Armybarmy Blog

Connections 07.
It looks like Melbourne is hosting 'The Salvation Army event of the decade' in November (23-25)! If you're in the hemisphere, you might want to start saving up:
http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/SALV.1966296:STANDARD:689489:pc=PC_61776
----
grace
sec

two more...

It looks like the Australia Southern Territory has a new prayer website, the Prayer Tree. You can participate here:
http://prayertreesast.blogspot.com/
----
General Kitching has this to say about heroes (hat tip The Officer Mag):
"It is said that every young man has his hero! If so, are we anyone's hero? The officer who is a 'soldier ever inch', who fearlessly attacks evil, loves the people, frequents their haunts to rescue them, persistently visits public houses to establish contact with men and is a friend to every boy and girl he meets in the street - that officer soon becomes a hero to some young Salvationist. And many young men and women have had their imagination fired by another's inspiring leadership in Army adventures. In many corps, richly endowed characters wander along life's highway, doing next to nothing with their lives - till their eyes are touched and their imaginations kindled. A hero appears! Why should not that hero be a Salvation Army officer? Could a mightier or more vitalising vocation be imagined that ours? "
----
Whew! Read it again, replacing 'officer' with 'soldier' as appropriate to your circumstance. And then Kitching asks, "Why is it that some officers seem incapable of inspiring others?"
----
amen.
grace
sec

May 30, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Those of you who read The Officer Magazine can note an article in the May/June issue marking the third anniversary of the War Room (which was blogged here back at the end of February). There are photos of all kinds of War College students and other Vancouver types. Those from outside of Vancouver might be interested to know that the War Room has moved locations. It is now just down the street a bit in a very large space that gives lots of room for larger groups to be praying. It will be very interesting to see how God blesses this next stage of the War Room. Praise God for His faithfulness thus far.

Sometimes Bramwell Booth gets less credit from the armybarmy blog than the year book. But here is Orsborn's take:
----
"With a nature which combined the vision and passion of his father and the exceptional dialectical and didactic skills of his mother, he was ideally suited to lead the second phase of The Army's development. He maintained a personal and constant activity in the forward positions of our wide battlefield. Yet, he knew that we would never have an Army better than its officers, and he therefore concentrated his denius on them. He was unequalled in all kinds of councils, especially those for bandmasters and other local officers and, of course, par excellence, with the young people."
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 29, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2FH)

The Salvation Army had a big conference for advisory boards a few weeks ago and Rick Warren was one of the speakers. Among other things had had these two nuggets:

1. "I love The Salvation Army. When I was 18 years old, I read The General Next to God and it set the future course of my ministry. I thought William Booth understood what Jesus was about better than anybody I’d ever seen." So, if you haven't read it you might want to take this as an endorsement of TGNTG by Rick Warren, biggest selling non-fiction author going.

2. "Because God never made a person that he didn’t love, we need The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is love in action."

3. "A minister for 50 years, my dad helped build over 150 churches all around the world, taking teams of volunteers wherever there was a need.

"In the last week of his life, his cancer made him delirious. Awake almost 24 hours a day, my dad dreamed aloud—about what mattered most to him: building churches.

"Right before he died, he became very agitated! He tried to get out of bed. My wife was there with me and said, “Jim, you’ve got to lay down, you can’t get out of bed.” He kept trying to get up. Finally, she asked, “Jimmy, what do you want?” He said, “I’ve gotta save one more for Jesus…gotta save one more for Jesus.”"
----
Wow. Praise God. hat tip to New Frontier for the report, here:
http://www.salvationarmy.usawest.org/usw/www_newfrontierpub.nsf/a602303c3fd52b9888256e3f007b7de6/52367eff5f820ea1882572dc006ba6fd?OpenDocument
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Proverbs 10-12; Romans 10.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 28, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2dab)
Alright, here goes:
1. Hot off the press is intercessor Jane Bell's first book of prayer called JESUS IS ALWAYS NEAR! I'm guessing you can pick it up at USE Trade as well as www.xulonpress.com. It is aimed for kids to pray and will strengthen their faith and experience. I've read it (and prayed it). There is a sharp-looking prayer CD that accompanies it, including prayers by the US National Commander and a group of kids from Africa. I've not yet had the opportunity to join it in prayer...
----
Barmy Army regulars have heard about Aussie salvo pioneer Colonel John Dean from this page before (and from the pages of SA 101). Well, I stumbled across a biographical sketch of him in Orsborn's THE HOUSE OF MY PILGRIMMAGE. There is a very tasty bit in it I'll share (though I recommend the whole book):
"He declared he had engaged Apollyon in hand-to-hand encounter, in the Australian bush, and finally drove him off by flinging the Bible at his adversary. Only those who knew this man could assess his extravagance at its true worth..."
----
Two things (of many possible comments): If Apollyon isn't ringing any bells for you, he makes an appearance in Revelation 9:7-11; and, use your reaction to this story to measure your salvationism (oh, is that too harsh? try it anyway).
----
God is here.
SA Daily reading: Proverbs 7-9; ROmans 9.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 27, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
Holy Pentecost!
(hb2zsc)
Alright, lots to say (maybe some in a later blog)...

First, what are you doing July 27-29? Some genius (kudos) has pulled together a historic event at the famous Old Orchard Beach Camp meetings, lining up every living retired General to preach over that one jam-packed weekend. Whew! (That is USE, and if you're spoiled you can even catch the current General there in a week and ahalf or so at their 9,000 strong Kaleidoscope Congress).
----
Second, Romans 8, today's reading, has this encouraging bit for those cadets in the northern hemisphere (and maybe other readers, too): "We're also feeling the birth pangs... That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired of waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside to help us along.
----
And, while on the subject of cadets, I just re-read that General Orsborn failed a couple of exams in training college. So, don't knock yourselves out.
----
And, one more for the cadets (this one is actually for all of us, too. hat tip to James Thompson): "All the cadets from Bagladesh were in a bus on a very narrow road and a truck came hurtling towards them. There was nowhere for the bus to go so God lifted the bus over the truck and saved the future of the salvos there!"
----
Hallelujah! I was just conversing with a youngster yesterday about superheroes and while I was plugging Salvation Soldier (as I normally do), he rebutted, 'but Salvation Soldier can't fly'. If he'd argued that three days ago, he'd have won. But I was armed with this amazing testimony, which I shared, and demonstrated that Salvation Soldiers, with God's help, can fly, too!
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Proverbs 4-6; Romans 8 (which is a very nice Pentecost text).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

a couple of more...
After long wait, Kathryn Ballantine's debut album has been released. It is called 'Songs My Father Taught Me' and features piano accompaniment by her father, Len Ballantine.

