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Who Cares?
by
Captain Stephen Court (from JAC#4, 1999)
A Response to General William Booth’s vision,
WHO CARES?
Some people care.
You'll see them in the strangest places, struggling to rescue
the drowning victims. They're in the coffee shops and malls.
They're in factories and gyms. They're in pubs and clubs. And
they're straining and striving, selling out without concern
for their health, wealth or reputation.
On the surface,
they're a lot like you and me. Beyond that, they're fairly
easy to distinguish. They've got bright, intent eyes. There is
purpose in their stride and fire in their heart. They could
care less what people think of them. They'd rather be people
of great ends than of great means. They'd rather be well known
in heaven than to be well known on earth. They're not as
interested in making history as they are in making eternity.
Their lives are both
a rebuke and a challenge to us. They are extreme while we
remain moderate. They are fanatical while we are conservative.
They are driven while we coast. They are heroes and we are
spectators. What a rebuke!
And yet, what a
challenge! For the most part they are no more intelligent, no
better looking, no better educated or trained, no more adept,
no more blessed with skills or opportunity or advantage.
All of these factors
shout out to us this essential revelation: We can do this,
too! We can successfully put the boots to the enemy! We can
rescue eternal souls from the gaping jaws of hell! We can live
out the holy life of Kingdom of God Christianity! How?
We must do more
praying. I can see easily how, in the rush of all this mighty
sweeping work we can be taken off from God. The great problem
we have to solve is to keep equally a hold of God and
(people), trusting Jehovah, and yet using every human method
that is possible to be devised. (William Booth)
In other words, keep
our eyes on Jesus, hold on tight to Abba, and fight like
maniacs, doing whatever it takes to achieve results.
Or, as Paul put it,
I
didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings on
Christ. I entered their world and tried to experience things
from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of
servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a
God-saved life. I do all this because of the Message. I didn't
just want to talk about it. I wanted to be in on it. (1 Cor.
9:21-23, The Message)
General Booth
asserted,
I am determined to
be more faithful- more personal than I have been. To this end
I must have more of the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
It is God the world wants... The Salvation Army will only be a
blessing as it carries God to the heart of (people). That's
our business. To baptise with Fire. (William Booth)
Here is the
acknowledged need to be more faithful, more personal with
Jesus and with people who don't know Jesus yet, and a desire
for Holy Spirit power and wisdom (both gift and anointing) so
that the baptism of Fire can be transferred. General Booth
wants more of the anointing (2 Cor. 1:21) to accelerate the
fulfillment of Jesus' world winning prophecy (Acts 1:8).
No (one) could do
the works that are being done in your midst except God was
with them.
All
glory to Jesus. He is enabling you to give proof of your
heavenly calling. But how much more might be done had you all
received this pentecostal baptism in all its fullness? If
every soul was inflamed, and every lip touched, and every mind
illuminated, and every heart purified by a hallowed flame.
(William Booth)
Here there is not
only a proclamation of the Gospel but also a demonstration of
the Gospel all in the power of the Spirit. The description is
almost like Chadwick's translation of Judges 6:34, “The Holy
Spirit clothed Himself with Gideon.” Souls, lips, minds, and
hearts all ignited by the supernatural flame of the Holy
Spirit can actually do much more.
Let's pull this
discussion out of theory and rhetoric to wrap it up. As one of
General Booth's acquaintances, Sir Winston Churchill, used to
ask his generals, 'What have you done to help win the war
today? '
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