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May 31, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
- Article 18, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom just released its annual report.

CIRF (!) has a designation called CPC- country of particular concern. These countries are egregious religious freedom violators. The charter members of this group are Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, and Sudan In the second year North Korea was added. CIRF recommended the addition of the following countries for this report: India, Laos, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. The federal government declined to modify this year’s CPC list.

There is a compilation of “Watch List” countries: Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria , and Uzbekistan.

These are bad places to live. In most of them you are messed up if you try to worship Jesus. For example, in Saudi Arabia, “between June and September 2001, 14 Christians were arrested for worshipping privately, and all were deported by the end of March 2002. In April and May 2002, more than 30 Christian foreign workers were detained in raids on religious worship services. By September, most had been deported.”

That’s kid’s play compared to the persecution that often accompanies following Jesus. How do we respond to the injustice?

Pray, yes. Pray for changes in systems. Pray for protection of Christians. And we can probably fight for their freedoms. We can write letters and hassles influential leaders to care (it is telling that the US Feds didn’t add any new bad countries to the list). What else can we do?
posted by Stephen Court, May 31, 2003.

May 30, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

The newly-released Canadian census data is continuously being parsed for application.

Here’s the latest, from CanWest News Service (May 26, 2003). 1 in 5 in B.C. 'poor', reads the headline.

Nearly one in five British Columbia residents does not have enough disposable income to buy the basic necessities of food, shelter, clothing and transportation, according to the new federal market-basket measure of who's "poor." This is substantially higher than the one in eight national average (but slightly lower than the nearly one in four of NFLD).

"The basic idea underlying the [market-basket measure] is that those
households are poor which do not have the income available to purchase the goods and services that make up the basket," a federal background paper states.

For example, the food in the basket "represents a nutritional diet which is
consistent with food purchases of ordinary Canadian households," it says.

I’ve said before that it is Disneyland compared with some developing countries. But the reality remains that it is very tough for many people to live. It can be overwhelming.

And it usually creates a tension within me, as I live a comfortable life, blessed with provision, while outside my door live a disproportionate number of these poor.

God is all about the poor. I am convinced that if we want to hang out with God we should hang out with the poor. That is where He is. That is where I need to be. And not just physically. My heart and my attitude and my interests need to move (t)here too.
Posted by Stephen Court, May 30, 2003.

May 29, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I know it is a couple of days early but we’ve got a brand spanking new issue of JOURNAL OF AGGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY out for June/July.

As I was checking on the readership last week I noticed that, among the last ten visitors, there were people from China, Latvia, Hong Kong, Sweden, Australia, USA, and Canada. Praise God.

This issue has some great stuff. The feature on FASTING should open a lot of eyes and empty a lot of stomachs. The interview with Major Laurens, a prophetic leader in the Army, will enlighten and challenge and encourage.

There is a heap of other great stuff in there, too, from the theological arguments of Captain Charles Roberts through the poetic persuasion of Captain Stephen Poxon to the prophetic declarations of CoKing and Wagner, with a lot of stimulation in between!

For newbies, the journal is at armybarmy.com/jac and is free. Tell all.
Posted by Stephen Court, May 29, 2003.

May 28, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

We vs. They?

In the Army we have an innate habit of speaking in terms of ‘we’ and ‘they’. And we aren’t referring to ‘we’ Christians and ‘they’ demons.

We are speaking of ‘we’ on the local level and ‘they’ at HQ. We think in terms of ‘we’, we on the frontlines, we who are ‘really’ doing it, we who know what its all about, versus, those HQ types. ‘They’ are up in their ivory towers. ‘They’ are removed from the real action. ‘They’ don’t have a clue about how to make this thing work. And so on.

We’re wrong. Yes, we’re wrong spiritually and morally, although, tragically, these reasons aren’t always the most heavy on our minds.

We’re also wrong as far as mission is concerned. We’re exacerbating dissension in the ranks when we talk and think like that.

We’re wrong as far as truth is concerned.

It is not a matter of we v. they. We ARE they. Yes, I know it is hard for some of you to believe, but with very, very few exceptions, each of those ‘they’ were once ‘we’! And, in some contexts they still are (e.g. DHQ ‘theys’ talking as ‘wes’ about the ‘theys’ at THQ).

We are they. AND besides, we’re all soldiers. We are all salvationists.

We are one Army. WE made the decisions to transfer some officers this month and to leave others at their posts. WE decide how to strategically deploy our other resources, too. WE produce The War Cry and the other publications. WE fund-raise through Red Shield, right down to making up the slogans. WE serve in disaster relief. WE produce cool prayer CDs. WE have an excellent Staff Band. WE choose the style of uniform. WE throw big events like NFLD Congress and JESUS FEST and Pacific Northwest Congress and Roots and War Councils. WE take our public stand against injustice. WE fight to win the world for Jesus. WE do.

The ‘we v. they’ Army has no future.

But the WE Army is primed to inaugurate the great final conquest of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Catherine Booth’s prophecy).

And, there is still a ‘they’ with the WE Army. ‘They’ are demons, evil spirits, and satan. And they are doomed.
Posted by Stephen Court, May 28, 2003.

May 27, 2003.