All the songs are sung by the teenaged (I THINK she is still a teenager - don't mean to insult if she isn't) Kathryn in the style of Broadway (I'm reaching on this description since I don't really have a clue on some musical styles - show tunes?). She has a cheery and cheeky voice, if I can say that in a complimentary way. There are a dozen tracks, including Green Hill and Moment by Moment and I'm guessing you can pick yours up at TRADE. Since many classic Ballantine hits are missing, there is reason to hope for a sequel or three as well.
----
You like to read Christian stuff in secular media and so you start out cheering for what appears like it might be from the home team. But frequently frustration kicks in when it ends up being the enemy in disquise. Here is an example of one distortion taking on a false religion. We've got no dogs in the fight:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/with-god-on-side/2007/05/26/1179601730254.html
----
Plus, in light of Noland v. Forbes (earlier blog today) here is big SA financial news on the SA news wire:
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/NEWS01/705260322/1002
----
grace
sec

May 26, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Much to blog, but we'll start with these two items:
First, see Noland's blog for his critical analysis of the Forbes article covering The Army's new marketing push in the States.
----
Second is this news item from Wall Street Journal (see Best of the Web, bottom right):
""Saudi officials have arrested a man in Mecca for being a Christian, saying that the city, which Muslims consider to be holy, is off-limits to non-Muslims," the Jerusalem Post reports:, Nirosh Kamanda, a Sri Lankan Christian, was detained by the Saudi Expatriates Monitoring Committee last week after he started to sell goods outside Mecca's Great Mosque., After running his fingerprints through a new security system, Saudi police discovered that he was a Christian who had arrived in the country six months earlier to take a job as a truck driver in the city of Dammam. Kamanda had subsequently left his place of work and moved to Mecca., "The Grand Mosque and the holy city are forbidden to non-Muslims," Col. Suhail Matrafi, head of the department of Expatriates Affairs in Mecca, told the Saudi daily Arab News. "The new fingerprints system is very helpful and will help us a lot to discover the identity of a lot of criminals," he said., Last week we noted that the Organization of the Islamic Conference was complaining about "Islamophobia." But we don't know of any city in the West that is off-limits to Muslims. When Christians, Jews and atheists are free to visit Mecca and Medina, we'll take "Islamophobia" seriously."
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Proverbs 1-3; Romans 7.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

When Churches Need Permits to Feed the Hungry...

Last year there was a bit of a hullaballoo in Vancouver when a local Church, which had been feeding hungry folk for a few years in their facility, was taken to task by their neighbours and the city government for not having a permit to run their community dinners.

The neighbourhood the Church is in is pretty upwardly mobile, and neighbours started noticing a line-up of poor-looking people gathering by the Church on a regular basis. You see, the poor folk used to be able to go in the back door, but construction in the back alley meant they had to come in through the front door. Uh-oh. Now the poor folk were visible.

Pretty soon petitions were raised about the obvious increase in drug use, grafitti, public urination, and general lollygagging to be found in that community (police have been unable to substantiate any such increases). Neighbours were concerned that "these people" were not even from the community, that social problems were being unfairly dropped in their laps, and that "their" community was going to become another Downtown Eastside. ("Keep the DTES problems there" read one comment.)

It was determined that having a Church permit is not sufficient if you want to feed the hungry. You have to have a social service permit as well. (Note, this only applies if you are feeding poor people, not people who could otherwise afford a meal, or who don't look smelly.) The Church then had to comply with a series of orders, including making sure the distressingly vagrant-looking folk went in through the back door again, taking down names and addresses to make sure that people weren't travelling from our of the neighborhood to access the food and community, busing people back home if they came from outside, patrolling the local neighbourhood to stop the roving gangs of homeless maniacs who were now running rampant (though invisible), and other and sundry requirements.

So many problems here. Bigotry, ignorance, out and out segregation, neighbours and government telling a Church who can come through it's doors, etc... Also, the idea that a Church must get a permit from the government - must get permission - to feed the hungry. Surely this is integral to the identity of the Church? Surely this is what the Church has always done?

Though I suppose if every Church really did feed the hungry, maybe the government wouldn't have been so cavalier about making these distinctions.

At any rate, a group I'm part of is taking this on. It is called "Faith Communities in Solidarity with the Poor" (or the FCISWTP). We'll be sending out petitions to as many Church groups and concerned citizens as we can, and calling on Churches to fulfill our role in caring for the poor.

Grace,

Aaron

Hurt in The Army
Here is an excellent, tender comment that addresses the systemic hurting issue from the comments at Knaggsie's blog in a healthy manner. I'm keeping it anonymous and sharing an edited version with permission:
----
"I guess I can speak as a 'hurt' person - I'm not sure what you know about ______ ... but the bottom line was I was terminated ... - loads of details, not necessary.

"But here's the rub: After my termination, there was ample opportunity to wallow in self pity, legal grounds to sue, and excuse enough to leave the army and never look back - oh and lots of advice to these ends too. But I thank God that He showed me how these reactions would all be a "conforming to the world" for me.

"The world says "You are a victim." the world says "You have a right." The world says "You are justified in your anger."

"But the Word says, "You are a victor." The Word says "You have no claim but Christ." The Word says "Forgive as you have been forgiven," and the Word is right and true and good and stands forever. The world is full of lies and corrupt and temporary. Has it been painful? Yes, and even now the tears well up ... but this is not as painful as the pain Christ endured for me.

"Have I struggled? Yes but not so much as Christ wrestled for me. Have I overcome? - not fully yet - but this I do know: That my overcoming will not come from the world. That my healing is not found in the world's view of things. As is the case for every follower of Christ, I must remain counter-cultural in my insistence to follow Jesus' way and be fully held within the palm of His hand. Then and only then will HE restore me. There is nothing that anyone or any organization can do to prevent Him from completing His work in me except for me.

"I am praying that those who have been hurt would recognize this insidious creeping in of the world into their thinking and would again choose the difficult way of the cross - the difficult yet fully supported and fully guaranteed way of Christ. How our enemy hates this path - and how well he has ingrained the culture to reject it! But oh how God loves and longs to restore His people. Restore us every one I pray!
----
Amen. God help us.
grace
sec

mixing it up with a nice short blog...

Another War College grad, this time a Martyr, Esther M-V, is an accepted candidate, headed to training this September. I think we're at TWC grads in training colleges in five different territories, now. Hallelujah. (maybe God is calling you to The War College, or to officership...)
grace
sec

May 25, 2007. (updated 26th)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Railton was probably hurt when The Army went all financial on him. Gypsy Smith was hurt by General William Booth when WB kicked him out of The Army for receiving a watch from the town from which he was transferred. Ballington was hurt when Evangeline and Herbert allegedly gave him an ultimatum (after his threat to desert) that led to his resignation/desertion (and trying to take the whole USA SA with him). Herbert was hurt when Bramwell sent him to Canada (when he wanted to go to South Africa). He was hurt when BB gave him six months 'off' to reconsider his resignation. Catherine Jr. was hurt when her father wrote her off for deserting to follow Dowie (who thought he was Elijah - really!). Carpenter was hurt when he was banished to South America (the latter take comes from SAWiki). Yonggi Cho was hurt when the training college turned him down. Lots of officers were hurt when they were chased away in the 70s for being charismatic. And so on.

All tragic (although the Booth kids' ones are mostly stupid. Cath Jr. should have given her head a shake. Actually, all three of them should have). But things turned out fairly well for most of them. Gypsy had 23,000 converts as an officer (six years) and probably more than 160,000 afterwards (though, he was out for 66 years and his per year conversion totals are actually lower post-officership than during officership. By the way, a year after his wife - an early convert of his - died, he, at age 78, married a 27 year-old). Ballington started Volunteers of America. Herbert and CB Jr. evangelised. Carpenter became the General (my only example here, along with the revered GSR, of someone who stayed in). Cho started the largest church in the history. And so on.

Should we just shrug and move on? Was The Army wrong to go all financial? A case can be made on either side. It doesn't deny GSR's hurt, though. Was William wrong to ditch Gypsy? From here it is hard to say. Was Bramwell wrong to twist his siblings around and push them over the edge? Yes. But were they wrong to bail? Yes. If Gypsy is the most successful ex-officer, and he did less well after than during officership, how many more people do you think would have been saved if Catherine Jr., reputed to be a combination of the best of Catherine Sr. and William, had stayed in? How about Herbert, who is up there with Sidney Cox in the pantheon of SA song writers but who never published another song once we quit (so far as records indicate)? And Ballington? VoA? Come on.

