Armybarmy Blog

I had the great privilege of leading a Celebration of Life for a good friend and fellow warrior in the fight - Lois Walker on Thursday night.
I guess the greatest part of it is the remembrance of her faith.

How much faith does it take for a 56 year old (non army) women to leave everything familiar and come to Canada's Poorest Postal Code and train like a warrior in the War College?

Lois never once wavered.... her sister recently sent me the transcript of a prophecy she had received before she came here - and it contains many things that Lois was after and had spent her life for - but not all was received. This started bugging me a bit - especially since the prophetic word said things like, 'instant deliverance from drugs' and 'healings' and 'raising people from the dead'.... all thing we have been praying for some time - and living for. Especially Lois. And before you get all weird about us longing for the 'signs' it may make more sense if you realize that our neighbourhood is full of the addicted poor (an estimated 10,000 injecting users in ten city blocks) and 80% of them have HEP C and 64% HIV.... we need REAL miracles of healing here for life to reign - and many addicts die regularly on the streets from overdoses (I talked with one guy who has died and been revived by ambulance crew three times!!). Anyway, these are not the longings of immature Charismatic freaks - these are the longings of a community of believers who desperately seek God to show up among the areas of poverty so blatent on our streets. We want the author of life to come and silence the mocking spirit of death who acts like he's king of the hill on Hastings. And then in the midst of hoping and longing (even for her own health) Lois breathed her last earthly breath (to the song Beautiful One).

I know the death of a saint is a precious thing in the eyes of God - but in another sense it smelled a bit like defeat. All the promises, all the faith.... was it wasted??

Then, I read this, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. (Heb. 11:13)

Then I started realizing that faith is a gift that never stops. Lois can still join with us in faith. Her faith is connected to our faith - her gift of believing God despite the evidence to the contrary is still ours to hold and to carry on. So, I decided in light of Lois' great faith to believe with her still. To live, fight, die in the thick of it in order to usher in a new reign where darkness thinks it can hide - but will be cast out forever. I will be the light, growing brighter daily, strengthened by the faith of the 'witnesses' gone before me - of which Lois is in the very front cheering us on.... still helping us with her faith.

Glad to have had the privilege of fighting with Lois on earth, and now in heaven.
fixing my eyes on Jesus.
Danielle

...and dance like John Travolta...

I received an interesting quote from a friend the other day.

"I want to prepare like an evangelical; preach like a Pentecostal; pray
like
a mystic; do the spiritual disciplines like a Desert Father; art like a
Catholic; and social justice like a liberal."

(I know some people will be upset about the liberal bit, but there has been a very strong liberal tradition of social justice. And the word means different things to different people, so don't get hung up on it).

If you haven't read Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water, you really should. It talks about how different streams of Church tradition (Justice, Evanglical, Contemplative, Incarnational, Holiness, Charismatic) all have their root in Jesus, and all express something of the character of Christ.

We are at our strongest when the streams flow together in one river, and we recognise the value that other streams bring.

Grace,

Aaron

October 28, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

In case you don't check in for a couple of days, have an excellent REFORMATION DAY! (October 31).

Did I tell you about the term Curtis made up- fleshing out? It's a useful term, if inclined toward judgement. It has to do with people faking manifestations for attention.

I saw a ministry called Care Force yesterday. Nice touch for SA adoption.

Did I blog about the Insyderz being the biggest SA band in history? I'm not sure of it, having been unsuccessful in my research into the sales of the Joy Strings (I checked their record label and the Heritage Centre), but I am inclined to conclude that the Insyderz are the biggest band, based on sales, in Army history. If anyone can offer an alternative, please email me at revolution@mmccxx.net.

reminder: global revolution IS the mission of The Salvation Army. And Fulton deserves that title, minister of propaganda.

Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

doing the most good?

I guess the Americans have changed their PR slogan or something and it is causing a stir at Cory Harrison's blog (242- top right). If you check it out, you MUST read Cadet Aaron Abram's comment. Legendary.

Much grace
stephenC

October 27, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

For those -undoubtedly there are one or two - still unconvinced about my Sabbath post this week, I just noticed Colossians 2:16 (NLT):

"So don't let anyone condemn you for... not celebrating... Sabbaths."

If Paul figured all was well...

:- )
grace,
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

HI- another great line (hat tip HH), this time from General Higgins:


"I am afraid the idea has sometimes got abroad that officers are intended to be like parsons and preach sermons, to monopolise all the time of a meeting while the people they are supposed to lead in fighting do nothing."
(Stewards of God)

Grace,
StephenC

Egalitarian Christian Alliance

(hat tip to NK)

I've just been sent a pretty funny article called GOD'S DESIGN FOR MEN, by J. Taylor. If you have five minutes it might be worth the read (at http://www.equalitycentral.com/eca/index.html but you hav eto click on Humour and Satire from there to get the title list).

I suspect women will guffaw and men might cringe.
grace
stephenc

October 26, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I gave you the wrong source for the Catherine quote yesteday- it should be brokenvessel.org/blog.htm

Much grace
stephenc

Katrina SA update

The Salvation Army has served 3 ,470,850
hot meals, 5 ,427,711 sandwiches, snacks & drinks.
The Salvation Army has 150 Mobile Feeding Units (Canteens), 11 Field Kitchens, capable of producing 20,000 hot meals per day (each), (Incl. 8 Southern Baptist Kitchens.) in the many areas affected.
The Salvation Army has distributed 124,203Cleaning Kits. (Broom, bucket, mop & detergent) and 105,761 Food Boxes (groceries.)
The Salvation Army has ministered through Pastoral Care to 194,916 individuals.
The Salvation Army has registered and begun helping with 214 ,079 Social Services Cases.
The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) has received over 60,528 inquiries and has found 17,052 survivors.
Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers have served a total of 604,475 hours.
The Salvation Army has assisted a total of 752 ,557 individuals.
____
grace
stephenc

hard core gospel from the primitive salvos

This reminds me of a couple of friends i have, Tara and Heather...

"If I cannot keep my father and mother and be faithful to God, then I must forsake my father and mother. If I cannot keep my husband or wife, and be faithful to Him, then I must forsake husband or wife. If I cannot keep my children and be faithful to Him, then, Jesus Christ says, forsake them. And if I cannot keep my houses and lands and be faithful to Him, then I must forsake them. If I cannot keep my business and be faithful to Him, then I must sacrifice my business, and if I cannot keep my health and be faithful to Him, then I must sacrifice it, and, last of all, if I cannot keep my life and be faithful to Him, then I must be prepared to lose it, and lay my neck on the block, if need be. That is my religion, and I do not know any other. I do not believe any other will stand on the right hand of the throne; and, if that be so, why, all other sorts must stand on the left. If this be not true, I am utterly and thoroughly mistaken in the first principles of Christianity, and I will come and sit down at anybody's feet who can convince me that I am wrong. So, pray, do not attach that idea to me that I think that any person can sit down, providing he has light, or with opportunities of getting light, without embracing this higher-life religion, and then get into Heaven in this shame-faced, sneaking way. No, no! God will have you, or He will not have you. He will know you, or will say, "Depart from Me, I know you not." The Lord help you every one.
Catherine Booth.

I just got this from the brokenvessel.org/blog.htm blog (Bill Anderson- an old Williams Lake war-fighter).
grace
stephenc

ARMY ON ITS KNEES

October 25, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

We're such a blessed people, getting to KNOW Jesus. I'm in a mellow mood right now, listening to Gentle Steam (Jennifer Burr) on the CD (from Sounds of the Revolution). I dug out a few oldies form the salvo songs library and played and prayed through celebrate our joy (SoZo) and Open Up The Heavenlies (Live from the Cariboo) this morning (the latter emerging from our 'theophanies' in Pray the Bible). We're blessed.

Darren Hailes's blog is practically begging for you to visit- hardcore on the simplicity and Kingdom responsibility (top right).

And USE has a new prayer site called http://www.armyonitsknees.org/. I was so excited tho see this resource and I hope that all of us non-USEers don't overload them, but check it out. I was psyched to see General Rader's call to prayer from 11 years ago. In it he calls for a Tsunami of the Spirit- something for which I've prayed just about every day since it came out. And he calls for prayer for a million senior soldiers (answered). And a bunch of other cool stuff.

The site allows much interaction, so participate.

Much grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

4P Open Airs

I wrote this note to some friends today (location is already determined):

Open airs are a traditional means of disseminating the Gospel to those who wouldn't normally go somewhere to hear it. We're blessed to have the numbers and parks to engage in this potentially transformative mode of evangelism.

It is a good opportunity to be a visible presence in the neighbourhood. It also establishes things in the heavenlies. And it is an opportunity to overcome fear of man and laziness.

So, it is an important exercise and mode of combat.

All of that said, we need to bring our A game to open airs. That includes the following:

1. planning. You can pray, plan, brainstorm, delegate fun things like choreodrama, songsters, gospel shots, dramatic evangelism, etc.

2. practice. With the planning done, you can actually practise. That will make your contributions, whether song or dance or acting or preaching, better.

3. punctuality. You need to be able to advertise with the rest of the corps the time and location of the open air. And during the open air, dead air is not desired. So it is important and effective to go quickly from person to person who is participating. Bang bang bang.

3. passion. When you're out there, people are looking at you. Let Jesus' love shine out of your faces. Make the most of every opportunity. Don't fear what people think of you- you're supposed to be dead anyway. Represent Jesus well to them. Remember that they are dying without a Saviour, most likely, right now.

