Armybarmy Blog

Bale's Blog

Andrew Bale is still on fire. Check out his blog (top right) and watch him burn. He starts with this bit:

“The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender.”

And goes deeper.

Much grace
StephenC

The War Room 2nd anniversary Call:

As a former, regular participant in the celebrated holy space we affectionately call The War Room (TWR in Vancouver, that is), I relish providing a piece of revelation I recently received from the God who steadfastly lives it.

A short time ago I sat like a dark, angry cloud in another place of prayer not wanting to be around the people I was with. Mounting frustration from the day was a close companion and I longed to be somewhere else. My joyful wife, however, was undaunted and later on pushed me to express what I wanted from God. Having previously asked Him in a silent manner what He wanted me to ask Him for, (got that?) I blurted, 'I want more wisdom and understanding!'

'That's it?!!' someone responded, almost incredulously. I nodded yes.
But added, 'If someone were to pray that Proverbs 2:1-6 would be fulfilled in me, that would be enough.' At this my friend Jennifer mused, 'Are you sure you don't mean the passage on the wife of noble character?'

Immediately the bombshell hit me smack up the head!

We should pray that the whole Church, more accurately, the bride of Christ, become the wife of noble character for her husband, Christ Jesus.

Ponder that! Who has ever heard Proverbs 31:10-31 read or prayed in that context? Now I realize that my scope of knowledge is dismally limited concerning what God is doing around the planet. But I believe we have a grand opportunity for a richer fulfillment of a passage that is often, if not always, attributed to being exemplified in our earthly wives. Count me in.

But read on. The drama thickens. For later on I recalled what Jeni Parsons, who oversees TWR Van. had written me in Nov. 2005. This was her insight. 'We feel like the Lord is calling our community to deeper levels of intimacy and to return to our First Love...so TWR would take on a reflection of that'.we sensed that it would be like a bridal chamber.' She added that the Father's heart indicated that He would like to prepare the bride, not she herself. This last sentence has been confirmed by other trustworthy sources in the body of Christ across Canada.

So consider this a trumpet call sounding along with all the others Yahweh has blasting across the face of the earth and in the heavens and pour your hearts out to God.

"Gracious Father, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May we let You prepare Your Son's bride so she is ready for her husband!"

Ian Gillingham
The Salvation Army 614 London, ON

More Salvo Media Online

http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/onfire/

This is an excellent source of media, and also resources (Aussie Trade) and services, and other site.

grace
stephenC

Naomi Project up close and personal.

I made a new friend tonight of a guy who is on the Naomi Project (see Melinda Peters's blog for details on this government free heroin clinic- top right).

He said he gets about $100/day of heroin from the government in this project (for you Canadians, that's $100.day out of your pocket in taxes). I asked him how much his habit cost him before he entered the project. Answer- $80.

So, for those not doing the math, our government has kicked up his habit by 25%.

There is a better way. Jesus is the answer.
Grace
sec

Amnesty blog

I know I mentioned it before but not enough people have gone to read the VIsion-like (think Pete Greig in epaulets) blog by Captain Jonathan Gainey called Revolutionaries Amnesty Box and Direct Orders over at primitive salvationist (top right). It was posted February 17.

Please, go read it.

Read it to your friends, to your comrades in the band, to your cellmates, to your classmates, and so on.

Stick it on your bulletin boards, in your prayer journals, in your weekly bulletins, on your websites, on your blogs.

Thanks.
grace
sec

February 26, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Here is another Vintage Blog for the third birthday celebrations:
____
April 30, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

Oswald Chambers says that,

"Abandonment is to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions."

That sounds innocuous enough. But how about if God is prompting you to stand up in the middle of your meeting and speak out a tongue?

According to Chambers, it means that you don’t have the luxury of asking whether or not the timing is appropriate, or if it will go over well and be accepted, or if the person given the interpretation will be gutsy enough to stand up and not leave you hanging, or if ‘they’ll’ still like ‘me’ afterward.

We talk loosely about reckless abandonment. But it is a lot more extreme than getting a little rowdy on a Sunday night.
posted by Stephen Court, April 30, 2003.
____
grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Brengle's Band Standards

"As a result of his holiness campaign, nearly all of the corps soldiers were sanctified, and a policy was adopted that no person could be a member of the band unless they evidenced having been entirely sanctified" (Rightmire, SANCTIFIED SANITY. p21).

grace
stephenC

SLB in Training

"Overall, his ministry was a success, with many persons saved or sanctified, despite his apparent 'long-windedness' and erudition" (RIghtmire, SANCTIFIED SANITY. p20).

This is to encourage the students and cadets out there.
grace
stephenc

updating the blogging news...

Estonia SA has a great blog called Are You Out of Your Mind? (top right) today.

Andrew Stringer writes amid-term update on life at 614 Vancouver. While a bit optimistic to my eyes, it gives some ideas of some of the better aspects of the 614 War in Vancouver, and a taste of possibilities for those considering The War College in September (apply at thewarcollege.com).

Xander Coleman quotes Booth on Fighting (top right). It proves a nice balance to some responses to some salvo blogs that we should not be so 'aggressive', nor do open airs, nor use the metaphor 'Army' (you can search this blog for various explanations over the years about Army not being a metaphor at all- when you make it a metaphor, the whole thing falls apart- hat tip AC. This is current events in light of the SALVATIONIST MIND article in The Officer and several blogs off of it).

ArmyRenewal (top right) is trying to wed emergent salvos to primitive salvos. I'd love to see that marriage- do you hear that, all you emergents?

Thom Moffitt has the aggressive warfare angle continuing at primitive salvationist (top right). This blog is a place for presenting longer arguments-a worthy exercise.

Grace
sec

February 25, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Scooping the Blogosphere:

We're excited to note the official declaration of a YEAR OF PRAYER in the USA Salvation Army. In each territory it starts with commissioning weekend (June, I am guessing).

It has the potential to achieve this stated purposes:
____
"The dream behind 24/7 is to turn the tide of culture back to Jesus. Western culture is dangerously adrift. Something has to change. But clever strategy alone is not the answer. Never has been. History shows that the tide turns when God's people pray. Salvationists are needed at the crest of this wave.

"‘The tide is now flowing; we’re touching the wave,
We hear the loud call of the mighty to save.’
____
The States is picking up from UK and Australia Eastern Territories (both of which have run non-stop prayer for at least a year) at a strategic moment.

If you're an American Salvo, jump on board early and get in on the blessings (I suspect there is even opportunity at this early hour for other territories to join up- those interested might want to contact the organizers at armyonitsknees.org).

May God infuse this great and noble enterprise with Holy Spirit glory and effect.

And may their example spur us all on to love and good deeds.
Grace
StephenC

February 24, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

another battle school

I just got off the phone with a friend who started a battle school at his corps. It is a one-year, residential discipleship and training school. Nothing new and exciting here, so far.

But the great thing about it is that they've got heaps of students, all of whom were down and out converts. That is more rare, in my experience.

Wow. Praise God. May He prosper it.
grace
stephenC
posted by Stephen Court

Culture for the War.

Macleans magazine has a book review of PRAYERS FOR THE ASSASSIN, a story set in the Islamic Republic of America in 2040:

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/article.jsp?content=20060227_121943_121943

It is soaked in religion and culture and is suggestive of the causes and consequences of our spiritual impotence.

Much grace
sec

Words from our mouths?

This is from Nordlinger at nationarlrevivew.com: "“Either they will succeed in changing our way of life, or we will succeed in changing theirs.” That was Rumsfeld — and this stark formulation could well be correct."
____
We could say the same thing about the warfare in which we are engaged.
grace
stephenC

Feburary 23, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

More Vintage armybarmy to celebrate the third birthday
____
March 30, 2003.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I've written about the deflation of the word, revival, and the term, filled with the Spirit. I continue that theme today with 'glory'.

I heard two different leaders address this subject recently. Ravi Zacharias wrote a bit about it when discussing why God doesn't show Himself more obviously to people. Of course, He'd have to keep showing up to remind and convince them of His existence, His care, and His power to intervene in their lives. The ancient Israelites, recently freed from Egyptian captivity, lived in a constant sign and wonder age during which God showed Himself constantly and consistently. And yet whenever they hit a little roadblock faith was thrown out with the day-old manna as they demonstrated their disbelief that God exists, cares, and has the power to intervene in their lives (now, I've taken the argument off a bit from RZ- no offence intended). In other words, He'd have to keep showing up to prove Himself to us. If He walked in to Bill's living room and Bills broke down and repented, what would happen if Bill left his house and drove over his 5 year old son by mistake while pulling out of the driveway? Would the recent appearance of God's glory be enough? Would Bill ask where God was now? Where would it end?

Then I saw Winkie Pratney explain the glory of God another way. He defined the term 'bless your soul.' It is a common, though antique, term in our culture. He figures that it means something like'you're an idiot, mate!' You know, it's like when Frank tripped over the sidewalk crack and broke his leg. 'Bless your heart', or, 'you're an idiot, mate'. Well, WP suggests that this is how God responded when Moses begged that he wanted to see God's face. 'Bless your heart' or 'you're an idiot, mate.' WP argues that the glory of God is way too much for anyone to handle, that if it shows up, you have to get saved, or die. I guess Saul/Paul is an example. WP's perspective is that it just isn't fair to the free will of people if God releases or exposes His glory to us. We just can't handle it. We can't resist it.

Glory is a very serious thing. If God shows us His glory we are forever changed. Certainly we cannot abide where the glory is. Look through Scripture to see how priests and others react to the glory. Out for the count.

