Armybarmy Blog

a few things...

- On the Most Influential Salvos: I received the first list. Very interesting. For those keeping track, the list of 50 includes a dozen living people, 11 women, and 13 generals. More to come...

- "So we are on dangerous ground. History gives evidence of no civilization that survived long as purely secular and without a god, that put its trust in reason alone, and believed human nature was subject to radical improvement given enough capital and learning invested in the endeavor." This is a line from Victor Davis Hanson
http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110009312

- You might not have known that Phil Laeger's EP is free. You should really lift it and pass it around (see right side Phil's blog).

grace
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November 29, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

General Eva Burrows preached to the Cadets last week a day before the were commissioned. We're reproducing her main points here for all of the Visionaries (and other cadets) around the world (hat tip Eastern Victoria Division, Melbourne):

“5 Effective Habits of Highly Effective Officers”.
Habit 1 - Keep studying
Always remain a student of the world around us and a student of the Bible. That way we will understand the context of mission and be able to offer the Word in a relevant way.
Habit 2 - Nurture yourself
With devotions, with good coaches or mentors or spiritual directors. Defects in spiritual life affects our leadership more than anything else. So have a plan for our personal spiritual development and follow it.
Habit 3 - Use your uniqueness in your ministry
God wants us to be who he made us to be. Be who you are and do what you do best. This way you will do wonders for God’s kingdom.
Habit 4 - Exercise competence beyond your gifting
Don’t use gifting as an excuse for not doing what is our responsibility. Learn about what we don’t know and talk with others and utilise others who can help. Don’t monopolise your ministry, but multiply it.
Habit 5 - Be a spiritual leader
Cast vision. Have a clear and passionate focus for mission. Be ready to adjust strategies. Above all, like Jesus be a Servant Leader.
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Oh, and, thanks to the same newsletter, we can let you know that the tri-territorial youth congress in Fiji in January has been postponed because of the political situation. We've removed it from the main armybarmy page. Pass the word along.

SA Daily Readings: 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3.

God is here.

Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

Makes sense...

Well, it looks as if Al-Qaeda has denounced the Pope's visit to Turkey. Boy, did this come out of left-field.

In related news, the Boston Red Sox have denounced the Yankees free agent signings, Wile E. Coyote has denounced the Road Runner's ACME Rocket purchase, and fire has denounced water's fire-putting-out tendencies.

On a personal note, I think I should start denouncing more things. Like the fact that eggnog is only available one, maybe two months of the year. It's a conspiracy, and I denounce it. Lack of eggnog 10 months of the year - consider yourself denounced.

Grace,

Aaron

top 100?

I just noticed an article on an upcoming list of the 100 Most Influential Americans in history (Atlantic Monthly- December). There is a preview of the list here:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/11/28/whos_missing_from_this_top_100_list/

Since I pretty much have a one-track mind I instantly jumped to The Army and wondered about a similar list. Ten historians compiled their lists of 100 Americans and they took the averages.

So, obviously, I can't offer you a top 100 SA list by myself- I have no idea of many influential salvos (e.g. pioneers invading heaps of countries). It would be an interesting exercise (maybe you'll read about it in a future JAC). But you might want to break it down to categories. And here are some names to consider (in a few categories- oh, and only three of the top 100 Americans are alive today- that is a good sense of historical perspective):
Music- Herbert Booth, Richard Slater, Charles Fry, Albert Orsborn, Sydney Cox, Joy Webb, Larsson/Gowans (yes- three are alive, but we're younger than USA; who else would you add?);
Evangelism-
Preaching-
Prayer-
Writing-
Leadership-
Expansion-
Sacrifice-
Administration-
Doctrine-

I'll take ideas (revolution @ mmccxx . net).
Much grace
stephenC

covenant

Components (from James Garlow's book, The Covenant):

- exchange of robes (identity - results in a confusion of identity);
- exchange of belts (an exchange of strength);
- exchange of weapons (an exchange of enemies);
- sacrificed heifer;
- walk of death;
- mark on the body (striking of the hands - drawing blood, binding them together and mingling some blood - origin of handclasp);
- pronouncement of blessings and curses;
- covenant meal (feed each other the first few bites- you are ingesting me);
- exchange of names (Abram to Abraham; Yahweh to God of Abraham);

grace
stephenC

November 28, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Big news of the day:
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I'm writing to let you know that my new album, Pride & Glory, Truth & Beauty, is now available online @ any of the following websites:

www.phillaeger.com
www.saytunes.com/bands/phillaeger
www.myspace.com/laeger
www.purevolume.com/phillaeger

A special thanks to Bernie Dake for engineering the album and to Marty Mikles for playing guitar.

Recently, I was at a prayer and fasting retreat where the speaker pointed out that one of the constant themes of the New Testament is the Apostle Paul's prayer for more light, both for himself and for those he had led to Christ.

This album is a prayer for light. The songs on it were written as far back as almost 10 years, and as recently as just a few months ago. They're held together by the theme of sight. It is a prayer that I am still praying, a prayer that all of us are called to pray as Christians. It is a prayer put in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is the prayer for more light from the Lord.

Light for our pride. Because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Light to see His glory. Because the glory of God is all around us and yet our sin hides Him from us.
Light to know His truth. Because even our best reasoning cannot bring us to the revelation of God.
Light to see His beauty. Because even the faintest glimpse will awaken our senses and set us in our right minds.

I hope you enjoy the album. I hope that you are blessed as you listen and that it encourages you to press in even further in your quest to know Him.

"May God give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation" so that you can see His glory, know His truth and experience His beauty.

Grace and more grace to you,
Phil
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We love Phil.

God is here.

SA daily reading: Psalm 125; 1 Thessalonians 1-3.
Much grace
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posted by Stephen Court

Brother Yun

One of the absolute Christian Giants of our era, Brother Yun, is preaching on this page here (hat tip Charis):
http://64.34.176.235/sermons/SID3723.mp3

grace
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November 27, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

There is a funny line in Karyn Baker's blog about Christians trying to take over Christmas (she in the BC blog list at right).

My buddy suggested that there is a growing informal theology in western Christianity that 'Feelings of guilt do not come from God.' This is patently ridiculous. John 16:8: "He will convict the world of its GUILT with regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment."

If you're convicted of guilt, you feel guilty. Period. Full stop. As I quoted Rob Dolby recently on the blog, God is more than a mushy feeling (or something similar).

Of course, if you mean that condemnation doesn't come from God, you are closer to the truth (Judgment Day limits the truth of that statement).

SA Daily readings: Matthew 26-28.

God is here.
Much grace,
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

You may or may not read something like this in an official Army publication in the weeks to come:
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XCulture Outpost officially unleashed (alternative headline- Another Outpost Opened).
The weekly knee drill was the setting for a faith-filled unleashing of a new outpost, called XCulture, in East Vancouver, from 614 Vancouver Corps.