4. persuasion. Those not 'at the mic' are actually an important part of every open air. It is this group that engages people in conversation, prays with and for them, evangelises them, witnesses to them, and persuades them to submit to Jesus.

If we apply these four Ps our open airs can be more effective.

Remember that we are engaging a powerful enemy with superior power. Let's fight like maniacs to free souls from bondage.

grace
sec

sabbath?

I think you all know that this is not the official blog of anything except, well, except the individual contributing bloggers here from armybarmy. So, please don't shoot anyone else for stuff you don't like that I write.

Sabbath has a holy place in Church tradition. Often Christians take some liberty on it and enjoy it on Sunday, but, well, it is still SORT OF sabbath (at least Biblical obedience on THEIR terms, at their convenience).

But here is a position, most don't consider:

John 5:17
"My Father never stops working, so why should I?"

Romans 14:5
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter.

So, it seems that Sabbath rest might, in the new covenant era, be more a spiritual rest (it seems akin to holiness) than physical 'day off'.

Let's have at it.

grace
stephenc

GAP

Hi- here is the notorious GAP signs page, for those interested in what happens during the weekly gap demonstrations:
http://abortionno.org/GAP/gap_signs.html
grace
stephenc

Territorial.

Some of you went to the territory's school of music and gospel arts this summer. I just received this official report on the week:

"Throughout the week one sensed an over-riding tone of exuberant praise, with deep spiritual warfare being encountered at every turn. Following on the teaching of the previous year, the delegates were encouraged to go deeper into their Christian journey. They responded by wholeheartedly applying their talents and will to all that was demanded of them. In the end, a laudable musical and artistic standard was achieved in every sector of the diverse performance media on offer. Moreover, the positive impact on individual lives was registered by heightened personal resolve to know God, long term vocational choices being influenced, and life-changing decisions of every kind being influenced by the Holy Spirit. Five hundred people attended the final festival of the school, which erupted uncontrollably into a climactic mosh pit of praise to Jesus! There are no superlatives too grand to describe the week."

Praise the Lord. I'm just reminding some of you, in case you though you were dreaming, or maybe you'd lost some passion, or maybe you were messing up...
Of course, you don't have to have been there to be stirred up in your spirit.
grace
stephenc

October 24, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

A couple of days ago I blogged on victories through training college. I'm letting you all know that it is from the 1947 War Cry.
Much grace,
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

birthrates

I read this at steynonline.com (responses to letters):

"Of the increase in global population between 1970 and 2000, the developed world accounted for under 9% of it while the Muslim world accounted for 26% of the increase. Between 1970 and 2000, the developed world declined from just under 30% of the world’s population to just over 20%, the Muslim nations increased from about 15% to 20%."

Keep that in mind when observing the growth of world religions.
grace
sec

October 23, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Back in the day one of my measures of congregational health is the ration of soldiers to Sunday AM attenders: less than 1 is a sign of good health while more than 1 is a sign of ill health.

(I am not part of a congregation)
grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

new blogs...
I've heard of a couple of brand new blogs up- Dan White - dannywhite.blogspot.com, and Andrew Stringer- theworldforgod.blogspot.com.

Check them out- post a comment.
grace
sec

October 22, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

First up, props to DJS, MA, as of today (with distinction). Glory to God.

Some desire has been expressed to clarify some thoughts in October 15's blog. Here is a stab (mid stream of the discussion)...

Two related points were made here, I think:
1. that the Body of Christ cannot influence away from 'what (I) deem' a 'fundamental principle'; and,
2. that I think the non-salvo Body of Christ is harmful to The Army.
My comments:
1. The phrase 'what (I) deem' a 'fundamental principle' is the key point here. Holy Roller Christians deem picking up snakes and drinking poison is a fundamental principle. Many Pentecostals deem speaking in tongues a fundamental principle. Plymouth Brethren deem dispensationalism a fundamental principle. The wider Body of Christ, in each instance, certainly influences them away from these fundamental principles. Examples abound, but I think this makes the point.
2. The Holly Rollers would consider the influence of the wider Body of Christ against the necessity of drinking poison and picking up snakes to be a negative influence, as the Pentecostals would consider the influence of the wider Body of Christ against the necessity of speaking of tongues to be a negative influence, as the Plymouth Brethren would consider the influence of the wider Body of Christ against dispensationalism to be a negative influence. That said, I am sure that the Holy Rollers and the Pentecostals and Plymouth Brethren consider the influence of the Body of Christ on most other issues to be a great, divine blessing. And this is my position with the larger Body of Christ as well- it is a great, divine blessing in general, although a negative influence when against Biblical equality and covenant.

The next point made concerns the end times and The Army's role in them:

Point includes alarm about this quote: "To win the world Catherine prophesied that The Army will inaugurate the great final conquest." Concern involves some final fight with the powers and principalities...
And it considers it repugnant, in that the whole Body of Christ would be involved.
My comments:
I didn't quote on that particular blog the complete prophecy from Catherine Booth. It says, "He shall reign whose right it is from the River to the ends of the earth. We shall win. It is only a matter of time. I believe that this Movement shall inaugurate the great final conquest of the Lord Jesus Christ." The implication is that there is a great final war against the 'powers and principalities' as you say. The quote does not exclude the 'whole' Body of Christ, including Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox. It merely suggests that The Army will inaugurate it- 'to initiate or put into operation'.

sc- The context of the blog, to salvos, is this:
1. Let's with the world for Jesus.
2. To win the world Catherine prophesied that The Army will inaugurate the great final conquest.
3. The Army is doomed without the common bond of covenant
4. So, let's universally embrace covenant.

I hope these responses clarify things for blog readers. Much grace,
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

church composition

from Wall Street Journal...
"According to a recent survey, the typical U.S. congregation is 61% female.
"Among the major Christian denominations, it is the mainline churches that suffer the largest gender gaps in church attendance. These churches, still pilloried by feminists for their patriarchal pretensions, have in fact become spiritual sorority houses. It is the more conservative denominations, such as the Southern Baptists, that have the most even ratios. In these more traditional churches, many of which do not have female clergy, parishioners hear less about cooperation and feel-good spirituality and more about spiritual rigor and the competition to win souls. http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110007439

grace
stephenc

college for officer training.

Sometimes CFOT gets a hard time from some of us. I'm psyched to report this news from The War Cry, an article entitled, 'DRUMHEAD HARVEST':

'Cadets... are enjoying a "drumhead" harvest. By the middle of... they had seen 192 people kneel at the drumhead in their open-air meetings in the city and 229 seekers in other meetings. During recent out-of-town weekend campaigns another 121 decisions were secured. On one occasion there were 22 seekers kneeling at three drums. "It was one of the most powerful meetings I have ever seen at a street corner," states Brigadier R. B. Fitton, the training principal.' "

Hallelujah! God, please multiply these results in every officer training school around the world.
grace
sec

October 21, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I've been blessed by some wise conversation this week. Here's one bit. It has to do with mission v. institution, or concept v. organisation.

I actually studied some of this back in school (power dynamics seemed to have more impact on direction and process than values, in my study. tragically). Organisational realities heavily incline towards self-survival. Sometimes this goes against the mission.

There seem to be three or four ways to deal with this, from the inside:

1. co-optation. Succumb and climb the ladder.

2. cope. Dissociate the concept (the mission, the 'idea') from the institution.

3. play prophetic role. This didn't seem to work that well for Israel.

4. reform. While not as trendy as prophetic, Ezra and Nehemiah seemed to see results.

Let's avoid #1. Let's listen to God for how He wants us to fight.

Grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

Tackling Ryan

Have you tackled Geoff Ryan's article in the current JAC yet? It considers The Salvation Army as a prophetic movement through Geoff's characteristic eloquence.

Enjoy... Or get ticked off...

Just read it.

grace
sec

old sessions

I stumbled upon this while looking for something else- it is a photo history of training college sessions in USA South going back to the 20s. Very cool: http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/sessions/
grace
sec

October 20, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I've been an officer for 11 years or so and our session (politically incorrect Crusaders for Christ) threw this verse on little book marks at our commissioning:

'by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness' (2 Corinthians 6:7 NKJ).

... classic text I thought I'd share with you today.
much grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

a little culture...
(listening to FAITH by Jason Upton)

Just to mix things up, here is a list of the top 100 non-fiction books of the 20th century. Tragically, I've only tackled a small handful of them: http://nationalreview.com/flashback/flashback200510190827.asp

grace
stephenc

October 19, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

The armybarmy eStore has a new feature, embroidery downloads. Right now there are a few available. We will be adding as the weeks go by. This can save you a lot of money as you make battle gear for your front.

Much grace
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

Blogging from Hawaii.

Rob Noland started blogging this week:

http://www.revolutionhawaii.com/blog.html The site (revolutionhawaii.com) is very sharp.

Much grace,
StephenC

in case there remain any doubters...

A comrade officer just fired me a note that included this line, in response to my request for an update on a prayer item:

"You gotta love this calling! What fun to boost the kingdom and bring glory to God. We're very thankful to the Lord for watching over us through this process and blessing our efforts."

If you have the guts, and are cut out for it, you should email your candidates secretary today.
grace
stephenc

ACC

This ACC thing is spreading (props to NZ!)