And yet, we have discounted the term similarly to 'revival' and 'filled with the Spirit' so that it means anything from a personal warm fuzzy to corporate goose bumps during an appeal. These are not the glory of God.

That said, I am very interested in seeing the the glory of God come (bless my heart!). I will do what I can to help prepare a resting place for God's glory. Forget settling for visitation. We need to change things so that God is comfortable sticking around- habitation.
posted by Stephen Court, March 30, 2003.
____
grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Salvos on interfaith relations.

Indispensable Salvationist (http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-issue/71160B54D1379F078025711C003CFE35?opendocument&id=FE91B7C3F99D9D668025711C003B697D) has this advice:
____
"General-elect Commissioner Shaw Clifton made an important comment on interfaith relations soon after his election. He said: ‘Helen and I served for nearly five years in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and our experience was that the more self-assured we were about our own faith, the more seriously we were taken by Muslims, thereby winning their respect.’

"This is not a call to be fanatical and intolerant but rather to be passionate and confident about Christ’s power to change lives.
____
grace
stephenc

February 22, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

My friend (hat tip CH) is getting me on to listening to teaching and preaching online. He goes podcast- I'm trying that, but I decided to try some old school stufff and found Leonard Ravenhill. In a preach on revival, he asserts,

"if you're not known in hell you're not worth a hill of beans."

He's speaking of you as an evangelist, not your soul nor your value as a child of God. Don't get offended.

Great line.
grace
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

Great line from Major Larry Ashcraft:

"We need to incarnate the Gospel. We spend too much time trying to reincarnate the Army."
http://questionsforthejourney.blogspot.com/

Of course, the best way to do the former is to accomplish the latter! :-)
grace
stephenC

Amnesty Box v. The Salvationist Mind for the 21st century

The Officer Magazine runs the latter named article and it is stirring up much debate. At the same time primitive salvationist blog (top right) runs an incendiary manifesto about Amnesty Box and Direct Orders.

After a conversation on the latter, I read the former to my cell. Asked for comment, AC responded, 'it is basically the direct opposite of The Officer Magazine article.'

You should do yourself a big, big favour and read the Amnesty Box manifesto (top right at ps). It could rev The Army up for revolution.

One article is ambivalent and apologetic (and written excellently) about the war and dismisses The Army to the heap of metaphor. The other burns your fingertips with the passion of that dismissed reality.

Much grace
StephenC

CBonline

Catherine Booth's FEMALE writings are all over the internet, including here:
Female Ministry- http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/booth/ministry.html
Female Teaching- http://www.jesus.org.uk/vault/library/booth_c_female_teaching.pdf (ironically, this link credits armybarmy.com)
grace
sec

Biblical Equality

I guess it is time for a refresher for veterans and an intro for newer armybarmy bloggees.

Here is an article- THE BIBLE AND BIBLICAL EQUALITY from CBEInternational that can bring you up to speed:
http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/pdf_files/free_articles/groothius_bible_genderequailty.pdf

On the same page is a controversial review of the popular book WILD AT HEART:
http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/pdf_files/free_articles/hoggatt_munn_review.pdf

Others may be stimulated by Correcting Caracatures by the president of Gordon-Conwell:
http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/pdf_files/free_articles/kaiser_correcting.pdf

If you want more, just search the armybarmy archives for "Biblical Equality" or CBE or Bilezikian (for our 'controversial' adoption of his challenge).

Much grace
StephenC

Feburary 21, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Celebrating our 3rd birthday this month, here is another oldie:
____
May 2, 2003
Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

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

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

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

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

Jackson article

(includes account of classic duel with Dickinson:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/694nfvri.asp?pg=2 )
____
"As a General, Jackson enjoyed spectacular success battling both Indians and the British. He became famous (and infamous) for the level of discipline he demanded. When he faced a mass desertion of his troops in late 1813, no one doubted his word when he stood before his assembled army and vowed to have artillery troops (whose loyalty to Jackson was unquestioned) cut them all--including himself--to shreds if they were intent on mutiny. A short while later, Jackson pitilessly ordered the execution of an 18-year-old soldier who had briefly defied orders, telling the rest of his army, "An army cannot exist where order and subordination are wholly disregarded." Soon after he noted that "a strict obedience afterwards characterized the army.""
____
I picked that bit because of the last quote.
grace
stephenC

William Booth at the Mosque of Omar

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=39

(there are some other nice shots of WB there, too).
grace
stephenC

Christians killed over the cartoons

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20060219-095458-3055r.htm (a couple of paragraphs down).

That's the excuse, anyway.

grace
sec

February 20, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Here is another vintage blog, relevant in light of the Asbury hopes expressed earlier this month:
____
February 22, 2003.

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

‘Revival’ is a term of questionable value to us these days. It means different things to different people. Like ‘baptism of the Spirit’ it is difficult to use efficaciously in conversation today (some would say that ‘efficaciously’ is difficult to use efficaciously in conversation today!).

Anyway, ‘revival’ means dramatically different things to different people. I have buddies who organize and throw revivals a couple of times a year. Along this historic vein I have a book on my shelf by evangelist R.A.Torrey called HOW TO PROMOTE AND CONDUCT A SUCCESSFUL REVIVAL.

At the other end of the spectrum are those scandalized by the affront to God’s sovereignty caused by the first group of people, who insist that we cannot do anything to bring about revival, that it is entirely up to God. This school holds the sway in much of the Body of Christ today.

As if often the case I am playing hooky from both schools. I side with one of my heroes, Finney, who argued that just as you follow certain laws to get a crop of wheat, so you can follow several rules to get a revival. To get a crop of wheat you have to break up the fallow ground, plant, water, weed, and harvest. For revival you need to break up the fallow ground, plant, water, weed, and harvest.

If we are His people, if we are called by His name, if we humble ourselves, if we pray, if we seek His face, and if we turn from our wicked ways, He WILL hear from heaven, He WILL hear our prayers, and He WILL heal our land. If we follow the divine rules He WILL give revival.

The problem is that the rules are so hard. Who wants to humble themselves? I’ve seen revival in Toronto and in Pensacola. The latter is the more classic version of it because of the intense repentance active.

I saw some public humbling begin last week at some meetings. For some reason it didn’t continue. We ran out of time. Hmm

I want revival. But that isn’t the end. The end is world conquest.
____
grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Another oldie and that will be it for today...
___
February 4, 2003

Greetings in Jesus’ name, friends.

One of the verses with which I daily invite Jesus to challenge me recounts His words regarding His tactics in the great Salvation War. In John 5:19 He said, “The Son can do nothing by Himself. He can do only what He sees His Father doing. Because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

Youch!

If I were to follow that verse today, I’d do very little. It’s just that I see so poorly. And yet this was Jesus’ whole game plan. He abdicated His right to choose. He only obeyed. Wow.

There are at least three issues here. One is the abdication of the right to choose. That comes part and parcel with holiness and the neutralization of the natural inclination to sin. Second, implicit obedience. This, too, is necessary for holiness. And finally, intimacy. If I cannot I see, I cannot obey.

And so I pray, “Help me to see what You do and do what I see.” Revelation and Imitation.
____
grace
sec

My first blog (posted virtually minutes after Danielle's!) :-)
____
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I just read Paul's admonition, "Do not scoff at prophecies" (1 Thessalonians 5:20). And this hasn't generally been a problem for me. I have my own small and growing collection of prophecies that have been spoken over me over the years. It includes tapes and notes and emails. It is an excellent reference for the days when I need to settle in with God for clarity on His purposes for me and mine.

Well, I have to confess that I needed to repent for an exception to my general attitude toward prophecy. As I was recently listening to taped prophecies for me, I came across an exhortation from Pat Cocking (Patricia King) to read a couple of books, as part of my preparation for God's purposes for me. She gave me this word maybe 5 years ago.

To my chagrin, I realized I had not read either of the books! Now, real repentance includes a change in action so I quickly got a hold of both of them. One was a biography of John G. Lake and some of his sermons. Lake had a very powerful healing ministry as a missionary in South Africa before starting the famous healing rooms in Spokane. The other was on Smith Wigglesworth, a larger-than-life character from the turn of the last century. He was known as the apostle of faith for God's great acts performed through him. Among other things, he raised 14 people back to life. Hallelujah.

Wigglesworth is a huge challenge to me. Instead of stimulation, I tend towards frustration. The reasoning goes like this: God, if You can do it through Wigglesworth, why don't You do it through me? And so I am motivated to follow that other apostolic injunction, 'imitate me, as I imitate Christ.'

So learn from my mistake: do not scoff at prophecy, and imitate greathearts as they imitate Christ.

posted by Stephen Court, January 28, 2003
____
I'm not scoffing. I'm imitating, as possible. I just received a word from a dream from by buddy in the States, this week. Let's see what will happen...
grace
stephenC

Our Third Birthday

Armybarmy Blog is celebrating our third birthday this month. We used to be known as Captains' Blog (still are on a few blog rolls). In the interim we've added Elaine Gillingham, Heather Dolby, and Aaron White to our blog, and have been riding the armybarmy primitive salvo wave (such that the host site is now getting about 30 times the traffic we had two years ago). Praise God.