The new expression of The Army in that neighbourhood has been laying a firm foundation for a couple of years and now regularly sees well more than a hundred people at its weekly meetings and cell groups. Major Bill Blackman (Divisional Commander) inspired the troops:

"As we see our culture in Vancouver becoming more and more diverse it is essential that we find ways and means of crossing the cultural barriers with the love of Jesus. Thank you for all that you are doing in this regard."

His challenge to the leaders and the cellmates of the new outpost were from Paul:

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible" (1 Corinthians 9:19-20).

Corps Sergeant-Major Aaron White, who leads the new outpost, preached a compelling message to soldiers and friends of 614 Vancouver and representatives of XCulture outpost, emphasizing the choice that is ours to represent Jesus wherever we go. We can be a holy presence. May God empower the XCulture warriors to win the world for Jesus, starting in East Vancouver (this is a partner project of mmcccxx).
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Hallelujah.
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Steyn today (bottom right) makes an interesting point about Epicopalians.
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God is here.
SA Daily reading: Matthew 23-25.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

assorted...

Here's a little something I stumbled on to at townhall.com:
"Missionaries made Africa literate. Kane notes, "There are 860 known languages and dialects in Africa. A hundred years ago fewer than twenty had a written form. Since then five hundred have been reduced to writingall the work of missionaries.""
http://townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=christianitys_real_record&ns=GregKoukl&dt=11/21/2006&page=2

Praise God. Oh, and this week's memory verse is 2 Timothy 3:16 (up Friday).
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Check out Xander Coleman (right side) on Catherine Booth's POPULAR CHRISTIANITY (great title). And see Andrew Bale's newest blog on The Army under Threat (right side). From a recent blog he says, "Without holiness we are all scandals waiting to happen." God help us get sanctified!
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There was another all night of prayer in our parts last night. It is pretty encouraging to see 31 warriors hard at it at 6am after eight hours of prayer through the night. I suspect God likes it, too.
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Today's National Post runs a front page story on our neighbourhood. It sounds pretty bleak and cynical. No mention of God in there... (? - maybe they should haev dropped in on the all night of prayer last night/this morning; or maybe the War Room...) You can read it at
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=c3f9f81c-f7be-48d9-b5fa-e3527169f777&k=66078 or just go to nationalpost.com and see front page (N25, anyway- hat tip MR/GR).
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I saw 150 Salvos marching on national television today playing Joy To The World while parade hosts described them as volunteer members of local churches from around Ontario. Nice.
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Australian cadets are commissioned today (well, now, but 'tomorrow' in Australian time) as captains. A note to the new officers: love God, love people, and get things done. And do what you can to influence all of your people (your people being everyone who belongs to anyone but God, and any salvos floating around) to do the same.

Much grace,
StephenC

November 25, 206.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

(hb2REG+WH)

I admit it. I was wrong. Yesterday I suggested that the TO dunk of the football in the Red Shield kettle was worth a million bucks. Our PR Director corrected me last night - he said it was priceless!

Danielle Strickland is heard preaching on the armybarmy main page in - You were born to be free. Hat tip ACC (tight conference down in Melbourne) and salvoaudio. She joins a couple of video preaches featured there (getting your fill of preaching these days on armybarmy).

Speaking of preaching, Aaron White preached at our coprs earlier this week (those who know our corps understand that this is a rare, bloggable occurrance). Good stuff.

More later, probably.

SA daily readings: Matthew 20-22.

God is here.
Much grace,
StephenC

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

He is risen!

We have a lot of Americans in the Barmy Army and I suspect some of them are resting off a fair bit of turkey today (Happy Thanksgiving yesterday). And most of them watched the halftime show of the Cowboys game (which is The Army's kettle campaign kick-off). For those who don't watch it, think of the glitz of the Academy Awards, the sounds of the Country Music Awards, and the atmostphere of opening night of the Olympics rolled into 15 minutes of a Salvation Army commercial (not to mention that the strategic placement of eight large shields on the sidelines for every Cowboys game ensures probably 451 shield sightings during slo-mo replays every half- OH, and though I'm not a fan of the player, you have to love the media-savvy dunk of the touchdown into the gaping Salvation Army kettle! I'm guessing that was worth a million bucks in advertising). It is a very impressive annual event. They used to say that The Army owns Christmas. But The Army has also subtly expanded to own Thanksgiving, too. Veterans Day (Remembrance Day in some places) is next on the calendar, working backward...

On other notes...
Next August is Territorial School of Music and Gospel Arts. It is time to pray about signing up (it is north of Toronto):
http://www.salvationist.ca/theme/2006/why-territorial-camp-should-be-on-your-“must-do”-list/

And this means that is is also time to consider signing up for The War College, which starts in September. Things are looking good for the INCENDIARY Session. You can see testimony of Revolutionists (and even older grads) at thewarcollege.blogspot.com. You can read up on th ewhole shebang at thewarcollege.com. And you can get an informal taste of things at myspace.com/thewarcollege . And for all of you recruiters out there (and most of you know hwo you are- thanks/bless you!), it is recruiting season! Not that it is a competition, but this is your chance to claw your way to the top of the recruiting standings. Go hard! :-)

Chris and Erin Wikle are starting Street Level in Seattle, a cell-based outpost, and they are recruiting. They've started a blog at: http://streetlevelseattle.blogspot.com/

And one of our cellmates, Davyd, is blogging at http://www.brotherdavyd.blogspot.com/ . Enjoy.

SA Daily reading: Matthew 17-19.
God is here.
Much grace
stephenC
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

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.

SA daily reading: Matthew 14-16.

God is here (can you feel Him- hat tip Mark Hood).
grace
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posted by Stephen Court

November 22, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
Here is an old quote (familiar to the Barmy Army) with a rhema twist:
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"It is this holiness… that we Salvationists must maintain, otherwise we shall betray our trust; we shall lose our birthright; we shall cease to be a spiritual power on the earth; we shall have a name to live and yet be dead; our glory shall depart; and we, like Samson shorn of his locks, shall become as other men; the souls with whom we are entrusted will grope in darkness or go elsewhere for soul-nourishment and guidance; and while we may still have titles and ranks, which will have become vainglorious, to show upon our children, we shall have no inheritance to bequeath them of martyr-like sacrifice, or spiritual power, or dare-devil faith, or pure, deep joy, of burning love, of holy triumph." (Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle)
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comments: It is THIS holiness. It isn't the latest, trendiest, most popular, most accessible, easiest, most palatable, most comfortable version or distortion of holiness. If we don't maintain THIS holiness (SLB) we betray our trust, lose our birthright...
It is all about THIS holiness.
What seems to offend people most about THIS holiness is Galatians 2:20 and Romans 6:6 (the latter including 'done away with'; 'neutralized'; eradicated; 'rendered powerless'; etc.).
(here is the dictionary definition of the verb katargeo: to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative
to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency
to deprive of force, influence, power
to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish
to cease, to pass away, be done away
to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
to terminate all intercourse with one. And here are the NT uses (in NAS):
abolished 4, abolishing 1, bring to an end 1, did away 1, do away 1, done away 4, fades away 1, fading 1, fading away 1, nullified 1, nullify 4, passing away 1, released 2, removed 1, render powerless 1, severed 1, use 1).
Of course, this verb is probably a bit softer than sustauroo, which, in both verses, is translated, CRUCIFY (by the way, the only other three places in the NT that this word is used are Gospel accounts of the crucifixion).
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I suspect that our credentials as a holiness movement have reached their expiry date. As individuals we need to plunge into the fountain of holiness flowing from Immanuel’s veins. There is room for all. And if enough of us jump in, not only can we reclaim holiness movement status, but we can get back on track in our world-winning mission. And we'll have a glorious inheritance of 'martyr-like sacrifice, or spiritual power, or dare-devil faith, or pure, deep joy, of burning love, of holy triumph' to bequeath the next generation (if for some reason we don't quite finish off the great commission first).
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SA daily reading: Matthew 11-13.
God is here.
grace
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posted by Stephen Court