Some will be interested in this resource (from Captain Andrew Clark):

Aggressive Christianity Conference
Pill Corps, UK Territory, 9-11 September 2005.

After our successful Aggressive Christianity Conference here in the UK, the first ever, we are happy to make our recources from the weekend available to you for purchase! The CD's of the talks have been produced in house, but they are good quality and contain fantastic teaching and prophetic insight.

The titles available are as follows:

Offensive to God? - Major Jo Norton, CO Wandsworth Corps/Boiler Room
Taking the Land - Offensive to Satan! - Major Jo Norton
Prayer Roles - Major Jo Norton
Will the real Salvation Army please stand up? - Captain Martin Thomson, DYO South Western Div
Primitive Church - Primitive Salvationism - Captain Ian Mountford, CO Bristol Citadel
Authentic Community - Andrew Grinnell, Alove UK
Engaging God - Andrew Grinnell
Knowing the Enemy - Julian Cozens, Wandsworth Prayer Team
Know your offensive strategy - Vicki Adams, Wandsworth Prayer Team

All CDs are £3.50 each plus £1 p+p. 

We also have copies of Cory Harrisons modern rendition of Catherine Booth's classic, 'Aggressive Christianity' available for £5.

Please send orders to our CSM, Pete Brewer at brunel@aol.com and he will be glad to receive your cheque, payable to The Salvation Army.

For those who live overseas, please feel free to pay via paypal.com in GBP to andrew.clarksa@btopenwold.com but please email me at andrew.clark@salvationarmy.org.uk to ask for shipping advice.
____
grace
stephenc

Posted by: armybarmy / 4:36 AM

October 18, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name.
We're a young corps (three years old) and we have little experience in many aspects of life and warfare. But we honour God with this blog for the salvation life of Lois Walker, who breathed her last breath at 3:30 am while those around her bed were singing 'Beautiful One'.

Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15).

Hallelujah.

We thank God for enriching our lives through our fellowship with Lois.

Death and Glory.

grace,
Stephen Court
posted by Stephen Court

The Whole Point of it all...

"The first, the main object for which The Army exists is the bringing of lost sinners to God, training them in holiness of heart and life, teaching them to fight for Him, and leading them onward in the great conflict with Earth and Hell."
William Booth, in FAITH HEALING.

I'm going to bounce this off of our local leaders as I also use it to analyze my alignment to this great purpose.
Much grace
stephenc

Blood and Fire, Signs and Wonders, part 2

"The columns of our different War Crys have recorded, from time to time, hundreds, nay, thousands of instances, showing that God has been graciously pleased, in answer to Believing Prayer, to go out of His usual way in order to work marvels on behalf of our people."

William Booth, in FAITH HEALING, on occasions of healing reported in the pages of The War Cry.

Hallelujah.
much grace
sec

Blood and Fire, Signs and Wonders

"I do not believe that there can be a Corps of The Salvation Army, at home or abroad, in which some such signs and wonders have not been wrought."

William Booth, in FAITH HEALING, in a paragraph describing instances of healing through The Salvation Army.

Hallelujah!

More, Lord.
grace
stephenc

Great Benediction

I know it isn't in our tradition to offer benedictions, necessarily, but I heard about a classic benediction offered in a meeting peopled by many who might be considered practical dispensationalists (no more gifts):

Matthew 10:6,7.

I laugh out loud even typing it again. It would have been lovely to have been there.
much grace
stephenc

October 17, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

We have a practice of reading the Bible in small groups- one person reading it aloud to the others. That combined with rations, praying the Bible, Berean study of some new concepts, and devotional Bible reading led one friend of mine to comment today:

"I am getting so angry at how much I am learning just from reading my Bible."

This is noteworthy for several reasons, not the least of which is the sad fact that, in my direct experience, most Christians have not read the Bible.

grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

updates

Our sites have some fresh material up this weekend, including demo of the week (You Are My Rock), 60 Seconds, Link of the Week (unsite), resources, events, and so on.

If you haven't had a chance to read Major JoAnn Shade at JAC (top right) yet, please avail yourself of that privilege (two articles- start with Millstone).

And thewarcollege.com has some news updates, some course and faculty updates, some ACC photos (by Kirsten Ivany), and so on.

grace
stephenc

06/07

The online application form (admissions) at thewarcollege.com was activated yesterday to receive applications for the 2006-2007 session of The War College.

Grace,
Stephenc

more revolution?

(God might be onto something)

Barna was the most recent, but I've just read today that Patricia King has a book deal for two titles, SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION and MORAL REVOLUTION with a large publisher in the States.

Maybe it is more than just a cool logo by Mr. Fulton...

Bring it on, Lord Jesus!

Oh, and this is far from form here (i.e. please don't flood us with requests!), but it is called COUNCIL OF WAR (you have got to love that- we used to have them annually in Williams Lake) and here it is:

"Before Territorial Officers Councils (United Kingdom Territory), officers of North Scotland Division are meeting before this for one day for a ‘Council of War’ containing the following: 4 sessions on Leadership, Congregations / Members / Troops, The World - The Battleground, and Strategy. We will be gathering to understand the present situation of our division and with regard to future mission and ministry of the Army in North Scotland and where God will lead us in this.

"There will be much prayer taking place during this as well as discussion and we pray the Holy Spirit’s power in ands through each of us during these days of planning, challenge and discussion.

Let's lift them up (I will try to get you a report of the answers).

grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

fighting old battles.

My friend told me this week about someone going on about being a Christian and having long hair or being a Christian and having tattoos or piercings. My friend was befuddled. That isn't an issue in his circle of Christianity, and hasn't been for years. This was an old battle that had been won many years ago.

I laughed. But then I felt frustrated. Even in this blog we've been fighting old battles that were won many years ago.

In the last little while we have blogged on,

1. primitive salvationism (chari-flavoured, missioner-focused heroism) to some disagreement (I hear that 42% of readers of one Salvo site want to ditch everything militant about The Army. This is a battle that was won 127 years ago with a resounding, unprecendented revival, one unmatched by all of our well-devised plans and church growth strategies and unthinking adoption of the latest trends and slavish imitation of the popular churches and anything else you can shake a stick at. Why are we fighting this battle again? The principles that pleased God then still please Him).

2. women, to much disagreement. Practically speaking, with only a few exceptions, this Army believes in female subordination. In so doing it defies Catherine and the Army of married women warriors (Psalm 68) and slaps Jesus in the face (the crucifixion was meant to turn the world upside down a la Silas and Paul, not just change the religious symbols hanging around men's necks). It is one thing to have to present positions to non-salvos but to have to convince adult salvos is a disgrace.

3. covenant, to widespread disageement. I attribute the wild reaction against covenant to the tragically superior influence of the non-salvo Body of Christ on us (superior to salvo influence on the salvos. Was it the Trade Departments of the 30s and 40s that let us down? If so, the demands of the depression and the exigencies of the war slip them off the hook. But the consequences remain today). (Brian) McLaren and (Rick) Warren speak their theology into salvos who don't know our own (I'm not here analysing their theologies, but merely intimating that they aren't exactly ours in every respect).

There are real battles to fight out there. We've got AIDs, abortion, poverty (the whole seven deadly sins of BE A HERO), and communism, other world religions, other worldviews, assorted 'isms', the world, and the devil.

We should really spare our energy for those outside battles. I'd appreciate it if we - the salvos - could agree on these basics (let's move on from milk...). (revolution@mmccxx.net)

grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

conjecture as church doctrine

My old friend has been giving me a hard time on the women issue. His latest, loving missive gives me a friendly rebuke for building church doctrine on conjecture (if you read the 'challenge' blogs of yesterday you'll know the content to which he refers).

And he responds with his own challenge. Here is my response...

You say this is conjecture. But since we only 'know in part', by definition all church doctrine is built on conjecture (which means the formation of judgeent based on incomplete information). :- )

Now to your point. 1 Peter 3:5,6

If you read the Scriptures through the overarching principle of freedom based in Galatians 3:28 (28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus") it informs all interpretation. Even this text is a slap in the face of every Jewish male who was required (still today?) to pray every day, "Thank You God for not making me a gentile, a woman, or a slave." Paul turns each upside down, indicating that there is no superiority in being Jewish, male, nor 'free'. EQUALITY is the name of the new game, the new Kingdom, the new covenant, the Gospel.

Through these lenses it is clear that your text, 1 Peter 3 is, taken as a whole, a great emancipation proclamation by Paul. The verse you choose to demonstrate female subordination instead declares Biblical equality.

5 It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. 6 Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you. 7 Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, F17 since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.

So, Sarah called Abe 'lord'. But you don't become her heir by calling your husband lord. You become her heir by doing what is good and by refusing to let fear alarm you.

But Husbands, 'equally' (definition of the word translated 'in the same way'), or in the same way, live with your wives (that is, doing what is good and refusing to let fear alarm you), honoring them (this is BRAND NEW to the culture- very elevating of women), as they are 'fellow heirs' (NASB) - equal, if you want God to listen to your prayers.

So, according to the verse you gave me, men can lord it over women, illegally, but they'd better not dream of God listening to their prayers. Instead, the text indicates that husbands and wives (not men and women) should live together, doing what is good, without fear (in the context of covenant?) honouring each other as joint heirs.

Amen.
I agree.

grace
stephenc

getting your Army history down.