What a meandering way to get around to The Army system and hurts many people feel! Well, the system is probably neutral. There is a good argument to be made from Scripture for the SA system. Sometimes people make wrong decisions within the system that hurt other people. Sometimes the decisions are made to hurt people. I suspect that this is rare. Other times they are made ignorantly, not realizing that others will be hurt by the decision. And sometimes they are godly decisions that hurt others for the wrong reasons (example, say I want to be made the divisional league of mercy secretary and they choose Brigadier Boyer, a person experienced and skilled and anointed/endorsed and chosen for this position by God, instead. I am hurt that they didn't pick me. But that isn't their fault that I'm hurt).

The system allows for a 'it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us' conversation. I guess sometimes leaders need to insist that such a conversation and the accountability it implies takes place.

Just in case this sounds like an apologia of every SA decision in history, let me make this clear - this thing isn't perfect. This isn't perfect. But it gets more people saved than you can shake a stick at (a quarter of a million annually in the 20s according to TIME Mag; certainly many more than that now in that USA alone accounts for more than 150,000 annually - if you conversatively guess at a 1.4mil annually throughout you're looking at 35 million conversions, praise the Lord). So, let's not throw it out. Let's get holy and do something to honour God.
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: 1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6 (getting into the juicy part of Romans)
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 24, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
 
Up first? I guess I was wrong (mark this date!) about Hattersley's Blood And Fire entirely playing down the supernatural in his history/bio of the Booths and their Army.  If they were actually as big numbskulls as he makes them and their followers out to be, then every single victory over the last 142 years of our history is plain miraculous.
----
That book does include WB's classic summary of Darwin: "it all began in a patch of mud and that after a long time - ages and ages and ages - out of the mud there came a fishy creature, comething like a shrimp.  Then after more ages and ages and ages the shrimp turned into a monkey which after ages and ages and ages turned into an infidel."
---- 
I guess I need to clarify things on my blog string related to the Knaggs blog.  Here goes:
1. I realize that many people are hurt in The Army;
2. I acknowledge that this is an important issue that must be tackled (repent and/or forgive along with counselling as necessary).
Does that work for you?  If not, please read on...
The issue with the Knaggs blog is that the comments have little to do with the blog.  So, he tells people to get holy and do something that honours God.

You'd logically expect a string of comments on holiness (e.g. what is holiness? how do I get holy?  how do I keep holy? do we really believe that anymore? etc.) and doing something to honour God (e.g. does _____ honour God? how can I better prepare to honour God more in what I do? How can I make a bigger imact in my God-honouring doings? etc.).
 
Do we see any comments along any of those lines?  No, not one (at time of this blog).  Instead what we have is people complaining about The Army or people in The Army hurting them.  As I said, the hurts are real and the issue is important.  But the comments have little to do with the blog command.
 
It is like if I blog that you should pray for the General every lunchtime (and you should, in keeping with a time-honoured SA tradition), and everyone comments that old General So-and-So didn't do enough on this issue or should have stood up stronger on that.  Maybe those Generals should have done those things on which you comment.  But it has nothing to do with you praying for our current General each lunchtime.
 
Obey the TC - get holy and do something to honour God. 
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: 1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; Psalm 136; Romans 5.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 23, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

We're not unaware of the devil's schemes. We know that he hates holiness more than anything. I suspect that is why the comment thread over at Knaggsie's blog has been kidnapped by complaints about The Army instead of obedience to his commands. If you're jumping into this late, the Comm commanded his soldiers to get holy and do something to honour God.

It evades me how that blog could stir up such animosity. It must be our old nemesis. Look, to those who want to slam The Army in response to the command to be holy...
The Army can't stop you from getting sanctified;
The Corps can't stop you from getting sanctified;
The officers can't stop you from getting sanctified;
The comrades can't stop you from getting sanctified;
The culture can't stop you from getting sanctified;
The only thing stopping you from getting sanctified is you. You are being deceived and/or tempted.
There's the revelation., Chew on that for awhile and see if Holy Spirit doesn't reveal to you the truth. Then repent, consecrate, and believe.
----
As for the second command, The Army has one obligation as far as your needs are concerned - to provide a means for you through which you can fight the Salvation War (or, some might say, an avenue of service). The Army does this better than anything I've stumbled across in history. So, two things:
1. It doesn't have to feed you. Feed yourself. It doesn't have to entertain you. Entertain yourself. It doesn't have to provide a bright and shiny nursery. etc.
2. It does not keep you from obeying the TC's command to do something to honour God. If you are a soldier in good standing I expect that The Army doesn't keep you from visiting old and sick and poor people, from living with poor people, from stay up all night to pray, from shoveling the corps driveways (those in snowy climes) and mowing the corps lawns, from teaching Sunday School, from all kinds of things that get little credit from people much much pleasure from God.
----
Comment at the Knaggs blog.
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 6-7; Psalm 135; Romans 4.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

TITANIC DANGER
(for any of you who aren't following Jesus, or who have friends in that boat, from JAC issue 9, when the movie came out)

The Titanic wasn't the only ship engulfed in the drama made even more famous by the movie. Rick Joyner, in his book, LEADERSHIP, describes the role of the Californian and the Carpathia. The Californian encountered ice in its path, stopped til morning, and warned via wireless (radio) other ships in the area of the danger. The Titanic received and logged this warning at 7:30 PM. This was the first of 6 warnings the Titanic disregarded. After all, this was an unsinkable ship!

The crew of the Californian actually saw the Titanic stop dead in the water. They figured the Titanic was taking the same precautions they were! The Titanic fired a distress signal, a rocket. The Californian Captain guessed incorrectly that the Titanic was contacting a sister ship. He didn't even awaken the radio operator to contact the Titanic to check. The Californian crew watched the Titanic sink, fooling themselves that the fading lights were indicative of a retreating ship.

The complacency of the Titanic and the Californian is almost unbelievable. In the middle of the North Atlantic, they both sat by as the disaster rushed on. The Titanic had never done a proper lifeboat drill. They lacked a plan for the orderly movement of passengers to the boats. Most of the crew didn't even know how to lower the boats! Complacency is the Titanic danger.

The other ship, the Carpathian, captained by a godly man named Arthur Rostron, modelled courageous behaviour in the midst of crisis. Upon receiving news at 12:35 AM that the Titanic hit an iceberg, Rostron ordered the Carpathian to turn and head full speed to the Titanic's location. Only then did he confirm the accuracy of the message.

Rostron then prepared his crew for the emergency. He set up the English doctor in the first class dining room, the Italian doctor in the second class dining room, the Hungarian doctor in the third class dining room, fitted with every supply and resource available. He readied gangways for easy conveyance and lines for the securing of life boats. He organised food preparation for survivors, supervision of the current passengers, and had officers at every entry point to wire the names of survivors as they embarked.

However, Rostron was heading full speed into the same iceberg field that had stopped the Titanic. He added a man in the crow's nest, two more on the bow, one on each wing of the bridge, and stayed there himself. He did not slow down. But he did pray.

They steered around 6 icebergs that they saw on the way to picking up the lifeboats. The morning's dawn revealed icebergs as far as the eye could see! Rostron was decisive and courageous. The Californian and the Titanic were complacent. The Titanic danger for all of us is complacency - that we will sit by smugly during our crisis moments. The greatest danger facing all of us is that we sit complacently by spiritually, thinking that nothing could sink our moral bulwark! Only Jesus can guide us through the iceberg field. Take a lesson from the Carpathian. Don't be complacent. Turn to Him today.
----
Comment to revolution @ mm cc xx . net
grace
sec

May 22, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

One of the peppy examples of call-and-response is "God is good/ All the time," followed, for those of you who've never been to a peppy evangelical/charismatic gathering, by "All the time/God is good."

