communities and learn from him, by his Spirit and grace within us, what it means to be a little Jesus in that immediate context. I wonder if we will have the courage to take our discipleship learning outside the classroom and hit the road with our crazy itinerant Rabbi."

Read the whole thing at JAC - top right. Meanwhile, submissions can be made to revolution @mmccxx.net.
----
Holy. now.
----
The Twitter experiment continues at top, right.
----
Remember the poor.
----
This being the seventh birthday of armybarmy blog (this month) we are taking quick retro-blogging looks at the past. Here's a post from November 2004:


I'm playing with a thing to identify elements of aggressive Christianity. This isn't a parlour game, but real life planning for world conquest. What is important to replicate in our mission discipling? This is a mid-stream stab.
These seem to be vital components:

- Primitive Salvationism- mission-focused, charismatic-flavoured heroism.
This phrase, ‘invented’ by Commissioner Wesley Harris, conveys a sense of the essential elements of the effective first generation Salvation Army. I think everyone here will agree on ‘mission-focused’ and ‘heroism’ (the latter definitely required for many of the cities and countries we are destined to invade). The other term requires quick unpacking. By ‘charismatic-flavoured’ we are recognizing the Spirit-generated freedom and power exuding from early Salvationists and from their contemporary heirs in various denominational attire around the world. The truth seems to be that most of the most successful mission-oriented churches in the world align themselves with early Salvationists in terms of charismatic flavour.

- Poor- We’re called to the poor. Don’t worry- this doesn’t limit us too much, since, according to globalrichlist.com, there are more than 5.1 billion people who live on less than Canadians on welfare (who are in the top 15% wealthiest people on the planet). We’re convinced that we need to share Jesus’ bias for the poor on whatever front we fight. This demands some incarnational simplicity in our efforts, identifying with the poor whom we serve. Both Commissioner Shaw Clifton and Lieutenant Rowan Castle include simplicity as one of the distinguishing characteristics of Salvationism. It may be as accurate in the developing world as it is inaccurate in the developed world.

Regardless, we must live simply in the neighbourhoods we invade. And we’ll do well to aim for the down and out.

Global and local interests demand our integrity with this issue. Some of the benefits of such a posture include: intimacy with a God who has a bias toward the poor; identification with the people; good stewardship of God-lent resources; integrity; cost-effectiveness; and, the ability to sleep at night.

- Community- One of the catch phrases on our front is ‘authentic Christian community’. We believe that when we pervasively tap into it this will be contagious. “See how they love one another” will be the startled observation.

We replace bald-spot Christianity (staring at the back of someone’s head for an hour every week) with face-toface Christianity, in which we actually get into each other’s lives, carrying one another’s burdens, sharpening one another, spurring one another on to love and good deeds, carrying, supporting, holding accountable. It is a much more rigorous Christianity than most of us ever experience.

Not only that, but God has designed us to desire community. We want to belong. Most in the West don’t ever sense the reality in its pure forms but we craft some human version (clubs, teams, etc.) or get caught up in a demonic counterfeit. The real thing is attractive at a soul-level for people with whom we live and interact.

- Tent-Making- We’re training our people locally to prepare to go and get jobs in other cities and to start cells. This offers contacts, sustainable income, and flexibility, while facilitating incarnation.

- Prophetic Relevance- We’re coining this term to depict comments advising both cultural relevance on each front and the protection of a prophetic stance. We do well not to abdicate one for the other. Paul was Jewish when it helped and he was Roman when it helped.

On fronts less free to the Gospel, relevance will be emphasized above prophetic stance. In free countries (most of the countries now occupied by The Salvation Army) relevance becomes a tactic we choose to use as deemed circumstantially efficacious.