One of the things that ratcheted things up for me as a warrior was discovering the stirring lives of the primitive salvos. Several of them are my heroes now, people like GSR, Booth-Tucker, CB/WB, etc. (others, lesser in the pantheon, like Dowdle, Cadman, Pearson, Dean, and so on can carry the title easily as well)
Eric Himes is doing you a service at his blog (top right- asterisk) by giving you blog bios of some of them. Read, pray, imitate.
grace
stephenc

challenge, part 3

This is part 4, (I skipped two). It seems that these three follow each other. Unless there is a torrent of response, it will likely be the last I blog of this series (you can go to the 10 challenges at the url posted a few blogs down). This is Bilezikian:

4. The Challenge
Cite a text from the Bible that makes men head over women, or a husband head over his wife.

The Facts
There is no such statement in the Bible. The text in 1 Corinthians 11:3 is often cited as establishing a top-down hierarchy:

God over Christ--- Christ over man--- man over woman.

However, this biblical text must be radically dismembered and its components reshuffled in order to produce such results. The untouched biblical sequence is totally different and it does not present a hierarchical structure:

Christ, head of man--- man, head of woman--- God, head of Christ.

The teaching in this text concerns the concept of “head” as giver of life. In creation, Christ (as the Word, John 1:3) gave life to man; man to woman (as she was taken from him, Gen. 2:21-23); and in the incarnation, God gave life to Christ (Luke 1:35). This understanding of “head” as “provider of life” is consistent with the immediate context which deals with the significance of origination (1 Cor. 11:7-12).

The meaning of “head” as servant-provider of life in this text is also consistent with the headship passage in Ephesians 5:21-33. There, the church is described as being subject to Christ in the reciprocity of servanthood because Christ as head is also servant to the church as its Savior and as the source of its welfare. Saviorhood in the New Testament is not a lordship role but one of self-sacrifice in radical servanthood.

Likewise, the wife is servant to her husband as she submits to him because the husband is servant to her in radical headship as he gives himself up for her as Christ did for the church (v. 25-30).

Both the general concept of headship in the New Testament and this passage of Scripture are infused with the notions of mutual submission (v. 21) and, therefore, of reciprocal servanthood. Such biblical teachings reduce the imposition of hierarchical relations between husbands and wives to irrelevance, if not to abuse in their relationship.
____
I suspect that a healthy view of Biblical equality in our minds, relationships, and systems will please Jesus and speed the great commission.
grace
stephenc

Challenge part 2

I'm carrying on from the last one. I skipped challenge 2 (you can catch it at the url at the top of the preceding blog). BUt here is 3 (this is Bilezikian):

3. The Challenge
Cite a text from the Bible that defines the headship of Christ to the church as a relation of authority or of leadership.

The Facts
The New Testament defines the headship ministry of Christ to the church as a servant relation designed to provide the church with life and growth. This headship is never presented as an authority or lordship position.

Eph. 1:22-23. Christ is supremely and universally sovereign, but as head for the church, it is not said that he rules over it. Instead, he provides his body with the fullness of him who fills all in all. He causes the church to grow and flourish.

Eph. 4:15-16. Christ as head provides the body with oneness, cohesion and growth. This is a servant-provider role, not one of rulership.

Eph. 5:23. Christ is head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. His headship to the church is defined as saviorhood which is biblically defined as a servant, self-sacrificing function, not a lordship role.

Col. 1:18. Christ is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead. As its head, Christ is the source of the church’s life.

Col. 2:19. Christ is the head from whom the whole body grows because it is nourished by him. He is servant-provider of life and growth to the church.

Obviously, Christ is Lord of all and therefore Lord of the church. But never does the New Testament define Christ’s relation to the church as its head in terms of lordship, authority or rulership. As head to the church, Christ is always the servant who gives the church all she needs to become his radiant Bride. So is the husband to his wife (Eph. 5:25-30), within a relationship of mutual submission (v. 21).

The word “head” used figuratively in the English language refers to boss, person in authority, leader. It never has that meaning in New Testament Greek. There are hundreds of references in the New Testament to religious, governmental, civic, familial and military authority figures. Not one of them is ever designated as “head.”

Even Christ, as “head” of all rule and authority, remains their original giver of life and fullness (Col. 2:10; 1:16). Similarly, Christ was never called “head” of the church until after his crucifixion, the supreme expression of his servant ministry as the giver of new life.

Whenever Christ is described as “head” to the church, his ministry is that of servant-provider. Similarly, as head to his wife, a husband is a servant-provider of life, of fullness and growth, not one who exercises authority over her.
_____
grace
stephenc

challenge part 1.

My friends are taking Gilbert Bilezikian's challenge at http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/challenge.shtml and, though I posted it last week, I thought I'd actually include a number of them for your blogging discussion.

____
1. The Challenge
Cite a text from the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 that enjoins or entitles men to exercise authority or leadership over women, or that designates men as “head” or “spiritual head” over women.

The Facts
There is not a hint, not even a whisper about anything like a hierarchical order existing between man and woman in the creation account of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2. In fact, the exact opposite is clearly taught in these two chapters. Both man and woman were made in God’s image (1:26-27) and they both participated in God-assigned ministries without any role distinctions (1:28).

The creation order established oneness, not hierarchy (2:24). The first indication of a hierarchical order between man and woman resulted from the entrance of sin into the world (3:16). The subordination of women to men was not part of God’s original design. It resulted from the violation of God’s creation order.

The use of the word “helper” for the woman reinforces the relation of non-hierarchical complementarity that existed between the man and the woman prior to the fall (2:18). In the language of the Old Testament, a “helper” is one who rescues others in situations of need. This designation is often attributed to God as our rescuer. The word denotes not domesticity or subordination but competency and superior strength (Ex. 18:4; Deut. 33:26, 29; Psalm 33:20, 70:5, etc.).

According to the text, the woman was instrumental in rescuing the man from being alone and, therefore, from not being yet the community of oneness that God had intended to create with both of them (Gen. 1:27). As “helper,” she pointedly enabled him to become with her the community that God had intended to establish through their union.

The word “helper” is used specifically in this context of God’s deliberation to create community (2:18). The biblical text becomes violated when the word “helper” is wrenched away and lifted out of this specific context to be given other meanings that demean women by reducing them to the level of “complements” or docile conveniences created to improve the quality of male life.

In the account of the created order within which every relation of authority is carefully spelled out (1:26, 28; 2:17), there is not the slightest suggestion of a structure of authority existing between the man and the woman. Instead, the explicit evidence provided in those texts describes both as participating cooperatively in reflecting the image, and both fulfilling jointly the tasks of rulership and dominion without the necessity of a structure of hierarchy between them.
____
I personally love the 'helper' bit. This is the OT version of 'leader', a role Phoebe exercises over Paul and others.
grace
stephenc

October 14, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Amy Reardon on Habitual Submission

We've tackled this on our blog here and Amy and I have traded emails (THE Amy Reardon is the popular columnist from New Frontier). So I am giving her space to discuss her position with me. You may want to scroll down a bit to catch the context of her definition of holiness as habitual submission. We pick up the discussion midstream...

AR- I think you're focusing too much on the part about developing the habit - admittedly a weakly constructed notion. The point I wanted to emphasize is that a holy person is a person who continually, habitually, submits to God.

sc- amen- all agreed.

AR- On that score, you and I are talking the same language, I think. Holy people don't stop and think "will I obey God?" because they are dead to sin, and alive in Christ (Rom. 6:1, etc.) Rather, their minds have been transformed so that they "naturally", as Jonathan Evans put it, think like Christ (Rom. 12:2). ("Naturally" is an ironic choice of words, if
you think about the "natural man", which is the carnal man! But I know what Jonathan meant, and I think it's helpful here.)

sc- yes. In a totally different context I use natural against supernatural for the same purpose.

(commentary- too much agreement to keep our interest so far. Come on you two, disagree!)

AR- The reason I want to use the "habitual submission" definition is because I think it is understandable. People want to know what holiness looks like. A holy person doesn't have to constantly pound his will into submission, because his will has been submitted. But how does that play out on a daily basis? Repeatedly, habitually, that Christian makes decisions on how to think, act, and speak in ways that are submissive to the will of God.

sc- amen. Fine.

(commentary- What!? More agreement!)

AR- In other words, because the will is enslaved to God ("crucified with Christ"), when individual temptations arise - and they will - the holy person says yes to God's way and no to the flesh. Repeatedly. Habitually.

sc- Okay- but there is a little sticking point right there. The battle of a holy person is not against the flesh but only the world and the devil. The flesh/oldman/sinfulnature/naturalinclinationtosin has been neutralised/crucified/doneawaywith and so there remains no battle there, no disagreement, no struggle within.

AR_ I'm digesting what you're saying, but let me toss in James 1:13 - 15, which indicates that temptation comes from our own internal desires. It goes desire, then temptation, then sin. I'm thinking that the victorious, holy Christian nips it in the bud before it gets to the sin stage, but that he still faces temptation. Even Jesus did.

sc- Wait a second, here, please. I just checked the text and it appears that temptation James describes comes, yes, from our 'own internal desires' but more accurately and specifically, from our 'own evil desire' or our 'own lust'. So, knowing that Jesus was tempted as we are, and knowing that Jesus had no sinful nature (no internal natural inclination to sin), we must conclude that while temptations do come from our own evil desires, there must also be another source. That said, we can conclude that the battle is against devil and world, not flesh.