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

 The Canadian version of TIME Magazine asks WOULD ANYONE NOTICED IF CANADA DISAPPEARED?

 The issue goes on to argue that Canada’s international influence has shrunken in the last generation.  It frets that we don’t pull our weight with peace-keeping, that we lack consistency in geo-politics, and that we’ve been less than a good friend and neighbour.

 Fair enough.  But my friend, when he saw the title, immediately asked, “Would anyone notice if 614 Vancouver disappeared?”  614 is the gamut of our cell-based authentic Christian community endeavours. 

That’s a tough question!

But Ian continued, “Would anyone notice is Stephen Court disappeared?”  Ouch.

Our cell that met later that afternoon asked ourselves, “Would anyone notice if our cell disappeared?”  Not being the healthiest of 614 cells, the answer generated motivation to do and be better.

 It is a humbling exercise.  Canada needs to return to its respected history of international diplomacy.  Canada should regain consistency in its stands.  Canada ought to become a loyal neighbour and friend.

 The same can be said for me, our cell, 614, and the Army.  We need to return- repent- to the principles that made our history renowned.  We should regain a consistency in belief and action, geographically and temporally.  And we ought to be loyal to our neighbours and our friends.

posted by Stephen Court, May 27, 2003.

May 26, 2003.

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Here is some more from the EFC analysis of the Canada Census.

The decline in the number of people declaring themselves to be "Protestants" was offset slightly by gains in some of the individual Protestant denominations, as well as in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations. A really striking increase since 1991 (121%) is reported in those who called themselves simply "Christian," "apostolic," "born-again Christian," or "evangelical."

First up, It is interesting to see the Orthos and Catholics growing in Canada.  Secondly, the non-denominational Christians have exploded.

David Hazzard of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC - www.paoc.ca) has suggested that those using the latter kinds of descriptive terms may have used the generic description "pentecostal" in years past. This would partially account for the 15% decrease in the "Pentecostal" category, which includes many outside of the larger Pentecostal denominations. The PAOC itself reports an increase in members over 20 years - from 134,662 in 1982, to 206,172 in 1992, and 232,000 in 2001 (their latest figures).

I buy it.  I am sure the PAOC (Canadian version of Assemblies of God) have grown steadily.

The apostolic label may indicate a trend toward the more overtly charismatic streams of Christianity.  Outside of Canada, these seem clearly to be the most explosive groups in the world.  This is a stream in which we have found ourselves in the past.  Some of us are still in it.  It is contagious.

posted by Stephen Court, May 26, 2003.

May 25, 2003.

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

More on yesterday’s post. 

I’ve heard that the General’s Consultative Council is considering the addition of a new membership level, between adherents and soldiers.

Please read this view and pass it on to anyone you know who sits on that council.

1.   Multiplication by subtraction.  Don’t add another level.  Subtract adherency.  Canada and Bermuda is the sore spot of the Western Hemisphere in the Army.  And yet we boast nearly 1/3 of the world’s total adherents!  We dwarf every other territory in this statistic.  Adherency’s strength and our over-all weakness is not a spurious relationship.  By watering everything down, we’re a mushy puddle.  It is not too late to save the rest of the world from this fate.  Adherents aren’t even necessarily saved.  Adherency compromises the integrity of The Salvation Army.
Any additional level will further muddy the puddle.

2.   Raise the standard of soldiership.  The wartime effectiveness of the average soldier is much less than required for conflict.  We need to raise the level by three actions:
a.      remove soldiers not seriously attempting to fulfill covenantal responsibilities;
b.     grandfather in a training programme for soldiers who need to get trained up to the new standard;
c.      replace the myriad of ad hoc training plans for recruits with one effective system.  I could update and edit SALVATIONISM 101, already used in hundreds of corps and on every continent.

3.   Corps officers must be re-trained to lead war battalions and not pastor churches.  The identity issue must be solved.  Until that happens, we will not solve the shrinking issue.  There are many different fronts on which we fight and many different looks by which we effectively fight.  But whether undercover or special operatives or regular army, soldiers are soldiers.  What this means is that they might look differently on different fronts but they must be, down at the bone, soldiers.

 4.   Headquarters must set the example.  Turf wars, identity confusion, and general malaise must be replaced with wartime esprit de corps focused on accomplishing mission.  If IHQ and THQ lead, officers and soldiers will follow.  Some of the changes required to re-establish identity and reverse the negative trend in soldiership include: 
      a. remove the infatuation with being churches;
      b. remove non-salvationists from positions of influence;
     c. set the standard for all other units by requiring the new standard for soldiership in IHQ and THQ soldiers and officers;
     d. publicly and corporately repent for disobedience toward God over the last generations.  Sins to be repented of include:
        i.               fear of man;
       ii.            emulation of the churches emerging from corporate inferiority complex (includes the trimmings, such as ordination);
      iii.           world system administration (instead of following God- this includes our treatment toward the prophets and warriors).

I am convinced that the world can be won if we implement these changes.

posted by Stephen Court, May 25, 2003.

May 24, 2003.

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

The Salvation Army belongs to the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.  EFC released a quick analysis of the new Canadian census.

It turns out that we showed a 21% decrease between 1991 and 2001 in membership.  This is larger than internal statistics that indicate a decrease from 95,763 to 85,316.