- Subversive Strategy- Many of the 91 countries remaining to be invaded by The Salvation Army provide severe challenges. As things stand today, warriors will not be able to wave the Army tri-colour in some countries closed to the Gospel. We’ll have to train to use culturally accepted story and holy books and resources to spread the Kingdom of God.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. Share it with some people today (you know, the gospel...).
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 13, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
I saw this advice from an anointed leader for people involved in teaching and discipling and thought you'd be edified (hat tip HD - abridged and edited):

• be prepared - with class materials, scheduling, punctuality and placements.
• keep your word - if you say you'll do something or be somewhere - then do it. This is really key in making (your training) bona fide & credible for the warriors who are in the midst of it and the crowd of witnesses looking from the outside in.
• take every class, every test, every brigade very seriously and they will too.
• set the bar high. Invite your warriors to 'come up here' (rev.4:1) into holiness, into visitations of Holy Spirit, conquering fear and intimidation around sharing testimony and the Gospel.
• go boldly, teach from experience in such a way that they learn from your mistakes and can stand on your shoulders so that your top is their bottom.
• never ask them to do something or go somewhere that you wouldn't do. It's bad for morale.
• Pump them up to others, speak well of them, let them never doubt your love for them and that you champion them - stir them up, consider praying for them daily.
• Corporately Pray the Bible daily - even when on brigade or at a conference, or home on break.
• Avoid & discourage all kinds of gossip, badmouthing and comments in poor taste about the others, the Army, officers & soldiers or corps - let nothing unwholesome come out of your mouths, but only that which is useful in building others up...Eph. 4:29
• Remind them they are part of a global contingent of trained and mobilized warriors. they can call on us for prayer and support. Invite alumni to come be with them to teach, or skype us in, if you need us.
• Let your gentleness be evident to all (Phil. 4;5) especially when you need to bring a word of correction or a rebuke. Which will occur, if you're all being transparent - beware of shying away from calling people on their stuff. We do one another a great disservice when we shove an opportunity for growth and development under the rug because it'll be awkward.
• Let them invade your home - we're an Army but we're also a Family - they'll learn as much (or more) about being an authentic christian/husband/father/leader/etc. by being with you and your family and seeing how you all interact in everyday life - they're probably going to be homesick and this will be really healthy. Maybe they've never had a christian family upbringing and don't know what godly marriage is, or godly parenting. It's hard, and even at times invasive (and they'll clean out your fridge haha) but it's worth it. It creates the goodstuff - the long term, deep spirited friendships that my husband and I enjoy today - with our comrade leaders.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Did you read Salvationist v Salvationist in Willis Howell’s blog? (At right) It’s great. Some juicy stuff over there...
----
Did you watch isalvos.com? Did you read about Commissioner Knaggs's new TC SPEAK Salvocast, starting Tues PM EST?
----
Holy. now.
----
In celebrating our seventh birthday this month armybarmy blog is reaching back into the archives. Here's March 28, 2004.
...
Last week I was out ballin' with my pals. One of my friends answered the phone in my absence and (mis)informed the caller that I was out bowling (a bowling ball is a lot heavier than a basketball).

I'm not that great of a baller. But I like it. (watch this clumsy segue). I'm not much of a bawler, but I like it.

I can moisten up with the best of them- I mean, this morning during the holiness meeting at Southmount I moistened a couple of times- during the band's rendition of Eric Ball's World Wide Witness, during Shimei Hewitt's song that she wrote to accompany this morning's preach, and (wait, that raises it from a couple to a few) during part of Heather Wright's pitch wrapping up the preach.

But I'm talking about bawling. I did a light one last week while listening to my friend Phil Laeger's demo of a song called BLESS HIS NAME. It is a new tune to old words that originally ripped off a pub tune called CHAMPAIGN CHARLIE IS MY NAME. Now he's ripped the words off. What goes around comes around. Anyway, it wasn't the beautiful music or the contagious hook (which, by the way, has kept the main line in my hummer ever since) but the wonderful truth expressed in those simple words, probably cockneyed to fit the original tune, yet as amazing as the most eloquent Charles Wesley poetry.

But I was a fawcet earlier that day watching PRINCE OF EGYPT with a youngster I know. You see, God was parting the Red Sea and I was explaining to him not only what was happening but also its significance. He's one, so sometimes he needs a little commentary to go with his cartoon movies. But just speaking out the enormity of God's power and provision, His grace and His judgement, all played out graphically by the people of God and the people of Pharaoh, was a little overwhelming.

The youngster I know didn't know what I was doing. I guess he's used to being the biggest crier in our home. It was the whole ball of wax- the hyperventilation, the curled lips, the snot flying every which way. Quite a sight to behold.

