Armybarmy Blog

February 28, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
So we're into the thick of it. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST is freaking everyone everywhere out (except in France, where this heavily Catholic country will not show this heavily Catholic film).

A lady just bought 1,000 tickets for poor people in our neighbourhood- God bless her. You can put in a quick prayer that the recipients show up Sunday at 4 and at 7.

Most of the reviews I've seen are negative. In the Globe and Mail, Rick Groen slams it. One bit goes like this:

"Again and again, we're exposed to the clinical repetition of a single act, until an alleged act of passion comes to seem boring and passionless. Is that not a definition of pornography?"

Groen dismisses TPOFC as pornography of violence.

What he and most people miss is that point that his sins- and mine, and yours- , the clinical repetition, again and again, of single acts of rebellion and independence, cause the whole heroic exercise in the first place.*

Let's pray that the demonic smoke screens will be lifted, as will the blindness over the minds of unbelievers, and the light of the glory of Christ will shine through.
posted by Stephen Court
* He is correct, though, that such an enterprise (rebellion and independence) is ultimately boring and passionless, the biggest scam the devil ever pulled over people's eyes (oh, for an overflow of the abundant life through the streets of our cities so that indie's can experience real thrill and passion!).

February 27, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
Props to Heather Wright who admirably stepped in for us at Captains' Blog, again, while we were at an officers thing for a few days.
The last time we went, she blogged, and I got an email from my old pal Bram. He commended me, saying that the latest blog was my best ever (it was Heather's!)!

So, having Heather blog for me is good for my humility.

We took some hits this week in the warfare on our front. It reminded me of an article by my friend, Geoff Ryan, called CASUALTIES. It is a sad reality that in war there are casualties. It sucks.

Commissioner Ed Read preached at one of our conferences in Williams Lake (either Council of War or Aggressive Christianity Councils, I can't nail it right now). During conversation he noted that of the seed that Jesus' sower threw out, seed that landed on three of the four types of soul actually grew up. But only seed in one of those three types of soil - the good soil - continued (or, as Jesus put it in another conversation, bore fruit that lasts). Two-thirds of the converts died.

Now, none died this week, that I know of. But there are other kinds of casualty as well.

Some marry the wrong person (Christian or not, I don't care) and take themselves out of the race. Others refuse to deal with a nagging spiritual issue and it festers and grows until it is bigger than the hope that they have in Jesus. Some daydream of a nostalgic paradise they used to experience (in their faulty memory) that can never be matched by today (some of these include those blessed in the last revival who are, tragically, sometimes the worst opponents of the next one). Some get gunshy (see Heather's bit yesterday). Some refuse to submit. Others refuse to join community.

The list goes on.

satan (lower case, intentional) uses all of these means to cause casualties in the war.

We're not unaware of his schemes. They are as old as sin.

A little blood ups the ante. Like starved sharks it draws encircling demons. But it also stirs the hearts of true soldiers, who, in William Booth's immortal words, "live to fight, love to fight, love the thickest of the fight, and die in the midst of it."

It turns out that our spilt blood was counter-attack for all the demon blood our warriors have been splashing around the alleys behind Hastings and Cordova. And our slum brothers and slum sisters and other cagey, committed free-shooters are like old war horses who whiff fresh blood in battle and dash back into the fray.

These casualties will not scare us away. They will stir us up to greater humility, greater community, greater intensity in our eternal combat.

Pray for victory.
posted by Stephen Court

Fear of failure/Fear of success

Good day.
I really enjoy writing. Moving ideas from my imagination onto paper in a way that others can understand and be provoked into thought and challenged by is satisfying. I can even look back over things that I've written and feel good about what I've done. I'm blessed with a Captain who feels the same way and so he gives me the honour of blogging in his absence. This is the second time he has given me that privelege and both times I've felt intimidated, blocked up. I have a fear of inadequacy and judgement to such a degree that I often stare at the screen and am disabled altogether. I'd rather write nothing at all than anything that could be considered 'unworthy' by my peers. This makes me angry! I know just what it is though...it's a scheme of the enemy. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians to not be ignorant of Satan's devices. It's sorta sick really, I have a fear of failure AND of success. He's whispering in my ear that I'm not good enough to type out some thoughts and post them for all the world to see. The Army world will laugh at me (and whoever else reads this...who are all of you people anyways!?) and I'll feel rejected and never write again. When I receive encouragement about my work, I am hit with a fear of success...that everything has to be bigger, better, smarter until I feel like I can't compete with myself. So I am tempted to sit on my hands and do nothing. That certainly doesn't honour my God!
So that's what the god of this world is coming at me with I wanted to share it with you to encourage you, I'm feeling vulnerable and my flesh is screaming "don't post this!! Then everyone will know your fears!" haha, so now you all know...but I'm dealing with it slowly and surely but first I had to become AWARE of it. I won't let him take me out because of fear, that's NOT the spirit that I have received!
I'll ask you though, what does he use against you? If you haven't given it much thought recently, why don't you?
Pray and ask for guidance...the best defense is a good offense.

posted by:
Heather Wright
The War College
Death and Glory Session

I have met innumerable Christians whose lament is the same.
“I want to do God’s Will for my life, I just don’t know what that is…”
Therefore, they do nothing at all. How paralyzing that must be for the Kingdom!!
Recently however, I received clarification through 2 Corinthians 4:1-7 (NAS)
“1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart , 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;”

What a great verse…I want to break that down.
The “therefore” is obvious, meaning ‘as a result of’ God’s mercy towards us we are compelled into action.
The “we” is pretty apparent as well…all of us who love and are obedient to Jesus Christ.
Then we slip into some interesting territory…excuse me while I reach for my lexicon :-D

Ministry– Diakonia - the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection esp. those who help meet needs by either collecting or distributing of charities
Perishing - Apollumi -to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell,to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
Blind – Tuphloo - to blunt the mental discernment, darken the mind

That speaks to me that as a result of God’s mercy towards us, we, the servants of Jesus, have no choice but to render a Christ-ian, tangible love to the perishing…those that have been given over to eternal misery in hell. The lost. The ruined. The destroyed. Those who have been blinded, whose minds have been darkened by the god of this world. Hmm…remember when you were like that? Aren’t you glad that someone compelled by the love of Christ acted on that love and shared Him with you?
My comrade has just reminded me of an oft used quote that I find a fitting way to leave you today...

the meeting has ended - the service begins.

Posted by:
Heather Wright
The War College
Death and Glory Session

February 24, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
So, The Passion of the Christ opens tomorrow. I've been blogging it for a year or so, now, and have reviewed it earlier this year.
Can I offer two suggestions?