AR- I am scared off by literature that implies that such holy people will never struggle again. This seems to fly in the face of "working out" our salvation.

sc- There isn't much Lit anymore pushing 'never struggle again', certainly not much that is influential, is there? I mean, most
holiness stuff is either all process or how it is impossible (outside The Army). That is, unless you are going back generations. But even the old stuff suggests struggle (1940 HoD- the sanctified soul has no battle with in, but fierce struggles without).

AR- You're right.

(commentary- a rare admission and perfect place to end today's installment. If this proves of any interest we may actually carry another. Comments to revolution@mmccxx.net)
____
much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Corpse Bride...

I promised Steve I'd do a quick review of Tim Burton's latest flick here, and given all the talk we've had lately on covenant, figure'd I'd better come through.

First off, its an ok movie. Not great, but not a horrible waste of 1 hour and 15 minutes (plus driving time). As with any Burton movie, it is plenty weird and dark and deals with death. But it also has good music and some interesting bits.

The plot centres around the accidental marriage of a living human and a corpse (hence, corpse bride). One thing it does very effectively is show the dangers of being unequally yoked. Death simply does not go with life, even with the best of intentions. In order for the couple to truly be together, the living partner would have to die.

Another interesting bit is that this corpse bride is actually awoken through covenant, through a vow. She just had her hand raised in the dirt, helpless and hopeless, when the promise of life-long love and the ring on her finger released her from the curse.

Finally, the alive character is very true to his covenant, even though it was made without full understanding of the consequences, and even though it would potentially cost him his life. He is true to his word, despite the inconveniences of it. It is this, more than just the making of the promise, but the willingness to keep it, that truly releases the corpse bride from the curse, and releases the living character from a terrible situation as well.

All in all, some good depth in this one.

Grace,

Aaron

revolution. what controversy?

Blogger Joel Ivany (top right) is reviewing the book REVOLUTION (by a couple of us here at armybarmy blog) and seems to be defending us from attack.
Have you heard of an attack?
(revolution@mmccxx.net)
Grace,
stephenC

Dangers Awaiting You In The Field

My friend used to give lectures to cadets and was once given the title above for the session. My friend indicated that they'd get an 18 word lesson with about 40 minutes of elicidation! Here were the 18 words:

The Greatest Danger Awaiting You on the Field is your own personal failure to live a holy life.

Let's all take this seriously.
Grace
StephenC

Question on Soldiership

My friend questioned my blog on the reintegration of The Army (below- earlier this week). Here is further explanation:

My position is that without a universal embrace of soldier's covenant (and by universal I mean across The Army world, by everyone who is a soldier already and, ideally, by those who are sort of part of The Army but not soldiers) The Salvation Army is doomed within 20-odd years. The reason for it you can see in parts of Europe today- a widespread rejection of the covenant and, to some extent, some doctrines, which, if not corrected, will potentially result in a salvo version of the African Bishops cutting off the North American Anglicans (doctrine leads to practice. Parts of mainland Europe are showing us the future of The Army, unless we make the correction).

Without it, The Army will be at best the YMCA and at worst a bunch of national, fragmented, stand-alone denominations with different doctrines and practice, and limited impact.

And many like to suggest that we let The Army die. If we do that, then the prophecies will not be fulfilled, and I'd bet the house (if I was a betting man and if I owned the house) that at least 99% of salvos would end up with a smaller avenue for Kingdom impact (and what in the world would everyone do when there was an earthquake, a hurricane, a tsunami, a freaked-out druggie, a desperate prostituted person, a cold homeless person, someone hungry, another with AIDS, a helpless orphan, and billions without Jesus?).

In other words...
1. Let's with the world for Jesus.
2. To win the world Catherine prophesied that The Army will inaugurate the great final conquest.
3. The Army is doomed without the common bond of covenant
4. So, let's universally embrace covenant.

Clear?
grace
sec

614 Vancouver front

Here it is:
map- http://maps.google.com/maps?q=133%20POWELL%20ST%20%20VANCOUVER%20BC%20V6A%201G2
satellite- http://maps.google.com/maps?q=133%20POWELL%20ST%20%20VANCOUVER%20BC%20V6A%201G2 (zoom at left)
hybrid- http://maps.google.com/maps?q=133%20POWELL%20ST%20%20VANCOUVER%20BC%20V6A%201G2 (very cool)
We don't have a corps building or anything but this is where some of our people live (they live throughout these blocks but you need SOME address).
grace
stephenc

Stay where I can see you.

I was playing with my son this morning in the little park behind our home. He drove off in his bike and then started calling to me, "Stay where I can see you! Stay where I can see you."

I came back into his range of vision and corrected him, "You stay where you can see me."

Too easy, I know, but I suspect lots of humans try that routine out on God - "stay where I can see You." And I suspect He oftens corrects - "You stay where you can see Me" (not a direct quote, just an idea).

grace
sec

October 13, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Carla Evans (top right) posted on the Territorial Symposium Discussion Board (closed access- welcome to all delegate who've popped over for a gander) on the most important verse for her warfare these days. This was it:

Is.61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the POOR. He has sent me to bind up the BROKENHEARTED, to proclaim freedom for the CAPTIVES and release from darkness for the PRISONERS.

Yahoo. Readers of this blog know that we're convinced that Jesus has a biad for the poor, that we believe Holy Spirit actually likes to hang around poor people, and that we're looking to catch that same inclination ourselves (many of our people already have). Now that doesn't mean I'm not into trying to reach the rich (hey- that's a good slogan- reach the rich). I am.

But it is great to see how Carla has applied this powerful verse to her own life. If we're not anointed for it, I suspect that our efforts will be merely that- our own efforts. The anointing actually enables us to preach good news to the poor effectively (and, usually, incarnationally, I suspect), not with fancy words, necessarily, but with power. It empowers us to bind up brokenhearted people by bringing healing, physical and spiritual and emotional, as directed by Holy Spirit. It strengthens us to proclaim freedom for captives, to see people delivered from demons by the authority of Jesus. And it allows us to introduce light to those stuck in the darkness, releasing them from the captivity that the disobedient angels suffer (Jude 6)..

Praise God. Sovereign Lord, please anoint everyone reading this by Your Holy Spirit, to preach and bind and proclaim and release those who don't know You yet. Please overflow this anointing in our cells, and accountability groups, and brigades, and corps. Hallelujah. Amen.

Much grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

First Things and New York Times

Speaking of First Things, here is an interesting article, inspired by the recent election of a new pope (with echoes of the US President's nominee for Supreme Court) that has some resonance in our discussion on this blog about the changing philosophical underpinnings of the war (with an echo of the upcoming High Council-I did it- I think we must be the first blog to mention the upcoming High Council) (http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0508/public.html):

I don’t vouch for the authenticity of this. It was sent me by someone who calls himself “Diogenes.” The editorial note by “JL” does lend a note of credibility to the claim that it is the first draft for a story in the New York Times. In any event, here it is:

Pick Seen as Sign of Contradiction

By Ian Fisher

CAESAREA PHILIPPI (20 Kislev). Yesterday’s surprise announcement that doctrinal hardliner Jesus of Nazareth had been anointed “messiah” provoked mixed reactions in the diverse and sometimes fractious Israelite community, ranging from cautious disappointment to frank despair.

“I see it as a missed opportunity,” said Herodias Schneidkopf, a Galilean incest-rights activist. “Many of us were hoping for someone more open to leadership roles for women and more appreciative of our experience. I don’t feel valued.”

Respected archpriest Caiaphas Bar Nun agreed. “Above all, the messiah should be a good listener. How can we as a faith community keep credibility among the youth of today if we cling to every jot and tittle of an outmoded social code while thousands die of leprosy and hunger? Today’s highly educated Judahite community isn’t satisfied with the old answers. I’m afraid it’s a missed opportunity.”

Even some members of the Messiah’s personal entourage expressed misgivings. The Rev. J.E. “Dimples” Iscariot, S.J., a media consultant, did not hide his regret. “A missed opportunity, I’m afraid. We in the Society of Judas traditionally enjoy a special relationship to the messiah, but we’ll find this choice very hard to explain to gays and lesbians—I mean, of course, to gomorrhaists and sodomitesses—as well as to the divorced and the marginalized. Why just the other day I saw 300 denarii, which might have been used to help find a cure for leprosy, squandered on wholly unnecessary ritual excesses.”

Fighting the spread of leprosy is a vexed issue among contemporary Palestinians. Most polls show Israelites widely ignore official teachings on ethical matters, preferring to follow their own conscience. Some see Jesus’ moral conservatism as a rigidity that leads to disfigurement and death in at-risk populations—and that may ultimately doom his movement to irrelevance.

“Yesterday’s unction was an opportunity missed,” insisted real-estate broker Sapphira Glass. “Today’s young professionals don’t find their own experience reflected in a one-size-fits-all morality that limits options and encodes patriarchal bias. I mean, sacrificing one’s newborns to Moloch is a tragic but often necessary choice, and many of us find the language of apostasy alienating and judgmental.” [NYT copyeditor’s note: Need some quote from supporter—J.L.]

“It all comes down to power,” countered maverick theologian Fr. Richard Maccabeus, retired professor of applied autology, who pointed out that the successful candidate had almost no pastoral experience. “What we’re seeing is a right-wing restorationist fantasy in its death throes. Intelligent Israelites aren’t buying. We want to be heard. We want someone who speaks not with authority but like us academics—I mean, of course, like the scribes and the pharisees. One can only call it a missed opportunity.”