It is true, and it is nice to get a crowd into it, I guess. But I was reading Hattersley's BLOOD AND FIRE and came across Hallelujah Lass Kate Shepherd (who is alluded to in SALVATIONISM 101 for her miraculous success in Wales), who had her own call and response for the thousands in the Rhondda Valley Salvation Army. She'd call out "We know you are miserable," and somehow, someway, the crowd would respond, "We know we are miserable!" Classic.

I mentioned it to a small group of very good Salvo preachers recently and most of them figured they could elicit that response from one of their crowds. First, maybe that recognition of sin made it easy for people to call out to a Saviour whom they recognized they needed so much. Second, maybe that conviction of sin is what brought the miraculous success that brought her to attention of SA 101 students.
----
Knaggs's command (see his blog and our comment on it a few days ago) is drawing all kinds of negative fire over at his comments. I know that sometimes salvos want to do things and they can't but it seems like they are the only ones, along with their loved ones, who read that blog. Surely not all of the Aussie Southern Salvos are wounded and hurt, having been stopped from serving God by their leaders. That said, sometimes good ideas aren't as good as we think. My father suggests that I toss out nine of every ten ideas I come up with. I'm not all broken up about that, though. It isn't stomping all over my God-given rights to serve Him and do great things. It is wisdom (the few people who remember our first album - SOUL PURPOSE of more cadets that you can shake a stick at! can 'amen' this point).

The temptation from the comment board is to say, suck it up and get back in the fight. Stop wallowing in the past. The War is too desperate and time is to short to whine away the days. Deal with it - repent and/or forgive. And then obey the current command from the current leader - get holy and do something to honour God. That is the temptation. But we don't want to hurt any more feelings so we'll just reiterate the command - get holy and do something to honour God. Imagine what people would have said if Knaggs had quoted Shep - "We know you are miserable!"?
----
Look, this blog is meant to edify. So, if you are one who tried to do something and couldn't, please forgive and move forward. Don't be offended by this. That would be a further waste.
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5; Psalm 99; Romans 3.
Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 21, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(Happy Victoria Day in Canada)
See the McAlisters's May 16 blog for the black market on song books. That is how hot things are in the second largest territory in the world!
----
Regulars will be pleased to see that the Ricardo Walters blog is now on the blog roll under Africa.
----
I grew up on the Songs of Faith, a C+B supplement to the SASB (1971). It included 100 songs with words and piano music (very useful) and some hits such as Keep In Step (which our band seemed to play almost every salvation meeting), On We March With The Blood And The Fire, I'm A Soldier Bound For Glory, God's Soldier, I'm In His Hands, The Pathway of Duty (and several other Cox hits), Follow On!, In The Love Of Jesus, All There Is OF Me, All My Days And All My Hours, I Believe (General Brown's doctrine in a verse and chorus), He Remembers Sin No More (to which The Singing Company has given new life and this one by Douglas Court (for you from the USS, that would be Senior, not Junior):
----
WIN THE WORLD FOR GOD
There's an army that's been marching, marching onward through the years
On to victory after victory, over sin, and want, and fears.
Tis The Army of Salvation: what a work the Lord has done!
Telling out the Gospel story until the world for Christ is won.
chorus:
So we'll keep our Army marching, around the world our songs will ring
Till one by one they stop and listen, and one by one claim Christ as King.
SO come and march with us to Glory along the path the saints have trod,
We're going to tell the Gospel story, we're going to win the world for God.
(plus two more verses!).
A hit.
Hallelujah.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalm 98; Romans 2.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 20, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Gotrich and Gowans were in fine anointed form last night at the 100th anniversary of the Agincourt corps. My grandparents commanded that corps when at Danforth for about nine weeks more than fifty years ago. Jude can bring it. And Gowans dropped a bomb on us about being outside the camp. And he did a long appeal (fruitful) to the bass drum mercy seat at the end of what was a great Jesus-focused, music-filled meeting. Praise God for His victories over the last century. God help them and us in the current one.

Gowans also added a new wrinkle to his famous triplet- save souls, build saints, serve suffering humanity. It was in the form of a prefix - 'break your necks to...'. Time is growing short. Things are growing desperate.

God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Kings 6: 2 Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1.
Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

AUS. Soldiers under orders!

The Austalia Southern TC has issued two commands to all of his soldiers (see Knaggs blog in Oceania section):
1. Be Holy.
2. Do Something.
----
Hallelujah. Now, Commissioner Don Kerr in Canada gave the second command in the 90s in Canada. I think it confused people. I'm not sure too many knew what to make of it. And, of course, General William Booth gave the second command to his eldest son when he saw a desperate need under the bridges in London. Maybe the difference is that Booth also gave the first command. He said, "Be ye holy, but be ye holy now."

Maybe the order is the key. Once we all get sanctified, then doing something is only natural AND supernatural (inspired, directed, and energized by God - Knaggs details that it must honour God). Can you imagine 10,000 holy salvos through that territory? I don't doubt that we'd win the territory within a decade and have to stretch over the the Eastern territory to help out there. After all, holiness is the solution to every problem!

Some people think this is too good to be true. One already said as much in response to his blog. But it is reality. And it is a command. No excuses.

So, we recognize Commissioner Knaggs as God's anointed leader for that territory. I suspect that next Sunday these commands will be the focus of preaching throughout the territory. I suspect that your own TC (if you're not from AUS) would rejoice if you choose to submit to these commands as well. First be holy. Then, do something.
----
AND

Ricardo Walters has started blogging at ordinarybeautiful? from South Africa here:
http://ordinarybeautiful.blogspot.com/
Can I recommend this to you, please? Ricardo is a keen mind and gifted visionary, strategically positioned by God for The Army in this generation. Bookmark it. Share it. Check it often. We'll be adding it to the blogroll presently.
----
Much grace,
sec

May 19, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2ZSC)
----
Commissioner Max Feener was a 17 year-old envoy commissioned and sent to a small town with no roads. He was to reopena coprs that had been closed for years. His folks dropped him off at the end of the road on the edge of town and he started off. After a week of visitation, he hit the hall early to stoke up the furnace to warm things up for the holiness meeting. One person showed up, right on time, in high collar and trousers featuring threadbare knees. He was a 'man of prayer'. He went straight to the Mercy Seat and began to cry out to God with tears for me and for the night meeting. And it worked. The place was packed that night and The Army was back to stay. That was nearly 50 years ago. Hallelujah! (story from May 8 Southern Spirit, the USS territorial preiodical).
----
Around 3am I was awakened this morning by a youngster in the residence who woke up early (not his fault, as this was a new bed and surrounding)! After five minutes of cajoling and prayer, he was settled back to sleep and I tried to get back to sleep. I was already pretty tired from staying up late to watch Canada's own Steve 'slash' Nash and his Phoenix Suns take it on the chin and get knocked out of the NBA tournament. But for some reason, while I tried to return to my beautiful sleep and dreaming, dancing around in my mind were the words (and tune) - 'Shine down, shine down, shine down on me, Father of Lights...' That transMission! Those guys get into my head at 3am! Catchy song! Are Laeger and Mikles the Gowans and Larsson of our generation? If you don't have the song, it is from the new album UNFAILING LOVE. Thanks, tM.
----
God is here.
SA Daily reading: 1 Kings 4,5; 2 Chronicles 2; Psalm 101; 2 Thessalonians 3 (check out v7 and ask yourself if you know anyone today who could quote that verse with a straight face).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 18, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.