These experiences wash away build-up in the system that creates layers between my heart and the agony of the world. It's good stuff. Booth exhorted us to 'try tears'. It works.
----
And it ties in smoothly with the new JAC65- check it out (top right)- big hat tip Captain Andrew Clark (see his bottom article!).
----
Remember the poor.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. As Gatorade asks, ‘Is IT in you?’ Share it around.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 12, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hbtTM;MH;KH)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Commissioner Knaggs does his weekly People Count podcast, here:

http://peoplecount.salvationarmy.org.au/?ZgoLELwS

By the way, he is also launching a regular TC Speak Salvocast next Wednesday at 8am Melbourne time (10pm Tuesday in London and 4pm Tuesday in Toronto). You'll want to plan to tune in to this first episode at isalvos.com.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
I noticed that thewarcollege.com has alumni interviews - you can catch up on reps from different sessions and get inside the heads and hearts of some warriors serving around the world.
----
Holy. now.
----
In our seventh birthday blog review, here's a taste from March 2004:

In our cell meting today, my cellmates and I read about God taking us captive (2 Corinthians 2:14 NLT) and leading us in triumphal procession in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah.

Anyway, someone asked how you become a captive of God. The answer- by becoming captivated by Jesus.

Nice.
Our MO is capture, train, deploy.
----
Remember the poor.
----
Evangelise hard, long, and often. Start today.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 11, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2GB)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
The Salvation Army v. hydro74 and brass tack is a great-looking salvo t shirt made by a famous designer to raise funds for salvo Haiti relief. You will likely want to order bunch. It is here:

http://www.hydro74.com/2010/02/salvation-army-vs-hydro74-brass-tack/
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
The twitter experiment continues - follow at StephenCourt
----
Commissioner Robert Street has a book called SERVANT LEADERSHIP with short, accessible chapters aimed at every leader in The Salvation Army (BM and SL, YPSM and CRS, Corps Sec, Chief Sec, CO, CSM, TC, etc.). You might want to check it out in TRADE. It is thoroughly biblical and useful for your leaders.
----
Holy. now.
----
Did you pray for the General at lunch today? (every salvo's supposed to...)
----
So, the new SASB (salvo song book) - apparently there is no process yet for submitting songs for consideration. The General is on the clock (in that it seems his term ends in 16 months or so and the song book will take awhile). Armybarmy blog has already posted hundreds of suggested additions and subtractions...
----
Happy SEVENTH birthday, armybarmy blog! Here's a taste from March 2005:

In Darkest India...

Here is the London "Speaker" on the capacity of Gen. Booth for
winning the masses._

"Seeing from what the Salvation Army has grown, and to what it has grown, we are extremely reluctant to denounce any scheme seriously and carefully elaborated by its leader, as being "too big to be practicable." We must remember who will be the "one head and centre" of the scheme. There are many weak points in General Booth: he is only human. But he is an earnest man; he has proved his talent for organisation; he has proved his capacity for winning the sympathies of the masses. We would say nothing against gentleness, and quiet, and culture. We hope to attain them in the end. It is a pretty work to prune the vine, a beautiful thing to let in the sunlight on the fruit, and to watch the perfection of bloom, and shape, and color; but first of all
something has to be done at the roots, something at which we may hold our noses, but which is for all that requisite."
----
Have you read JAC (top right)? We are receiving contributions for the next issue of JAC at revolution@mmccx .net.

Have you seen iSalvos this week? (isalvos.com)
----
Remember the poor.
----
Have you seen the four spiritual laws? This most effective evangelistic tract in history works for every religion and philosophy. Why not share it with someone today?

http://www.campuscrusade.com/fourlawsflash.htm

The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 10, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2LM;MC;AL)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
From Colonel Henry Gariepy:

"Have you entered into the treasures of the snow?" is the question God asked of Job (38:22). The blizzard of 20 inches this week does not evoke positive images. But God, of course, makes a point.

What of God's marvel of the snowflake -- its exquisite geometry unduplicated among the billions that fall? Only God could wrought something so tiny, so fragile, and yet so mighty that it can drape an ermine robe over all the countryside, and make man's progress impassable.