In celebration, I'll be throwing up some vintage blogs, all of which you can access at 'previous armybarmy blogs' top right. Here is the very first blog, by Danielle Strickland:
January 28, 2003


So it goes that we are trying to establish 'authentic christian community' in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. This desire is probably out of frustration as much as ideal. It is a gnawing sense that what we have deemed 'church' is lacking something. It isn't a slam on churches I've been to - just a sense that the whole 'church' culture isn't complete.
What I read about the growing church (pretty much everywhere that isn't the western world) seems full of stories of comraderie that makes our Sunday 'how's it going?' fade into meaninglessness - not that it was much more than that to start. I've started Bonhoeffer's classic 'Living Together' to get a glimpse at his theology of community. It has really challenged me.
For starters he says that the biggest killer of authentic Christian community are 'pipe dreams' of some social gathering that meets all emotional needs. Bonhoeffer says Christian community is in Christ, through Christ and for Christ. Jesus in us is what makes us a community and what makes community us. Living anything less than that is empty but demanding more than that is the death of the church. Hmmmm. We are satisfied with each other as we are satisfied with Christ. It's Jesus in me that my brother needs and it's Jesus in my sister that I need. That's what makes us 'one' - in Christ.

I wonder how much we've let the world squeeze us into it's mold (Romans 12:2 - the message) when it comes to thinking about church and being the church. Perhaps trying to figure it out is like explaining the trinity or the virgin birth - maybe the beauty of church is the mystery of church?

mystified but thankful, posted by Danielle Strickland, January 28, 2003

February 19, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Let me catch up on some comments to blogs over the last couple of days. On Controversy people are wondering about my 'etc.' Well, among other things, I was involved in the first honour student tie in Jackson's Point Senior Music Camp history (hat tip Jim Mac). :-)

Some are wondering about prostituted persons use. Here are three graphic (read, 'crude') but persuasive:
http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/faq/000010.html

http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/faq/000009.html

http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/faq/000007.html

(these address the inclination of some to think that these women choose it, like it, and can get out if they want. I blogged somewhere that 95% of prostituted persons surveyed in our neighbourhood want to get out, and speculated that the other 5% are lying).

Elaine blogged about her friend from the neighbourhood who is now out. That raised some questions about our philosophy- aren't we commited to keeping people here to transform the district? Answer- yes, but not everyone. We send people to treatment centres out of town, and some people do better out. We'd like people ot stay, but we'd like them to stay alive, more.

Holiness remains the solution to every problem. It's Jesus or hell. And I'm more and more in favour of vigilantes every time I see the oppressed being oppressed.

grace
stephenC

Semantics

Sometime it is advantageous to modify your terms so that people can understand. Sometime it is important to use your terms, though, so that people's understanding can change. Here are just a few examples:
them - us
sinners - independents
members - soldiers
sex trade workers - prostituted persons
church - army
harm reduction - sin facilitation
recovery - salvation
pastor - officer

There are many, many more. But this is a taste. Instead of ALWAYS trying to be understood, sometimes we need to fight to make people understand.
grace
stephhenc

Superman to the rescue of Jesus...

http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/02/superman_to_the.html#more

grace
stephenc

Steal their cars!

Calgary Sun notes that Alberta police are planning to impound the cars of drivers aiming to rape prostituted persons (the Sun doesn't describe it in those words). Nice.

grace
StephenC

assorted...

It took less than an hour for us to receive our correct answer to the previous blog's question (see below). Congratulations to Evelyn C! This is a good time to plug her blog (Estonia SA- Tartu Blog - top right). I'll leave the answer for you to find at Bale's blog.
____
I read this in Macleans.ca on the different approach taken by the new government in forming the cabinet:
____
""If Stephen Harper is trying to create a group of high-performing individuals with long-term potential, then putting them into portfolios where they don't have direct experience and then rotating them every two or three years would not be a bad strategy," said David Wheeler, a professor at the Schulich School of Business at Toronto's York University.

"Of course, that implies that they're going to be around that long."
__
It sounds a bit like the way officer changes used to work. Hmm.
____
I'm an alumnus of Victoria College (University of Toronto), and the student newspaper there (The Strand), is getting some national press by publishing a cartoon by a student of Jesus hugging Muhammad:
http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n021808A Apparently you cannot see M's face- it is a turbaned head facing the other way with crescent moon and star tattoo. It sounds somewhat innocuous but the context is this week's Knowing Radical Week by a Jewish Students group and Israel Apartheid Week by a Muslim Students group. Things are hot. I'm glad Jesus is depicted positively. He is the solution to this whole kerfuffle.
____
Much grace
StephenC

February 18, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Andrew Bale, a holiness proponent with a fiery type pad, has started a blog with the intriguing title, "Beyond the Brook". If you can guess the source of the title, email revolution@mmccxx.net. The rest should go to http://beyondthebrook.blogspot.com/ and read the second post for the interesting background.

Much grace
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

controversy?

I've not been able to avoid controversy much in my life, whether it was my evangelistic Wesleyan Arminianism in Campus Crusade (convinced some good Baptists!), my idiosyncratic salvationism (conservative theologically and liberal practically with some exceptions on both), my life-long covenantalism in training college (I exhorted session mates to call me before they quit, naively believing I could convince them to change their minds), my cold-call evangelism, my early engagement with Toronto Blessing (in one division, parents wouldn't let their kids come to our meetings), prophetic/Biblical Equality/soldiership standards (and view on adherency), 'it's Jesus or hell', my regard of Salvo sources above non-salvo for life and warfare, my primitive salvationism, revolution, mmccxx, etc.

I preached something a little controversial last weekend. One sliver of the blogosphere has been on hot on this new 'controversy'. I preached that you can and should be holy (what God commands, God enables). That didn't get much of a rise. I preached that embracing covenant will empower us in the great salvation war (you can't earn God's love, but you can earn His trust- Rob Dolby). That didn't get much of a rise. Now, those are two normally controversial issues. But, they didn't bug too many people.

Then I preached Luke 1:35 on 'that holy thing'. If you want the basics of the preach, check JAC (top right). It was a bit disappointing (my preach and the response- no offence intended in the preach nor in the comment).

Here are some things I value that should stir substantive controversy:
doctrine 9
doctrine 10
doctrine 11
world-winning
identificational repentance
Biblical Equality
revolution
holiness
prophetic
covenant
and my latest contribution to primitive salvationist (top right)- 8 myths.
(no comments option on this blog but feel free to email at revolution@mmccxx.net).

Grace,
sec

disgraceful

You may have missed today's FIRST THINGS blog (bottom right). It starts like this:
____
Richard John Neuhaus writes:

Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, has been in alcohol rehab since February 1. There is this in his letter to his diocese:

"Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am writing to you from an alcohol treatment center where on February 1, with the encouragement and support of my partner, daughters and colleagues, I checked myself in to deal with my increasing dependence on alcohol.

"Over the 28 days I will be here, I will be dealing with the disease of alcoholism–which, for years, I have thought of as a failure of will or discipline on my part, rather than a disease over which my particular body simply has no control, except to stop drinking altogether.
____
To see where RJN takes it, visit the blog now.
grace
sec

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF EVE...
Danielle wrote yesterday about aggressive Christianity and the war raging over the same.
I would like to weigh in on this from the perspective of the poor.
I spent the other day with one of my friends. She is from the Downtown eastside and has managed to escape from that ghetto. She's trying to get her life back together and is really starting from scratch. As I spent the day with her I was able to get a feel for what it is like to walk in her shoes. Let's call her Eve.
I got to Eve's place in the afternoon and she had lined up a list of things for us to do seeing as I had a vehicle to transport us around town. She had called ahead earlier to The Salvation Army to line up getting clothing for a new job. She only had a pair of running shoes and jeans to wear. The person on the other end of the phone told her to come on in and they would hook her up with some clothing. So off we went. This place was clear across town - I'm not sure they could have got there by bus. When we got there we were sort of greeted by the receptionist. None of us had been there before so we didn't have a clue what to do. My friend, who isn't timid but is coming out of addiction and feeling insecure, wanted me to do the talking. So I launched in about the phone call and being here for work clothes for a new job. The receptionist ends up calling another lady in to handle our case. It ends up they don't just give out clothes on the spot and that Eve will have to come back in a few days. Eve should have called in first and told them what clothing articles she needed. We tried to plead our case - that we were told to just come in - that we did call in advance - that we live way across town and can't make it back... No movement on the worker's part. I don't think she was even listening. We were talking to a brick wall with attitude. Now I know if I were the C.O. or some other person in position we would have left with the clothes. But today I was just Joe Shmo helping out my friend and getting a taste of some of her battles. So off we were to the next place - the food bank.
This place seemed to be clear across town again and in the middle of no where. I thought to myself, "How on earth do poor people do it with no transportation???" There were tons of people at this place and we had to wait in line. While we waited there were some clothes so we continued our work clothes mission to no avail. In the process we did have one indecent proposal. It made me feel so dirty! We end up with a box full of food - how do you get this home if you are on the bus?? Where is the bus stop any way??? The battle rages...
After the food bank it's on to higher purposes - opening a bank account in order to get pay cheques directly deposited. I go in and speak again for Eve because of the intimidation factor. We hit another huge road block here because Eve has no Identification. It was stolen/lost during the days in the DTES and is in the process of being replaced. Eve brought along an old income tax form from the government but it proves to be worthless to our mission. The bank will not open an account without 2 peices of ID. I could sponsor my friend for the account but I would take on any liability if she did anything fraudulent. Any how the bank account is a no go. Her job only does direct payments so she has a job but no means by which to receive payment. She does have a boyfriend that she lives with whom she could get her cheques deposited but he has been known to steal from her. ARG!!!! So we try a new line of attack - let's get some ID!!!
Eve has already made application to get a birth certificate - this is the key domino - but it takes up to 10 weeks to get it. She had to borrow money in order to purchase it. Undaunted we go to Human Resources to see about getting a Social Insurance Number. After all we have that trusty tax form from the government. Ouch... we hit another brick wall. You need picture ID and a birth certificate. Change of direction.
Now we head off to the motor vehicle branch - can you imagine doing all this without a car! She used to have a driver's licence and she still remembers the actual number on it. Sorry, you need ID.
Talk about frustrating!
Oh yeah, in the midst of all this we phone back to The Salvation Army to see if the clothes might be ready to pick up because they said to phone back. The person answering said we should have phoned back earlier because the worker that handles the clothes has already gone home for the day. It was only 3:30 and she told us she would be in until 4.
So off we went to Value Village. I have no clue where this place was in relation to every where else we had already been. None of these places were remotely close to one another. Taking a taxi would have cost a month's salary. I'm not sure the bus serviced all the places we went to. So we're at Value Village and we are able to score a couple of outfits for Eve's first couple of days at work. YEAH!!! Finally something goes right!
Now this is just one day in the life of EVE. She is on one uphill battle. Every day she has so much to over come. The one factor that isn't even touched on in what I have written is the battle just to stay drug free. After so many road blocks, run arounds and non-helpful people the temptation to give up must be immense! It would be so much easier in a sense to just go off and get some rock to make it all feel better. That's another battle.
I look at just one day in Eve's life and I see clearly the battle. She is one of the down and outs trying valiantly to arise. She prays hard every day and yet the battle rages around her and in her. Only Aggressive Christianity - the God of the aggressive Christian and His people working together will be able to fight alongside Eve to overcome. They can't do it on their own because the system and people are aligned against them and contribute to their failure, hopelessness and the resulting need to escape.
Today is Eve's first day at work in over a decade. THE BATTLE RAGES. God send some Aggressive Christians in her path today to help her in the fight.
Shalom
Elaine Gillingham