Of course, the vast majority of those thousands are adherents.  Adherency is a negative on the Army’s warfare.  We’ve had the largest adherents roll in the world in this country.  I don’t make adherents.

We’re really looking at a shade over 20,000 soldiers.

The upside is that attendance per meeting has increased 10%!  That is worth praise God about!  Praise the Lord.  Hallelujah!

It comes back to that tired misconception, that we shouldn’t over-challenge people.  This mistaken view caused the birth of adherency.  So we water everything down, sign people up who aren’t saved, and wonder why the whole thing is shrinking.

Meanwhile, we need to do the exact opposite. 

Cut adherency.  Challenge the socks off of everyone.

posted by Stephen Court, May 24, 2003.

May 23, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Another sign-off I love is from my friend who is a senior leader in the Army and probably sends this email signature to people outside the Army in his daily activities. It says:

"We do not wage war as the world does." 2 Corinthians 10:3

It distinguishes the Army from an army. It intrigues the curious. It reminds the faithful.
posted by Stephen Court, May 23, 2003.

May 22, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

As for letters, another of my friends signs off, ‘Fullness in Christ’ and her name. Below is the verse:

You have been given fullness in Christ,
Who is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:10

Hallelujah! What a joy and encouragement it is to read that truth and receive that blessing in the middle of the day! We all need to get our heads and hearts around that reality, that we have been given fullness in Christ! And then we need to live it out.
posted by Stephen Court, May 22, 2003.

May 21, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

This one has great potential for fundraising in The Salvation Army. We can follow the lead of the government in New York and get money to deliver people from demons!

I can’t put it better than Jonah Goldberg in nationalreview.com, May 13, 2003):

In a less politically correct age, we would refer to the Most Reverend Prophet Alpha Omega Bondu as a witch doctor. Maybe even an "ooga-booga guy." But when Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., gave the Most Rev. twelve grand to evict seven evil spirits from a Haitian psychiatric patient (that's $1,714 per spirit — a great value), the New York Times refused to traffic in any stereotypes. In fact, it bent over the other way, even refusing to call the service an exorcism. Instead, the Times reported that the $12,000 in taxpayer dollars had been spent on "religious counseling."

(A few quick asides on the Rev. story, just for color: The patient had hacked his wife to death and set her on fire in front of her children. Even though the Most Rev. only managed to exorcize four out of the seven spirits — a mere $6,800's worth — he was paid the full amount. The $12,000 payment was approved by the business manager of the hospital, who was also member of Bondu's church).

$12,000 USD, until a few weeks ago, was good for about $18,000 Cdn. If we could tap into that kind of money for every deliverance session, we’d be set up. Of course, if we could consistently tap into the power to do that…
posted by Stephen Court, May 21, 2003.

May 20, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I enjoy reading letters from people. I am interested in, among other things, how they sign off. ‘Sincerely’ is like vanilla ice cream, and I am more of a President’ Choice Decadent fudge Crackle Candy Cane kind of guy.

One pal of mine closes with ‘Others’ and his name. He alludes, of course, to the famous Salvation Army motto, OTHERS. His one word blessing footnotes a great story. I defer to the International Heritage Centre:

It is often said that, one year, early in the 1900s, when wireless telegraphy was in its infancy, William Booth sent a one word message, Others ! by telegram to encourage his officers around the world. As with many other famous historic incidents, there is no documentary evidence, although we have searched far and wide, using our international contacts with other Heritage Centres and Salvation Army archives. We do know that Others ! was Bramwell Booth's motto for the year 1895, and it was also the title of the Army's annual report for 1894-95. This motto appeared on printed cards around headquarters when Evangeline Booth was National Commander in the United States, and, in recent years, a special ' Others ' award has been presented to a number of people in the USA in recognition of significant humanitarian service. This we know, but if you can help us to solve the mystery of the telegram, we would love to hear from you.

When the 'Empress of Ireland' went down with a hundred and thirty Salvation Army officers on board [29th May 1914], one hundred and nine officers were drowned, and not one body that was picked up had on a life-belt. The few survivors told how the Salvationists, finding there were not enough life-preservers for all, took off their own belts and strapped them upon even strong men, saying, "I can die better than you can;" and from the deck of that sinking boat they flung their battle-cry around the world - Others !

“I can die better than you can!” I love it! I love it. And I love that my brother Bram uses it.
posted by Stephen Court, May 20, 2003.

May 19, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Satistics Canada pre-released some information from the 2001 census. We don’t have all of the results yet.

However, we praise God for the increase in religious practice in BC. This is humanly surprising in that BC is notorious for it’s irreligious culture.

Without the general results available, we’re left to speculate. One factor is likely the immigration of large numbers of Chinese Christians. Another is possibly the influx of large numbers of Sikh religionists. Of course, you can never rule out God as a factor when it comes to increases in religiosity.

Disappointingly, the overall results for Canada leave little for which to cheer. We’ve finally caught up with the UK in that 16% of our population profess no religion.

However, fully 20,000 people indicated their religion as JEDI! This is staggering. On this score we’ve a ways to go to catch others in the Commonwealth. For example, in the UK 400,000 indicated that they are Jedi. This towers over the 260,000 Jews in the UK. 70,000 Australians indicated that they were Jedi in 2001 (Canadian Press, May 13, 2003).