He is risen!

The 'hearing heart' for which Solomon asked was in the 1 Kings account (not the 2 Ch. version below in the daily reading). Other than his obvious spiritual weakness (Hebrews 12 talks about "THE sin that so easily entangles" -for Solomon it was more obvious than for others) Solomon was blessed immensely by God's answer to this prayer. It seems an excellent prayer for each of us to pray.
----
The Church in Australia is looking up. So says the National Church Life Survey. Parts of the Church don't look so hot. But praise God for the Evangelicals and Pentecostals, whose own growth covers a multitude of losses in other streams. One interesting number- 14% of Pentecostals are new to the Church in the last five years. This is the highest result. And, Salvationists are amongst the most satisfied! (next to Pentes). More info:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/desire-to-help-puts-new-life-into-churches/2007/05/18/1178995411717.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/flocks-are-motivated-happier/2007/05/18/1178995413759.html
----
God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalm 78; 2 Thessalonians 2.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

a couple...

1. Commissioner Knaggs gives a testimony of her call to officership in Major JoAnn Shade's new book, SEASONS: A Woman's Calling To Ministry. Two things are noteworthy here: 1. she was called during kettles. Keep that in mind all of you kettlers and kettle campaign managers! and, 2. I think that SEASONS is the first book off of IHQ's new imprint, SALVATION BOOKS. It is good to see IHQ back in the publishing business and it is good to see Shade's book kick things off. Kudos to Shade and IHQ.

2. Freedom House has announced it's 'worst of the worst' list for the year (hat tip Jay Nordlinger). The ten countries/territories judged to have the worst records on political rights and civil liberties were Burma, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Chechnya and Tibet.

It is notable that The Army is in a few of these places, has been in others, and, as the grapevine tells it, is headed into another. God help us. Meanwhile, let's keep our brothers and sisters in all of these places (the whole top 20 - see below) in prayer.

The second ten list is as follows: Belarus, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Zimbabwe, and Western Sahara. As you know, one of the biggest Salvation Army territories is Zimbabwe.

For more information:
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=138&report=40
Much grace,
stephenC

May 17, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

This is the set of undertakings from the old-school Articles of War:

Therefore, I do here and now, and forever, renounce the world with all its sinful pleasures, companionships, treasures, and objects, and declare my full determination boldly to show myself a soldier of Jesus Christ in all places and companies, no matter what I may have to suffer, do or lose by so doing.

I do here and now declare that I will abstain from the use of all intoxicating liquor, and from the use of all baneful drugs, except when such drugs shall be ordered for me by a doctor.

I do here and now declare that I will abstain from the use of all low or profane language and from all impurity, including unclean conversation, the reading of any obscene book or paper at any time, in any company, or in any place.

I do here declare that I will not allow myself in any deceit or dishonesty; nor will I practice any fraudulent conduct in my business, my home or in any other relation in which I may stand to my fellow men; but that I will deal truthfully, honorably and kindly with all those who employ me or whom I may myself employ.

I do here declare that I will never treat any woman, child or other person, whose life, comfort or happiness may be placed within my power, in an oppressive, cruel or cowardly manner; but that I will protect such from evil and danger so far as I can, and promote, to the utmost of my ability, their present welfare and eternal Salvation.

I do here declare that I will spend all the time, strength, money and influence I can in supporting and carrying on the Salvation war, and that I will endeavor to lead my family, friends, neighbors and all others whom I can influence to do the same, believing that the sure and only way to remedy all the evils in the world is by bringing men to submit themselves to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I do here declare that I will always obey the lawful orders of my officers, and that I will carry out to the utmost of my power all the orders and regulations of the Army; and, further, that I will be an example of faithfulness to its principles, advance to the utmost of my ability its operations, and never allow, where I can prevent it, any injury to its interest, or hindrance to its success.

And I do here and now call upon all present to witness that I have entered into this undertaking and sign these Articles of War of my own free will, feeling that the love of Christ, who died to save me, requires from me this devotion of my life to His service for the Salvation of the whole world, and therefore do here declare my full determination, by God's help, to be a true soldier of The Salvation Army till I die.
----
God help us.
God is here.
much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

abortion and global warming

A May 4 Gallup poll revealed that abortion tied with global warming as the 13th place winner in the “most important issue” question. (hat tip powerlineblog)

This was a US survey. Many readers will be stunned that global warming is 13th, figuring, based on the media onslaught, that it must be the most important thing going (even SALVATIONIST has a piece on 30 things you can do toward 'global salvation', by blogger Andrew Bale).

Many other readers will be staggered that abortion, a selective genocide that can be ended in a country with the stroke of a pen, is not raising more discussion. If you are undecided on this very important issue, check out
abortionno.org
grace
sec

May 16, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

A service pops up SA news references for us and today came this one:
http://www.melfortjournal.com/Front%20Page/307982.html
hat tip Captain Curtis Cartmell.
----
When they set up the first training home, the Booths explained their philosophy:
"We abjure all learning for its own sake. Moreover, we believe that a great deal of it is calculated rather to unfit than aid its recipients for actual warfare... We say teach the bui;der how to build homes, the shoemaker how to make shoes, the soul winner HOW TO WIN SOULS - Every cadet is seen privately, talked to and prayed with and counselled according to his or her individual necessities" (Booths, from Hattersley, BLOOD AND FIRE, p245).
----
Why did this proven philosophy change? I'm sure there are many dynamics but one of them is fear of man. That is, Salvos at some point took on a spiritual inferiority complex and wanted to be as bright and shiny and letters-laden as the rest of the ministerial associations preachers. So they started to go for credentials and go for the worst and even plunged us into an 'ordination' morass. The faster we return to the philosophy quoted above the faster we might return to the success those early Salvos experienced.

God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Kings 1:1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalm 91; 1 Thessalonians 5.
Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 15, 2007. (updated in the evening)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2KS,BM, XC)

Andrew Clark (Army Renewal blog at right) has an ambitious new blog called SALVATIONISM OUT LOUD (http://salvationismoutloud.blogspot.com/) - based on his book of the same title that is available at his regular blog - in which he is going to try to give daily suggestions to help in the Salvation War. This is going to be interesting, and a challenge to see how long he can go! Enjoy.
----
Meanwhile, Andrew Bale is continuing his intriguing mining of out-of-print SA periodicals. All of your bandsmen friends will want to read why we have bands (over at British Isles blogs at right).
----
The 1878 Council of War of the Christian Mission (soon to be The Salvation Army) was preceded by an all night of prayer. This is the summary from the Christian Mission Magazine:

"A little band of unlearned and ignorant men met in the great metropolis, determined by the Grace of God to shake the whole country out of the sleep of sin."

A huge goal for a small group. They did well on it. We can be inspired by their vision and by their accomplishments. If we are to stand on the shoulders of these unlearned and ignorant giants, we have to climb up.