1. experience it yourself before you get all evangelistic about it. It is easy to get all worked up about invited every single person you have ever met to watch this thing and miss it yourself. Go and watch the movie. Let God hammer you with the intensity of His sacrifice for you. Then convern yourself with others.

2. try to avoid the churchification of this movie. I've read, as have you, of all the theatres bought out by churches (and corps). That's nice. But the danger is that society rejects it without watching it just because the churches have coopted it. Yah, make the excellent websites available (thelife.com for your friends and sharethelife.com for you). Yes, pray about it. Yes, invite friends. Yes, talk about it around the office water cooler. But let's try to avoid ruining it by Christianizing the whole marketing of it.

What do you think?
posted by Stephen Court

February 23, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I went to a really nice meeting on Sunday to wrship.
What made it stand out was an uncharacteristic lapse in tight video words display. This place has words for worship on television screens but the signal didn't work for awhile. It lost a few people.
But it reminded me of a lesson I learned at Brownsville Assembly of God. I used to be of the hard-line school that wouldn't sing a song unless we had the words, out of sympathy for a visitor.
I wasn't a big church growth guy, but I thought this little rule only sensible and thoughtful.
At Brownsville, the site of a historic revival (when I visited there'd been about 1/4 million conversions) there were no words available for the whole 1 1/2 hours of worship! And it was no mistake! My whole paradigm was blown out of the water. How could people get saved without the words on the wall? Didn't this church KNOW that you had to have video projectors or tvs or at least overheads? Didn't they know that sinners would recognize that the church-types didnt CARE and would walk out for good?
I guess no one told them. Because multitudes of sinners lined up for hours to get in, then repent, and be saved. Hallelujah!
So, to make a lengthy story end, I am over having words up all the time.
Anyway, not everyone on Sunday morning had learned the Brownsville lesson.
But it was some sweet worship. I mean, those getting into it were getting INTO it. I was. We all sang songs to Jesus, a counterpuntal symphony of adoration that rose as a sweet-smelling aroma to the Throne. Halleujah.
If you've not done it, try it sometime. It seems that even the sinners can sense the presence of God in times like that.
posted by Stephen Court

February 22, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
Father Richard John Neuhaus wrote a classic on the American public forum called THE NAKED PUBLIC SQUARE, naked because it has been stripped of the religious element.

I'm sure this is not what Neuhaus was think about.

It turns out that a professor offered an A to any student who would strip nude in front of the sociology class. One did.

This wasn't any screaming liberal college, it was a Baptist College (Mars Hill)! Washington Times reports on the ensuing uproar, the pressured retirement, and the lack of an A for the student in question.

The prof intended to demonstrate that public nudity was out in America. FoxNews.com says that he intended to demonstrate American public values. He did in a way he will never forget.

The culture is getting out of control. Let's not be naive. I love the approach of my friends in Australia, who are engaging the culture. Whether Australian Idol or Big Brother, these guys are shooting Jesus into the naked public square.

The solution to the naked public square isn't 'when in Rome...' (as with this opportunistic nude student) but 'when in Athens...' (inject Jesus into the existing debate as Paul did at- oh wait!- Mars Hill).

Neuhaus would be pleased. The newly-retired Mars Hill prof would be surprised.
posted by Stephen Court

February 21, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I first noticed Deuteronomy 32:8 in Major Chick Yuill's THIS MEANS WAR- "He established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of gods." (NRSV)

This is a provocative verse. It gets us going into the whole territorial spirit thing. It suggests that the existing domains of ruling spirits or territorial spirits determined geo-political realities! On that front I recommend George Otis Jr's THE TWILIGHT LABYRINTH (masterful). It is an aspect of our warfare of which we are generally too blissfully unaware. Thank God for the primitive salvos who marched down their streets (as some primitive salvos still do) shouting Storm the Forts Of Darkness Bring Them Down! They did bring them down.

Anyway, don't put out the Spirit's fire. Paul said it first, but my friend Heather reminded me of it this week. In the old days we had leaders appointed as spiritual specials who went around stoking the fires in corps around their countries.

I think we need the right kind of people doing the same kind of thing today. We need people like our partners, Ian and Elaine Gillingham (stellar warriors), and Major Doug Burr (Bangor CO who was teaching at The War College last week, and ministering to students) traavelling from corps to corps, praying with and for local leaders and COs, breaking curses, binding the enemy, bringing liberty, restoring passion and zeal, depositing vision, unleashing gifts, seeding strategy, equipping salvationists, confirming callings, helping to establish order, and basically blessing the socks of everyone who comes within spitting distance.

It seems like too many soldiers, LOs, and COs are on spiritual valium, sedated against the perils of sin, the dangers of the enemy, the end of sinners, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the call of God on their lives. 'Zeal' is a dirty word to them.

I know a large handful of these types who could travel and minister in this way. Note, I am not talking about people to go around preaching holiness (as important as preaching holiness is, this is not what I'm talking about!). I'm talking about deliverance, inner healing, restoration, alignment, freedom, purity (there's your holiness bit), strategy, and power.

I figure that you could turn an Army upside down with the proper deployment of such gifted individuals.

So, until such appointments are made, you may want to invite people like this to visit your corps. I know that after one recent trip of this type a corps average attendance skyrocketed 150%. (oooooh).
posted by Stephen Court

February 20, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
So, yesterday's blog got some response (surprised?).
One interesting true story emerged about an adherent in good standing and her new porn movie. It turns out that the Army phones rang off the hook (not with orders but) with abusive complaints that the Army is producing salvationist porn stars. What they failed to discern was the subtle difference (IN OUR MINDS) between an adherent (someone who sticks to, is devoted to, etc.- see yesterday) and a SA adherent (basically your pet goldfish or porn star neighbour). You see, you can be an adherent in good standing with the Army while producing porn flicks.

And I ask again, why do we bother with this category of compromising, comfusing, incompatible 'membership'?

I am also informed that I hurt people. I mentioned a couple of times that I didn't want to hurt adherents. I just wanted to hurt adherency. Paul figured that Cretans were good-for-nothings. But one of his Cretan converts and disciples, who lived a holy life devoted to saving her countrymen, isn't hurt by the criticism of a category to which she happens to belong. Yes, she is a Cretan, but she is much more than that. She is a Christian, a disciple, a warrior. It is the same with exceptional adherents. You may be thinking of an excellent Christian who happens to an adherent. Her adherency is accidental, or, at best, coincidental, to her identity as an excellent Christian.

So, don't be hurt. Be a soldier.