How is it?

We need to engage these people through cultural windows if we are going to win them for Jesus (now, before any of you email and complain about the winning thing, too bad. It was good enough for Paul, and it is good enough for me).
posted by Stephen Court, May 19, 2003.

May 18, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

We Christians feel as sense of rebellious pride when we hear of a Franklin Graham and his ministry, Samaritan’s Purse, taken to task for planning to evangelize starving Iraqis that they are planning to feed. Well, maybe I shouldn’t speak for you. But I feel that.

Unlike some, I believe that our mission is to win the world for Jesus. I don’t buy that our mission includes feeding hungry people, as if 100 meals a day is the fulfillment of mission. I can’t accept that we are to rehabilitate alcoholics as if this, in and of itself, is the accomplishment of mission. Sure, we are to feed hungry people. Sure, we are to get drunks sober. But this isn’t our mission. It is a supernatural expression of Jesus’ compassion through us. It can be a means of getting people saved. But it isn’t why we’re here.

The power of this argument is in the bottom line. A bottom line of well fed sinners fills hell, not heaven. A bottom line of sober sinners fills hell, not heaven. And so on.

So, I feel a bit like getting away with sliding the electronic quarterback (electronic handheld game, circa 1977, for you younger folks) back and forth during grade seven social science class. We’re getting away with something from an unreasonable or misunderstanding authority. So Franklin is frowned on for witnessing to Iraqis, but I love it.

It is a bit like when guys complain to me down here about the Army shoving the Gospel down their throats at Harbour Light. They expect me to shuffle my feet, to cough, or to look over my shoulder at a phantom distraction. Instead, I pump it. Sure, of course we shove the Gospel down your throats. You went there to get clean, didn’t you? Well, Jesus is the only way you are going to get transformed. You knew what we’re about. You were desperate. You were happy to take our nice room and our nice food. Well, if you really want transformation, you came to the right place, because you can forget about transformation unless you clutch Jesus.

Or something like that.

So, to my point (!). I didn’t feel like that at all when I read about those Muslim ‘charities’ that are aggressively moving into Iraq with aid tied to an anti-Christian agenda. How dare they? Don’t the poor know that they are closet funders of terrorist activity? Don’t they know that when you force your Message from a position of superiority and manipulation no one really accepts it? The Muslim World League, the Saudi Red Crescent, and the others, can’t possibly hope to win the hearts of those they ‘aid’, can they?

Ah, but they might well succeed in poisoning the minds from accepting Truth.

So, I am ambivalent. I see the problems associated with the perception of rice Christianity (laid our brilliantly by Curtis Butler in SALVATIONISM 301- see armybarmy.com). And I see the limits of similar Muslim proselytizing.

But I don’t want minds poisoned against the Gospel, either by Muslim aid efforts or by Christian aid efforts.
posted by Stephen Court, May 18, 2003.

May 17, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Statistics Canada defines low-income families as those who spent more than 55 per cent of their before-tax income on the basic necessities -- food, shelter and clothing. And according the new statistics from the 2001 Census, 1.2 million children live in poverty in Canada.

Now, we’re not trying to compare these statistics and this reality with what is happening to billions of people on this earth. But it is staggering to me that in the disneyland called Canada, more than one million people, not counting adults, live in poverty.

We obviously have our work cut out for us. God help us.
Posted by Stephen Court May 17, 2003.

May 16, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I’ve been privileged to be involved in something very rare in our territory, what people call team ministry. I don’t call it that, and some may say, ‘hey- we have a team in leadership at our corps!’ Great.

We’ve got four people who lead 614 Vancouver. All are CFOT-trained warriors. I don’t know of anything similar in our country (in the Army).

It is so beneficial to the warfare. I met up with an officer from out of town this week who wished to have a situation like ours.

Do you know how sweet it is to have four heads and hearts instead of one? Do you know how efficient it is to have four people taking care of responsibilities instead of two? Do you know how more effective it is having gifted people leading in their areas of calling instead of hustling to make things happen by sweat? Do you know how convenient it is to have the wisdom of four instead of the enthusiasm of one or two? Do you know how nice it is to take counsel together and to share the burdens together?

It is a blessing. Too often we copy the Canadian military, which stores the guns in Victoria and the ammunition in Winnipeg. We put specialists in positions requiring general skills and wish them well. Now, I understand the exigencies of the war and the provision of the Holy Spirit, but it is wonderful to have three other leaders alongside me who are better than me in their areas of expertise.

I know it may not always work out this way. But I am glad that God worked it out this way for this appointment.
posted by Stephen Court, May 16, 2003.

May 15, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

The catchline for The War College brochures is “We’re recruiting martyrs.”

We don’t want dead people. We’re looking for those who do not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

These people are as good as dead, from one angle. From the other, there has never been anyone more alive.

Strange, isn’t it?
Posted by Stephen Court, May 15, 2003.