God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 14, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

I believe that some in the Barmy Army missed the April 23 blog (below) featuring a primitive test for self-examination from the Christian Mission. Majors Webb's forthcoming book - AUTHENTIC HOLINESS FOR ORDINARY CHRISTIANS is the source (that book comes out next month- save up your Aussie dollars for a copy).
----
Many of dismissed Hattersley's BLOOD AND FIRE for being anit-spiritual and thus missing the entire history of the movement on which it purports to report. Fair enough. But there is some nice primary source research done, as well as some fun criticism. Here's one bit on early SA advertising:
----
"That advertisement - military metaphors aside - illustrated a characteristic which was common amongst William Booth's followers and was both a strength and a weakness. Few of them possessed the slightest capacity for understanding how ridiculous they could sound. The absurdity of much of their publicity attracted support in the slums, but it increased the contempt in which they were held in the respectable suburbs. They shouldnot have been surprised when their expansion into a national institution was initially greeted with derisive incredulity as well as bitter opposition" (p231).
----
Maybe I'll feed you more if you like that bit. The same principle applies today, I suspect.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Chronicles 22-24; 1 Thessalonians 3.
(comments, as always, to revolution @ mm cc xx . net)
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 13, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hmd,Mom)
I heard something unusual still for a western SA holiness meeting. During the announcements we were told that the person announced dead last week was raised back to life during the week. Hallelujah! Oh for the coming day when it is not rare at all!
----
reference for God
intimacy with God
love of God
All seems to work well with our approach to our neighbour, too - revering what GOd has made, becoming intimate with them (as Paul, Silas, and Timothy suggest in today's SA daily reading - share with you our very lives because you became so dear to us), and loving them.
----
Word is that Gowans and Gotrich are in Toronto this weekend. Mark your calendars.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalm 30; 1 Thessalonians 2.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 12, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

(see Bell on Hell post updated today)
----
With reference to the daily reading below, if the parents of Josheb-Basshebeth the Tahkemonite had named him something like Daniel or David he'd be justly famous. Our culture loves super heroes and this guy was the chief of the Three of The Thirty, King David's Mighty Men. This is bigger than the League of Justice and the Fantastic Four and all of Marvel's creations. And Josheb-Basshebeth the Tahkemonite was the leader of the super heroes. One day he wiped out 800 men with his spear.

God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 21-23; 1 Thessalonians 1.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 11, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Three brief ones:
1. Live by the text, die by the text.
2. there is no place like home (ask the Golden State Warriors).
3. The House of My Pilgrimage remains the top SA autobiography.

More soon. Stay tuned. Visit Linsey New's blog for a nice local taste.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 19-20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Bell on hell, plus... (updated May 12)

After defining hell like this -
- "a place, an event, a situation absent of how God desires things to be. Famine, debt, oppression, loneliness, despair, death, slaughter - they are all hell on earth";

Rob Bell exhorts us to do all we can to bring heaven to earth. "Poverty, injustice, suffering - they are all hells on earth, and as Christians we oppose them with all our energies" (Velvet Elvis. p148).
----
As Rob D. reminds me, this is a neat take until people go too far and say that there is a hell here but not hell 'over there'. Excellent point, bearing emphasis in today's environment. He also suggests that the gehenna excuse (garbage dump) is really a hard core teaching from Jesus- those bound for hell/gehenna are considered, in the context, as garbage thrown out on the dump.
----
We've got this neat little initiative called BE A HERO that is aimed at some of these things (poverty, injustice...). We're trying to raise up 10,000 'heroes'. You can find out more at beahero.org (which, by the way, has this quote on the front page today when I checked it before referencing it - “Now something must be done, and somebody must do it” William Booth, The Way Cry, July 11, 1885) or on
http://armybarmy.com/be-a-hero.html .

While you are at the front page of armybarmy.com you'll note the feature training events that follow this weekend's FULLNESS. They are The War College Incendiary Session in September, Battle School in July, and Booth-Tucker Institute (BTI) in June. Research away.
grace
sec

May 10, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2AWW)
----
George Fife Angas, one of the founding fathers of South Australia:
"It is hoped that South Australia will become the headquarters for the
diffusion of Christianity in the Southern Hemisphere" 1844 (hat tip, FH).
Amen.
----
Update on SAWIKI - there are HEAPS of entries here: http://www.sawiki.net/index.php/Special:Allpages
Did you miss any that you could add?
----
"Roman Catholic politicians who support a proposed law allowing woman to have abortions in Mexico City should no longer receive communion, the Pope said Wednesday in a statement clarifying earlier remarks."

read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/05/09/abortion-politicians.html
(hat tip Michael R). It is good to see the Pope drop the hammer.
----
William Booth, "had no wish to receive the spirit of those who opposed him... if the laying-on of hands involved importation of the character and spirit which they possessed, he would rather dispense with it." (Ervine's GOD'S SOLDIER: GENERAL WILLIAM BOOTH, v1,book 2,ch5,p214). At my commissioning, I received the endorsement of Commissioner Roy Calvert (now PTG). I'll receive that. But this is good advice.
----
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 18; Psalm 56; Matthew 27.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 9, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Last year or the year before we decided to Read The Bible (RTB) out loud to each other daily in small groups. It turns out to have a been a great idea. I was reading again recently that in the olden days this was how the Scriptures were heard, as most people couldn't read and most communities might have only one copy. And so the Word was heard in community and digested that way, too. Classic.
----
Railton on Trade (from Waldron's GSR): "The Army's uniform and badges were adopted for the first time at the departure of the American expedition, and the woldiers all over the country, with their own money, purchased every week more and more of these visible tokens of their life-devotion to the cause of Christ."

This reminds me to remind you that our eStore has such tokens available (top right).
----
While on Railton...
"It is only for such soldiers always to be at peace while continually at war, always to have the bale spread by the Shepherd's hands, though always in sight of the foe, always to be 'indistress', and yet always able to 'take pleasure' in them, always to be suffering and yet always to be triumphant. Oh! for the sake of God and men, and love and peach, and truth and heave, and all that is worth caring for, let us fight and fight and fight, and never cease fighting to the end! And the very GOd of peace shall be with us!"
----
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 17; Psalm 71; Matthew 26.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 8, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Just a few days until the fourth annual west coast FULLNESS, a prayer and fasting experience in Vancouver led by Major Janet Munn (the apostle of fullness). It is drawing people from as far away as the east coast so it is within the realm of possibility for the North American division of the Barmy Army (those outside, I encourage you to pray up the possibilitie for FULLNESS on your shores). If the first three years are any measure, this year's will kick.

My buddy went on about two interesting subjects yesterday. One was fellowship. Now, as a disclaimer, I'll admit that I've said over the years that fellowship is over-rated. I'd drop 1 John 1:3 and point out that the over-rated fellowship is that which doesn't follow John's instructions. Anyway, he thinks it is under-rated. He thinks that one of the devil's basic tactics is to isolate Christians (especially leaders). Fellowship is the counter-attack (see Aaron's blog below on community in this light). If you are isolated right now spiritually, you're likely under attack. Don't be unaware of the devil's schemes. Fellowship (the 1 John 1:3 kind).

The second thing he was on about is the temptation of money. He thinks most Christians are sitting ducks against this attack of the enemy. We are so saturated by the world's standards. Money is the closest thing to God in western society. From money people think that they can get security and success and satisfaction and blessing and comfort and so on. Of course, it is a brutal substitute. It contaminates most western followers of Jesus, I suspect. So, don't be unaware of the devil's schemes. Challenge yourself and your 'accountables' on money and simplicity (opposite spirit - I guess generosity also can work here).

God is here.
SA daily reading; 2 Samuel 15-16; Psalm 32; Matthew 25.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Community and the Cave...

(Some thoughts I put in a response to another blog, thought I'd throw them on here as well.)

The best types of community, I would say, are those that love the Christ they see in each other, and spur one another on to better know the Lord and love those around them.

There were times in St. Francis' life when he was called to the cave, to solitude, and while there he longed for the presence of others, he longed to be on the road, to be with people, to have community. But God was teaching him in the cave.