I got an email about a great new website for our THQ's IGNITE Programme- ignitegapyear.com. This is from the site:

"The Ignite Programme is an intense year full of challenge, mission, loving community, mentoring and day-to-day inner-city life. It is for the innovators, the creators, the heroic, the willing; all those who are hungry for God, world change and a demanding, life-changing year of growth. It is for those who will risk their lives, take every opportunity to learn and, most of all, love their inner-city neighbours.

It makes you want to find out how to sign up! (all that hero stuff gets my blood going) Check out the site for more information.
posted by Stephen Court

February 19, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

So I guess SALVATIONIST had a thing supporting adherency. I didn't get a chance to read it. I expect it must have trumpeted the success of Canada and Bermuda in making so many of them. After all, we've got fully 55,000 of them, more than 500% of the paltry UK territorial total.

Then, a respected leader wrote a strong piece in support of adherency.

It is time for me to weigh in to the highly select and influential Captains' Blog readership on the issue (without intending to hurt anyone).

Adherency is for the birds.

That was my polite opening. What I really wanted to start with, was, adherency is evil. It is as evil as 'clergy' and 'laity' (two evil words).

Now there is nothing wrong with the term generically. It comes from 'adhere'- to stick fast; to be devoted in support or allegiance. Indeed, this term is quite noble by definition.

But it means nothing like that in our vocabulary. Here is the first (two) fruits of a quick google search:

"Adherent: An associate member of the Salvation Army. An adherent is not required to make the same promises that a soldier makes."

"Adherent: A person who regards The Salvation Army, as his/her spiritual home but has not made a commitment to soldiership."

Wow. We define adherents not by sticking fast to Jesus, the doctrines, and the Army. We define adherents not by their devoted support and allegiance. We define them by what they are not: they are not required to make promises and they do not make commitments.

And practically speaking, this has meant that adherents of The Salvation Army are those who agree that the Army is their 'church home', a place to hatch, match, and dispatch. There is absolutely not commitment to Jesus nor to the Army required or expected (or, in most cases, received).

So, let's step back and picture what we've got:

Here is a fighting force, a corps, with 4 soldiers. These soldiers have covenanted with God and the Army through the most hard-core commitments in history. They've outdone monks and Nazirites, communists and Rechabites. They are 'thoroughly convinced' of the doctrines. They forever renounce the world. They abstain from all impurity, in thought, speech, and action. They commit to protect the marginalized, to integrity in all of their affairs, to loyal submission to SA leadership, and to, "spend all the time, strength, money and influence I can in supporting and carrying on the Salvation war, and that I will endeavor to lead my family, friends, neighbors and all others whom I can influence to do the same." Oh, and they live their life by a little book called the Orders and Regulations.

At the same time, the corps carries (I choose that were definitely) 11 adherents (this is the proportionate number- to the 4 soldiers- at the make-believe Canadian corps). These adherents are characterized by no promises and no commitments. For the most (much?) part (well, at least, exceptions are abnormal), they are the opposite to the soldiers. They have not covenanted with God. They are not throoughly convinced of the doctrines. They don't renounce the world. They don't abstain from impurity. They don't protect the marginalized. They don't live with integrity in all of their affairs. They aren't loyal to SA leadership. They don't spend all of their time, strength, money, and influence on the salvation war.

If they aren't actually the type of people the soldiers are trying to save, they are most good for nothing (don't get all excited. I am talking about the normal adherent. If you know one who doesn't fit this bill, she is an exception, and an exception proves the rule).

Why, Oh why, on earth would we want to do two things that happen when we sign such people up as adherents of The Salvation Army:
1. water down The Salvation Army;
2. fool these people that they are salvationists (and some of them, that they are going to heaven)?

Are we so in love with numbers, so desperate to cover up the tragic western soldiership malaise that we'll slide anyone and their pet into the rolls (don't laugh. Now that a European was allowed to marry herself; and another to marry her dead boyfriend; and in Canada we threw out a dictionnary definition of marriage so that it doesn't (wink wink) mean a life long covenant between a man and a women such that in Canada marriage can pretty well mean a union between three men and a baby, or a woman, two cats, and a dog, or any other such combination (whew); why can't pet goldfish become Salvation Army adherents? There is nothing in the playdough SA deinitions above that would preclude them!) ? Are we so ignorant of the fighting truth of WARFARE in which The Salvation Army moves and lives and has its being that we figure adding spectators to rolls, pretending that they are salvationists, will actually help our cause? Are we so twisted up by the Church's worldy church growth methods that we have bought into fooling sinners that they are good to go come judgement day?

Come on!

Which Army is it that signs up slackers, unbelievers, the uncommited, those actually fighting against them, into its own ranks? You cannot be in the British Army unless you are a committed, trained soldier. There is no adherency. Either you are in, or you are out.

And by sticking 'adherent' on a person, hoping they will come around, having belonged, will believe, is misguided hope. The average person on the street understands 'adherent' as Oxford and Webster do, not as the church growth conference-inebriated corps officers do. So they actually think that The Salvation Army endorses their sinful lifestyle, full of lack of commitment! We're hurting them.

I've got nothing against 'belonging to believe'. We try to cultivate it through our corps system. But we're not apologetic about a war. We believe that when people see extremely committed warriors actually living a surrendered, extreme life, they will be attracted.

What do you think about that?
posted by Stephen Court

February 18, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
Our partners Captains Curtis Cartmell and Rachele Lamont-Cartmell lead The Salvation Army in Melfort Saskatchewan. Their website (melfortrevival.com) designates them apostolic overseers of the warfare there. Yahoo.

Anyway, the Cartmells are starting The School of the Prophets this summer in Melfort (runs 3 months). This is how Curtis explains it:

"In the Bible, God raised up people to speak His words powerfully and change the course of their generation and country. Sure, most of the prophets weren’t exactly the most popular people in their day and age, but they were essential. The Biblical Prophets were people that took time apart from their normal life when they heard God call them. They were people set apart and trained by God to powerfully communicate His words for their generation in a culturally relevant manner.

"This summer Melfort Corps is gathering young leaders 16 to 25 to set apart their summer, learn from God and be sent to their generation with God’s power and a culturally relevant grasp on understanding and applying God’s Word.