Every time it snows, the soil in our gardens get a little richer, as the snow captures nitrogen from the air and deposits it into the ground, acting as a fertilizer.

Snowdrifts sculptured by the wind create a winter wonderland. And remember the fun of sledding and making snowmen!

Snow, as it melts, provides a slow, measured supply of water to underground water reservoirs. It insulates the ground during cold weather, keeping the ground from freezing to great depths.

Let us enter into some of the hidden wonders of God about us, such as "the treasures of the snow."
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Have you read the UKI edition of JAC yet? (top right) Even if you are a keen fan of salvo history it is unlikely you have read Commissioner George Scott Railton's article, TEARS. Do yourself a favour and check it out at JAC.
----
Holy. now.
----
Happy 7th birthday to armybarmy blog (the site itself goes back twice as long). Here's a take from the first year:

"My business is to get the world saved. If this involves the standing still of the looms and the shutting up of the factories and the staying of the sailing ships, let them all stand still. When we have got everybody converted, they can go on again. (William Booth, in answer to his own question, “Are all to be officers?” in Norman Murdoch. THE ORIGINS OF THE SALVATION ARMY. p141)

Two things here:
1. If you're able to be an officer, be one. That what General Booth thinks, anyway. You can go back to your old job once we get everyone saved.
2. Aside from the officership issue, how's that for perspective? Forget the economy. Go soul-busting.
----
Remember the poor.
----
Why not tell your best friend how to get saved today?

The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 9, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2DA;HP)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Talking about servant leadership, Danielle Strickland notes that the servant part is character and the leader part is gifting or skill. It helps distinguish things.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Did you know that, according to THE WEEK magazine, The Salvation Army territorial website is one of the top five internet sites for traffic vollume in Australia? Praise God.
----
iSalvos meeting tonight (9pm in Melbourne - 2am in Vancouver) features Cory Harrison from Arizona on the live feed. You'll want to hear from a guy who has started a couple of corps, updated a book by Catherine Booth, preached up a storm in a handful of territories, helps coordinate MMCCXX (in USA), and is being used by God to extend the Kingdom globally. Tune in at isalvos.com.
----
Holy. now.
----
Check out some juicy stuff from Commissioner Hay at goforsouls.com.
----
Remember the poor.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. I know someone who just got back from a conference and the big takeaway is that a man guy there got saved - no other details. This epitomises the priority of soul-saving (every officer covenantally lives to win souls!). What are YOU doing otday to try to win souls?
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 8, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
So, we hear a fair bit about servant leadership these days. Praise God. I'm not sure I get it, completely, though. Surely if the General goes around empty rubbish bins and clearing tables all the time - that's nice, but - it's not servant leadership. It's service. And that's nice. But his role is to be general, not servant.

He serves God by leading us. That is servant leadership - serving God in leading people.

Note that the service is toward God and not people. Obviously GOd directs us to serve people soemtimes in some ways. Hallelujah. But the people don't set the agenda.

What is true of the individual is true of the Army. Obviously, we are saved to saved. But some people like to highlight that we serve. Sure. We serve God. We do not missionally serve the people; otherwise, they'd be setting the agenda instead of God.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
That servante leadership bit sometimes bumps into the military model. People say that they are incompatible. The thing is, the military model works in wartime. You will appreciate the military structure when you are in battle. But if you are not fighting, it makes significantly less sense.

To the extent that you find the military model and structure irrelevant for The Salvation Army, to that extent you are possibly out of the war fighting. The mighty warriors of every rank appreciate it - why? Beacuse they are in the thick of the fight.
----
www.thewarcollege.com
----
Holy. now.
----
We posted again on abortion yesterday. Look, if there is one thing to correct before we all get promoted to glory - it is the a few terrible positional statements that are lingering in different parts of the world on this issue. Now, a few territories have improved theirs - praise God. And the General has struck an international group to set international positional statements on most issues - this makes complete sense. We trust and pray that God will guide them to correct this one first, symbolically.

Meanwhile, remember, friends don't let friends kill their babies.
----
Remember the poor.
----
I get to hear great stories of conversion. On a recent Sunday morning holiness meeting, the preacher indicated that he was about to preach to believers and it wouldn't make much sense if you weren't a believer. So, if you want to become a believer, then come to the mercy seat now. And three people went to the mercy seat and got saved. Before the preach. Hallelujah!