The Procurator of Judea was unavailable for comment.
____
grace
stephenc

scandal
Mark Noll wrote The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind in the 90s. I recently stumbled on his ten-year assessment of the book: http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0410/articles/noll.htm
Coincidentally, it also offers an opportunity to plug firstthings.com and it's new blog by the definitely readable Father Neuhaus.
Much grace
stephenc

October 12, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
The last ten visitors to Journal of Aggressive Christianity (top right) came from Chile, Sweden, Australia, USA, UK, and New Zealand.
You can add your country if you read now (it is worth the read).
Much grace,
Stephen Court

disintegration?

Hi- I received a letter today from someone trying to trace a quote from William Booth to the effect that William Booth envisaged that "The Salvation Army might disappear from the face of the earth… Clearly this was not his biggest concern. If it had lost its vision, it was really better than continuing to exist…"

My response:
"You want a real, living embodiment of Christianity over again, and if The Salvation Army is not going to be that, may God put it out! I would certainly be willing to pronounce the funeral oration of the Army if I did not believe it was going to be that. The world is dying for this." (Catherine Booth)

"I do not want another ecclesiastical corps cumbering the earth. When The Salvation Army ceases to be a militant body of red hot men and women whose supreme business is the saving of souls, I hope it will vanish utterly" (William Booth).

I think that these comments need to be balanced by Catherine Booth's prophecy:

"The decree has gone forth that the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and that He shall reign whose right it is, from the rivers to the ends of the earth. We shall win. It is only a question of time. I believe that this Movement is to inaugurate the great final conquest of the Lord Jesus Christ (General Catherine Booth).

If she was accurate then we have the obligation to call on God to do something unprecedented in history (to my knowledge): take a movement that has suffered the fate suggested the first two quotes and restore it such that the promise of the third can wonderfully be fulfilled.

I don't know if you are advocating for the disintegration of The Army (the fragmentation is already in full swing), but I'm pulling for the reintegration of The Army through the universal embrace of covenant.

Much grace,
Stephen Court

Godliness

I came across Catherine Booth's classic, PAPERS ON GODLINESS, at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6669. You might like to read it.
grace
stephenc

revolution grows?

It seems like people are writing books on revolution once we wrote ours. I'm not suggesting that they are copying, but George Barna's new book, revolution (nice cover, but it can't match Fulton H!), does come out only a couple of months after ours, and a week after it required second printing.

:- )

(his seems to be about something completely different, though something we've blogged this very week, and something he sees optimistically as to future influence).

You can get the White/Court REVOLUTION from the eStore at armybarmy.com (help us force a third printing).

grace
stephenc

October 11, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Free-Shooters is a speakers bureau and worship leaders bureau on the main page of armybarmy.com (see the drop menus) that provides a list of SA leaders able to resource you in your events. It has proven a valuable resource in its short history and I highlight it here today for newcomers to the armybarmy blog (sorry, primarily North American at this time).

And, for comments to previous blogs, revolution@mmccxx.net.

grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Phil On Covenant, continued

Phil responded to some comments on covenant on his popular blog (top right) a few days ago. So I am try to address some of His solid point here...

PL- I would rather see a pervasive embrace of things that will bring people closer to Jesus, rather than a pervasive embrace of traditions that some think make the Army what it is.

SC- I wholeheartedly agree. The small distinction is that I believe a pervasive embrace of primitive salvationism WILL bring people closer to Jesus. And I don't even know that Phil disagrees with THIS point. He seems to be against an embrace of 'traditions' that 'some think' make The Army 'what it is'.

PL- I would see a pervasive embrace of the mission to love people, no matter the mode, rather than a pervasive embrace of modes and formulas, no matter the results.

SC- again, I don't see a difference, in that Booth's formula for salvationism is 1. Is it Scriptural? and 2. Does it work?

PL- I know that covenant and accountability are good things. My wife and I are testimony to the power of covenant to bring people around and to keep them grounded and on the right path. There is nothing wrong with a good covenant. But when it comes to faith, my generation (and I don't speak for them all) seems to be very suspicious of any centralized, organized religion. It has betrayed them in the past, and so it becomes hard to commit to a certain part of the Church on that kind of level. Some of it may be fear, but I think a goood part of it may be common sense caution.

SC- While I agree with Phil on marriage, we part ways on his follow-up point. And the difference is that between the pomos and the moderns (I've been incorrectly called the last modern salvo). Phil points to a suspicion of a centralized religion that has betrayed his generation in the past. While this is a standard emergent argument I'm not really sure to what it refers. Is it the child abuse of Catholic priests? It is televangelists' moral scandals? It is the failure of evangelical North America to live lives different from the rest of society as measured by divorce statistics or giving to developing world need? All of those things have happened, yes. But the betrayal is as much against the previous generation as this. Neither are these kinds of sins new to this century, having happened all the way back to the Epistles. I'm not sure that the novel, nor reasonable response is to bail on covenant (in that often the system's sin resulted in a retreat TO covenant, not away- see orders like Francis!).

PL- It comes down to a local level thing and I think that may be the issue that many Salvationists are discussing. To some, their experience of the Salvation Army has been anything but what they would covenant to be a part of.

SC- I suspect most of us can testify to this. However, practically speaking, this has no influence on our convenant-keeping. Remember the Hivites of Gibeon and their covenant with Joshua (and the famine 'consequenced' by Saul's breach of this stupid covenant).

PL- To others, they can't think of anything else they'd want more to have the privilege of being a part of.

SC- thank God for them.

PL- We had a small group thing going on here for a while with some close friends. We're starting a small accountability group here soon with a few guys, myself included. I can be covenanted to that, no problem. Those guys have faces, flesh and blood, personalities... souls. Maybe that was my beef all along, that I couldn't put a face to it. Maybe it's that I don't know half the people in my corps well enough to really call that my home. Why would you be covenanted to something you don't even know?

SC- part of the problem with the emergent church, if I understand a bit of it at all, is the trendiness of questioning everything and committing to nothing (overstated a bit, and not referring to Phil). Local commitment is about all you can expect. Tribalism is extra-Christian trend. A refusal to commit to anything larger than your local expression of the body will limit impact. Phil asks why we'd covenant with something we don't know. Excellent question. So, find out. The fact that Phil and I are part of a covenant community even though we hadn't met physically until a couple of years ago or so (we traded some emails before that) points to the limitations in Phil's desire to covenant only with people he can see. I'm blessed to be connected with Phil this way, blessed by his commitment, blessed by his thinking, blessed by his honesty, blessed by his songs, blessed by his worship leading, blessed by his support, blessed by his prayer, etc. (I like worshipping with SA DNA, something Phil provides like few others in our generation).

PL- Covenant is the safe haven within which true love can freely operate. It's just a matter of who and where, but we all should be covenanted to some local group of Christians who are, like us, (in Steve's words) exercising holy passion to win the world for Jesus.

SC- It all sounds good. And I am covenanted with The Army in a small corps in a small neighbourhood, chasing authentic Christian community. We're actually living it here. But if we weren't covenanted salvos our impact would be local, at best. Christianity is bigger than my cell, or my accountability partners. It is richer than our collective experience. It is deeper than our collective wisdom. To settle for merely local covenant community is like learning math from scratch with only you and a few friends (not the best analogy to end this with). On the flip side, our covenanted community extends our impact beyond any possible personal reach, into tsunami-torn Asia, into flooded New Orleans, into ravaged Pakistan, into red light district of Sydney, into religiously-tense Nigeria, into oppressed streets in Bangladesh, and so on.

Phil, thanks for bringing out these relevant questions. Thanks for being in covenant community with me.

Much grace
stephenc

Assorted night time thoughts...

1. Rob's blog is a disgrace. Someone needs some guts to make the incarnational move. Who's up, readers with power in that locale?

2. I was blessed to sit in on a class by Tara Ayer yesterday on soldiership. We were asked our preparation and motivation for soldiership. One of the soldiers, from another town, pestered to become a senior soldier by people in his corps, indicated that he, "signed the stupid paper to make them shut up." And we wonder why we try to attract officers with the wrong attractions (see #1).

3. My buddy Peter made a great observation during some busy street combat last night. Twenty years ago drunk driving was a huge problem that was winked at by N.A. society. Twenty years ago smoking was pervasive and few bothered to complain. In the interim, a small group of vocal zealots (MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving, in the former case) raised a ruckus and now drunk driving AND public smoking is very rare. How did they do it? Well, there are some serious penalties and enormous social stigma attached to drunk driving, and there is pervasive legislation against smoking in public places.

It makes you wonder, if we can tackle and rid ourselves of two massive social problems by stigmatizing and penalizing and outlawing them, why are we (in my city) massaging and aiding and abetting drug use? We can as easily rid ouselves of this problem if we stigmatize, penalize, and outlaw this behaviour (a clamped-down prison de-toxes druggies as effectively as any detoxification centre).

Imagine if we mobilized and prayed!

4. Holy Thanksgiving. I have so much for which to thank God. I'm blessed in so many ways. Thank You, Yahweh!

grace
stephenc

I just spent the day with some officers who lead a Corps in one of Americas worst neighbourhoods, they live in the rich neighbourhood and have a burden to live within the communtiy they minister in (incarnationally) . Over and over thier leaders have said no. The reason being that to attract Salvation Army Officers, to the Army, officers must be seen to live an attractive lifestyle. If they lived with the poor it might give the impression that other officers might have to live sacrificially too.