If you're looking for challenge, training, edification, and vision, I encourage you to prayerfully check out melfortrevival.com/sop today.
posted by Stephen Court

February 17, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
So, this is a short note to let you know about two events happening soon.
FULLNESSS: Prayer and Fasting Council is at The Firs Chalet in Washington State, March 23-25. Majors Janet and Richard Munn (leaders of the Army in northern New England) and worship leader Mark Hood (of PraiseWorks! and 'I've Got Faith' fame) are leading it. It promises to be a spiritually powerful time for everyone involved. If you've got a few days and are on the continent, I encourage you to prayerfully consider making it. Those who are relatively close (midwestern North America and west) can easily bring your whole corps councils or staffs. It costs $79 cdn (around $60usd). If we can get this prayer and fasting thing down, I suspect that God will have the freedom to do what He wants in and through us. Sign up at cariboohill@telus.net.
BTI is this new incarnational immersion experience in Vancovuver's downtown eastside. Booth-Tucker Institute is two weeks of slum holidaying with regular meetings and lectures, street combat, praying the Bible and knee drill, and evangelism. We put you up in the same place where The War College students live. You eat where they eat. It will be a kicking time, probably transformative for you and your corps (we hope). Think about coming with friends from around the continent- make it reunion time, staff holiday time, corps council retreat time, anniversary vacation time. There is an application form online at thewarcollege.com (first session is late May).

__ years ago today, Ena and Horace welcomed their only child into the world. Today my family celebrates that big day and the pretty enormously transformative impact arising from it. Hallelujah!
posted by Stephen Court

Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I noticed that I missed a little milestone while we hit another one.
February marks the one year anniversary of Captains' Blog. So if you signed up recently you missed some of the best stuff (since most of that went first!).
But we are blessed- all the old stuff is archived, and you can catch up on your own time. It's your own little free online one-year daily devotional.

The milestone I remembered is the 30th applicant for The War College's second year. Yahoo! Praise God. But you know how these things go. Not everyone who applies actually makes it through to the Empress Hotel in September. To get 30 students we may have to wade through 60 applications.

So we can use way more applications. Pour them in. Tell your friends. Apply yourself. Our oldest applicant is 56 and our youngest is 16. Ask God, then obey. Easy enough.

Thanks.
posted by Stephen Court

February 16, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I've coined a term for unbelievers- 'independents'.
They've refused to depend on Jesus. They live life existentially alone, and will burn in hell in a similar state, alone.
And it plays into a new framing of the essentials for salvation: repentance and dependence.
I know the formula is generally repentance and faith (or belief) but the terms 'faith' and 'belief' have been abused in the last couple of generations (at least). 'Belief' has been reduced to intellectual assent, when Jesus equates it with obedience (John 3:36). 'Faith' is often synonymous with religion (e.g. what is your religion? what is your faith?).

So, obviously we need something stronger than 'faith' or 'belief' to get saved.
I propose 'dependence'.
Not only does it denote the reliance and practical trust of 'faith', not only does it oppose the independence of the independent, but it nearly rhymes with repentance.
Repentance and dependence.
What do you think?
grace.
posted by Stephen Court

February 15, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
We've got this new feature starting soon at armybarmy.com called DEMO OF THE WEEK (soon).

One of the breaks to dissemination of new SA music is recording costs. So we're sidestepping them.

The SA worship leaders network is going to submit demos of new songs for you to hear. If you like them you can take the words and chords and use them.

Simple?

Transformative!
posted by Stephen Court

February 14, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
A day of love- What a perfect occasion for a repeat piece on an issue due to my heart. This originally appeared in an old JAC issue. I thought of it again when out at our GAP demonstration (Genocide Awareness Project- abortionno.org). So here it is, for what it is worth:
Journal of Aggressive Christianity
Issue 4, December 1999 - January 2000
Doing the Right Thing
Stephen Court
A recent international Salvation Army publication recently sensitively addressed
the touchy issue of pastoral care in instances of abortion. In it the writer quotes a
lady who looked at her deformed baby whom she had just aborted to include, "I
needed to know that I had done the right thing."
Besides our obligation not to allow that kind of statement go unchallenged, we
might profitably ask ourselves, as part of the Body of Christ, on this whole abortion
issue, whether or not we have done the right thing.
Our official position where we live is that, "Termination of a pregnancy
may be justified," in some instances, including rape, incest, physical threat to the
pregnant woman, expectation of 'fetal anomaly' (my dictionary defines anomaly
as deviation from the natural order), or when there is absence of cognitive
function.
Have we done the right thing?
FIRST THINGS JOURNAL (March 1999) reports that Peter Singer, an Australian
philosopher, was recently appointed to a professorship of Bioethics at Princeton
University's Center for Human Values. His main claim is basically, "Some
members of our species are persons; some members of our species are not."
He goes farther to offer a suggested list of those humans who are not people.
They include the unborn, the newborn, old people with Alzheimer's, the mentally
retarded, and the 'defective'. Professor George McKenna, of the City College of
New York, argues that Singer has done us a great service in stretching the
logical ramifications of the current abortion system. McKenna writes: "If we can
kill the ones inside, we can kill the ones outside... With murderous logic, Singer
has ripped away all the respectable drapery from the culture of death; he has
given us a frontal look at it in all its nakedness, without a fig leaf, the full monty."
If you can kill the unborn, the next step is the newborn. Singer even advises a 28
day trial period during which parents can decide whether or not this baby
deserves to live. Let's hope the baby's not colicky! Along this line of argument, all
kinds of reasons would be legitimate to kill the baby, from Down syndrome to
haemophilia, some examples of 'fetal anomaly'.
But why stop there? If you can cut them off at the front end of life, how about the
back end? And from there it's a small step to lethally injecting all sorts of 'people'
who don't meet our criteria.
The problem with Singer's position, one which we all instinctively sense, is that
he considers human life to have no inherent value. This is contrary to the
Christian perspective. And yet our group is already beyond his position
in that we endorse abortions in any of the situations we can find on our shopping
list of exceptions to the sanctity of human life. This is not only wrong on the
abortion issue but it is also wrong in its value of human life; a sad reflection on
our perspective of God. We must choose whether we will be obedient to God or
compromise for the sake of favour, sentimentalism, or lack of courage.
It seems that our group has decided, along with Singer, in the wrong.
Shall we admit our sin and repent?
(with notes from THE OFFICER, 1999, and FIRST THINGS, March, 1999)
I encourage you to google up our positional statement, and, if so convicted, write your DC or TC or General on this important issue.
Grace to you all.
posted by Stephen Court

February 12, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
My friend Cory fired me this great url on children prophesying in revivals through history: http://www.kidsinministry.com/PropheticChildrenInHistory.html. His site is salvationarmy242.com.