And I'm told that there was a round of applause for each one as s/he returned to the body of the hall.

Let's take every opportunity to get people saved.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 7, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2JT;CJ;NH)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
I saw the Cadets Welcome in Melbourne, complete with Phil Laeger's Sessional Song and Carla Lindsey's Sessional March. Good times. If your territory is still lining up the sessional song and march, you should grab these - they were good!
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
I heard Commissioner Knaggs, recently, with his signature exhortation: "Be holy; show up for work." It's a handy two- point preach you can apply daily in the salvation war.
----
Holy. now.
----
ARMYBARMY Blog - seventh birthday celebrations - here's a post by Danielle Strickland back in 2003:

"My friend Rob was out on the front lines of a pro-life demonstration and got into a conversation with a woman who was pro-abortion. They discovered in the conversation that they had a mutual friend. Lynn is a drug-addict who is mentally ill and one of our ‘neighbours’ in the downtown eastside of Vancouver (note: Lynn is not her real name). Lynn is in bondage and at the same time completely amazing. Her personality, even under the layers of pain and slavery, is funny, cute, witty and wild. You can’t help but like Lynn – if you know her at all. She’s a great singer.

"Well, the pro-abortion lady was a worker in a housing complex for women (it just so happens it’s the same one that our friend Lynn lives in). Rob had a moment here – a quick window of divine opportunity to shed light on a subtle dark lie that isn’t spoken but lurks around in mindsets and policies. ‘You see’, said Rob, ‘people are advocating for abortion in order to stop people, like our friend Lynn, from being born!’

"BANG! (that’s the sound of truth hitting hard heads, and plastic hearts). You see, mentally ill people have names. So do drug addicts and prostitutes and mentally challenged kids and the whole wide world. Black kids, white men, yellow people, crooked eye people, and even kids who are going to have a hard time controlling their muscles - they have names too. Even if WE don’t name them or even call them human – God has already named them because they are people He loves. They are people that if you could only know – you couldn’t help but like them… and let them live.

"God, give us eyes to see. Thanks Rob – for speaking up for the unborn Lynn’s, I hope to meet many more!"
----
Remember the poor.
----
I stumbled across the Four Resolutions of one of my heroes, John Wesley, the other day. How’s this for hardcore?

1. To use absolute openness and unreserve with all I should converse with.

2. To labor after continual seriousness, not willingly indulging myself in any the least levity of behavior, or in laughter; no, not for a moment.

3. To speak no word which does not tend to the glory of God; in particular, not to talk of worldly things. Others may, nay, must. But what is that to thee? And,

4. To take no pleasure which does not tend to the glory of God; thanking God every moment for all I do take, and therefore rejecting every sort and degree of it which I feel I cannot so thank Him in and for.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. Spread it far and wide today.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 6, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Apostolic Randon Acts of Kindness: In the 1990s the whole random acts of kindness (RAK) mobilised Christians for what they called 'presence' evangelism though many other Christians considered presence evangelism to be evangelism soaked in the manifest presence of God. In Acts 4 Peter brings us back to the Apostolic version of RAK:

8 "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed."

ARAK is to RAK what Manifest presence evangelism is to 'presence' evangelism.

As long as the adjective precedes 'evangelism' we're in pretty good shape (as in types - prayer, door-to-door, open air, friendship, etc.; not quality- not lame, weak, pathetic, offensive...).
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
The SURRENDER Conference is coming up in a month. David Ruis headlines what should be a fantastic weekend. Check it out, here: http://surrender.org.au/
----
Holy. now.
----
SOLDIER STANDARDS
(in some places)
- saved a year
- clean a year
- in discipling relationship
- read the (whole) Bible
- completed recruits course (e.g. SALVATIONISM 101)
- in cell
- in brigade activity
- read the Handbook fo Doctrine
- read the Orders and Regulations
- memorised the doctrines
- tithing
- uniformed (prepared to be in uniformed)
- life-long covenant
- approval of corps council.
----
We've just entered the birthday month of ARMYBARMY blog. It is seven years old this month. There have been several thousands posts, each archived at the top right. Over the course of the month we'll be ripping some classic armybarmy posts out of history for your edification.