God Bless the Salvation Army

October 10, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Release

The Salvation Army Appeals for Financial Donations for South Asia Earthquake Victims

The Salvation Army responded swiftly to the south Asian earthquake which brought death and destruction to north-west Pakistan, India and Afghanistan by mobilizing two truckloads of relief supplies ready to travel to the worst-hit region of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir as soon as the roads were cleared of rubble.

The Salvation Army has been operating in all regions affected for over 120 years.

In addition to equipment held in store for such an emergency, food, clothing and tents were purchased in Lahore – where supplies were more readily available – and plans were made to drive them to Abbotabad. The Salvation Army officers would accompany the trucks and supervise the distribution within a 50-kilometre radius of the town.

The Salvation Army’s aid was assembled in response to a direct plea for help from the British High Commissioner, whose official agent in Lahore is Lieut-Colonel Cedric Sharp, Chief Secretary of the Pakistan Territory.

International Headquarters made $60,000 dollars (US) immediately available to the Pakistan Territory for relief work.

The Salvation Army Canada has committed to sending 100% of all public donations to affected areas and will absorb all administrative costs.

Canadians wishing to make a financial donation may donate online at http://www.SalvationArmy.ca, call 1-800-725-2769, or contact their local Salvation Army office. The 24-hour toll free line accepts Visa and MasterCard. Cheques should be made payable to The Salvation Army, earmarked “South Asia Disaster Fund” and mailed to The Salvation Army, 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby, BC V5C 6N5. For more information on the work of The Salvation Army, please visit www.SalvationArmy.ca. Donations of goods are not accepted at this time.

-- 30 – Information on The Salvation Army can be found at www.SalvationArmy.ca
____
grace
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posted by Stephen Court

Posted by: armybarmy / 8:58 AM

October 9, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
Holy Thanksgiving (tomorrow).

Michael Ramsay gave me the lowdown on Thanksgiving here:

Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in
Plymouth, Massachusetts!

Canadian Parliament: Thanksgiving would be "a day of general thanksgiving to
almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."

http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p2614.htm

Canadian Thanksgiving

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are more closely connected to the
traditions of Europe than of the United States. Long before Europeans
settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest
took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving
celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an
explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give
thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. That means the first
Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in
Plymouth, Massachusetts!

For a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in either late October
or early November, before it was declared a national holiday in 1879. It was
then, that November 6th was set aside as the official Thanksgiving holiday.
But then on January 31, 1957, Canadian Parliament announced that on the
second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be "a day of
general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which
Canada has been blessed." Thanksgiving was moved to the second Monday in
October because after the World Wars, Remembrance Day (November 11th) and
Thanksgiving kept falling in the same week.

Another reason for Canadian Thanksgiving arriving earlier than its American
counterpart is that Canada is geographically further north than the United
States, causing the Canadian harvest season to arrive earlier than the
American harvest season. And since Thanksgiving for Canadians is more about
giving thanks for the harvest season than the arrival of pilgrims, it makes
sense to celebrate the holiday in October.
____
grace
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posted by Stephen Court

Married leadership

I just read over at Christ Hinton's blog- http://www.councilofwar.co.uk/blog/chris/ - about a married woman DC. I hope there are more...
Hallelujah
grace,
sec

ONE TRUE GOD BLOG

Hi- this is a new blog from some pretty influential US social commentators. I offer no guarantees on where it is headed but know a couple of our guys who might like to read what they are saying about demons...

http://www.onetruegodblog.com/

grace
stephenc

Blog Rehash from 2003
OPERATION HALLOWEEN

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.
Where I used to live we decided we weren’t going to pass up the year’s best opportunity to get into someone’s doorway, and retreat from the world during October 31’s activities. Having read about it in a magazine, we started Operation Halloween.

We gathered heaps of Christian kids, all dressed like angels, for a big party. Then we sent them out to the streets in pairs (with adult accompaniment). They prayer-walked between houses. Then they knocked on doors.

The kids took no candy. Instead they blessed each family and home, gave them a blessing card (with a Bible verse and prayer), offered to pray with them, and evangelized as possible.

One father figured he’d try to give out Bibles. He quickly learned that Gideons’ insists that you be a Gideon to give out Gideon Bibles. So he joined. He orchestrated the distribution of heaps of New Testaments that night. We wrote an account of it to Gideons and the following year chapters in various parts of the continent were doing it.

Streets were blessed. Families were prayed for. At least one person got saved (that night). Many received Bibles. And, for the first time in memory, no arrests were made in the city that night. We took on the powers of darkness and won.
____
I throw this out so you mgith prepare for this year's battle. BTW there are lots of gems in the archives (top right- previous blogs).
grace
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Challenge to Proponents of Female Subordination

http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/challenge.shtml
I know that there are honest dissenters out there. So, why not take up this challenge from Bilezikian?
grace,
sec
(comments as always to revolution@mmccxx.net)

headship

Relating to the last few posts, here is an article by Bilezikian on headship (warning- you have to read beyond the introduction to get the point): http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/mail_headship.shtml
grace
sec

Stuff you love to find out.
I'm boning up on equality to respond to a good question from my friend and I came across this little tidbit about leading egalitarian thinker (and theological founder of Willow Creek, Gilbert Bilezikian:

"As a young man, he had a promising future in Paris in an unlikely field: pugilism. But he was converted at a Salvation Army meeting, and Bilezikian traded in his boxing gloves for the Bible. (from christianitytoday.com)

Cool, eh? for a couple of reasons: 1. another pugilist who got saved with The Army; 2. one of women's champions got saved at The Army; one of the founders of one of the biggest churches in North America got saved at The Army (to go along with founders of biggest churches in a couple of other countries I know, and 9 of the 11 leaders of the churches in the town of my first appointment).

grace
stephenc

October 8, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
hb2DE,SvH,DH (listening to SALVO P.O.P.)
The other day I was pumping up Major Richard Munn's article in the new JAC (top right) on Biblical equality in leadership and offered some resources online to help you figure out the issue. I've found another that I am checking out now- E-Quality, a free online resource at http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/publications/publications.shtml and definitely worth a scan for those coming to a personal position on this or building up their confidence in defending it.
Much grace,
stephen C

Catholics No Longer Swear By The Bible

Times of London drops this bombshell at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1811332,00.html
Admittedly, the article isn't as black and white as the headline suggests. It suggests that the RCs have adopted the typical luekwarm, customized, consumer version of Christianity that many in North America, and many in our ranks, adore.

Tragic. But not shocking. They add one billion to the scores of those who seek to determine when the Bible is right and true, and when not (implicitly, then, it is not all God-breathed. if not all, which parts? 'They' choose. Convenient).
The RCs are not known for their trendiness and the idea that they folded their cards to a bunch of Biblical scholars is noteworthy, a big score for the devil.

grace
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October 7, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I'm having some frustrations with the lack of agreement in our larger family (The Army) on doctrine and practice. I know it would all be a lot simpler if everyone (in The Army) would just agree with me! :- ) But it seems to be going the other way.

And it feels like when they introduced cable tv to the networks. It used to be that there were four (?) networks and you knew that everyone was watching one of those shows. But now, there are hundreds (?) of channels, and there is no longer any common ground (or, at least, very little). Does that hurt the mission? I don't know (I'll pick this question up in a later blog). But it invites a little anomie into the equation.

Here I am, trying to incite revolution, and a little anomie is like a wrench in the works! (please excuse all the metaphor mixing)
grace
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posted by Stephen Court

My whife and I were recently going over some quotes from our training days at The War College. This one made our top ten list.

" Many people are claiming burnout as of late, however to my knowledge no one ever noticed that they were never on fire. "

Commisioner Wesley Harris

I was relishin in a qoute from a class at The War College recently and thought I would share it.

" Many people are claiming burnout as of late, but to my kmowledge no one ever noticed that they were on fire. "

Commisioner Wesley Harris

Mad Munn Scholarship

There is a new scholarship at The War College- Mad Munn Scholarship:

"Adjutant Harry Munn, popularly known as 'Mad Munn', was a colourful Salvation Army pioneer who used all means necessary to save some. His passion and faith were used for God's glory and still evoke conviction among those who carry on in his footsteps. Note the zeal from some of his memoirs:

"How do I get hold of the crowds? I go down to the places where they are. I see them in their darkness and drunkenness and immorality - vast crowds of humanity rotting and dying in their sinful abominations. I hear their oaths and curses, and their filthy conversations one with another, until sometimes I almost imagine myself in Hell. [...] Then, with my heart overwhelmed with the thought of the sights I have seen, and with the cries of the perishing in my ears, I wait on God for an inspiration as to what I am to do. I expect Him to suggest the best plan for me to use in getting the attention of this people. Sometimes it is to preach in my coffin, or preach in sackcloth; or go through the streets in rags, or some other extraordinary methods to make people think. Whatever it is, I settle with my Christ that I will do it."

"Members of the Munn clan from four countries have established the Mad Munn Scholarship in honour of the Adjutant's great warfare and in hopes of extending the anointing to the current generation.
____
Hallelujah! May their hopes and prayers be answered!
grace
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Best Line of the Day

This is from the new issue of JAC (top right), from Michelle Kay's WORSHIP article:

"William Booth has been quoted so much that one would think he is the current spokesperson for the Salvation Army, rather than one who left this world over 200 years ago."