May 14, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

"Canadian soldiers are back in Afghanistan, but this time, they don't have any weapons to help protect them. In Ottawa's rush to put Canadian troops on the ground, 25 elite Canadian soldiers arrived in Afghanistan only to find that they are not allowed to carry guns. What makes the situation particularly embarrassing is that the troops have been assigned German bodyguards to protect them."-- Global TV , May 6, 2003

I’ve met Christians who are like this crew of Canadian soldiers. They’ve been sent to the front in a dangerous mop-up operation without any guns. They are terribly vulnerable to attack from the enemy, or, at least, mockery from spectators. And, finally, they must hide alongside armed bodyguards.

I wonder how much more realistic this is than we first think. I wonder how often we go out to engage the enemy without the proper spiritual equipment. I’ve argued elsewhere that, according to Ephesians 6, the only piece of offensive weaponry is the Sword of the Spirit, the voice of God. Too many of us go into battle without the ability to hear God’s voice. We’re stuck. We’re unarmed. We’re harmless to the enemy. We’re useless for the Kingdom. We’re a joke to spectators. We’re frauds, imposters. And we need protection. Sometimes it is an assignment of angels bodyguards, and sometimes it is the prayer of intercessors. Probably sometimes it is even the Pentecostals covering for us! So, we’re also a drain on Kingdom resources. And finally, can you imagine how it feels to be out there unarmed (well, maybe you can- how about frustrated, impotent, afraid…).

God help us arm ourselves with the ability to hear Your voice. Protect us from the pretension of going into battle unprepared (not prayed up, not fasted up, not listening up) please.
posted by Stephen Court, May 14, 2003.

May 13, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I heard a great thing this week to check on your spiritual health and evangelistic effectiveness. We were urged to ask three of our non-Christian friends, “What are the three most important things in my life?”

Now, a few of you are stuck because of the ‘three non-Christian friends’ condition. That’s not supposed to be the point. Read on (although, go out and make some friends with people who don’t know Jesus yet).

It seems like a great measure of our integrity and our communication. If you have any great responses, let me know.
Posted by Stephen Court, May 13, 2003.

May 12, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I’m still on my First Things kick. This is from the April issue:

In a sermon at St. Paul's Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on May 14, 1963, Martin Luther King said: "There are always those who say legislation can't solve the problem. There is a half-truth involved here. It is true that legislation cannot solve the whole problem. It can solve some of the problem. It may be true that morality can't be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. It may be true that legislation cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."

Amen. Among many things, this applies to pro-life legislation (Canada has no law against abortion now because the Supreme Court struck down the strict law years ago and parliament is too timid to replace it).
posted by Stephen Court, May 12, 2003.

May 11, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I don’t know if you ever read FIRST THINGS. It is a great periodical (firstthings.com).

Anyway, this was in the recent issue:

Bishop William Weigand of Sacramento, California's capital, announced at Mass on the thirtieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade that Gov. Gray Davis and other pro-abortion politicians should abstain from receiving Holy Communion. "As your bishop, I have to say clearly that anyone-politician or otherwise-who thinks it is acceptable for a Catholic to be pro-abortion is in very great error, puts his or her soul at risk, and is not in good standing with the Church. . . . Such a person should have the integrity to acknowledge this and choose of his own volition to abstain from receiving Holy Communion until he has a change of heart." The Bishop says he was emboldened by a priest who runs a home for disadvantaged children and told the governor that he wasn't welcome, and also by a recent note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that set forth the responsibilities of Catholics in politics. The governor's office said that Weigand's statement was "sad" and that the governor "is proud of the legislation he has signed giving women the right to choose." The governor's statement also criticized Bishop Weigand for "telling the faithful how to practice their faith." How dare he! It must be admitted that the example of many bishops over the years has no doubt given some the impression that bishops have no business instructing the faithful on the practice of the faith. The key phrase in the governor's statement is, of course, "their faith." Yes, they take their faith from the local Catholic franchise as distinct from, for instance, the local Buddhist temple, but, in exchange for patronizing the Church and making a generous contribution, it is "their faith" to do with as they wish. Imagine if you patronize WalMart by buying, say, a sound system and then WalMart presumes to stipulate what kind of music you play with it. It is not the business of WalMart to tell customers how to use their sound system. The governor has given perfect expression to the idea of religion as a consumer product. For putting the matter so starkly, we are in his debt.

This is classic on a couple of levels. First, it is sweet to see Church leaders use their authority in controversial ways. I love it. Drop the hammer on the governor, if he is sinning. I love that he is solid on pro-life, as this is a key issue, on which too often we stay silent (partly because we’re afraid, and partly because we don’t believe strongly enough). But it is also a great line on consumer Christianity. “It is not the business of WalMart to tell customers how to use their sound system.” Beautiful.

God bless the Catholics.
posted by Stephen Court, May 11, 2003.

May 10, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

General Booth called Isaiah 58 the charter of The Salvation Army.

We’d all do well to read it over again.
posted by Stephen Court, May 10, 2003.

May 9, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Speaking (yesterday) about SA books, I recently read Commissioner Watson’s book, THE MOST EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION.

In it, he quotes an officer who described what he does this way: “I am a venture capitalist.”

I love it.

A venture capitalist makes a heavy investment in a long-shot, high risk entity, with the possibility of an enormous pay-off.