For the record, we are the oldest Salvation Army blog in the world (to our knowledge) - February 2003. Praise the Lord. Gordon Cotterill's blog appeared in November 2003 and he blogged this week on Street Front Ecclesiology (at right).
----
Remember the poor.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.

Why not try out some ARAK today for your evangelising?
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 5, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2EE;LR)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Every time you look at isalvos.com more people have watched Tuesday's meeting- it seems to be non-stop watching.
----
Did you read the new JAC65 yet (top right). David Lumm has an interesting story and article you'll want to read.

I want to go back to Andrew Bale's article again. He asks heaps of questions (many rhetorical). Armybarmy will hazard (what in some instances will seem merely pedantic) responses:

· Does our raison d'être still exist?

sc – yes. There is still a global population wandering to hell that needs The Salvation Army to lead the attack.

Are there still poor, isolated, disenfranchised people whom no one else is reaching with the gospel?

sc – Sure –there are probably hundreds of millions of poor people that no one is reaching with the gospel

In other words, have we become obsolete as a consequence of our success?

sc – if only.

· Is there a more effective way of meeting our raison d'être?

sc – yes. There are tastes of it that we get with the occasional invasion of a new country, with the infrequent development of a new technique or campaign. But there are classic examples in our history to guide us.

In other words, are we becoming obsolete simply because we refuse to evolve?

sc – no. If anything it is because we have drifted from the mission, lifted by redemption’s sociological consequences into comfortable complacency, bereft of the wonder-working, world-winning faith in the power of the Gospel.

· Or, does our raison d'être still exist, but for a host of reasons we are unable or unwilling to fulfil it?

sc – Ah, Bale comes around to his point here. Unable? Due to the magnitude of the problem? Well, the Lord is able to save a nation in a day, so, no. Due to our covenant-breaking faithlessness? More likely. Unwilling? Yes – we have become co-opted in too many places by the world system such that we respond as societal authorities do to protest and rebellion and demonstration instead of as the victims, the marginalizes, the oppressed with whom we used to identify.

Could anyone really argue that our raison d'être has been fulfilled? Can we rest on our pitchforks content that ‘all is safely gathered in’?

sc – No.

Without doubt our raison d'être remains – so does the prevalent decline within our ranks point to our failure in trying to meet it?

sc – Yes, undoubtedly.

Are there better ways of meeting our God-given objectives?

sc – better than we are using now? Yes.

Are there other organisations better equipped than we are at reaching the lost?

sc – certainly there are some doing it more effectively.

Has our ‘candlestick’ been removed from its place and given to some other more worthy denomination?

sc – God help us.

Are there examples of best practice that we would do well to follow?

sc – Sure. People dismiss campaigns but Bonnke saves hundreds of millions. People try to co-opt the cell system into existing programme-based corps but without exception the largest churches in the world are cell-based.

Dare I say that most of the advances within the contemporary Church in recent years are nothing more than the rediscovered weapons that we as a movement once used effectively but discarded in the name of progress?

sc – ouch.

Is our reluctance to reclaim our traditional ‘Cathedral’ (the open-air) down to the fact that evangelism outside our halls just doesn’t work or because taking evangelism outside our halls is a risk we don’t want to take?

sc – I think I blogged that the last open air I attended, last quarter, resulted in more than 20 conversions.

Is our reluctance to wear uniform born out of a genuine belief that it creates a barrier between us and those we are trying to reach or is it that wearing a uniform makes us both accountable and available?

sc – or, more so, that it is uncomfortable and expensive to buy and maintain…

Do we wince at the military metaphor because in a world of increasing militarism it has developed negative connotations or is it simply easier to be a member than it is to be a soldier?

sc – amen. Member is easier than soldier. Member is FAR LESS effective and useful than soldier.

Do we need another Pentecost?

sc - Urgently.