Alice Coleman, Rachel Evans, Emma Elizabeth Florence Morris, Elizabeth
Pearson, Clara Price, Annie Shaw, and Emma Westbrook?

Who are these people? Well, Salvos celebrate their exploits all the time. No one know who they are. I suspect that from one perspective that is a beautiful thing. From another, though, they deserve some recognition (they have it in heaven, I suspect).

They are the Hallelujah Lasses who invaded United States with Railton on March 10,1880 (hat tip JoAnn Shade - www.hagarsister.blogspot.com and www.xanga.com/hagarsister).

Hallelujah.
grace
StephenC

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

He is risen!

I know just yesterday I slipped a little semi-political reference in to a blog, noting that this is a rare thing and threatening to slash huge chunks from the Barmy Army. And yet, here I find myself doing the same thing this morning! A friend gave me a daily calendar of Bushisms (knowing my admiration for the man) and today's is a keeper: "We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbour just like you like to be liked yourself." Beautiful. That is a politically correct, highly medicated, ecumenical, tolerant, sterilized version of something I once read in the Bible. Hmm.

We all like to be liked... (I suspect that the child victims of sex trafficking would prefer us to love them than just like them).

I heard that someone asked if I still do cartwheels while preaching (I don't recall ever doing them, but it is quite possible). I guess back in the day people at one corps were 'astounded by (my) antics.' This is probably not how you want to be remembered as a preacher. I'd be more impressed if they remembered anything I said.

The youtube address for Michael Collins's ACC preach:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sC1mSO3kxZg

SA daily reading: Matthew 8-10.

God is here.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Props to USW for follow-up to the Aggressive Christianity Conference: sayconnect.com has a thousand photos (some sweet action worship-leading shots of Jeni Berea Wallace, of PraiseWorks!, and a smiling preaching Aaron White) and several video preaches, including General John Gowans and Michael Collins. If you've not discovered Michael C. you are like a Philistine soldier who never heard of Goliath, a Jewish soldier who never heard of David. But this is your chance to hear a mighty champion - enjoy.

We've been pulling together the next issue of JAC (top right - that is your subtle hint to catch up on the current issue before it get oh-so-inconveniently places in the archives where you have a whole extra click to pull it up) - the Interview Issue (due out December 1). I think you're going to love it. I do. More to come, obviously, but Steve Bussey responds to the current TIME Magazine issue on youth ministry from a Salvo perspective; Fleur Hodge goes off on common purse; you'll read about Aaron White and his wide open mouth; Elaine Gillingham's dream is to 'be still' (if you had five kids you may dream similarly - plus her classic line that 'we could use a city-wide Army to win a city-wide war'); Andrew Bale on holiness and how to get it; Railton on women (!); and heaps of interviews with real-life soldiers. I will say that I've already been rebuked (thanks, DG) for having a completely Western slate of interviewees. Sorry. My problem is that I don't know the rest of the world well enough.

Also, a big ouch article by some radio show guy complaining about Saddleback Church inviting a certain high profile Democrat politician to speak there next weekend:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KevinMcCullough/2006/11/19/why_is_obamas_evil_in_rick_warrens_pulpit
(I like to stay away from politics in this blog but this is really a church issue that gets into abortion...)
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SA daily reading: Matthew 5-7 (some classic passages- includes be perfect).

God is here.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

housekeeping.

Just so you know, we've deleted (as warned) the youTube officer training clip posted on the 17th. I hope you enjoyed it.

There is a great blog of William Booth from Rob Noland (hat tip Matt Clifton) at revolutionhawaii.com blog.

"I hope I am, in fact, a persistent seeker of souls and a resolute opponent of satan." (William Booth)

Lots of people are talking holiness these days. This is good. Of course, a problem is that they mean different things by it. Here's a list of some of the things we mean by it:
- death of natural inclination to act selfishly (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6)
- filling of Holy Spirit (not Luke/Acts but Paul's in Ephesians 5:18) - note that though this term is popular today most people don't realize that if Holy Spirit is filling you that necessarily means that sinful nature isn't around and active. You can't have one without the other.
- perfect love (1 John 4:17,18; Deuteronomy 6:5...)
- fullness (Ephesians 3:19) - though the apostle of fullness, Major Janet Munn, might modify it so that fullness = holiness+.
- blamelessness (1 Thessalonians 2:10...) - note that this isn't mere imputation of righteousness but impartation, and then mercy based on motivation, not performace.
- pure (Titus 1:15...).
- Jesus fruit (Luke 1:35...).
- Christomorphosis (Galatians 4:19... google this term for more info).

Notice that there is no make-believe in the whole thing. Note that your inclination to act selfishly is removed and you just supernaturally act in a God-pleasing way (it is your default reaction, not something you regulate by sucking it up). Note also that the sin-free nature is understanding sin as Wesley- 'sin properly so-called' (voluntary transgression of a known law of God).

grace
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November 19, 2006.

Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Three and a half years ago I blogged on a long-honoured tradition in the Army to devote some time at noon to pray for The Salvation Army and for the General (you can check top right in previous blogs or in the search option).

It is an excellent tradition. We're restored it in our small circles.

If we can mobilize Salvos around the world to lift up the international Army and the General to God, then it and he are getting ‘round the clock’ coverage by more than a million people every day (taking the time zones into account). Whew! That is some serious prayer coverage!

So, are you up to using the influence that you have to challenge salvos to build on the tradition? Can you speak to people, stick it in email signatures, chat it to them online, insert it in corps bulletins, write it in letters to the editor, preach it to your friends, comrade soldiers, leaders, and followers?

Can you imagine the accumulated blessing accruing to the General and to our Army daily?

We can make an enormous difference just by doing this. Are you for it?

What should we pray?

Good question. Here are some suggestions:

For the International Army
· Holiness
· Aggressive evangelism
· Intimacy
· Community
· Love
· Mercy

For the General
· Favour
· Anointing
· Increased influence
· Energy
· Wisdom
· Love/humility
· Power
· Intimacy
· Protection

SA daily reading: Matthew 1-4 (some juicy stuff in there!)