Then, when it was time for him to go out on the road, to be with others, he found himself longing for the cave, to spend time alone with God without distractions.

Both the cave and the community need to balance each other out, I would say. We need to be seeking God in solitude, and we need to be experiencing God in community. Focusing just on the community can cause us to forget the transcendence of God, the total "Otherness" of God. Focusing just on the cave can cause us to forget that it seems the primary way we come into contact with Christ is through each other, through his Body, and that this is how God set it up.

Even when the Desert Fathers fled away from the cities and into the wilderness, they were followed and eventually had to set up communities in the desert. Man was not created to be alone. But there was a fundamental need for them to find solitude as well.

Grace,

Aaron

May 7, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(ha2HD/RD)

As expected, there were some uptight response to Railton on mission only (see last week) but while he was the TC in Germany he sheltered 2,600 men in SA halls (he ended up getting in trouble for sleeping them in the halls!). So he cared about people's physical well-being.

TIME Magazine has its world's most influential people issue this week. The Barmy Army will know that JAC recently came out with the 100 Most Influential Salvationists (issue 47 - top right). The initial neat thing on which to comment is that while each of the 100 gets half a page, The Salvation Army gets half a page (May is Red Shield Month in Canada) from a Canon camera ad (nice photo). While we're not the most exciting and exotic movement these days our nitty, gritty, consistent caring would put us in the top 100 most influential movements/organizations if ever anyone concocted such a list.

God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 13-14; Matthew 24.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 6, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
----
"Soldier, rouse thee! War is raging,
God and fiends are battle waging;
Every ransomed power engaging,
Break the tempter's spell,
Dare ye still lie fondly dreaming,
Wrapped in ease and worldly scheming,
Whilst the multitudes are streaming
Downwards into hell?"
(GSR)
----
No.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51 (you'll note how these three texts relate); Matthew 23.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 5, 2007. (updated 16:46)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

(ha2C/JE+hb2MR)
Andrew Bale has started mining some treasure from 'The Bandsman and Songster' a century ago. He starts off with General William Booth on worldliness. Read it at Bale's blog on right.

Word is that hq of a certain territory wrote an apology for an accidental communion cup advertisement that went out with a Trade sales flyer. Apparently it came from a generic Christian wholesaler and that item is not available from trade (nor will trade order it for you - you see, we don't practise communion in The Salvation Army - you can search at JAC for a detailed explanation).

God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalm 20 (good prayer for the General, CoS, TC, DC, CO, etc.); Matthew 21-22.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 4, 2007. (updated 23:50EST)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

The moves came out today for C+B Territory. You can catch up on them here:
http://www.salvationist.ca/2007/annual-change-2007/ God be with all the salvos affected.

(JDW's GSR)
-----
I cannot see why in the course of a couple of years we might not build up a really big concern that would keep a whole houseful of young chaps to be made soldiers of ... There is nothing like piling up people year after year like bricks to make a good organization that is capable of all sorts of enterprises. Why not try?

The importance of drilling the men we do get daily increases. We are not training one individual in our ideas and ways ... The want of greater unity of thought, feelings, and methods will continue to cause great losses withe very change no matter who good each man may be. Can we devise no plan for training folks?

Could we not have a centre in London to which all hopeful folks could be rallied and where they could be thoroughly looked through and trained? ... No college, no book but the Bible, nothing but living teaching - no putting away of anything of the rough natural - only the development of spiritual and natural power and willing to do our way feel as we do about things. A year's training while in employment and then a year at a London station should turn out men in our mould.
----
(station = corps; 'in employment = bi-vocational; this sounds like a bold idea for the pre-SA Christian Mission; 'turn out men in our mould')
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18-19; Matthew 21.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

SAWiki.net

Doing some research I stumbled on SAWiki.net (a new SA version of wikipedia). Because it is new, there is a lot of room for you to contribute to the database. I can think of many topics on which there could be new articles. Fire away (let me know if you add any so I can plug them - revolution @ mm cc xx . net)
grace
sec

Railton on Revolution (part 2)
(from JDW's GSR)
----
Let us begin with a bold avowal of our flag, for we are not the children of darkness, but of light, we have no sympathy with 'party of order', nor with any section of it. Those who do not feel the urgent need of radical changes in themselves and in mankind, or those who cannot reconcile themselves to the desperate measures required by so desperate a case, have nothing in common with us. The world is lost, and Jesus has come to save it; and it must be saved, at any cost, and whatever that may require, because whoever is not saved will be damned forever.

(sec - again, no beating around the bush by GSR - only putting things in no uncertain terms)

We are not reformers. Gladly as we would chase from the world every outward manifestation of sin, and repair all the ravages of the destroyer around us, we have little time and less power for such labours. We leave them for the most part to others, while we note the remark of our great leader, "Make the tree good, and its fruit good."

(sec - this is a young GSR anticipating or slogan that holiness is the solution to every problem. Look, I know that this bit will tick a bunch of people off but he was in his early twenties when he wrote this. You probably don't want to condemn every blogger for what s/he might have blogged in the first years? Besides, he is right, though a little extreme - we're psyched to straighten things out but it is not our main focus/ yes, we'll do it as a means of accomplishing mission and as supernatural overflow from the heart. AS GSR says above, 'whoever is not saved will be damned forever')

Still less are we politicians. The repression of vice, and the amelioration of the condition of the masses, which we have so little time for personally, we cannot hope to see accomplished by the agency of men who, generally speaking, profess to 'seek their own'. We find our time all too short to execute the great law of Christ, whose officers we are.

(sec - the decline of the 'religious right' - just today American columnist Cal Thomas has written on this subject:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/05/closing_one_door_opening_anoth.html - is evidence of the futility of throwing all of our great commission hopes in politics)

We are revolutionists. We know that we have passed from death unto life, and we insist on the necessity of the same sweeping change in every human being. With the cries of 'Death unto sin', and 'Life unto righteousness', we go on, determined to turn the world upside down. We are not philosophers or the theorists of revolution; but its agents. Merely to recommend revolution is contemptible. We must make it.

(sec - I've said this elsewhere, but what is contemptible in our society? not much anymore. Maybe baby rapists. If we merely recommend revolution, GSR is placing on the level of baby rapists. We must make revolution).
----
grace
sec

May 3, 2007. (updated)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2HC)

I was at myspace.com/revolutionheadquarters today - listening to a bit of the new album from the REVOLUTION congregation of Ingle Farm Corps in Adelaide. It is loud. You might like it. And while you're at it, you might want to think about opening a window to saytunes.com and just letting Fulton and gang pick the songs to which you listen while online (all salvo).

Railton on Covenant
(from JDW's GSR)
----
"It is so satisfactory to account for want of spiritual life, and want of success in God's work by the coldness of people around us, the hardness of heart of everybody but ourselves, and the power of the devil and every unheavenly influence. It is so awkward for Israel to hear the mighty voice appealing through the ages from Sinai, and saying, "The Lord thy God is one Lord." And yet this one great truth is the basis of all covenant with, and service to God."
----
Hallelujah. Write it on your door frames. Tell it to your children. Bind it to your foreheads...
----
As inspired as the Aussie salvo OWSOMS is (see main blog earlier this week), I wonder if they haven't capped things off, unintentionally? Knowing the Aussie salvo trait of upping the stakes and pushing the limits (see UK's alove becoming AUS's 2Love as the latest example) I wonder if we're to anticipate 2wSOMS some time soon (for those who aren't from Australia, and aren't following the blog thread, that would be doubling the self denial investment from one week's salary to two week's salary)?
----
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17 (you'll note similarities between these two chapters!); Psalm 2 (classic bit that includes inheritance that follows adoption); Matthew 20.
Much grace
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Two Railton gems on holiness
(from GSR, compiled by Waldron)
- "In that world we shall all have to spend our time either at a holiness meeting, or at a meeting of unholiness. Which shall it be?"
- "Nobody can live a holy life by himself, but Christ can live a holy life in anybody. Shall He live such a life in us?"
----
Pushing for a verdict.
grace
sec

Railton on training and victory
(Waldron's GSR)
----
We have only to drill suitable men and women to use daringly and persistently the Sword of the Spirit in the way it has been used by The Army all along, and then to send them off to conquer wherever they go, and this they will do as long as they put their whole trust in God.