Has our failure to fulfill our raison d'être got more to do with impotent personnel than with outdated methodology?

sc – tragically.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Holy. now.
----
Remember the poor.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. (is it in you? Let it out today - witness to Jesus' saving power!)
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 4, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2EMV)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Have you read the brand new JAC65 yet (top right)? It's good. More below...
----
People are wondering what a corps is. Well, here is the original definition:

“A Salvation Army Corps is a band of people united together to attack and Christianise an entire town or village.” William Booth. (hat tip Andrew Clark)
----
Tuesday's isalvos.com meeting has had a bunch of views since it ended. It could be because you get to hear the world premiere of Phil Laeger's FRIENDS OF CHRIST Sessional Song that will be introduced at the Cadets Welcome on Sunday in AUS Territory. You can listen and watch on demand to hear it and a bunch more...

At the end of that iSalvos salvocast someone asked for some verses to support the salvo position on holiness. Here is just a taste of a bunch from the 1940 Handbook of Doctrine:

Sabbath ‘sanctified’ (set apart and dedicated) – Gen 2:3;
Priests sanctified – Ex 28:41;
Tabernacles vessels sanctified – Ex 30:29;
-
Rom 7:14 – unregenerate man is under sin;
Rom 6:14 – regenerate man is over sin (sin shall not have dominion over you);
Rom 6:22 – sanctified person is without sin (free from all sin).
-
Sanctification is described in various ways:

Entire sanctification – 1 Thess 5:23;
Clean heart – Psalm 51:10;
Pure heart – Mat 5:8; 1 Tim 1:5;
Holiness – Heb 12:10; 1 Thess 3:13; 4:7
Perfect love – Mat 5:48; 2 Tim 3:17; Col 4:12; 1 John 4:18; Col 3:14;
Blameless life – Phil 2:15; 1 Cor 1:8; Col 1:21,21;
Dwelling place of God – Is 57:15 Eph 3:19;
Law fulfillment – Rom 13:10;
Fully following – Num 32:12; Num 14:24;
Dead to sin/alive to God – Rom 6:11; 1 Pet 2:24; Rom 6:2; Rom 8:2;
Sin/Flesh/Old man crucified/destroyed/put off/ done away with – Rom 6:6; Col 3:9; Gal 5:24;
Altogether good – Mat 12:33; 2 Cor 1:12; Act 24:16;
Walking with God – Ge 5:22; 1 John 1:7; Micah 6:8;
Rest of soul – Heb 4:3; Mat 11:29; Is 26:3;
Likeness to God – Rom 8:29; 1 John 4:17; Eph 4:24.

Praise the Lord. Thank Him for His infallible Word that describes an amazing experience in so many different ways. May it become your testimony as you meditate on these truths.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Check out http://peoplecount.salvationarmy.org.au/?ZgoLELwS for Commissioner Knaggs's weekly podcast.
----
The War College (thewarcollege.com) is a hardcore incarnational training school in campuses in different parts of the world. Are you looking to get trained up to be a warrior of Jesus aggressively fighting to win the world for Jesus? Check it out.
----
The Twitter experiment continues at right (feel free to click and follow).
----
Holy. now.
----
In JAC65 (the UKI edition) Captain Lynne Davis teaches about blessings and curses. This could provide the basis of a brand new freedom in your life if you read it devotionally. Why not check it and the other solid contributions out (armybarmy.com/jac.html)?
----
Remember the poor.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. (Is IT in you? Let it out? Share it around? The best expression of love to an independent is to preach a compelling Gospel. Share the love)
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 3, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2BP;KB;MS)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
Have you read the brand new JAC yet? Captain Andrew Bale goes off on our raison d'etre. It is hardcore. Here's an extreme claim: "there is very little the contemporary Church has ‘discovered’ that wasn’t used by, or even initiated by, The Salvation Army." Read the whole thing up at JAC (top right).
----
So I recently had my second opportunity to participate on isalvos.com weekly meeting. The first time was in November, on evangelism. This one was on holiness with Olivia Munn, Phil Laeger, and Rowan Castle and hosts Bev and Grant Whitehead. You can watch every single meeting they've had, though it is better to be there live so you can engage in the running chat and contribute to the discussion. This is a great new way to juice up for the salvation war. You may want to lock it into your schedules.
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Those Salvo Publishing resources are available right here: http://www.salvationarmy.com.au/supplies/categories.asp?cID=101
----
Holy. now.
----
Some are wondering about the AUS Territory's 210 in 2010 campaign. This is how the O+R weighs in:

"A corps - a Salvation Army unit established for the propagation of the gospel." O+R for Corps Officers Ch1Sect4pp1a (p5)

You don't have to have a hall or a home league, a X number of soldiers and local officers, or band and songsters. Different corps will look different based on the different fronts on which they fight, the different people they have fighting, and the different tactics they deploy to win the district for Jesus.
----
Here are some handy resources for the salvation war on the local front:

http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/corpsresources/
----
Remember the poor.
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail. As the (gatorade?) commercial asks, 'is it in you?'