We pour our lives into drug addicts and prostitutes and so on, a heavy investment with a high risk. But some of these people allow God to transform them, and the pay-off is huge! Praise the Lord.
posted by Stephen Court, May 9, 2003.

May 8, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

One of our issues as a Salvation Army is our fragmentation. Back in the day, we had a powerful publishing arm that produced influential periodicals and books, including universally used songbooks. These were the standard fare for Salvationist learning and warfare. Now, at least in the western world, it is far more likely that salvos will have read the big evangelical names, while lacking influential input from the Army. And so our thoughts and philosophies and methods are shaped by Hybels and Warren and Maxwell and Wagner and Stanley and Colson and Swindoll and so on, instead of Larsson and Gowans and Clifton and Yuill and Noland and Wall and so on. We will sing songs by Ruis and Redman and Hughes and Tomlin and Park and so on, instead of Hood and Rowe and Freeman and Kay and Grinnell and so on (note I say ‘instead’. ‘As well’ would be ideal). There are some problems with that. One is the reality that the first group is different from the Army in several matters of doctrine or praxis. And so we’re fragmented as Corinth, with some following Hybels, and some following Wagner. I’m not saying that these leaders cannot speak into the Army, not at all. But without a solid SA basis in doctrine and praxis we’re like rudderless ships, floating from wave to wave on the latest trends. Meanwhile, our best thinkers and doers fight to sell a few thousand books and make very little impact in our lives and warfare. Our songwriters scrape together enough cash to pull off a half decent recording that they have to flog to pay off.

This is wrong.

One part of the solution is a universal standard. We can’t make salvos buy our books, although we could do a better job of selling them. We can’t make salvos buy our CDs, although we could do a far better job of promoting them. But we can set universal standards of soldiership that will incline hearts and minds toward things Salvationist.

This is the standard set we use in the 614 War. Each recruit will have met these standards:
Saved a year
Clean a year
Read the Bible
In formal discipling relationship
In a cell
In a brigade activity (ministry)
Tithing
Uniformed
Read O+R
Read Handbook of Doctrine
In for life
Completed at least one discipling course and SALVATIONISM 101
Completed at least one approved SA book
Approved by the Corps Council

This isn’t perfect but it has helped establish solid soldiers that you can fight alongside and depend on in the battles. If every recruit met these standards then we’d overcome some of the fragmentation that is rendering much of SA culture purely local and largely obsolete. Soldiers would be more serious. We’d actually care about these books and CDs that our leaders are generating. We’d care for Army input into issues and methods. We’d care for some kind of power-producing unity across the board. And we’d fight more effectively.
posted by Stephen Court, May 8, 2003.

May 7, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I’ve noted that spiritual gifts tests are getting hot again. I think that they are, at best, spiritual inclination tests, but I guess there isn’t too much harm in doing one.

You have to understand what you’re getting into, though. Some tests are limited. They won’t let you have certain gifts! Prophecy becomes preaching, and tongues becomes being able to pick up foreign languages pretty easily. So, you have to be aware of that.

But here is a list of some resources, if you’re interested in these things. The sites range from conservative to liberal, from careful to charismatic. They include some online tests. The books include some I’ve not read but authors with whom I’m acquainted (other books).

Before the list- my position: we all have access too all the gifts as the Holy Spirit distributes them as He wills. So, we shouldn’t box ourselves in to one or two gifts and neglect the others. We’re commanded to desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. As my pal Elaine adds, “in Eph 1:3 where we're told that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places - the term spiritual blessing - the spiritual is the same Greek word -pneumatikos - which is spiritual gift - empowered by the Holy Spirit. You have got to like that! We have been blessed with every spiritual gift in the heavenly places in Christ.” So, with that in mind, here’s a short list of resources on the subject…

http://www.cforc.com/sgifts.html

http://mintools.com/gifts.htm

http://www.theseeker.org/gifts/

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi

http://www.elca.org/eteam/assessment/OpenSpiritGifts.htm

http://buildingchurch.net/g2s.htm

http://www.elmertowns.com/spiritual_gifts_test/

http://www.bethany-ca.edu/mygifts/

BOOKS AT AMAZON.COM
SMITH WIGGLESWORTH ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS
KENNETH HAGIN: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS GIFTS
CHARLES F. STANLEY: THE IN TOUCH STUDY SERIES, MINISTERING THROUGH SPIRITUAL GIFTS
PETER WAGNER: FINDING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
JACK DEERE: SURPRISED BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
BENNY HINN: WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT
WAYNE GRUDEM: ARE MIRACULOUS GIFTS FOR TODAY?
PETER WAGNER: YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS CAN HELP YOUR CHURCH GROW
PETER WAGNER: DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
D.A.CARSON: SHOWING THE SPIRIT: A THEOLOGICAL EXPOSITION OF 1 CORINTHIANS 12-14
GARY S. GREIG: THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER: ARE HEALING AND THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS USED BY JESUS AND THE EARLY CHURCH MEANT FOR THE CHURCH TODAY?
MARTYN LLOYD-JONES: THE SOVEREIGN SPIRIT: DISCERNING HIS GIFTS
SAM STORMS: THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL GIFTS
DAVID PYTCHES: SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
JACK DEERE: SURPRISED BY THE VOICE OF GOD

Of these, I’d like to highlight a few. Greig’s book THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER is a huge book. Jack Deere’s SURPRISED BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT is a convincer, for those needing convincing (Jack’s the man). It has been efficacious in enlightening many people. So, there you have it. Now have at it (the treasure of God’s gifts, that is).
posted by Stephen Court, May 7, 2003.