seems to be some questions these days about Aggressive Christianity and whether using a military metephor is useful in todays world.

My response is that it could well be determined useful or not depending on what perspective you have.
Psalm 97 says that the righteous rejoice at the judgments (just reign) of the Lord, and that got me to thinking.
Am I on the side of the oppressor or the oppressed? This is important.

If I am on the side of (or at least identify with) the 'oppressed' (those who long for freedom and justice) I'm all for fighting. I'm for fighting against oppression and oppressive systems... if I'm on the side of the oppressor I'm a little uncomfortable, perhaps even edgy about it. Why? Because fighting is understood best by those that must embrace it in order to establish 'peace'. Jesus said, 'blessed are the peaceMAKERS'.... not those who love peace but those who MAKE peace. We understand the term better when we say, 'that troubleMAKER'... we get that we don't mean people who sit around and talk about trouble but who MAKE it. It is an aggressive term. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of Justice. Even Martin Luther King Jr. (the authority on 'non-violent' movements making a difference in our culture) is all for aggresive terminology for the oppressed.

If you still wonder about the analogy of 'fighting' and aggressive Christianity I encourage you to try a few things:
1. find a poor neighourhood and see if they 'dig' the idea of fighting for justice.
2. go see a movie. almost any movie really... (many blockbusters are about war).
3. tell the Devil to... well, I guess it might be hard to tell the devil to do anything without some kind of aggressive tone... so that leaves telling the Devil anything out... which leads to a whole other topic...

in the meantime, while we decide whose side we are on... let's experience His Great Grace together.
Danielle

WRESTLING FAITH
Imagine walking down the street only to have an hysterical woman crying out your name and begging you to heal her kid. You cross over to the other side of the street hoping to avoid her but she just shouts all the more loudly. For many of us this kind of behaviour is inconceivable. But Jesus is no stranger to this kind of encounter.
Matthew 15 gives us the account of a Syrophoenician woman whose unconstrained begging, shouting and crying serves to irritate the followers of Jesus. (check it our Mt 15:21-28). They "implore" Jesus to send her away. Up to this point Jesus is totally ignoring the lady. But once the disciples reveal their hearts Jesus starts the dialogue. He doesn't offer any hope - He says He's here for Israel. She bows at His feet and pleads. He says again He's here for Israel. She counters again and finally Jesus acknowledges here is one faith filled goyim/gentile.
This is one untidy encounter but I love it! This women is one huge teaching example to the followers of Jesu because in the last chapter Peter was commended for his little faith when he walked on the water. This woman receives a standing ovation from Jesus for GREAT faith.
First off her approach to Jesus is all out, unrestrained, passion filled cry for help. She doesn't care what she looks like or who's watching. Her eye is on the prize - deliverance. When she gets no response - totally ignored by Jesus and scorned by the disciples she doesn't give up and walk away dejected. She persists. I imagine she just gets louder. When Jesus finally talks He gives her no hope. She is still undeterred. She postures herself before the King and simply asks for help. Everyone around watching the spectacle are totally uncomfortable. Raw faith of others is bound to make spectators squirm in their skin. They're sure the woman has totally humiliated herself in public. But Jesus confounds them all when He sings her praise. He has shown them through her what great faith looks like.
Great faith jumps over brick walls. Great faith penetrates and melts the hard fast "NO" and makes it a "YES AND AMEN". Great faith worships in the barren land. Great faith believes the impossible. Great faith is demonstrated by unrelenting persistence. Great faith often comes from the most unlikely candidates.
Great faith can take a doctor's death sentence, "you only have a few months" to years and years of life. Great faith can take an addict off the streets and into a job at a supermarket or bank. Great faith can bring restoration to a family previously destroyed by abuse and betrayl . Great faith can put food on the table day after day. Great faith removes all of our boundaries and limitations and says all things are possible!
Let's go for that kind of faith in every circumstance we face!
Shalom,
Elaine

The War College background

Someone asked me for a little background on The War College.

background: Acts 19 recounts the Apostle Paul's training of his disciples in the hall of Tyrannus. some believe that texts such as Colossians 4 list part of the student body, while texts like Revelation 2-3 represent locations to which the graduates took the Gospel.

The Salvation Army has a similar story in its early days, preparing evangelist warriors in training garrisons attached to local corps to send out to win the world for Jesus. Millions of converts attest to the effectiveness of these methods.

The War College is placed firmly within this tradition, embracing incarnational community with the poor as a contagious means of fulfilling the great commission. Many graduates are involved in extending this impact by pioneering outposts, inspired by a vision to see new outposts in 2,000 cities in 200 countries in 20 years (MMCCXX).

Misson: to train this generation's warriors to win the world for Jesus.

You can apply for one year to change your life at thewarcollege.com.

Wow.

grace
StephenC

the Global Village

In an article on Canada and our health system after SARS, Mark Steyn concludes like this (the last sentence is the keepr but I am setting the table with the lead-up):
____
"The African mosquito that hitched a ride on a U.S.-bound flight and all by himself introduced West Nile virus to North America is merely the high altitude heir to those flea-bitten rats on the Italian ships homebound from the Orient who brought the Black Death to Europe in the 1340s. That too was a globalization quid pro quo: the Continent's success in opening up trade with the East also opened it up to disease from the East.

"Indeed, when you look at it that way, the biggest globalization success story of recent years is not McDonald's or Nike, but Islamism: Scandinavians reeling from the Muslim world's "boycott" of Danish products can only dream of boycotting Islam's products half so effectively. At the dawn of the 21st century, Marshall McLuhan's global village is finally within reach: the Yanks run the diner, the Saudis the church, and the Chinese are the health officials.
(http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/article.jsp?content=20060220_121575_121575)
____
grace
sec

Feburary 15, 2006.

Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Well, Gordon C at UrbanArmy (top right) is onto the Women's Ghetto rant. Read it (but also read Shade's - yesterday's blog, and the original in JAC- top right).

This married women thing is a moving issue.

Next up, there is an absolute flurry of blogging activity on primitive salvationism through the USA. Cory Harrison (man of God) is taking some hits for preaching about prophecy and tongues, so far as I can ascertain from the blogs. For his position and a defence, as well as the lowdown on primitive salvationism, please check out the blog at Primitive Salvationist (top right).

Over at the IHQ board debate rages, as well, on sin in the camp (Andrew Bale is stirring)- see February 11 at
http://www.salvationist.org/sadiscuss.nsf/vw_date?openview&start=1&count=500).

And, then, of course, is the current JAC (top right). Have you read it, yet? Have at it. There is more edification in there than you can shake a stick at!

And there is a lingering hope and listening ear about what might be happening from Asbury (the latest I've heard- weekend- is that there is a lot of prayer and confession- praise God- hat tip Eric H).

There is a lot going on - much interest in The Salvation War. Hallelujah. And, there is much hope for a change... is this a Salvationist moment?

God, guide us to right action, please.
grace
stephenC
posted by Stephen Court

More on the Women's Ghetto

One of the consistently forceful and eloquent voices for Biblical equality in The Army system is Major JoAnn Shade. In her Saturday blog she tackles the issue and then addresses married women directly. Married women will want to read it, and the rest of us will want to listen in. And someone is going to want to break the sin barrier and appoint a married woman TC (I've got a couple of names, if s/he wants ideas). Read her now at
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-2KuwbeA5eqHJh7.EgT3Yb.WkHg-- (and bookmark it). (one factual correction on the no married women TCs statement in the blog- I think- is that Emma Booth-Tucker was co-national commander with her husband in the States before her PtG)

Much grace
StephenC

Blogging for India

My friend Joshua Kumar has been offering a unique look at the Salvation War at: http://seedforthekinggdomofgod.blogspot.com/

Much grace
StephenC

February 14, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

WHO KNEW?