God is here.
Much grace
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posted by Stephen Court

mmccxx update

People like to question the mmccxx thing, particularly the 200 countries part. I just visited http://www.infoplease.com/countries.html which indicates that there are 194 countries but adds these territories/colonies/dependencies: Aruba, Bermuda, French Polynesia, Greenland, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands. Total: 200. Nice (the specific number of countries isn't life or death, and you can work the numbers even more by recognizing Wales, Scotland, etc.).

MMCCXX is a vision to see new outposts started in 2,000 cities in 200 countries in 20 years. It started in 2004 and so there is nearly two years completed and the total is still under 20. But there are still 18 years left. Assuming only the same rate, you're looking at 200. But you've got to think that some of these (10%? or 20 outposts?) will become multipliers like the few that have been starting the new outposts already.

And so we hope to see God have His way and go beyond our hopes and desires... (if you're interested in helping with your network, contact revolution @ mmccxx . net)

grace
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Christmas is coming.

Now, some buy items for poor people in the name of loved ones and give a little card to that effect. The Salvation Army in Haiti, one of the poorest countries going, has a great system for this:
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http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/Haiti/sponsor.htm
Cabusroe@aol.com
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EDUCATION SPONSORSHIPS
(US Dollars)
$550 One classroom for one year (10 months)
$450 Teacher salary for one year (10 months)
$250 Books for a class of 25 students
$60 Writing tables and pencils for one class
$55 One classroom for one month
$45 Teacher salary for one month
$10 Books for one child
$2.50 Writing tablets and pencils for one child
OTHER SPONSORSHIPS
(US Dollars)
$2000 Generator
$1000 Dig a well
$750 Hand pump
$100 Agriculture tools
$85 Pig food for one pig for one year
$50 Pig
$25 Goat
$25 Seeds for one crop
$10 Turkeys
$5 Chickens
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grace
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Last two sites pulled up...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6184974 (funny, and I'm not even a Simpsons watcher);

http://www.campuscrusade.com/fourlawseng2.htm (but if you're not saved yet, go back to othe start of the Four Spiritual Laws).

grace
stephenC

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

He is risen!

On that increase of nuns in convents in America (yesterday's blog) - the concern is that they are down from 179,954 to 'just' 67,773 from 1965 to today. That is a massive drop but they still have more than 67,000 nuns in America.

Meanwhile there are currently 85,148 senior soldiers in USA. This number is up from 78,132 in 1979 (most easily available year). While the Soldier growth is not huge (almost 9.2%), it has been growing, while the convents have been shrinking.

So, what (and, to rabbit trail)? Well, TIME could always do an article on the radical, extreme calling of and increased response to Salvation Army soldiership in America. That's an option (since they feel the modest turn-around for nuns after a generation of shrinking is noteworthy because it is a covenant vocation in an era of hedonism).

The other point I'll make is that the 9% growth is nice, but... The 1979 total is only a 12% increase from 1936 (http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_578.html) coinciding with a 70% increase in the general population. I'm guessing (though I lack the stats, handy) that the American population has grown well more than 9% since 1979. In other words, we're shrinking a bit in the USA in the last 70 years in proportion of population (to about 0.028%).

That is a about one of 3,750 people. Contrast this with Zimbabwe and 0.92% of the population, or one of a hundred+ people. Whew! We in the West can't really imagine the magnitude of an Army thirty times as strong (per capita)! May we, one day, soon- God grant it.

SA daily reading: Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 11-13 (our prayer is for your perfection, write Paul and Timothy).

God is here.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

Time Mag on the increasing popularity of the Convent.
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“Religious life itself is a radical choice,” says Brother Paul Vednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference in Chicago. “In an age where our primary secular values are sex, power and money, for someone to choose chastity, obedience and poverty is a radical statement.”

That radicalism is, ironically, embodied by the wearing of the veil. Decreed unnecessary by Vatican II and shed happily by many older nuns, the headdress is for many of today’s newcomers a desired accessory.

Newer nuns see the veil as a public expression of faith, says Cheryl Reed, author of Unveiled: Inside the Hidden Lives of Nuns. “You can understand why a woman who has given up sex, freedom and money would want to wear her wedding dress--which is what they consider their habits to be. You want to say, ‘I’m special. I gave this up.’”
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Spirituality is picking up.
grace
stephenC

Ladder to Holiness

In the Ladder To Holiness, William Booth shows us how to get holy:

- "I hate sin and long to be entirely delivered from it."
- "I know also to my sorrow that there are evils still existing in my heart and life which I ought not to be there and which I very much wish could be removed."
- "There are in my soul the remains of pride, vanity, bad temper, malice, hatred, bitterness, revengefulness, ambition, lust, sloth, love of the pleasures and treasures of the world, selfishness, want of thorough truthfulness, envy, etc."
- "Now select from this list the particular evil, or evils, which you have reason to believe exist within your heart, with which you have to fight and which lead you into actual sin. Look at that particular sin or sins, when discovered, until you see and feel their hatefulness, and until you detest and loathe them."
- "I, therefore, do here and now, thoughtfully and solemnly renounce everything that appears to be contrary to the will and wishes of my Lord."
- "I put away everything evil in the thoughts, feelings, and imaginations of the heart."
- "I give up all that appears to be evil, wasteful, or impure in my personal habits, whether in my eating, drinking, dressing, talking, or in any other particular."
- "I give up and abandon everything that is wrong in the way I conduct myself in my family, in my dealings with my wife or husband (if I am married), with my children or servants (if I have any), in my conduct toward my master or mistress (if I am so employed), in my business, and in the general conduct of my daily life."
- "Not only do I here renounce those things which I know to be evil, but those things which appear to me to be doubtful, I will abstain from doing, or allowing to be done, so far as I can, anything about the rightness or wrongness of which I have serious doubt."
Then Booth wraps it up with a comprehensive expression of consecration and a firm proclamation of faith.
----
Have at it.
grace
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Strickland sighting...

There was a great line in a comment by Danielle advising us to "get to know a 'rich person'" over at Olivia Munn's blog (right side). :-)
grace
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St. Simeon

I don't know how accurate this stuff is, but it is interesting:
----
For instance, there was St. Simeon who liked to pretend insanity for effect. Once he found a dead dog on a dung heap. He tied the animal to his belt and dragged the corpse through town. People were so full of outrage they couldn't see St.
Simeon's message. He was trying to show the useless "dead weight" of excess emotional baggage that people drag through their lives. The town's uproar didn't seem to phase the Crazy Adept, though. The very next day, St. Simeon entered a church and just as the liturgy began, he threw nuts at the congregation. St Simeon confessed on his deathbed that his life's mission was to denounce hypocrisy and hubris.
----
http://www.spiritual-endeavors.org/basic/crazy.htm
----
The more formal version of Simeon's life (nickname- Stylites, meaning pillar) featured 37 years of living on a pillar platform (that is going to great lengths just to get some quiet space for rations!). This is an example of someone trying to remove one of the three battlegrounds - the world. Of course, this still leaves the devil and the sinful nature. It is a lot simpler to get rid of the sinful nature (holiness).
grace
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November 17, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

I just pumped Kumi and then noticed that SalvoKat did as well (right side).