I was on about Christian hiring in the Army and I seemed to strike a chord out there so here is some of that argument from JAC a couple of years back...
JOURNAL OF AGGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY
Issue 10, Dec 2000 - Jan 2001
UNDERMINING MISSION
Stephen Court
A recent issue of the Canadian Salvation Army's leadership periodical
HORIZONS included an article that invited responses (HORIZONS is linked to
http://www.salvationarmy.ca). It dealt, from a legal perspective, with issues
surrounding homosexuals, mission, and the Army workplace. One of the issues
raised by Dani Shaw-Buchholz in her article on homosexuality was The Salvation
Army's position as an employer.
She asks two initial questions:
1. Will the decision to hire gay men and lesbians undermine the mission, vision,
or values of The Salvation Army?
2. How is this different from the decision to hire non-Salvationists, non-Christian
religious believers, or atheists?
I expect most every reader answered 'yes' to question one, as I suspect Ms.
Shaw-Buchholz intended (if you don't, we have more serious problems than we
have heretofore imagined). She subtly led us to question two. She offers three
categories with which to compare hiring homosexuals.
a) How is hiring practising homosexuals (which I expect most every reader agrees will
undermine mission, vision, and values) any different from hiring atheists?
The answer: it is not different. Hiring atheists undermines our mission, vision,
and values.
b) How is hiring practising homosexuals (which I expect most every reader agrees will
undermine mission, vision, and values) any different from hiring non-Christian
religious believers?
The answer: it is different only in degree, but not in kind.
c) And finally, how is hiring practising homosexuals (which I expect most every reader agrees
will undermine mission, vision, and values) any different from hiring non-
Salvationists (implicitly, we're talking about non-Salvationist Christians)?
The answer: It is totally different. A Christian could share our mission to win the
world for Jesus, possess the same vision for the Kingdom of God on earth, and
fight to fulfill the mission with the same values of the Kingdom that we possess.
Atheists, homosexuals, and non-Christian religious believers cannot.
The solution to the dilemma many readers have is provided in real life by
Commissioner Shaw Clifton. In WHO ARE THESE SALVATIONISTS he
describes how he determined to hire only Christians to work with The Salvation
Army in people-oriented positions (they did differentiate between grant and nongrant
positions - roughly, between government-funded and other positions). He
did this in the bureaucratic nightmare that is the United States, so it is definitely
possible in many other territories. All it takes is the will of those in leadership. I
believe that our leaders have that will, and I look forward to their brave new
initiatives to aid us in our struggle to win the whole world for Jesus.

A little more to chew on...
Back to the front.
posted by Stephen Court

February 11, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
So, the ceiling got blown off things last weekend.
Our guys were at a conference (EYES AND WINGS) with some people we respect and love.
One of God's highlights was the role of children. These children (from the EYES AND WINGS FOR CHILDREN!) came out and testified to what God is doing through them at their schools, through prayer groups, through evangelism, and so on.
And then they released the kids to pray for the adults.
One wise Christian recounted to me that it seemed like a significant outpouring, similar to the historic one from almost exactly a decade ago in this country, except this one is to emphasize the streets (evangelism...).
It sounds nice so far, but I am talking about 7 year-old prophets- Little girls prophesying passionately and accurately over my adults for up to 45 minutes. That is a sign and a wonder.
So we come home and at VHOP (Vancouver House Of Prayer) last night, it continues. One of our young kids steps up to the plate in innocent obedience, and the impact spreads.
Where this ends, no one knows. But faith and anticipation are at record levels.
posted by Stephen Court
PS now isn't that more fun to read about than hiring Christians!
Oh, and if anyone see Greg Bratko out there- happy birthday (and Joyce L).

February 10, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
So the Army made the New York Times (the much maligned paper of record) on February 2. In a piece called CHARITY REOPENS BIBLE, AND QUESTIONS FOLLOW they note that, in the words of former DC Colonel Kelly, we're "reclaim(ing) ecclesiastical turf."

The controversy is that some employees who don't love Jesus can't stand the heat.

It looks like there will be a little more space in the kitchen. After all, 'the Army exists for those who don't belong', but that time-honoured statement isn't intended for the interpretation that we exist to provide jobs WITH US for those who don't belong and don't want to.

It's ridiculous to suppose that we should. Everyone who works for us and talks to anyone outside the Army as part of their responsibilities has to be a Christian for us to reclaim the ecclesiastical turf. No Army would hire people fighting against it. Nor should we.
posted by Stephen Court
PS Linda McR in _______, Happy Birthday !

February 9, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
Thanks again to SALVATIONIST Online, for an interesting look at the movies through Blood and Fire lenses.
They give a partial list in the current issue of films that include the Army (they missed A LONG KISS GOODNIGHT). Here it is:

The Salvation Army on film
by Dr Glen Horridge and Bob Brettle
Altars In The Street (2002). Starring Bill Cosby; a dramatic description of two inner-city children’s lives. Produced by The Salvation Army in the USA.
Belle Of New York, The (1919). A silent film, nearer to C. M. S. McLellan’s play, where The Salvation Army is specifically mentioned, instead of being called The Daughters of the Right (see below). Marion Davies heads the cast.
Belle Of New York, The (1952). Vera-Ellen as Angela Bonfils, one of The Daughters of the Right (Salvation Army), with Marjorie Main as Mrs Hill and Alice Pearce as Elsie Wilkins.
Bowery At Midnight (1942). Bela Lugosi stars as Karl Wagner, the proprietor of a Salvation Army soup kitchen as a front for a criminal gang.
Die Heilsarmee (1924). A German silent documentary directed by Gertrud David.
Fires Of Faith (1919). Charles Ogle plays William Booth, Clarence Geldhardt plays Railton, James Neil plays Booth’s secretary and Edythe Chapman plays Catherine Booth. There is also an appearance from Evangeline Booth, playing herself. This film is based on the war work of The Salvation Army in France during the First World War.
Fringle (2001). A children’s film about God’s love based on the book Booth Tucker And The Fringle by Commissioner Doris Noland and produced by The Salvation Army in the USA.
Guys And Dolls (1955). Jean Simmons plays Captain Sarah Brown at the New York branch of the Save the World Mission (Salvation Army). Robert Keith plays Lieutenant Brannigan and Kathryn Givney plays General Cartwright. Also, briefly, Marlon Brando’s character (Sky Masterson) is in Salvation Army uniform.
Happy End, The (1979). German TV movie based on the musical by Bertolt Brecht. The plot pits organised crime against The Salvation Army. Lieutenant Lilian Holiday makes an attempt to reform a group of gangsters but is thrown out of the Army because they fear she is too close to them. The gang robs a bank and gives the money to Lilian and together they open a corps aimed at saving lost capitalists.
Heroes Of The Cross (1909). Australian silent film made by the Salvation Army film unit in Melbourne.
Hot Lead And Cold Feet (1978). Jim Dale plays a Salvation Army corps officer (Captain Eli) at Bloodshy (a small town in the Midwest of America) – a Disney film.
Joe The Turk (2000). Cartoon about this colourful character from the Army’s past, premiered at the International Millennial Congress in Atlanta, USA.
Laughing Sinners (1931) (also known as Complete Surrender ). Clark Gable plays Carl Loomis, a Salvationist who befriends Ivy Stevens (Joan Crawford), an entertainer on the verge of suicide who goes on to join The Mission.
Love Your Next One! (1998). A German film directed by Detlev Buck, set in Berlin. Starring Lea Morna as Josefine and Heike Makatsch as Isolde, two Salvationists working among down and outs who come across a bunch of yuppies in a squat.
Major Barbara (1941). Wendy Hiller (Major Barbara Undershaft) and Rex Harrison (Adolphus Cusins) star in the film based on George Bernard Shaw’s play. Sybil Thorndike also stars, as the General.
Man Without A Past, The (2002). A Finnish film (also known as Mies Vailla Menneisyytta ) about a man who arrives in Helsinki, gets beaten up and loses his memory until he meets Irma, a Salvationist played by Kati Outinen, when he slowly recovers his past. Peter von Bagh plays a Salvation Army officer and Marko Haavisto, Jouni Saarnio, Jukka Teerisaari and Jyrki Telila play members of an Army band.
Musiciens Du Ciel, Les (1940). A French film, with Michele Morgan playing Lieutenant Saulnier, Michel Simon playing Captain Simon and Auguste Boverio as the Commissioner.
Phantom Cart (1921). A short Swedish film about Salvationist Edith (Hilda Borstrom) who, although seriously ill, rescues an alcoholic tramp from the gutter on New Year’s Eve.
Promoted To Glory (2003). A Thames TV romantic comedy starring Lesley Manville as a Salvation Army captain, Kevin Whately as a major and Ken Stott as a derelict alcoholic who becomes a Salvation Army soldier in an effort to win the captain’s heart.
Salvation Army Lass, The (1908). A silent film, with Linda Arvidson heading the cast.
Scottish Covenanters, The (1909). A silent film by the Australian Salvation Army film unit.
She Done Him Wrong (1933). Cary Grant stars as Captain Cummings, a police agent posing as a Salvation Army officer. Mae West plays a bar owner who falls in love with Cummings with disastrous consequences.
Sidewalk Santas, The (1993). A short film directed by Elliot Erwitt about the Volunteers of America Santa Claus training programme.
Soldiers Of The Cross (1900). A silent film made by the Australian Salvation Army film unit; a story about early-day Christians in Rome.
William Booth Story, The (2000). A video film by Harvester Productions. Salvation Army cameo appearances
Around The World In Eighty Days (1956). On his return to London Phileas Fogg (David Niven) encounters The Salvation Army, one of whose members is played by Beatrice Lillie.
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997) and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999). One of Dr Evil’s consorts is head of the ‘military wing of The Salvation Army’.
Battle Of Britain (1969). Two cameo appearances: one of a Salvation Army van at an airfield and another of a Salvationist ministering to homeless people at a rest centre.
Bernard And The Genie (1992). A Salvation Army band is seen carolling in a shopping precinct (the band comprises genuine members of Croydon Citadel).
Book of Life, The (1998). A band known as Yo La Tengo stars as a Salvation Army band.
Call Of The Wild (1972). A couple of scenes show a Salvation Army open-air meeting in an Alaskan gold-rush town.
Christmas On Division Street (1991). This features a Salvation Army band carolling.
Cockleshell Heroes, The (1955). Travelling through Britain in German uniform, one of the actors is given a lift and alludes to his uniform as pertaining to the ‘Irish Salvation Army’.
Grinch, The (2000). Apparently the band seen at the beginning is a Salvation Army band – a strange uniform if it is.
Heavens Above! (1963). During a mêlée in the marketplace members of Orbeston Parva Corps (complete with flag) march into the crowd.
It Always Rains On Sunday (1947). A British black-and-white film starring Googie Withers in a seedy city suburb drama, featuring a glimpse of a well-attended Salvation Army open-air meeting down a rainy backstreet of terraced houses.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). A feel-good film about community spirit, with a glimpse of The Salvation Army.
Last Of The Blonde Bombshells, The (2000). A television film in which June Whitfield plays Annie, a Second World War jazz band trombonist who subsequently joins The Salvation Army.
Like Mike (2002). Rapper Lil Bow Wow stars in this movie. In one scene he is playing basketball in a pair of trainers from The Salvation Army with the initials MJ inside. He becomes a basketball superstar after this.
Malta Story, The (1953). Includes a glimpse of a red shield hostel.
Merry Mishaps Of Mr Bean, The (1992). Mr Bean is seen conducting a carolling Salvation Army band.
Miracle On 34th Street (1947). A clip of a Salvation Army band carolling at Christmas.
North To Alaska (1960). A John Wayne comedy featuring James Griffith as a Salvation Army officer.
O Lucky Man! (1973). A drama (with songs by Alan Price) about a coffee salesman in Europe, with Philip Stone as a Salvation Army officer and Mary McLeod as a Salvationist.
On The Beach (1959). A post-Third World War film where Australia has survived the nuclear holocaust temporarily. John Cason plays a Salvation Army preacher.
Pandora’s Box (1929) (also known as Lulu ). A silent film about music-making features a Salvation Army band on the march.
Penelope (1966). Lee-on-Solent-born actor Arthur Malet as Major Higgins accepts a donation of $1,000.
Saint, The (1997). Roger Moore is a radio announcer, telling of a donation from the baddy Ivan Tretiak to the Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
Waterloo Bridge (1940). A glimpse of a bonneted Salvationist buying a railway ticket.
Whistle Down The Wind (1961). Morecambe Band features in the opening sequence. The film also stars Patricia Heneghan as an Army girl.
Woman Chaser, The (1999). Patrick Warburton as the woman chaser, including the seduction of a Salvation Army woman, played by Pat Crowder.
Worms 2 (1997). Another appearance by the ‘military wing’ of The Salvation Army.
For a group that has weazled its way into the background fabric of our culture you'd think we'd have had a bigger impact by now. There is always tomorrow (look out! We're bringing it).
posted by Stephen Court

February 8, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I don't have heaps of time on this one (out to street combat in a few minutes) but it is one of the most amazing things in Scripture. I mentioned it on Tuesday but it came up again today: Exodus 24. Th 70 elders had to worship at a distance. Then they entered into covenant. And then they saw God and "they shared a meal together in God's presence!"