I just read this on a blog: "I am very concerned about this whole "Primitive Salvationist" thing. Mostly because it appears to be sweeping through the young people of The Salvation Army like wildfire, and I'm afraid there are a lot of kids jumping on the "band wagon" because it's the cool thing to do."

grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

February 13, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

I had a situation recently feeling pretty disappointed at myself for something I didn't do effectively. Rather than giving the devil a foothold I asked God to wash grace over me. He did.

As soon as I finished praying I received some welcome news of an unsuspected victory God won. Hallelujah.

Things aren't always as they seem, a truth sometimes the devil exploits.

Grace
sec
posed by Stephen Court

PRAISE REPORT...GOD AT WORK....
I just wanted to throw up some testimony to Praise the Lord...
Believe it or not there are actually poor people in London, Ontario. We have a whole strip that is labelled the poor, even scary area of London. My first week here I was walking along this strip and I had a woman tell me that I didn't want to hang around there too long because it was dangerous. Having just come from the down town eastside of Vancouver I chuckled to myself.
Anyway, this morning was freezing cold as I drove my friend Joshua to the Centre of Hope- a SA shelter. Along the way, by the scary areas, there was a lady hitch hiking at the side of the road. I stopped to pick her up but when she saw Josh she was hesitant to get in the van. Then she saw me and looked relieved. It ends up she thought we believed she was a hooker and she just wanted a ride not to turn a trick.
As she entered the smell of alochol permeated the van and she declared out of the blue, "I was just telling God how much I hate people in London..." Immediately I knew God was up to something. It ends up we were an answer to her prayers of the moment and a reminder to her that God is not far off and loves her deeply.
I love the way He reaches out to remind His creation of His love.
He struck again earlier in the week. A friend of mine from the DTES of Vancouver ended up in the Waterloo area of Ontario. S She's been clean from drugs for a couple of months now - ever since leaving the DTES - this is the first time of being clean for an extended period for a number of years. She just had a job interview - first job interview in a number of years. She phoned me up crying because she was so overwhelmed by the whole thing and was asking for prayer. Well God blesses her big time! Not only did she get the job she was interviewed for but the company also wants to train and use her for a management position. I was so touched deep in my being by God's goodness to my friend. He doesn't snuff out a smoldering wick or break a bruised reed.
Praise the Lord that He hears and answers prayers.
GOD IS GREAT GOD IS GOOD
shalom
Elaine Gillingham

pulling the ads

The noble experiment is over.

We're pulling the plug on the ads- there is some brutal new age junk lurking behind innocuous-sounding titles (and a few that weren't).

Thanks for bearing with us.
grace
StephenC

STRUGGLING TO PREVAIL
I have recently been reading through the life and times of Jacob. You know how you read the Bible and every time something different gets the divine spot light of revelation on it. Well once again the Lord opened up my blind eyes to see a fresh thought, for me, from an old old story.
The line that hit me was from the angel of the Lord as he wrestled with Jacob. "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." (Gen 32:28)
STRIVE - struggle, to make great efforts, try very hard to win, contend, to be in conflict, fight
PREVAIL - to gain the advantage or mastery, be victorious, truimph, be effective, succeed
I looked back over Jacob's life and thought of all the different people that he had struggled with - Esau, Laban, the Angel of God, his father Isaac and in each case he either gained the advantage over them or was victorious.
The one example that spoke heaps to me was in his relationship with Laban. Jacob made great efforts to receive Rachel, then the animals and finally his freedom. All of these successes or triumphs DID NOT happen overnight. After7 years, when Jacob didn't receive the promised Rachel, he didn't give up, become discouraged or engulphed in bitterness because of betrayal. Instead he pressed on - sucked it up - continued on the attack. Sort of like the Scripture which tells us how to run the race - forget what is behind and press on toward the goal. I looked at Jacob and was inspired by his persistence, patience, steadfastness. He kept to the task over the long haul and didn't lose heart.
It took 20 YEARS to prevail in this circumstance!!!! 20 YEARS.
Closing in on 40 this gives me perspective on the fight that I'm engaged in. I'm often on the look out for immediate results. I love for ground to be taken quickly BUT when I look through the record book of the Lord some things just simply take generations. YUK! (If you don't believe me check out Heb 11)
I think our generation looks for a quick fix because we have been raised on Big Macs, drive throughs and the15 minutes or free guarantee. So many things happen in an immediate time frame.
But the work we're engaged in, the battle we are fighting is long, hard and tough. It's been going on for centuries and it requires those involved to have stamina, fortitude and persistence. So when we get knocked down we get up - over and over and over again!
The reality is life is the struggle and only those who keep their eyes on the prize - the goal - the kingdom of God - will prevail/overcome.
Later I was drawn to Revelation and the promises are for those who overcome/prevail. IT"S RICH!
To those who OVERCOME...
Rev 2:7 they will eat from the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.
2:11 they will not be hurt by the second death.
2:17 they will be given some of the hidden manna, a white stone and a new name written on the stone.
2:26-28 they will be given authority over the nations - authority from the Father and the morning star.
3:5 they will be clothed in white gartments - name permanently in the Lamb's book of life plus some more stuff
3:12, 21; 21:1-7 check it out yourself!
There is much promised for those who prevail.
Face it we're all in the struggle. May we all learn from Jacob and be like him.
Psalm 24:6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face - even Jacob.
Shalom
Elaine Gillingham

Asbury Update
press release from Asbury College:
____
God Unscripted

WILMORE, KY—In Chapel services Friday, February 10, 2006, after the four days of prayer, praise and worship, junior Matt Olsen reminded everyone to take what they learned, discovered and experienced this week and share it.

He said, “This can’t be confined to four walls. Take this back to your home churches this weekend. God is so much bigger than this.”

Rev. Richard Gaines from the Consolidated Baptist Church in Lexington was the guest speaker this morning. He said, “We must be a people of prayer and this is a direct result of somebody spending time on bended knees. God is up to something. God is moving. God is doing great things.”

Arthur Sweeney, of Ireland, summed up the week, saying, “It’s an experience that’s indescribable. This entire week was freedom in Christ…like God unscripted. God just came in and took over.”

There are dozens of stories of renewed spirits, relinquished hearts and changed lives.

One such story revolves around two brothers, who are now two brothers in Christ. Junior Andrew Sullivan phoned home to Pennsylvania Tuesday evening to tell his family about the happenings at Asbury College, asking his older brother Joe, 22, to join him.

Joe said, “Up until he called, I had been feeling empty…like a complete zombie, dead. I knew I needed change.” Joe agreed to make the trip to the College and found what he had been seeking after. Thursday evening, he asked God into his life and into his heart.

“I have felt more love and more alive than I have in a while…like a new person.”

Andrew said, “Everyone has been praying for him. It’s just been incredible.”

The Asbury College community would like to thank everyone for their prayers and encouragement. God is on the move.
____
So, God, please visit everyone reading this with power, manifest Your holiness, bring a spirit of repentance on us, transform us. We're not satisfied with a long prayer meeting. I pray this, believing, in Jesus' name, amen.

It sounds like the non-stop bit has ended with people going to spread what they've experienced...
grace
stephenC

Asbury update
(hat tip Richard M)
____
We have heard wonderful news out of Asbury College about a revival that is breaking out on campus. Dr. (General) Paul Rader, President, led Chapel on Monday and spoke on the Holy Spirit. It was so powerful that for the last three days, students have converged on Hughes Auditorium for prayer and intercession for the campus and worldwide community.

"God continues to move across the campus," said Dr. Paul Rader. "We have had students in Hughes Auditorium continuously since Monday at 10:00AM when God came in such power and blessing during our Student Chapel. Last night at midnight there were several hundred in Hughes. We met for a Prayer and Praise Chapel this morning with an awesome sense of expectation. God did not disappoint us. From the first praise chorus students began coming to the long altar at the front of the auditorium. Soon the altar with crowded with students again. It has been wholly the work of the Spirit, who moved numbers of our students to passionate and persistent prayer in small groups over the past several months.
____
Rader is, of course, retired General Rader. Please pray for this thing to spread so that it is more than just a long prayer meeting. You can pray that it spreads to Langley, Seattle, and Collingwood- places warriors from our corps are fighting this weekend.

Maybe there was something to that EVERYTHING/JUDGEMENT blog and that thread earlier this week! Bring it on, Lord Jesus!

Thanks
grace
StephenC

Here's some cool stuff I've recently discovered:

Gen. 15 - God makes an eternal covenant with Abram. Abram cuts up the animals and then falls into a deep sleep (God caused it, I have a hunch because He needed Abram and everyone else to know that the covenant is completely dependant on HIM and Him alone). Then Abram has a dream/vision of a smoking pot and a torch of fire walking through the blood. Hmmm. smoke, fire and blood.... sound familiar?

Joel 2 - the prophecy of the end times... "I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth - blood and fire and pillars of smoke" hmmm. smoke, fire and blood... look familiar.