May 6, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

I’ve recently read Derek Prince’s book on prayer and fasting. It makes some notable observations of the power of this exercise.

In Acts 13 we see some teachers and prophets gathered to minister to the Lord. How do they do it? They do it with prayer and fasting. While so engaged, the Holy Spirit steps in and points out two of them for a special assignment. They pray and fast some more, lay hands on the chosen two, and send them out to their task. Saul and Barnabas are now apostles.

They went into the exercise as prophets and teachers but they came out apostles. The power of prayer and fasting changes direction, tactics, some might even say, identity.

Now, this practice was replicated throughout the warfare of Paul and Barnabas. They confirmed the souls of the disciples, exhorted them, ordained leaders after prayer and fasting, and commended them to the Lord (Acts 14:21-23). The key change through this passage is that they confirmed and exhorted disciples. But once they fasted and prayed to establish leaders, it was no longer a group of disciples, but a church. The transition from disciples to church traveled through the laying on of hands to establish leaders through prayer and fasting (this is all p98-100- SHAPING HISTORY THROUGH PRAYER AND FASTING).

What is fasting and prayer changing in your life and in your warfare?
posted by Stephen Court, May 6, 2003.

May 5, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

If you entitle these things, this one is called “I’ll be a spinster nun.”

The BC Court of Appeal just decided that homosexuals can marry each other.

But first, who makes the laws in our country? Our highest law is putty to be shaped by the hands of higher court judges. So, people who enjoyed no public indication of support shape our laws. This is a weakness.

Anyway, the decision is ridiculous. It smacks of kindergarten play. You know- you be the doctor and I’ll be the nurse-type stuff. It is almost unfathomable that educated adults- wait, drop the adjective- that adults could come to this decision.

Stop for a second. It is not the Christian distaste for homosexual activity that is so outrageous (in this argument). It is that grown-ups can indulge in pre-school make-believe games that affect all of us. It is like the irrelevant Organization for International Standards that recently confirmed that we will use the current measure of dating, placing us right smack in the middle of 2003 (using, of course, the ludicrous ‘common era’ tag, instead of the original anno domini tag). Who gave them the right to choose for us? It’s like when my pal used to ask, “Did I miss the memo? When did the tips go from 10% to 15%.” Who called that shot?

They say that homosexuals can marry each other. But the definition of a marriage is the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others (this is a direct quote from the 1999 parliamentary resolution, which concluded that the, “Parliament will take all necessary steps to preserve this definition of marriage in Canada”).

So, if two homosexuals unite and live together for 40 years and, currently, in Canada, receive similar benefits from the government to married couples, they can now bastardize the word ‘marriage’ to mean whatever they want. You be the doctor. I’ll be the nurse. It won’t be the first time. The Flintstones’ theme song line, “We’ll have a gay old time!” is forever obsolete. I change my mind. I’ll be a spinster nun.
posted by Stephen Court, May 5, 2003.

May 4, 2003
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

We’re starting a huge thing here in Vancouver. It is very small, tiny, in fact, right now. It is under the radar. But it is intended to be big.

Anyway, we want the Army’s first principles as elucidated by the Founder to be part of our spiritual DNA (see May 1 blog).

So, we’re going after extreme holiness. We have established a practice of utter vulnerability. It is actually easier to keep things clean if you know that everyone else in the room is equally vulnerable. You can ‘fess’ up, get forgiveness, and move on. We’re aiming at the Biblical standard here- no rationalizing for us. The Bible says to be holy and we obey. It says to be perfect (not faultless but blameless) and we obey. It is God’s power that makes out intent efficacious.

And we will have liveliness in meetings. I say that future tense because we don’t have corporate meetings yet. We won’t start meeting weekly, publicly, until we have 25 cells or so. But into our DNA is liveliness in and of meetings. This is a factor, mostly, of freedom. Freedom is the enemy of a few of the usual suspects attacking the Army, including fear of man and control/jezebel. Fear of man rules when you’re afraid to shout ‘glory’ or wave your hand or give that tongue God is welling up inside of you or dance or roll or do anything that might draw attention to yourself and with it the disdain of bystanders and spectators (I use those terms intentionally). The spirit of control is an old enemy of ours in the Army, one which clamps down on freedom. This is a frontal attack on the Holy Spirit (where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom). Control and fear of man are related, as are control and jezebel. Jezebel was against the prophets, against the voice of God. This is a strategic role for satan’s horde, since the voice of God is the only offensive weapon we have (more on that later).

We will seek the poorest and worst. We are moving our leaders down here as God provides opportunity. Our newer people all live down here (I should say that down here is the notorious downtown eastside of Vancouver). So, here we are in Canada’s poorest postal code (still Disneyland compared to real poverty) living with some of our poorest and worst. Although we’re establishing authentic Christian community here, it is not exclusive, like the China Town just up the street (in which I cannot easily interact because I lack certain obvious credentials, starting with language). Our community has to be open and accepting so that people can join. We seek them not so that we can coax a perfunctory prayer out of them in a time of personal vulnerability but so that they can experience the Kingdom of God in their lives and spread that experience around town and the world.