For those interested in The War College (not just going but what is happening) the war college blog (right side) has started posting testimonies.

And the TakeJustice guys are up and running again- this time tackling the age of consent in Canada. Have at it guys! http://takejustice.blogspot.com/

SA daily reading: 2 Corinthians 7-10.

new memory verse (Romans 12:1 is up): John 14:21 - Whoever has My commands and obeys them, He is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him."

God is here.

Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

Kumi

Our friend Acacia sings in a band called Kumi that is featured and reviewed in this month's CCM Magazine. You can check them out at myspace.com/bandkumi and iTunes and cdbaby.com.

My favourite song is YAHWEH. Much grace,
stephenC

Salvo Recreation.

Those who have been in the Barmy Army for years you will know this first quote:
"We have no hobbies... unless it be a hobby to want to save the largest number of souls with the highest possible salvation in the quickest space of time by the best imaginable methods. That is the sum and substance of our mission." Commissioner Frederick Booth-Tucker

But (hat tip Andrew Bale), I've just pulled this classic for you:

“But our soldiers must take holiday sometimes perforce; and then they look to the Army to provide them with such holy entertainment as their souls delight in. Services all day long, or, at any rate, during the afternoon, open-air de-monstrations, camp-meetings, expeditions to other stations, or to mission some new neighbourhood, watch nights, all nights of prayer, are some of the entertainments to which Army people treat themselves upon extraordinary occasions.” Commissioner George Scott Railton

These guys blow me away. Praise God.
grace
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I'LL FIGHT DAY

I've blogged on this and emailed heaps of people on different continents, but in case you have missed it, please consider participating in I'LL FIGHT DAY December 9, 2006.

Here are the details:
http://www.d1000301.dotsterhost.com/Events/illfightday.html

This could easily become an annual, global evangelistic splash for The Army.

This could easily see heaps of people saved in one day worldwide.

I'LL FIGHT DAY is flexible enough for local corps to customize the details for your front. If you're in, fire me the results of your day at revolution @ mmccxx . net. And we'll report to everyone. Big hat tip to Eric Himes and the Chicago Salvos.

Much grace
stephenC

November 16, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Here's another holiness testimony:
"I proved this 15 years ago and ever since I have been walking in a day that has no setting sun, and everlasting joy and gladness have been on my head and in my heart" (Samuel Logan Brengle, HEART TALKS ON HOLINESS).

A note to younger independents...
You may enjoy your autonomy now, choosing to live as you want and desire now, but you are inevitably confronted with many challenges:
- You are not as free as you think. Bob Dylan figures that you’re, “gonna have to serve somebody; it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” So, you might end up bowing to the god of hedonism or MTV or some other idol in the pantheon, but you’re slaving for someone.
- You are not as satisfied as you pretend. Odds are that you face more struggles than you’ve shared with anyone. Whether it is family stresses and dysfunction, trying to impress or, at least, avoid negative attention at school, angst about future in employment or romance, you’ve probably lacked a lot of peace living a life independent of Jesus.
- You are not as safe as you believe. You’re just like us in that you’ve sinned. But, if you live independently from Jesus, you’re different in that your sins have not been forgiven. And, both today and seven thousand years from today, your sins separate you from God.

Get Sanctified.

SA daily reading: 2 Corinthians 3-6 (4:11 has a good take on sanctified person dying daily)

God is here.

Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

November 15, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Down in USW Josh Cowing has a podcast blog on media ministry you can access at
http://mediamoment.blogspot.com/

And, hat tip powerlien blog for this news item on Mulsim Act of Charity (beheading Christians) at
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20726085-2703,00.html

If you're in England this weekend you might want to check out Danielle Strickland preaching in Eastbourne at Spring Harvest YouthWork Conference (she's the woman in the speakers row on this site):
http://www2.springharvest.org/ywceflyer/interface.html

More on holiness over at Doug Burr's blog (they're hard at it still). From our standpoint, here's the latest to throw you in to a tizzy (or ecstasy), on instantaneous sanctification:

"In the years 1759-62 their numbers multiplied exceedingly, not only in London and Bristol, but in various parts of Ireland, as well as England. Not trusting the testimonies of others, I carefully examined them myself, and in London alone I found 652 members of our society who were exceedingly clear in their experience, and whose testimony I could see no reason to doubt. I believe no year has passed wsince that period wherein God has no wrought the same work in many others, and every one of these has declared his deliverance from sin was INSTANTANEOUS, that the change was wroguht in a moment" (John Wesley).

SA daily reading: Job 41,42; 2 Corinthians 1,2 (memory verse in two more days- Romans 12:1)

God is here.

Much grace,
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Some people like to argue that Wesley actually never testified to the holiness he recommended and preached. I've been guilty of parroting such remarks as heard. Then I stumbled on this, from volume 7, p38 of his Works:

"Many years since I saw that 'without holiness no man shall see the Lord'. I began by following after it and inciting all with whom I had any intercourse to do the same. Ten years after, God gave me a clearer view than I had ever had before of the way how to obtain it, only by faith in the Son of God. And immediately I declared to all, "We are saved from sin. We are made holy by faith." This I testified to in private, in public, and in print, and God confirmed it by a thousand witnesses. I have continued to declare this for about thirty years and God has continued to affirm the work of grace...
"You have over and over denied instantaneous sanctification to me, but I have KNOWN AND TAUGHT IT THESE TWENTY YEARS."

Regarding the formulations of how Holy Spirit deals with us in sanctification (e.g. obliterates sinful nature, regulates human nature), many sincere Christians instead guess that in sanctification THEY regulate their sinful nature and domesticate their sins (hat tip to Curtis Butler on the domesticated sins - you know, pet sins that you feed, a shelter... Oh, well, he's ornery? Yah, but that's him. etc.). So which would you prefer?

option one (the Biblical option):
Holy Spirit
obliterates sinful nature and
regulates human nature;
or
option two (watered down, humanized version of Biblical holiness):
You
regulate sinful nature and
domesticate pet sins.

Also, Christmas is coming and you'll want to raise the eStore for great resources for friends and family. For more trad types I suggest IN THE FIRING LINE (a biography of Colonel Bramwell Coles) and GENERAL'S CHOICE (Burrows picks her faves).

Finally, and this quote probably deserves its own blog, Rob Dolby wrote this: "Praise the Lord for His chairos grace and His chronos discipline."

Amen.

SA daily reading: Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 15,16.
God is here.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Holiness is quite a hot topic around our corps (usually), in conferences, and in the blogosphere. Just our two cents' worth- we're confirmed Welseyans/Brenglites. We believe that what God commands, God enables. We believe that repentance, renunciation, consecration, faith allow God to neuralize/do away with our natural inclination to act selfishly and fill us with a supernatural inclination to please Him. We believe that it is both the privilege and responsibility of all believers. We believe that is it much more than ordering your passions. Here are a few formulations of how Holy Spirit deals with our sinful nature and with our human nature:

obliterate sinful nature
regulate human nature
or
neutralize sinful nature
organize human nature
or
mortify sinful nature
rectify human nature

It is way above not only the experience of most people, but also the holiness beliefs/theologies/understandings of most people.