It is YAHWEH - the God who is Trinity who initiates covenant, who keeps it and fulfills it until the end.
The Trinity is what the Salvation Army flag represent (yellow - fire - Holy Spirit, red - blood - Jesus Christ, and blue - Holiness/purity - Father God. And I have a hunch when the Army mother made it (Catherine Booth) she had the notion that the Trinity would lead us into battle and be part of the end times Army that Abram started and Joel talks of finishing. When she tells us that she believes the Army will issue in the end harvest... I think she understood that prophecy not in light of the condition of the 'Army' but of the 'God' we were following. He is a BIG God. Let's believe Him.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost - blood and fire and billows of smoke. Bring it on Lord Jesus!

Danielle

February 8, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

It is definitely not too late to sign up for some of the exciting inititiaves out here in Vancouver. Pray these onto your calendar:
R.A.W (ready and willing) - March 12-15
B.T.I. (Booth-Tucker Institute) - June 23-30
Battle School - July 4 -August 11
The War College - September 10-
A.C.C. (Aggressive Christianity Conference) - October 13-15
grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

our ads

This is just a reminder that the ads showing above at the top of this page are not ours and we don't necessarily endorse their contents.

We're trying to track them by their titles and blurbs, hoping that there is nothing unsavory. So far so good, as far as we can tell.

If you have any concerns, please let me know (revolution@mmccxx.net).

This feature is intended to scare up cash to pay for some expenses and, hopefully, some children's homes down the road! :-)

Much grace
stephenC

A Brand-New General-Elect Interview

The great SALVATIONIST has more access to the General-elect than armybarmy (!) and so it didn't have to read our blog for an interview with Clifton. Here is a brand new interview with him: http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-issue/65EF3E263237B88A8025710D0041F957?opendocument&id=A07E48CF59EDC7E68025710D003DA01D

Here are some highlights:

On Strategy-
Rather than discussing strategy, method, ceremony or even identity, I have a deep sense in my heart that God wants us to follow the example of the Old Testament prophets when they sensed God’s blessing was withheld. The prophets went to God’s people asking: Is there sin in the camp? Now that is a very difficult and pointed question. One has to be very tender and sensitive before even raising it but perhaps God is saying, ever so gently and ever so lovingly: ‘I love you, Salvation Army, but would you please look within and see if there is sin in the camp, and if there is anything that causes the blessing to be withheld we must deal with it.’

On SA unity in diversity-
We have already found unity and always had it in The Salvation Army. It is grounded in profound, beautiful things such as our doctrines and the covenants we make as soldiers, junior soldiers and officers. These covenants serve a beautiful holy purpose, evidenced by the fact that around the world people are still willing, under the prompting of God’s Spirit, to make those covenants and abide by them by divine grace.
(cool! We at armybarmy concur!)

On influence in his life-
At the top of the list are my father and mother. My father, Major Albert Clifton, will be 90 in May. He is the nicest man I know and one of the finest officers I have met. My parents grounded me in my faith and role-modelled officership.
I have been influenced by the writings of Samuel Logan Brengle, Martin Luther, John Wesley and, naturally, the Booths. Commissioner Edward Read from Canada showed me how to take the Scriptures with the utmost seriousness, yet in a scholarly manner. I have been influenced by people who held me to account through the years. I believe in accountability. Commissioner Ronald Irwin, formerly Territorial Commander in USA Eastern, role-modelled strong territorial leadership for me but was open to honest, frank dialogue and debate. The Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Israel Gaither, has also been an influence on my life. He is a beautiful friend and brother officer in Christ. We served together in USA Eastern and he was always gracious and affirming. It has been a joy to be at the High Council with him. As a territorial commander I have worked with five chief secretaries who have also had a strong, formative influence on my life. They have been realistic about my shortcomings but loved me in the name of Jesus, offering me wise godly guidance behind closed doors while giving me unswerving support.
(compare with answer last week in our blog interview)
____
grace
stephenC

General Prayer Request

http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-issue/BD7FE1BEE3A5DBEE8025710D003E1EE0?opendocument&id=A07E48CF59EDC7E68025710D003DA01D

grace
stephenc

Asbury Revival?

People throw around the term fairly easily in the Body of Christ. They've been in chapel since Monday morning at Asbury, though, so, let's see:

http://www.asbury.edu/press/chapelcontinues06
(hat tip Richard M)

Some will remember (I don't) that the Asbury Revival of 1970 went 185 hours non-stop, and then continued with breaks for weeks, affecting many college campuses in North America. Long prayer meetings are nice, but we want to transform society...

God, do it again, please. This time, large-size it!
grace
stephenC

cartoon commentary continued

Richard John Neuhaus has a great blog on the Danish cartoons at First Things (right side- February 8). Here's the premise:
____
"The challenge is simply this: A very large sector of the Islamic world is now demanding that the West live by Islamic rules.
____
What has this to do with the great commission? Plenty.
grace
sec

Midrash on the Wilkinson Edmonton preach...

I've interviewed a Bible scholar familiar with Bruce Wilkinson to get the inside scoop on the preach to which I've refered over the last week or so (JUDGEMENT). It was a hardcore preach for repentance to discipleship, a word that can change our world. The controversial part was calling down judgement on those who refused to respond.

We'll jump in mid-stream...
____
AB: What do you think about that? 

BS: to some extent BW is a hero and think that he stirs people where ever he goes - e.g. 2nd Baptist in Houston - wasn't enough room for everyone to respond in each of the 3 services of 6,000 he preached at, etc. You are right though BW is very hard-core - even on the marriage enrichment (issue) the whole authority thing with him was an issue for me to work on and work around. This might even be more so since his reconciliation work in South Africa, etc.

AB: He says this, 'as a prophet of God'.

BS: My quick look at the prophets - not much different than the whole preach thing itself - they were calling people (God's people) back to covenant faithfulness - not just the ritual (there was plenty of that) but having a heart for the things of God (widows, orphans, foreigners) their message was pretty tight - you didn't get it - so you are going to get it! (judgement) this judgement would be total - in the case of the Northern Kingdom (8th centurry prophets) was total - some scholars even go so far as to suggest the (redemption passages) were added (they are at the end of the book) after the written form migrated to Judah following 722 and the fall of the northern kingdom.

BS: Even the southern prophets projected a "total judgement" that would have the effect of redeeming a remnant. 

BS: So this is really in keeping with the prophetic side of things (at least from my perspective). It might be well to consider that the prophets didn't make the judgement they just said that the application of the negative side of the covenant (see Lev. Duet. 28ff for curses) would apply on the bases of God's Word and their analysis of the God's People's response to the soco-eco-ethical conditions of their generation. 

AB: I guess he showed up (as far as I can tell from what he says) in long Johns top, having slept 'homeless' the night previous in Edmonton.

AB: This is kind of in keeping with the prophets as well - e.g. they were people from the margins - Amos' message concerned the exploitation of the rural farmers etc. - he appears to be from a rural area, had credibility because he experienced the breach of the covenant - in application to the poor - the failure of the economic equity demanded by the year of Jubilee etc. (though my experience of BW would suggest this is only a temporary experience.)

AB: I'm good with a hard word, especially from a credible man of God. But I can't recall hearing judgement called down on those Christians who don't respond.

BS: From a prophet perspective there is a bit of a cloud here - between the "generations" and the actual "eschaton" that the Judgement was final on Israel and Judah is clear - but the judgement was also corrective (produce the pre-Messianic Jewish nation) and selective (not even all the Jews who survived the 'military judgement' and the exile ended up coming back into the land). So the Judgement was final from a generational aspect - just how this finality is worked out in connection with the eschaton is really quite difficult to nail down. 

AB: I think he meant discipline or rebuke or correction or pruning. 'Judgement' has a finality (connotation) to it- as in final judgement. If that is what he meant (discipline/correction), then I'm totally fine, but I thought I'd bounce it off of you.

BS: New Testament is not much clearer - we do have a "finality" in the Revelation of John spoken to the church @ Laodicea - which is oft quoted (Rev. 3:15 ) Lukewarm. However, there are a number of "They ... don't get it" passages that leave the (don't get it) servants "impoverished" but not in the class of destruction outside the kingdom - my personal favourite is Luke 19: 11-27 especially the contrast between vrs 26 & 27. I haven't done the original texts work but the translations seem to clearly have three categories - "the servants" (huge disproportionate rewards) the "don't get it - servant" (impoverishment) and the "enemies" - destruction. This might aline itself with the prophets as well as we think of the OT Israel.

BS: Clear as mud, huh! - well I think BW is right - some servants have a twisted view of The King - the king is not the Mean-spoil-sport that they portray Him to be ... in fact just the opposite is true - His gift of the Talents is not to profit but in order to reward (by the way, the servants seem to get to keep the talents - all except one). So perhaps the impoverishment itself is worthy of being called judgement.

BS: I hope I've stimulated your personal, Spirit-guided thinking on this.
____
Indeed. I hope this helps. Let's not jump to offence. Let's weigh the word and submit to it as it is from God.

May it result in revolution.
grace
stephenc

Fifth Book That Shaped Clifton's Life
____
"Finally, the fifth volume is Jim Garrison’s From Hiroshima to Harrisberg – The Unholy Alliance (SCM Press Ltd., London, 1980). It opened my eyes as never before to the folly and waste of war. All that human energy, creativity, genius and
funding poured into weapons of mass destruction in America, and eventually elsewhere, with millions still without food, shelter, clothing, eduction or housing. Something is wrong deep in the human soul. Garrison’s account of the coming of
these weapons engendered in me a deep hatred of war, not such as to make me a pacifist outright but sufficient to take me to the very brink of that courageous outlook. “We lay all carnal weapons down to take the shining sword.” How heartily, but
thoughtlessly, we sometimes sing Catherine Baird’s anti-war anthem (SA Song Book1986, Song 705).
____
(JAC issue 26 is the source of the whole feature- you'll enjoy search back at other leaders' choices).