Here's one to share with your friends:

http://www.greatcom.org/laws/english/flash/
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 2, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2JS)

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
The report of the 125th anniversary of Brengle's sanctification - Sanctification Day - is here:

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_ihq_general.nsf/vw-news/677F66FF7EF19C5E802576B0005DB1C4?opendocument

It all happened at Boston Common, of course, and the eponymous book can be obtained at SALVO PUBLISHING page at AUS TRADE. Buy all the SALVO Publishing books here (we plug several of them time and again):

http://www.salvationarmy.com.au/supplies/categories.asp?cID=101
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Have you dug into the new JAC yet? JAC65 - the UKI issue - features a gutsy approach by Major Stephen Poxon, who writes a response to the General's plenary at the international conference of leaders, not dissimilar to the inevitable opposition rebuttal to the State of the Union or Throne speeches. JAC65 is worth a look if for nothing but that.

But there is much more... (top right) - and comments to revolution@ mcccxx.net
----
Holy. now.
----
iSalvos has Olivia Munn and Rowan Castle and Phil Laeger on live at 5am EST Tuesday (9pm in Sydney). But you can watch it on demand... It looks like the topic might be holiness...
----
Remember the poor.
----
Who have you evangelised in the last 48 hours? Let me reword it - who have you met without distractions for a few minutes in the last 48 minutes? (you can evangelise nearly all such people)
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 1, 2010
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

How's your soul?
----
Are the roots of bitterness gone?
----
JAC65 is now up! Check it out at the top right.

February - March 2010
Issue # 65

-Editorial Introduction - UK edition
Guest Editor, Captain Andrew Clark
-Raison d'être
Captain Andrew Bale
-Blessings and Curses
Captain Lynne Davis
-Living Out Salvationist Charism
Eleanor Burne-Jones
-Vintage UK: 'Tears'
Commissioner George Scott Railton
-The Army Bride
Captain Tanya Dooley
-Poem: Fed Up!
Captain Tanya Dooley
-The General's Keynote Address at International Leaders Conference: one Officer's Response
Major Stephen Poxon
-Time for Action
David Lumm
-Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army
Captain Andrew Clark
----
The kingdom of God is at hand.
----
Peter Brookshaw gives a different take on holiness in his blog (at right). You'll want to check it out and size yourself up. Now, the danger with this perspective is that it could become a check list to run through. But that's not the point. If Bale gives the max standard that we posted on yesterday, Brookie wonders about drawing the line at the minimum point.

Don't forget, though, that holiness can't be truly measured by a list. It is Holy Spirit filling you. The suggestions in that blog are helps to expose carnality/ lack of holiness/ need for Holy Spirit-filling. That is a useful tool to lead you (back?) to sanctification.
----
Holy. now.
----
iSalvos.com has an international panel live on holiness at 10pm Tuesday Kamchatka time (noon Harare; 10am Reykjavik; 4am San Salvador). Yes, you can watch it on demand later but if you don't catch it live you can't get into the discussion...
----
Remember the poor.
----
I had occasion recently to be with a good evangelist. We were both in uniform. We were both prayed-up and fasted up, ready for battle. We were approached by someone asking, 'what do you do with The Salvation Army?' 'We're the guys who try to get everyone saved... are you saved?' And the conversation advanced effortlessly from there with the gospel being preached and contact information being exchanged. (no visible results yet) It can't be that hard for you to evangelise if you are prayed-up, fasted up, trained up, and geared up to get people saved. Go for souls (goforsouls.com).
----
The love of Jesus in you does not fail.
----
God is here.
God help us all be humble.
God bless the General.
God bless The Salvation Army.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court