Mike Yaconelli wrote this on his Youth Ministry Rant:
"What is the deal with Christian colleges, anyway? Shouldn’t they be graduating students who are revolutionary, anti-institutional, anti-cultural extremists? Isn’t anyone else upset that most of our Christian colleges are graduating compliant, materialistic, irrelevant students who don’t have a radical bone in their bodies? Who will push the envelope in the generations to come?"
----
We know some War College warriors who are answering the bell on this one. Hallelujah.

SA daily reading: Job 39,39; 1 Corinthians 13, 14.

God is here.

Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

November 12, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

(hb2RD+AS)

I'm told that Brits can argue better than North Americans because we take things too personally. We're trying to rectify that over at my friend Doug Burr's blog, where there is a heated discussion on holiness (Doug's at the American blogs at right). Please feel welcome to surf over and weigh in.

Doug: Thanks for your response. It seems like we're speaking different languages here and it is frustrating.

My money quote is from General Catherine Booth: "There is a notion aborad of a sort of make-believe religion as though God would count us righteous and deal with us as if we were righteous while He leaves us in our unrighteousness."

Meanwhile, I heard a good preach today on Remembering from Bruce Robertson at Harbour Light Corps.

God is here.

SA daily reading; Job 37,38; 1 Corinthians 12.

God is here.
Much grace,
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

More electronic resources

Earlier this week I linked you to Robarts Library (one of thebiggest onthe planet) and, partricularly, the electronic resources collection of The Salvation Army. There are seven items, one of which I hooked you up with earlier this week. There are a couple of usual suspects (AC and Darkest England). And there is this:

The Doctrines of The Salvation Army and the Bible Compares, or, Why I Left The Salvation Army.

An intriguing title, you'd have to admit, and not just because we didn't change our doctrines after the author joined (nor after he deserted). But, after introdutory remarks, the first substantial statement runs like this:

"I honestly and firmly believe that The Salvation Army is of the the devil and as such I do not hesitate to denounce it in the strongest terms."

Now that tidbit might make it more intriguing to you. But at my advanced age there are too many trifling distractions to waste too much time on that (though I will turn a few more pages...! -- Oh, it turns out he isn't convinced about doctrines 9 and 10. hmm. Why is it that zealous Christians get so riled up against holiness?).

Much grace
sec

November 11, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Remembrance Day.

Hat tip to Michael Ramsay (right side) at http://www.renewnetwork.blogspot.com/ for his Remembrance Day intel. Thanks. It is this sacrifice that Kristen R. can blog like she does (http://rawlinsk.blogspot.com/).

Hat tip - Rob Dolby - 6 years yesterday- Hallelujah.

Hat tip - Evelyn Clark (right side blogs) for this entry:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2006/003/13.40.html
A very impressive Chicago church that is changing a very poor neighbourhood- Praise God.

I just stumbled on to a review of AWAKEN THE GIANT at
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/m10cd
You can still buy yours at the eStore (top right).

SA daily reading: Psalm 122; 1 Corinthians 9-11.

God is here.

Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

assorted site updates

The armybarmy main page now features a new preach by Fulton Hawk - Simply Serve, and an INCENDIARY poster for the incoming session of The War College (are you up to recruiting someone?), and updated FREE SHOOTERS list (North America only, still), a new demo of the week (Tom Freeman's GOOD GOD, as we begin to cannibalize the album SOUL CANDY, now absolutely sold out - keep your copies, as they may grow in eBay value as Tom grows in pop status!), some new Shouting prayer texts in the 60 seconds feature, some legit content for stophumantraffic.com, Regan Lipsett's award-winning documentary of Salvo GIANT Michael Collins, a new link of the week (Ignite), promo for a couple of upcoming events (including R.A.W. in March in Vancouver!), plus JAC, our corps intel, and the armybarmy library.

And on the blog roll keen regulars will not e a few additions- welcome, worthies. Oh, we're trying to score 400 more people as regulars to hit our next target- are you up to inviting ten of your friends to visit? I know you can't force them to come all the time, but leave that bit to our trusty bloggers... :-)

That should use up your long weekend (those of you who get one).

Much grace
stephenC

November 10, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Cheers to the Red Knights (biggest victory of the week).

Quote from a Gowans preach at ACC: "The times I am most intimate with Christ are when I'm outsid the camp and scared stiff."

:-)

More from William Booth (paraphrase):
----
What is your duty to this benevolent God?

Our duty is consistently, and with all our power, to live, worship, obey, and serve Him, and to do all that we possibly can to make everybody else do the same.
----
Have at it. Its the 'all we possibly can' bit that ALWAYS challenges.

Memory verse is due today- 2 Corinthians 5:17. The new ones (tryng to sneak two into one week to catch up) are Galations 2:20 and Romans 12:1 (NIV). Have at it.

SA daily reading: Job 35-36; 1 Corinthians 7-8.

God is here.

Much grace,
Stephen Court

Getting a little carried away with William Booth

(here is another paraphrase):
----
What is the ordinary condition of Sinners when you meet with them?

Preoccupied. That is—
• Taken up with the things of the world—
• Rebels against God, and—
• Condemned to everlasting punishment.

What is your business with them?

i. To secure their attention;
ii. To persuade them to submit to God, and then—
iii. To accept forgiveness through the blood.
----
grace
sec

Salvos on the Bible

(paraphrased from W Booth):
----
How am I—a Salvation Army Soldier—to make the best use of my Bible?

i. Read it on your knees;
ii. Read a little at a time;
iii. Read in faith, believing every word you say;
iv. Depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal the real meaning to your soul;
v. Commit the most practical portion to memory;
vi. Explain what you read to the people in words and with illustrations that they can understand.
----
grace
sec

Novembe 9, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!
----
(paraphrased from William Booth): Is it right to tell people seeking purity that if they believe that the cleansing work is done it is done?

No; but it is right, and there is authority in the Bible, and in the experiences of God’s people, for believing that if you trust God for the cleansing application of the precious blood, having fulfilled the previous conditions, God will, in the moment that faith is exercised, work the blessed change, and give the staying power...

What are the conditions of entire Sanctification?

Conviction, Renunciation, Consecration, and Faith.
(there is heaps more, and stay tuned for it in dead-tree form from Credo Press and the Vintage Books Series)
----
Bale's blog (UK blogs at right) has some meat on holiness form an old Handbook of Doctrine. Enjoy the feast.

SA daily reading- Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4-6.

God is here.

Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

a few things...

I read today that The Singing Company (second best SA worship group name - to SanctiFunk!) has a new site at thesingingcompany.com.

December 9, 2006 is I'LL FIGHT DAY. For more information, go to Eric Himes's blog (top right) and look at his November 2 entry. This could be explosive in global impact if you and all the corps you know participate.