Classic.

And you can read the rest of the article (top right) at the current issue.
grace
stephenc

new blogger...
Narelle Unicomb, Death and Glory, has just started blogging and you can catch the Aussie flavour at rellesthoughts.blogspot.com
Much grace
stephenc

Pro-Life cred in Supreme Court nom

"One evening in the 1980s, several years after Harriet Miers dedicated her life to Jesus Christ, she attended a lecture at her Dallas evangelical church with Nathan Hecht, a colleague at her law firm... The speaker was Paul Brand, a surgeon and the author of "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," a best-selling exploration of God and the human body.

"When the lecture was over, Miers said words Hecht had never heard from her before. "I'm convinced that life begins at conception," Hecht recalled her saying. According to Hecht, now a Texas Supreme Court justice, Miers has believed ever since that abortion is "taking a life." (Washington Post, Oct 5, 2005, pA01).
grace
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laity- wow...

Hi- Our Franciscan Salvo jumped to the defence of trained and active Anglican laity everywhere (God bless them) in response to the blog below. Well, here is a quick reply:

The problem even in what you describe, though, is the split between clergy and laity. My position is that there should none. There should be no clergy because everyone is gifted, ordained, and trained. And there should be no laity, which in North American evangelical culture means the pathetic second-class pew-sitters (I understand that the orginal term means something more full, but we both know that some words and terms get warped over time and prove practically useless- examples- Christian perfection and baptism in/of/with the Spirit). The problem isn't in whether or not they are active. The problem is that there is a split in the first place.

It is similar to defending the current SA system because there are well-trained, active married-women officers doing great things in the women's ministries department. Praise the Lord. But why is there even a women's department? And why do all of the married-women officers get stuck in it? Why aren't any of them in executive cabinet positions (General, TC, CS, Personnel, Programme, Business Administration)? The trained and active married women aren't the problem. The system is the problem (where are the leaders with guts to make some (not one, token) serious appointments of married women?- and talk is cheap, as Michael Collins like to harp).

Much grace,
StephenC

October 6, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I thought I'd go off on a little clergy/laity stuff again. It is evil, by the way. And I don't accept any SA use of the term laity (unless, I guess, they refer to adherency, about which you know my feelings). But Major Eddie Hobgood whipped through town this week and taught The War Colleg (the guy is great). He had some gems, two of which I generously share with you:

"There is a danger of the old clergy and laity idea creeping in amongst us. The common church idea is that of a minister doing all the fighting and feeding, while his congregation does all the looking on and swallowing. We are an Army. Every soldier is expected to fight." Booth-Tucker.

Amen. And then, with my comments in brackets...

"The kingdom of satan and sin will never be overthrown by a body of officers, as officers only

(amen).

Our founders

(I suspect she means her husband and father-in-law in stead of her in-laws. Of course, if she includes husband, which the Year Book has accepted but I reject, then she and the YB should feel obliged to include GSR)

raised The Salvation Army because they saw clearly there should be an army of fighting men and women. The churches have erred by shutting out the laity an making God's work depend on the leaders only

(and, of course, this is now also a pervasive problem with us, too)

; and The Army was raised up as a protest against this very mistake

(this is a take on our foundations that you might not have heard. The Army started to mobilize everybody. Major Harold Hill's thesis remains the go-to source on this whole subject).

Do not ape the parson

(hahahahahahahahahaha- of course, our readership is limited, so... what is the modern dynamic equivalent of parson? pastor, preacher, minister, etc.).

Do not imitate the church

(this goes to my blog around Sept 1 or slightly before about different Biblical metaphors for the people of God and our concern that we are part of the church of God instead of their concern that they are part of the army of God- it has to do with the hierarchy of metaphors - does that make sense to you? Why is 'church' generic? Why not building or temple or family or bride or flock or kingdom or body or army? Each of these has the benefit of being understood by our culture. What is a church anyway? Then you crack open your biblegateway greek and drop ecclesia and start explaining. No one has to ask 'what is a flock anyway?' or, 'what is a bride anyway?' So let's stop slavishly wringing our emotional necks about being like and smelling like and looking like and acting like churches, which in my country are very unpopular, and start playing up a fresh, underutilized Biblical metaphor, like, for example. army!).

Let your aim be to raise up an Army that shall glorify God by fighting. (FloBo).

Whew! (comments to revolution@mmccxx.net)
grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

assorted faves...

My new friends have a DC who challenged them when assigning them to draw up a dream proposal: "Make me say 'no'." I love it. And I'm sure they love fighting under him.

I was a part of an audit once that went pretty well. There were some instructions for improvement. The final line was, 'at least some people are getting saved.'

Hallelujah.

JAC is getting some great response. Why not give it a check and offer your response? (revolution@mmccxx.net)

Grace
stephenc

covenant (from Laeger)

hi- my friend Phil Laeger blogged a week or so ago (top right) on some SA covenant stuff. For clarification's sake, I am interacting with his comments here:

PL- quotes me- "A pervasive embrace of covenant will save (and is the only thing that will save?) our Army for the next generation."

I understand what Steve's saying, but I have a question about the way it's worded (I feel free to say these things, because I'm pretty sure Steve cares more about saving the world than saving the Army.)

sc- I think the context of the comment was a discussion on how The Army cannot last in the next generation without covenant. The reason to save the Army for the next generation is to help win the world for Jesus. It IS, after all, a revolutionary movement of covenanted warriors exercising holy passion to win the world for Jesus. If The Army embraces covenant it will become my definition.

PL- So many Salvationists seem worried about what will happen to The Salvation Army. And so we get into this mindset of "How can we keep [our organization] alive?!" All I'm saying is - maybe we should let God worry about what will happen.

sc- I suspect god is 'worried' about what will happen. But we're not antinomians, are we. We have some responsibility and capability to shape the future by faith-filled boldness.

PL- You see, William Booth was never devoted to The Salvation Army - and he wouldn't want you to be either. He was devoted to God and the salvation of the lost through Jesus Christ.

sc- I'm not sure I agree. I suspect he was devoted to both. And this ties in with two other comments Phil makes in other covenant blogs. In one he criticizes WB for thinking all are to be officers. But, of course, in context, WB is talking to soldiers, and his conditions are 1. if God doesn't call you to do something else, and 2. if you are qualified. In the other Phil criticizes the idea of covenant involving two parties AND God, noting that it is unheard of in his experience. Some might argue that the dedication of children involves three parties (NT example) as does marriage. And this doesn't begin to explore the covenants of post-Biblical Christianity.

PL- Maybe if we start by saying, "God, who cares what happens to my own subset of organized religion, You just go ahead and do what You see fit to do. I'm going to trust You and love You with everything that my soul has to offer and I'm going to love my neighbor as myself." Instead of asking, "How can we preserve our way of life?", maybe we should be asking, "How can I preserve my neighbor's life?" God knows I need to be asking that last question a whole lot more...

sc- nice turn of phrase by Phil on the quote. Well done. But those of us who are covenanted SA soldiers are convinced that God raised The Army up to be involved in the great commission (some are bold enough to believe the prophecy by CB - He shall reign whose right it is from the River to the ends of the earth. We shall win. It is only a matter of time. I believe that this movement shall inaugurate the great final conquest of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ). If we have a calling, we must fight to prepare ourselves and position ourselves so that God can fulfill His prophecies and purposes through us.

Much grace
stephenc

October 5, 2005.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I lifted this great blog from Xander Coleman (top right) last week:

I was visiting the historical society at DHQ with my brother Shaw and we found something interesting pertaining to the clergy laity split.

In 1905 the officership commission read,

"By virtue of this commission the said will be appointed from time to time to the command of Corps, and upon recieving Marching Orders will be required to proceed to the appointment given, there to lead and train the Soldiers and Recruits in the devotion of their bodies and souls to the Service of God, and for the salvation of the people."


By 1958 the commission read,

"By virtue of this commission the said will be appointed from time to time to the command of Corps, and upon recieving Marching Orders will be required to proceed to the appointment given and there to devotedly and faithfully labour to the glory of God and for the salvation of the people."

We see that somewhere between these years the role of officership changed from leading and training the Soldiery to doing it all themselves.
____
Grace
stephenc
posted by Stephen Court

Posted by: armybarmy / 6:17 AM

So Ive been in Charlotte helping out with Emergency Disaster Relief and the culture between me and the oppressed ghetoized american culture have been clashing. At the hight of this clash I brought a young guy downtown to take care of some business, when I asked him what he needed and he responded, " a glock ." A glock is a high powered hand gun for those of you who dont use handguns on a regular basis. I asked him why, and he casually explained that since he was in a new city he would need it to make a name for himself and not loose respect. This hand gun was a comfort item for my friend, it gives him peace of mind in the same way that the average person would get insurance on thier new apartment. And the gun is cheaper than insurance too.

best city!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4306936.stm ---
Vancouver is 'best place to live'

"Canadians have a lot to toast in terms of liveability, the EIU reckons

"Vancouver is the world's best place to live, a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has found.

"The EIU ranked 127 cities in terms of personal risk, infrastructure and the availability of goods and services.

"All the cities that fell into the top "liveability" bracket were based in Canada, Australia and Western Europe.
____
Hallelujah.
grace
stephenc