We will exhibit red-hot religion. Now, remember that when Booth used the term religion it lacked the negative connotations it carries today. His directive could easily be paraphrased today as red-hot spirituality. It denotes incendiary zeal. The one guy I know that carries red-hot religion the most obviously is Michael Collins, a legend Salvo in Vancouver, who, praise God, is preaching in all sorts of people so that the masses can be exposed not only to his preaching (which is red-hot) but to his life (which is RED-HOT). We will see God multiply and replicate warfighters like Michael, to His glory and the conquest of the world.
posted by Stephen Court, May 4, 2003.

May 3, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy.

I didn’t say it. I just read it (1 Corinthians 14:1).

To me, that means more than being open to tongues or being open to prophecy. If God commands me to desire tongues and I am merely open to them, I sin. If God commands me to eagerly desire prophecy and I am only open to it, I sin.

This goes for movements as well. If we’re to be a holiness movement and we do not, as a movement, eagerly desire prophecy, and desire tongues, we sin. We are not a holy holiness movement. We are a sinning holiness movement. We may teach it (I said ‘may’) but we do not live it (if?).

With individuals and with movements, the solution to carnality and the way to holiness is through repentance. Not only must we feel rotten about our disobedience, confess it, and publicly acknowledge it, but we must also renounce it. In this case, we must renounce our tepid will toward certain gifts that we are commanded to desire and eagerly desire. We are to begin obeying the commands.

I wonder how that will look- when we all press in during prayer meetings for prophetic words, or when we sit and wait during the holiness meeting until God gives us direction, or when we corporately rise to our feet and call out to God for the gift of tongues.

I do believe He will answer our desires as we delight in Him (so says David, anyway, in Psalm 37:4).
posted by Stephen Court, May 3, 2003.

May 2, 2003
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

There is some great stuff in THE OFFICER Mag this month. Lieutenant-Colonel Herb Rader and Captain Fran Rader quote Commissioner Booth-Tucker on the eve of the Army’s invasion into India. It was a memorandum of instruction prepared for all new candidates for this new appointment. St. John Irvine considers it one of the most heroic documents of mankind:

Service will be a matter not merely of being willing to go anywhere, but of wishing to live and die for the particular race to which you are sent. You will be absolutely alone and under close scrutiny. It will be essential to learn at least one Indian language. You must leave entirely and forever behind you all your English dress and habits. Officers will be barefoot.

You will avoid the English quarter, but will always live among natives- sometimes in a cave, a shady tree, or someone’s veranda- or in a mud hunt 16 by 10 feet. You will cook as they do, and wash your clothes in the stream with them. You have nothing to fear from the climate. The people are different and intensely religious. Find out what their thoughts are before you share yours. And if you are planning to return, don’t go. We would not think of sending anyone out who did not plan to make it a life work.

Heroic is right. Wow! Praise God for the warriors who obeyed. God, raise up thousands more of us, “to fight, live to fight, love to fight, and die in the midst of it” (Booth).
posted by Stephen Court, May 2, 2003.

May 1, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

General Larsson has explained to us an interesting tradition. It turns out that General Booth left written advice for his successors in the form of four first principles of The Salvation Army.

Now a couple of these are the usual suspects but a couple of others might throw you for a self-examining loop.

1. HOLINESS. Booth asserted that it was only experiential holiness that distinguished us from any other movement and justified us in having any separate existence at all.

2. LIVELINESS IN MEETINGS. Wow. You’d have to travel pretty far and wide (at least in the Western world?) to find anything YellowRedandBlue resembling a Salvation Army Corps, according to this principle. Granted, there are exceptions- I’ve experienced them in places like Box Hill and Santa Ana and Pensacola and Compton and East Wind. But if this is the standard, we’re left with two options- change or take off our uniforms. Oh wait, many of us already took off our uniforms- what I meant was, stop pretending to be the Army and in so doing, compromise The Salvation Army.

3. SEEKING THE POOREST AND WORST. Praise God. Let’s get after them. They need freedom. Impact through contact is the best method. You have to be close to someone to touch them. You can’t email in your compassion.

4. RED-HOT RELIGION. See my comments on #2. We really have to come to the realization that we’re in a war, that there is an enemy that is out to destroy us, that there are captives that are going to hell forever, that there are dangers and weapons and strategies and rules of engagement and strict disciplines and a Commander and casualties and victories and defeats and blood and glory and heroes and traitors and rewards. And we have to come to an understanding that our King is a magnificent, wonderful, omnipotent, beautiful, benevolent, compassionate, sensational God who loves us and gave Himself and gives Himself for us.

If we are not willing to change so that we abide by the first principles then we are not worthy of the high calling of soldiership and the heroic legacy of Salvationism and we might as well lay down our uniforms and sulk back a church.
posted by Stephen Court, May 1, 2003.

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Captains' Blog is a regular feature on armybarmy.com.  These web logs are posted a couple of times a week by Captains Danielle Strickland and Stephen Court.  You can respond with comments to: sixonefour@lightspeed.ca