That's the five. Since the election, you've received daily doses of thought from General-elect Clifton, from exclusive interviews, form blogs, and from the JAC feature now completed. If any of your friends are wondering about the man annd the future of The Army, have them read his books (particularly WHO ARE THESE SALVATIONIST?), or, have them read our blog.

God bless The Salvation Army.
grace
sec

February 8, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

One of our cell mates has just received a 'scholarship' to take a course at a local university. She is excited.

I'm cynical. The university has invited 'sex trade workers' to take this special course (free for the students, as well as an attendance bonus - they get $ for showing up - and lunch) on the history of the 'sex trade' (she's an ex-prostituted person, now converted to Jesus by the power of the shed blood through repentance and faith).

Excuse me for not being excited for her (yes, it is neat that she gets to 'go to university' and that she scams $ for it, too). It seems like the university is perpetuating the oppression of these women.

You see, our cellmate was not a 'sex trade worker' but a prostituted person, the victim of oppression. And the university, by slotting her into a warped specialty course that gives a professional veneer and credibility to her suffering, seems to be playing the role of oppressor.

I'd be much more impressed with the college if they paid her way to a mainstream programme such as BA or BSc or BSW or... (just not 'STW').

What do you think of that? (revolution@mmccxx.net).
grace
stephenC
posted by Stephen Court

SA blog roll champion.

Ian McKenzie's SA blog has the longest SA blog roll I've seen. If you want to get beyond your limited SA bookmarks the connect with http://tsa.ismckenzie.com/

Enjoy.
grace
sec

4D ultrasound!

Hi: Wow. Props to boundlessmagazine.com for finding this National Geographic video of 4D ultrasound of a baby in a womb. It is some good pro-life propaganda from an unsuspecting source:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/inthewomb/preview.html

Send it around to your friends who are sitting on the fence.
Grace
Stephen Court

More Cartoons

Joseph Bottum at First Things Blog (right side) has a great analysis of this issue (February 7) that features this definition of religion:
____
"So was the Boston Globe practicing hypocrisy when it editorialized against baiting Muslims in a way it has never editorialized about baiting Christians? Put that way, the answer is obviously yes. But the Globe’s writers see the whole thing instead as a matter of race. That’s their religion—by which I mean the thing they treat as a blasphemy to deny—and once it is cast in those terms, the Danish newspaper must be denounced. The Globe isn’t being hypocritical at all, for when has error about the deepest things we believe ever had rights?"
____
grace
stephenC

Clifton's life-shaping books (part 4)
____
Book four may seem to some a surprising choice. It is the Army’s Handbook of Doctrine published in 1940 by International Headquarters, London. Though written five years before my birth, it resonates with me still. It was when reading Chapter X
on “Entire Sanctification” that I was led into the blessing of a clean heart. This happened some years ago on an early morning commuter train going from Romford, Essex into London’s Liverpool Street Station. I felt as though cocooned from my fellow passengers, and when they alighted I could hardly get to my feet in the empty train, such was the Lord’s silent, invisible but unmistakable embrace. At the time I was serving at IHQ as the Legal and Parliamentary Adviser. This 1940 edition of the Handbook represents Army literature at it best, written when we still knew how to write for a verdict in the heart, even in our teaching and instructional material.
____
grace
sec

Feburary 7, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Here is the third book that shaped General-elect Clifton's life (from a JAC feature a couple of years ago):
____
Number three is a collection of First World War poetry by the great G.A. Studdert
Kennedy entitled The Unutterable Beauty (Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1927).
In these pages I find pathos, anguish of heart and soul, earthy eloquence and
sometimes unbearable poignancy. It came into my hands in Worthing, England in
1986 and forms part of a small, but prized, collection of war poetry volumes on my
shelves.
____
Grace
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

Downtown Eastside drugs

Melinda Peters (right-side blogroll) is going to town on the government drug racket in our neighbourhood.

Enjoy.
grace
stephenC

eccentricity and extravagance

(Hat tip: Major Richard M)
____
Concerning some of the Army's ways and means to contact the masses for Christ, this is what General Bramwell Booth once said:

"We in The Army have learned to thank God for eccentricity and extravagance, and to consecrate them to His service.  We have men in our ranks who can rollick for the Lord.  Often they have blundered, and occasionally they land us in awkward places.  Some of them have been very rough and uncouth, and all that but...
Thank God for the dare-devils!  They led us on the forward match.  Their freedom of attack has brought, and still brings within our reach the very people we want most.
They have helped to keep us free from the shackles of respectability.  They keep us passionate.  So that even such a writer as H.G. Wells, after saying that our 'shouts, clangor, trumpeting, gesticulations, and rhythmic pacings stun and dismay my nerves, yet can add, 'I see God indubitably present in these excitements.'"
____
grace
stephenC

Over at JAC...

There are rumblings all over the world, it seems, about the Married Women Officer Rant by Danielle Strickland.

We're getting emails from many frustrated Salvos (you can email, too- revolution@mmccxx.net). One person blames Christian radio for our current situation. Just today in a group discussion we were blaming Christian radio (and other media) for the declension from our traditional holiness stand. It is something to critically consider, the next time you listen to Christian radio, watch Christian television, read Christian books (consider their theological perspectives instead of naively accepting all of their teachings).

That said, there are some great articles in the current JAC (top right), including a call to REVOLUTIONARY PRAYER by Matt Clifton. If you can implement that, we might square up our issues with Everything and Judgement (see today's post below with that title).

In the meantime, check out the blog at primitivesalvationist.com for more juicy warfare discussion (you can actually comment on that blog!).

Much grace
sec

Prayer and American State Contstitutions.

American readers will definitely want to read this (and I'm not just playing it up. First Things Blog (bottom right- the February 6 comment lists the prayerful preambles of 49 state constitutions.

There are deep wells to re-dig.
grace
sec

EVERYTHING and JUDGEMENT

I'm beginning to think these are words for a new season. On top of the judgement preach to which I allude below and the exile comment at IHQ, we ran into Catherine Booth in the new version of SALVATIONISM 101 that we kicked off today at my corps:

"Do settle it in your minds that without a dying, a real, a complete and eternal separation between your old self and the new self, which means to live and die for others, you cannot be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
General Catherine Booth

Everything that we are belongs to Yahweh. We owe HIm everything. We are to seek the pure, righteous, judgement that comes from the throne. Psalm 19:9-11 judgement here, not end of the story judgement.

This is the way forward.

grace
stephenc

Holiness in exile...

Veteran salvo ihq discussion board types may remember Andrew Bale's forceful holiness apologetic. Well, after a lengthy hiatus, he is back at the IHQ board (see yesterday's blog for address) with an argument that The Army is in exile and preparing for deliverance. Here is a taste:
____
"All too often we want;

· Morality without compassion.
· Revival without repentance.
· Power without Pentecost.
· Ability without submission.
· Purpose without humility.

"Dear friends it isn’t going to happen. We are in exile and God is not listening to us, he has actively turned his back towards us.

"There is only one way forward and that is to give him everything – anything short of that and we will retain the status quo.

"Of course holiness will make us;

· Unpredictable
· Controversial
· Pleasantly surprising
· Aggressively compassionate
· Inconsistent (in the eyes of the world)
· Uncompromising (in the eyes of the church)
· Forgiving
· Tolerant
· Intolerant
· Fruitful
· A thorn in the side…
____
It is a difficult message to receive, one that my friend (hat tip JG) heard last weekend from a famous speaker (without the SA prophetic element).

I like to say that free will boils down to this: discipline now or judgement later. It is on us to seek the pure, righteous judgement that comes from the throne. This repentance and submission frees God up to forgive, restore, and fulfill His purposes in us, individually and corporately.

grace
stephenc

February 6, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Here is the second of five books that shaped my life (originally from JAC) by then Commissioner Shaw Clifton:
____
The second is Extracts From General Booth’s Journal 1921-22, published by Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd., London, in 1925. Reading these daily journal entries by Bramwell Booth has brought me into contact with a holy mind, a Journal of Aggressive Christianity, Issue 26, August - September 2003 10 thoughtful, intelligent, visionary Army leader, and a deeply principled, passionate man of God. The book came into my possession when Lt. Colonel Ethne Flintoff, then the Social Secretary in Pakistan but now leading the work in Bangladesh, gave it to me as a Christmas gift in Lahore in 1998. It is one of my most treasured books. It is revisited often.
____
grace
stephenC

Five Books that Shaped My Life.

Awhile ago we asked some SA leaders to tell us about five books that shaped their lives. Over the next few days, I'll be posting General-elect Clifton's choices. Here is the first:
____
Commissioner Shaw Clifton
Selecting only five books was quite a problem. I list my representative choices in publication date order.

The first is a collection of Anglican prayers, The Priest’s Prayer Book compiled in 1921 by R.F. Littledale and J. Edward Vaux. It was published by Longmans, Green and Co., London. I picked it up second hand in Bromley, England in March 1992 since when it has been a source of real blessing to me, for I make much use in my private devotional life of the prayers of others. The section on “Private Prayers for Bishops” was especially meaningful during my five years as a Divisional Commander, and since. Another section, “Notes on the Practice of Holiness”, remains timeless with its simple, direct insights. This volume is a delight to handle, with its smooth calf leather binding and gold leaf pages. It also gives off that heady aroma so beloved of second hand book store junkies.
____
grace
stephenC

IHQ DIscussion Board

Judging from the heavy traffic at the IHQ Discussion Board (http://www.salvationist.org/sadiscuss.nsf/fm_index) the new issue of JAC is enjoying much discussion.