I was off on my election prediction. I should have followed historical trends and I would have been fine:
(- In Franklin D. Roosevelt's sixth year in 1938, Democrats lost 71 seats in the House and six in the Senate.
- In Dwight Eisenhower's sixth year in 1958, Republicans lost 47 House seats, 13 in the Senate.
- In John F. Kennedy/Lyndon Johnson's sixth year, Democrats lost 47 seats in the House and three in the Senate.
- In Richard Nixon/Gerald Ford's sixth year in office in 1974, Republicans lost 43 House seats and three Senate seats.
- In Ronald Reagan sixth year in office, Republicans lost five House seats and eight Senate seats.
- Clinton lost 49 House seats and nine Senate seats in two midterm elections (plus a historic ten lost House seats at his election- only time in 20th century that a party won the White House but lost seats in the House. hat tip Ann Coulter)

Grace,
sec

I've discovered that there will be a "Winter Solstice" party held for the children at our Co-op.

This is awesome. I am so looking forward to it. I bet it will be even better than the Christmahannakwanzaa celebration we had last year.

I can just picture us all, sitting around the winter solstice tree, opening winter solstice presents, singing winter solstice carols like "We Wish You a Merry Winter Solstice" and "Holly Jolly Winter Solstice!" and eating sugary winter solstice cookies.

Dumb. I don't even object on religious grounds. I object on the grounds of silliness.

Grace,

Aaron

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

He is risen!

Commissioner Jim Knaggs, formerly of ChiefSpeak, has started blogging again, now at http://tcspeak.blogspot.com/ , and promises six blogs a week. Tune in.

"'Abandon' is to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions." (Oswald Chambers)

- this relates to the disposable desires we blogged last week.

"Good man to lead; tough act to follow" (Time Mag obit of Gregory Peck).

- just a good line for you.

"God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him." (John Piper)

- famous line; ties in with a bit of a theme.

Lust is nothing more than believing that the world can bring you satisfaction (paraphrase from Greg Mitchell).

- hmm

Daily reading: Job 33; 1 Corinthians 1-3.

God is here.

Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Memory verses schedule:
Due Friday Nov. 3rd: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Due Friday Nov. 10th: Galations 2:20
Due Friday Nov. 17th: Romans 12:1
Due Friday Nov. 24th: John 14:21
Due Friday Dec. 1st: 2 Timothy 3:16
Due Friday Dec. 8th: Joshua 1:8
Due Friday Dec. 15th: John 15:7
Due Friday Dec. 22nd: Philippians 4:6-7

So, this week's memory verse: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I read a quote that The Salvation Army is an organization of old women led by old men. I'd like to check stats on that, to see if it is true. Certainly there are heaps of Junior Soldiers (closing in on 40% of the Sr. Soldier roll - 386G v. 1 mil). And many Senior Soldiers are younger than thirty, say (you could guess that a quarter, at least, were, or 250G). So you could possibly guess that 45% of the comprehensive soldiers roll is under thirty - 630G v. 1.4 mil. That would leave the first part of the statement out - this is not a movement of old women. As for being led by old men, I'm guessing that this was not true in our early days but was certainly true since then. If you're a Chief Secretary under 55 then you're considered young. And if you're a married women CS or TC- wait a second, that is hypothetical only!

So, first part wrong, second part mostly right.

(US election prediction: rep retain both)

SA daily reading: Job 31-32; Galatians 5-6.

God is here.

Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Hat tip to Asley Elliott for this excellent library resrouces that has scored some rare electronic SA resources including:

RED CROSS KNIGHTS OF THE SALVATION ARMY:
http://link.library.utoronto.ca/broadsides/digobject.cfm?Idno=CAP02802&Page=0001&size=5&query=CAP02802&searchtype=Fulltext&strategy=all&lang=all&startrow=1&sort=title&photo=on&refine=no&transcript=off&CFID=13239407&CFTOKEN=81730699

by Fidelis

More soon, probably.

Sa daily reading: Job 30; Psalm 120; Galatians 3,4.

God is here.
Much grace
StephenC
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Deliverance: "The best means of resisting the devils (is) to destroy whatever of the world that remains in us in order to raise for God upon its ruins a building all of love." (John Wesley A PLAIN ACCOUNT...).

More on deliverance: "In the greatest temptations a single look at Christ and the barely pronouncing His name suffices to overcome the wicked one, so it be done with confidence and calmness of spirit." (Wesley...)

There's one of the greathearts in history giving us some wisdom on deliverance and sanctification.

SA daily reading: Job 28,29; Galatians 1,2.

God is here.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

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

He is risen!

Mark 16:20- The Lord worked with them (the disciples). Nice. Mind-boggling. He confirmed the word by signs that accompanied the preaching. Wesley used to close his preach sometimes by praying, Lord, confirm Your word. Then the freak show would begin.

"You can't perfect the old man." (David Micahel Mills)

And yet that is what most Christians, even the keen ones, try to do.

"God is not just a big warm hug." (Rob Dolby May 23, 2002)

Amen. I sense you get what Rob is aiming at (this was back in the WL days).

"For what is the most perfect creature in heaven or earth in Thy presence but a void capable of being filled with Thee and by Thee." (John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection)

There's some perspective for us today.

SA Daily reading: Job 26,27; Mark 15,16.

God is here.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

more demography

an excerpt from Mark Steyn's new book:
----
http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/article.jsp?content=20061023_134898_134898
----
grace
sec

WE'LL BE HEROES!

A CAPACITY crowd bustles in the stadium. Generations of saints - famous greathearts and unknowns - mingle. The air is bristling with expectancy. The conflict has intensified since their day. The war is peaking to its eternal climax and the veterans are cheering us on (see Hebrews 12:1). Daniel and Josiah are shoulder-to-shoulder with John Wesley and Charles
Grandison Finney, a few rows up from the Army's own Railton and Catherine, all cheering and praying for us to step it up. As the old song says:

We'll be heroes, we'll be heroes,
When the battle is fierce;
When the raging storm louder grows
Will our courage increase
By the cross.

They gave their lives to this cause and left us a legacy of example, inspiration and instruction. The world was not worthy of many of them (see Hebrews 11:38) and now they are looking to us to seal the victory.

Are we interested in being heroes? 'The shields of his soldiers are red,' says the word of God (Nahum 2:3 New International Version). Red with blood: blood from the enemy and the blood of the Lamb. Faith is our shield. Until we exercise it in confrontation with the enemy we have no defence. We will have no wounds but we will have no victories either.

We shall conquer, we shall conquer
Through the blood of the Lamb;
And we ne'er will retreat, though we die,
Till the conquest we've won
By the cross.

The Bible gives us our orders: 'Get up, you officers, oil the shields!' (Isaiah 21:5). Who is going to rise up? Who will attack, with polished faith, to demolish the enemy?

We are rising, we are rising,
And the foe shall be driven;
As warriors brave let us sing:
We have victory and Heaven
By the cross.