Wow. We who are Salvationists are in bigtime covenant with God. We don't have to worship at a distacne anymore. No more thinking that these songs aren't pleasing anybody, that they hymn tunes are boring the Trinity, that our puny expressions of adoration aren't even cracking through the ceiling. We can go up, through covenant blood, see God (take a big breath there) and "share a meal together in God's presence!" Note that we don't do it by ourselves. It is covenant community (together).

Are you catching that this is an enormous text? Transformative? Mull it over a bit and bounce it off your friends.
posted by Stephen Court
PS I've lost contact information but happy birthday, Chris J. and and Laura R.

February 7, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
My leaf in the Army grapevine must be rotting or something. I've now been told that this TC (a couple of days ago) is not adding CO but being transferred to CO. That is different.

But my comments about each leader having a local appointment stand.

I've always considered the Army grape vine faster and more reliable than email. I actually scooped my 'boss' on a major, historic, SA situation years ago because of the grapevine. But I will have to re-consider my faith in it.
posted by Stephen Court

January 6, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I just got an invitation from a some diehards in Australia to join The Salvation Army Justice Wing (I wish I came up with that name!). Closing in on 200 people signed up for the older version of this group at a thing we were at in January. So I expect heaps more will join to this world-wide version of it.

Here's a note from Aaron Petersen, the moderator:
"A message from aaronstickspetersen@yahoo.com.au:
This is an invitation for you to join The Salvation Army's Justice Wing. This movement was catalysed at the Double Impact Congress in Adelaide and will serve as a meeting place for Salvationists committed to the cause of personal and social justice. If you accept this invitation you will be asked to speak and act in response to the mandate given to us by scripture and the specific calling of The Salvation Army to save those in deepest distress.

"Forms of actions will vary with the cultural environment that each memeber works in. The history of The Salvation Army (and the wider Church) is punctuated by forms of action that have brought about significant change for individuals and the wider community. In the modern context you may be asked to write letters, approach members of parliament, protest, boycott, speak to the Soldiers of your Corps, research, educate, or pray. Our mode of operation will be context-specific but God-driven.

"At times you will feel uncomfortable with the level of personal sacrifice that fellow Salvationists will ask of you. At times the challenge will seem greater than any our combined strength. At these times rely not on your own strength but "put on all the armour that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the devil's tricks. For we are fighting against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities and cosmic forces of this dark age" (Eph6:11-12).

"I pray that after fighting to the end you will still hold your ground.

Aaron Petersen
Moderator
The Salvation Army Justice Wing

He's probably going to be looking for soldiers in various countries who can coordinate things in their theatres of war. If you've got a heart to join Job in smashing the fangs of the wicked and breaking the back of injustice, then prayerfully consider signing up for this thing. It can be a great means of mobilizing the warriors of the Army to TAKE THE FIELD and establish justice and shalom across the world. Stick your ear down close to the cover of your Bible and listen to the widow and orphan (and unborn baby and persecuted Christian and the AIDS victim and ...) in their distress. And then give Aaron an email.
posted by Stephen Court

February 5, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I've heard that a TC has taken on a Corps Officer appointment in addition to his territorial command.
I've not been able to confirm this from official sources but I applaud it. I've been suggesting that DCs and TCs and DSs and so on add CO assignments to their appointments for a while.
It adds credibility and strengthens integrity for our leaders to have local roots.
Obviously this man will not be able to pour heaps of time and energy into the corps, and I assume that he will have assistants. But he does lend spiritual authority and its concommitant blessing to that corps.
If the TC of a large territory can pull it off, certainly the CS, the cabinet, the DCs, the DSs and other can take additional appointments.
Even if some are not Commanding Officers but assistants they will definitely bless smaller corps in need of wisdom, experience, support, gifts, and some skills.
I know of officers who are trying to make up things to fil in their time. Why not take an additional appointment?
posted by Stephen Court

February 4, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I just read that, "The best predictor (excluding party registration and race) of vote behavior in 21st-century America is church attendance."

This marks (again) the progressive fulfillment of predictions of Religious Clash in our world. Such predictions have been made in the context of culture since the 80s (with Samuel Huntington) and are usually aimed at Christendom v. Islamdom. But the polls show that within America Christianity has another foe- humanism.

I find it phenomenal that if I know your Sunday morning habits I can determine how you vote.

Things aren't getting muddier, nor greyer. They are becoming clearer. The line of confrontation are written in black and white for us all to see. Let's not be blind to the obvious.

This is not a call for Americans to vote. It is a call for us all to recognise the explicit differences between Christian and atheistic worldviews. 'Independents' (people who don't rely on Jesus) are VERY different from us in most of the important aspects of life. Don't fudge. Evangelise.
posted by Stephen Court

February 3, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
Our corps is cell-based. It is a fun place to be (sometimes tough, too, as you have to be things like vulnerable and transparent). Anyway, all of our cellmates are on the same reading plan that we lifted from the Salvos in Sydney. And each week all of our cells are able to discuss the same chosen daily reading from that week. Here is this week's cell-talk (we steal the format from some place but make up our own questions):

614: CELL TALK Exodus 24 January 30-February 5

Open it

1. What was the most sensational meal you have ever enjoyed?
2. Have you ever made a promise that you broke?

Read Exodus 24

Explore it
1. Do you remember what distinguished this group? (v1) (Holy Spirit…)
2. Have you noticed that some people worship at a distance? (v1b,2)
3. What is the factor that gets you up close and personal? (v2) (the seventy were anointed and still 'distance worshippers'!- the answer looks like it might be in v8,9- but wait…)
4. What is commendable about the actions of Moses and the elders? (v3,7)
5. What can we learn from Moses in v4?
6. What’s up with v5,6?
7. What other covenant involving blood and God does He want to make with us?
8. What has changed in the elders since v2 so that they can worship up close? (covenant)
9. How does God respond to their approach (v10,11) (dines with them!)
10. How does this embolden you (in light of Hebrews 4:16)?

Apply it
1. What role do you think covenant plays in intimacy with God?
2. How do the covenants you’ve made (soldiership, marriage, etc.) increase and protect intimacy?
2. How can you take covenant more seriously this week?