Three suggestions: read it yourself; comment at IHQ; blog it.

Enjoy.
grace
stephenC

More Cartoons...

Maybe Christians can handle a joke?

I'm just going to stick to watching reruns of Touched by an Angel.

Grace,

Aaron

Cartoons.

I'm pressed to comment on this issue. I did, last week (see below). But here is Mark Steyn (again) on the subject: http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn05.html .

For those hesitant to copy and past the url, here is a taste:
____
"Thus, NBC is celebrating Easter this year with a special edition of the gay sitcom "Will & Grace," in which a Christian conservative cooking-show host, played by the popular singing slattern Britney Spears, offers seasonal recipes -- "Cruci-fixin's." On the other hand, the same network, in its coverage of the global riots over the Danish cartoons, has declined to show any of the offending artwork out of "respect" for the Muslim faith.

Which means out of respect for their ability to locate the executive vice president's home in the suburbs and firebomb his garage."
____
grace
sec

Living in Antarctica...

An ex-Nasa engineer, notorious for his description of the Gaia Theory, has recently predicted that we have passed the point of no return for climate change. Within 100 years, he prophecies, billions of us will be wiped out by the effects of global warming, and the only livable land for those trying to retstart the human race will be near the 2 poles.

Which leads me to wonder if the only true, prophetic, Christian vote in politics is for the Green Party.

There has been some talk of late about the kind of things society and government should focus on. "First things" as it were. From certain perspectives these first things are national security and morality.

These things are certainly important for societies to survive. But you know what else is? Water, air, and food. (And cities that are not underwater.) The protection of the environment is a justice issue, a Christian issue.

I think we probably need to take a broader perspective on what is important for our communities, not just to survive, but to thrive. Environment is not unconnected to business, national security, or even morality. Health Care and the Foster Care system has a lot to do with the drug problem and the housing crunch. The way we treat our poor and disenfranchised is tied up in the way we treat other countries in our foreign policy.

Unfortunately, politica solutions tend to ignore the complex connections and reach for the quick, simplistic fixes. Problem with drugs? Put more police on the street and build more prisons. I'm not sying that can't be part of the solution, but it does not deal with the root causes. It's like our medical system, which tends to deal with symptoms by prescribing drugs, but not the root of the problem, such as unhealthy lifestyles. It is always easier to compartmentalize issues, (in the same way that it is easier to think of people in terms of their souls rather than as whole people, body soul and spirit), but I don't believe it is wise, or godly.

Booth understood this. He looked at the whole person, and the whole of society, and tried to come up with solutions that dealt with the complexity, gave dignity to the whole person. Even George Orwell, a pretty rabid socalist / anarchist, got the connection. He knew that the major problem in society (at his time, and now as well) was the loss of the belief in an immortal soul. But he also knew that society could not even come to grips with that problem when such rampant inqualities existed. People who were starving did not have time for theological or moral reflection. So dealing with that problem was a "first thing" in terms of priority, though not necessarily in terms of ultimate importance.

(Even if you don't believe rampant inequality exists in our Western society, which I would argue, there is still undeniably massive inequality wordwide, which is really now the issue more than ever. The reality is a global society now, whether we like it or not. We are not cut off.)

A good book I am reading on interconnectivity and Christian activity in community building, justice and politics is "Faith Works" by Jim Wallis. His Call to Renewal organization is an attempt to present an alternative prophetic Christian voice in the political arena for people who can't quite agree with all the trappings of the Moral Majority movement.

In the meantime (between elections, I guess) I think Christians are called to be as involved in their communities as possible, to be politically active 365 days a year, not once every 5 years (or 18 months, as the sad case may be). To understand the various pressures and influences in their communities, and not to be content to simplify or compartmentalize problems. The only way to effectively do this is to actually get to know the people in your communities, to see them as whole, and not just statistics or parts of problems.

Authentic Christian Community man. It's the only way.

Grace,

Aaron

LAUGHING

While many of the renewal manifestations are also characteristic of early Salvos, until now I hadn't noticed that laughing was also included.

Then I read p30 of SANCTIFIED SANITY (Rightmire) and found Brengle testifying to people in his meetings,

"standing on their seats and laughing and praising the Lord like men drunk with new wine."

grace
stephenc

February 5, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

Here is the last installment of the JAC interview with Clifton (see below for the rest). Stay tuned tomorrow for Five books that shaped his life:
____
JAC: What is your most memorable spiritual experience?

SC: Impossible to answer! But I do find myself looking back upon (and looking forward to) those quiet moments when, on leave with Helen, we can sit in a lonely church sanctuary somewhere in the English countryside, or kneel together at an Army Mercy Seat, renewing our vows to God as officers and recommitting our futures to Him.
____
grace
stephenC

Feburary 4, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

We're officially ending the Media Watch. You can use your spare time catching up on the excellent content in JAC (top right). It is one of the longest issues yet, chock full of controversy, edification, provocation, and inspiration.

Here is the next installment of the exclusive JAC issue with then Commissioner Clifton (scroll down for early queries). You get three questions today (it's Saturday!):
____
JAC: What is God teaching you these days?

SC: 1. To trust Him in matters large and small. That He will win through for me, for my family, for my Territory, for God's Army.
2. That I need Him more than He needs me.
3. That I have no answers, except those that are God's.

JAC: Can you tell us of any memorable preaching you have heard, and what made it outstanding?

SC: I think of two starkly contrasting experiences:
a) I listened to the preaching of the Rev. Dr. Bernice King at the Congress in Atlanta this summer (ed. 2000 Congress). It was rooted in the Scriptures (the fourth Gospel's account of the raising of Lazarus), it was articulate, passionate, persuasive, powerful, professional in the very best sense. God was in it and we heard His voice.

b) A few years ago we were on furlough and visiting a corps on the south coast of England. The corps officers were away on leave and so one of the local officers was taking the Sunday evening meeting. He was inexperienced and hesitant, almost apologetic. His whole approach was amateurish. Yet his words were simple and unpretentious. He spoke to us about the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary and our need of a Saviour. It came from his heart. As I listened I knew that had I not been saved already I would have accepted Christ as my Saviour that night.

JAC: How are you a different person and a different Salvationist from when
you were commissioned?

SC: God is more central in my life. My calling to be an officer in the Army has been confirmed over and over again. I am more sure that I am in His will. I am living out a marvellous adventure with God, for Christ, in the power of the Spirit.
____
grace
sec

For those interested in the slippery slope from gay marriage to polygamy in Canada...

read this... http://www.nationalreview.com/kurtz/kurtz200602030805.asp

grace
stephenC

Carboard boxes

The new Primitive Salvationist website has a feature that will allow you to vent your frustration here for not being allowed to comment. They haev a new discussion forum called PS (http://primitivesalvationist.com/ps./).

Yesterday there was a great bit by Bono:

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."

Check out the whole blog and comment to your heart's content.
:-)
Much grace
StephenC

Media Watch (High Council election)

Two more line up - London Times, and Canadian Christianity:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3933-2023729,00.html

http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/060202briefs

grace
stephenC

Muslim comics

This is a major issue right now. I blogged the general subject a few weeks ago (January 4 and January 6).

But here is a comment by Mark Steyn (radioblogger.com) that resonates:
____
MS: There aren't a lot of good options when you have a very significant militant minority in your country that is determined, effectively, to demand that its own values be imposed on society at large. You only have to look at, for example, the difference... when a Broadway playwright writes a play about Jesus being gay, and having sex with Judas Iscariot, there are a couple of protests outside the theater, and people write letters. When you attempt to show a representation of Mohammed, you get people threatening to kill you, you get national boycotts, you get people burning down buildings. And at some point, Muslims living in Western Europe have to decide whether or not they're prepared to be offended, because that's what it involves in a free society.
____
If you want more on this, please read the old blogs to which I refer. Things might not get any easier, for awhile.

grace
sec

Clifton Dreaming

(the next Q in the interview- for previous answers, scroll down):
____
JAC: What are your dreams for The Salvation Army?

SC: The response given above where I list my understanding of the non-negotiables covers this. Because I am a radical, progressive traditionalist my dream is of an Army rediscovering the richness of its roots, its first purposes, its first bold obedience to the Spirit, its passion for souls and for holiness while all the time staying crucially relevant to the needs of the age, sensitively in touch with changing social trends but never being seduced by them because we are in Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
____

A radical, progressive, traditionalist. Nice. I think I could handle that handle (depends on 'traditionalist').
grace
stephenC

Duty is under-rated.

I've recently heard that the War Room is the longest-running continuous prayer room in a certain prayer movement with which we're connected. That's surprising, among other things.

I guess someone was asking one of our guys how we do it.

We're salvos. It's in our DNA. You give us a responsibility and we'll do it. We're disciplined. Give us a schedule and we'll fill it (3-hour shifts).

By the pathway of duty flows the river of God's grace (for all of you newer types, that's an 'old' SA song). I know it isn't trendy to talk about duty and discipline. It isn't emergent or missional or post-modern or shiny and squeeky-clean or 'real'.

Too bad.

It works. And grace flows here, too.
Grace
stephenC

High Council Media Watch

Chicago Tribune lends a heavyweight name to the list: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0602030248feb03,1,3643477.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

And ABC News also we