Our heroes wished they could be in our place. William Booth prophesied that Heaven's saints dream of being in our situation, willing temporarily to pass up the pleasures of paradise for the glory of one last battle. But they can't. It's up to us.

When we're dying, when we're dying
In the arms of his love,
On the wings of faith we'll ascend
To the palace of God
By the cross.

There's the battle-cry. It's a call for heroes. An invocation for wholly devoted warriors to engage the enemy in the name of our great commander-in-chief by the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 6:7). I don't want to let Daniel and Josiah down. I'm going all out for Wesley and Finney. I'll die to please Railton and Catherine. I'll win for Jesus. Won't you join me? We'll be heroes!

grace
sec

November 3, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

HISTORY, ETERNITY, MEMORY

1. History belongs to the Intercessors.

History belongs to the intercessors. Right out of the blue the iron curtain fell with the bricks of the Berlin Wall. Few could predict that three generations of soviet communism would implode with little warning. However, multitudes of humble pray-ers, all around the world, were softening up the wall through effective intercession for years leading up to it.

In a British Comubia city, the police corporal responsible for the programme aimed at curbing our Western Canada-highest auto theft rate won a North American award for the 69% drop over three years. Many applauded the signs, the increased awareness, the new penalties, and the emphasis on safety devices. However, the corporal credits the intercessors in churches of Williams Lake upon whom he called to pray for this problem. Many meet weekly in the City Hall council chamber to pray against this 'banner' crime for the city.

Unknown saints interceding on issues ranging from totalitarian regimes to small city safety are writing history right now. A review of the 21st Century will be determined by the people who prayed. Super-powers were quashed, habitual crimes erased. History belongs to the intercessors.

2. Eternity belongs to the Overcomers.

John records that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Rev 12:11). The overcomers own eternity. They have overcome the devil and the world (see John 14:33b). Under the blood of Jesus, testifying to His power, not being in love with themselves but being willing to die for Jesus, these saints were conquerors. They literally made eternity. Not only did they get to heaven themselves, but they stocked heaven with the redeemed. They lived to win souls. When we get to heaven we will see a bunch of furniture rearranged because the overcomers kept adding reservations to the accomodations list? They struggled with their lifeblood. Eternity belongs to the overcomers.

3. Memory belongs to the Individual.

It doesn't matter how great the Christian Church has been. It doesn't count that The Army has won millions of victories over the years. William Booth's and Billy Graham's triumphs are one thing. The success of various strategies and moves of God is another. General Clifton and Michael Collins are winning some big battles. But none of this stuff will be in YOUR memory for ALL OF ETERNITY. Sure, heaven is going to be sensational. But how are you going to be remembering earth? With a few lame attempts to tell someone about Jesus? Or, with movie reels worth of footage featuring you in the thick of the fight, helping Jesus transform rebellious sinners into heavenly neighbours of yours.

King Manasseh was a terrible king. He was evil on the scale of Hitler. The Bible records that he, "shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end" (2 Kings 21:16). Praise God, this evil man finally repented, humbled himself, and sought the favour of the Lord (2 Chron. 33:12, 13). And he died soon thereafter. Now, King Manasseh is up in heaven, just as surely as Daniel and Noah and Josiah. But he can't share their memories. His memories are of a disgusting, despicable, evil, wasted life.

Eternity is a long time to remember the times you failed to give it for Jesus, to stand up for the right, to put your neck and your name on the line, to testify for Christ, to actually express His love for those in need of it. Too long.

However, I can't wait to put together a highlight film of victory after victory in the Holy Spirit's power. I want to invite those redeemed to join me with popcorn and the ultimate big screen flat tv to watch them getting saved because I was obedient. I'll never forget those moments.

Do you want to make history? Pray. Become an intercessor. Ask God to give you a heart for the 10/40 Window and for the neighbours through the window across the street. And then wear your knees out.

Do you want to make eternity- fight fight fight. Don't be in love with yourself. Wake up each day and sign your life over to Jesus. Trust Jesus and keep fighting like a maniac.

Do want to have some sensational memories for heaven? Don't wait until it's too late. Only you can make your memories. Start today!
----
SA daily reading: Job 25; Mark 13,14.

God is here.
Much grace
StephenC
posted by StephenC

November 2, 2006,
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

(hb2BT)

November is here. That means we're starting to receive applications for The War College Incendiary Session that starts in September in Charlotte NC and Vancouver BC. You'll see more information than you can shake a stick at from the following sites:

thewarcollege.com
thewarcollege.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/thewarcollege

Please feel compelled to share these sites with your friends who might fit the age demographic (we've had students ranging from teens to 60s), and the passion standards (pretty much hungry to dispose of personal desires to help with the world for Jesus).

SA daily reading: Job 23-24; Mark 11-12

God is here.
Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Quotes from ACC

Here are some of the highlight quotes from our recent ACC expreience in SF:

"God is not a God of racism! He is a God of E-Racism!" (hat tip MC)

"Soldier-up!" - ie. soldiers, live up to your promises already. (hat tip RN)

"He's a fraud. Exposed. A sham. A mockery. A shamockery!" - in reference to Scottie Pippin. (hat tip RM)

"A man who has two coats has stolen one from the poor." (hat tip CH)

"It's all over. Let's go." - breaking up an ice fight between patrons and staff at a local Burger King. (hat tip SC)

"I will clean up the poop. For Jesus." On bucket brigade, cleaning public toilets. (hat tip Butch)

"That guy up there is right. I gotta go forward and give this thing up." - a man under conviction by Gen Gowans' preach, going to the mercy seat to lay down his crack pipe. (hat tip, 'Wolf')

(Hat tip to CH for the hat tip idea.)

Grace,

Aaron

November 1, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Happy All Saints Day! Praise God for the millions of saints He has made over the centuries (and, I'm led to believe, a third of them have been saved in this last generation!).

(ha2theMs;hb2PM)

You can read up on Captain Strickland's presenation to the Standing Committe on the Status of Women at
http://www.salvationarmy.ca/2006/10/31/the-salvation-army-presents-before-the-standing-committee-on-the-status-of-women/

You can watch Aaron White preach some revolutionary stuff at Youth Councils last week at http://thewarcollege.blogspot.com/


Welcome to the ACC delegates from San Francisco who are coming on board the Barmy Army. Check out th earchives and bring yourselves up to speed (and JAC- top right, and the main armybarmy.com site, and so on).

SA daily reading: Psalm 121, Mark 9-10.

God is here.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 31, 2006.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

Happy Reformation Day!

This is the day Martin Luther did some carpentry on the door. A couple of years ago, when Cadet Ramsay was still in town, I got the 95 theses stuck to my door. You can check Michael's blog for more on the big day (Canadian blogs at right).

We just finished an Action Summit led by Ricardo Walters. He's a community capacity networking expert with The Salvation Army based in Cape Town. It is fun to plan world conquest (alright, that wasn't the expressed purpose of each of the groups but we had a global 614 group that worked out all the details. Well, maybe not all of them...).

SA daily readings: Job 22; Mark 7-8.

God is here.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court