And that's about it. I mention this for a few reasons:
1. some people are interested in what we do (since we don't worship together weekly, nor have Bible studies, nor basically any programmes...- that said, we do meet every month or 6 weeks or so to worship corporately; we do engage in intentional discipleship and pump daily reading of the Word; and we do try to cultivate authentic Christian community).
2. I've said before that the biggest Salvo distinctive is covenant. Here in Exodus 24 we see the impact of covenant on intimacy.
3. This text contains one of the most outrageous verse in the whole of the Canon (v10,11). They see God (it's pretty brilliant). He doesn't destroy them (whew!). They sit down and enjoy a meal together. (!!!!!!!) My pal Jonathan doesn't settle for that. He presses our cell today to find out how we can dine together with God. We don't know (although it probably gets initiated by God- though having said that, Revelation 3:20 comes to mind), but we're going to press in, 'fess up, obey, and take our covenant seriously.
Why not join us? Who knows? Maybe we'll be seated across from each other for dinner this week.
posted by Stephen Court

February 2, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

So, 251 people were killed during the annual Muslim 'Stoning of satan' ritual near Mecca.

"Pilgrims also have been trampled to death on their way to the stoning ritual in 1994, 1998, 2001 and last year. Despite the Sunday tragedy, waves of pilgrims pushed and shoved their way through the crowds to continue with the devil-stoning rituals Monday" (MSNBC).

The 10,000 strong police force was unable to protect the lives of 2 million Islamic pilgrims who throw stones at pillars representing satan.

"Among the dead are 144 pilgrims from Asia, 53 nationals from Arab countries and 10 nationals from African countries. The remainder belong to various countries," he said.

"An earlier official toll listed the dead as 54 Indonesians, 36 Pakistanis, 13 Egyptians, 11 Turks, 11 Indians, 10 Algerians, 10 Bangladeshis, 8 Sudanese, seven Moroccans, five Chinese, four Yemenis, three Sri Lankans, two Afghans, two Somalis, two Syrians, two Saudis, one Burmese, one Omani, one Tunisian, one Nigerian, one Chadian and one Cameroonian.

"Another 58 people who died had not been identified.

"Officials pointed a finger of blame at so-called "illegal" pilgrims who either overstay their visit in the kingdom or Saudis who join the event without Haj permits and swell the huge crowds.

"Arab News daily reported that 20,000 Saudis had got into the rituals without permits (Gulf Daily News).

What a tragedy! What kind of a religion provides for repeat stampeding of hundreds of people? Is God pleased by stones throne at pillars while multitudes of families are ruined?

God, bring light into the darkness, please.
posted by Stephen Court

Ok. I've been bullied into writing a blog so as not to force my husband to have bad grammar.... far be it from me to have him sink soooo low!
So here's one for a topic of conversation:
Who's in charge of the Trinity?
Steve thinks it's an easy one. I'm not so sure.
Here's why:
The Trinity is THE example of perfect community.
It all even begins, all the creative energy and project of the WHOLE UNIVERSE with them in perfect synergy creating like this "let us make man and make him in Our image".
Then when Man is made THEY (GOD) decides that it is NOT GOOD for Man to be alone and so He makes an equal tutor ('ezer Kneged in Hebrew) to which the Trinity responds for the first time in all creation THIS IS VERY GOOD - even Adam breaks into a song, "this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh"... it's a good time had by all. WHY?
Good question.
Some days, I'm sure it's because of the finer qualities of the femine being ;-)
But actually I'm beginning to realize that God is COMMUNITY. He is all about togetherness.
The effect of the fall on the relationship between Man and Women was hierarchy... it was a curse. I can only imagine that before that war started there was a perfect unity... one without jostling or boasting, or keeping track of who did what and when and who is better and how... but a perfect joining together... not just a pretend partnership or a labelled team but a true authentic community - WHO WAS IN CHARGE? Who cares. Really. It just doesn't matter.
True community, authentic partnership is not about whose in charge... it's about love. It's really all you need. (I wonder which one of the Beatles was in charge?).
Lost in love,
Danielle

February 1, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Paul- A World Turned Upside Down Acts 19
These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Acts 17:6. NKJ

Paul wrestled against principalities and powers throughout the Roman Empire, spirits stirred from their comfortable, unchallenged rein in their own regions. His dynamic Gospel stole the hearts of demonically captive people through the introduction and impartation of the Holy Spirit, the steady teaching of the Way, and the demonstration of extraordinary miracles. The demonic counter attack against the seven sons of Sceva, during which the would-be devil-kickers were administered, “such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding,” succeeded instead in seizing the Ephesian populace with fear!

The name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honour.

Many of those who dabbled and indulged in sorcery generated a great public bonfire by burning their scrolls.

Practically the whole province of Asia was turning to God!

The ex-sorcereres were not alone. They were joined by massive crowds of ex-idolaters who gave up their idols. This literally overturned the regional economy. As the centre of the god Artemis, Ephesus was the home to a complex system of tradesmen and craftsmen involved in the creation of little shrines and related objects. Another significant portion of the population was involved in the tourist trade, as pilgrims trekked to Ephesus to express worship at the Temple of Artemis. It was as if Disney World was closed down in Orlando!    

Social unrest was close behind. Riots sought the lives of the ringleaders of the Way. 

But as significant portions of the economy were redeployed from wickedness to godliness the city was changed. Millions of dollars that were invested in demonic interests, in sorcery, in witchcraft, in the occult, were now transferred to the coffers of the Kingdom. 

So instead of propping up an impotent goddess and the evil behind her wealth was invested in providing for the widow, the orphan, the alien, the poor, and the needy. And funds were poured out into the lives of ministers of the Gospel, warriors of the Hero Army, to replicate these results.

Some commentators figure the 50,000 drachma up in smoke to be roughly equivalent to £2-3 million sterling. One drachma was the daily wage of an agricultural worker. The Canadian average worker now earns $31,000 a year. That works out to about $11.2 million (CDN). 

Granted, that money went up in smoke. It wasn’t invested directly into the Kingdom. But much more than that amount, the future disposable income and prospects of these heroes, was targeted for the Kingdom.

What was the bottom line? The enemies of the Way admitted that it was winning the province of Asia. Some even figured that it had turned the whole world upside down. “The word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Kust keep in mind what we've in front of us.
posted by Stephen Court

January 31, 2004.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
I just got back from a great meeting called Def Con 614. Among other exciting aspects was a wonderful preach by my friend, Jonathan Evans.

I read today in an article by Chris Warren that every time the word 'preach' came up in Scripture (tell, announce, proclaim, etc.) it refers to addressing a crowd of sinners. His point is that there is no other kind of preaching than evangelistic preaching.

Very interesting. It gets me thinking about what we've been doing all of these years (if it is true, I am glad I've not invested too much time doing it over the last three years).

I guess it guess us all bak to 1 Corinthians 14 for an order of meeting (and prophesy and prophesy, not preach).
posted by Stephen Court