Wee, we have got an Army, perhaps rough and little disciplined as yet, but formed of people whose devotion, determination, and confidence at least equals that of any human army, and yet all of whom are left to enjoy and to use that perfect spiritual freedom and independence which only the Holy Ghost can bestow upon any man. We have nothing to lose. We are sure that we are destined by the God we serve and trust, to win.
----
It makes one blush.
grace
sec

Railton on Revolution
(from Waldron's GSR)
----
The Army is shaking to its depth the mind and heart of every really earnest servant of God in this country. The most intelligent and far-seeing recognize the revolution that is in progress, and hail or curse it according as it promises to realize or to blast their hopes.

The revolution has been opposed, is opposed, will be opposed, and that with bitterness, and perhaps with violence, increasing with every increase of our strength. But what of that? What has opposition done in the past but to make prisons, and brickbats, and slanders, so many stepping-stones to further victory? Opposition is useless, because Jesus came, not merely to be mocked at and to die, but to save.
----
These words may have lost their meaning a century ago, but I believe that they will serve as both instruction and inspiration in the days to come. Stay close to Jesus.
grace
sec

Railton on 1881 Army
(Waldron's GSR)
- some say we ought all to be locked up. We are ready to go and sing in prison.
- we teach and enjoy the same blessed state ("perfect deliverance from sin"), and our weekly holiness meetings are the means of thousands attaining it weekly.
- (of those to whom the Quakers preacher- compares the salvos to the Quakers here) some repented and were saved- the rest went to Hell.
----
It raises the pulse, doesn't it? Thousands getting sanctified weekly? Willingness to go, and possibility of going prison? Not only believing that the stakes of our evangelism are eternal, but blunting laying out the consequences for everyone to read (the bottom of one email signature I like is 'it's Jesus or hell')?
This is not a game. And we're not merely players.
It is a war. We're warriors. We preach to people. Some repent and are saved. The rest go to hell.
grace
sec

Railton on sects
(from Waldron's GSR)
I have, in the past, defined The Army as a sect. I stand corrected by Railton, according to his definition:
----
"Well then, say many of our critics, we see clearly what it must be. Either you will some day suddenly vanish away as an organization, or else you will become another sect. We shall do neither. What is a sect if not an association of people who separate from others for some reasons and purposes of their own? But here is a vast organization of people moving at command to get closer and closer relationship to everybody. Here are huge bodies of sturdy men and women who utterly ignore all the theories and forms which divide the sects, and who are ready to go and worship any day with either a Bishop or a Quaker who is willing to worship with them."
----
When's the last time you worshiped with a Bishop or a Quaker? It's been awhile for me. But I did worship with some 'Brethren in Christ' recently. They were a quite likable crowd.

grace
sec

Railton as CO
(from GSR, compiled by John D. Waldron)
----
"At Poplar we are beautifully round the corner spiritually. Have now got a new society which, although of course quite raw as yet, will go on, I trust, unto perfection. We have now broken into the lines of the young chaps and lasses and shall have more rush and force... the old society and congregation are almost gone. As our life increases they will fade away, I fear, still more. I am very sorry. God knows I have spared no love or pains over them; but they will not have my Jesus and so the publicans and sinners are getting into their places. I have already a band of navvies superior to all the old men and we are gaining every day."
----
This is 1876, in the pre-SA Christian mission (thus the different terminology). And this is the oldest corps extant (if I have my facts straight). And urbanArmy, (top right) is by Captain Gordon Cotterill, who until recently was the CO there.
----
He faced challenges not unlike those faced in some of today's corps. It looks like he fought hard to win the veterans over to the next stage but was settled with the necessity of moving on with all those who would come.
----
grace
sec

May 2, 2007. (updated, 2:51 EST)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

One great thing about the Salvos in Australia is One Week's Salary on Missionary Service (OWSOMS). If every territory adopted it, we'd be well on our way to world conquest. Here's the source:
http://www.selfdenial.salvationarmy.org.au/
----
Kudos to SALVATIONIST for sharing online the flagship SA publication. It is a handy source (bottom right of blog roll).
----
(hat tip to JK for this bit from Rose Marie Berger article, 'The Hungry Spirit'):
----
Salvation Army leader Evangeline Booth’s comments on the women’s movement in 1930 are pertinent for social justice movements today. For what we call the movement, she says, “is not social merely, not political merely, not economic merely. It is the direct fulfillment of the gospel of the Redeemer.”
----
This has to be taken in the context of Commissioner du Plessis's article 'The World For God' found here:
http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/46DF10255F027F6780256F6B004C9A51?openDocument

EB got major press back in that era. Old time barmy army loyalists will have read Time Magazine archived articles about her here and there in the 20s and 30s. The Army continues to struggle with living out what we believe regarding women, just adding last month Major Joann Shade, a big-time women's advocate (she edited the Women's Issue of JAC last year- top right of this page, then in the archived issues) to the Doctrine Council as a corresponding member. Why is it important, beyond being rightly positioned in God's economy and rightly positioned in prophetic potential (both in straight-up stuff like Psalm 68 and as testimony to the rest of the Church and to the world)? Impact. Efficacy. Success.
----
God is on the move. And,
God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Chronicles 16; Psalm 106; Matthew 19.
Go Golden State.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

May 1, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

In the last century I wrote a proposal, hearkening back to the olden days, for corps-based training schools. In response to some interest, here is the link (of a more recent version):
http://armybarmy.com/pdf/JAC_Issue_034.pdf (see page 31).
----
Here's another classic we sang last week. Pray these words with feeling and we're on our way to a revolution:

Lord, I make a full surrender,
All I have I yield to thee;
For thy love, so great and tender,
Asks the gift of me.
Lord, I bring my whole affection,
Claim it, take it for thine own,
Safely kept by thy protection,
Fixed on thee alone.
Chorus
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
I have given my all to God;
And I now have full salvation
Through the precious blood.

2.
Lord, my will I here present thee
Gladly, now no longer mine;
Let no evil thing prevent me
Blending it with thine.
Lord, my life I lay before thee;
Hear this hour the sacred vow;
All thine own I now restore thee,
Thine forever now.

3.
Blessed Spirit, thou hast brought me
Thus my all to thee to give;
For the blood of Christ has bought me,
And by faith I live.
Show thyself, O God of power,
My unchanging, loving friend;
Keep me till, in death's glad hour,
Faith in sight shall end.

Attr Lowell Mason (1792-1972)
----
- death's glad hour. That must rock most sensibilities.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 1 Chronicles 14-15; PSalm 132; MAtthew 18.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Wearing the Tunic...

One young salvationist from Nanaimo tells the story on her blog of wearing her (high collar!) tunic to school last week. Lots of cool comments and opportunities, and then she ends with this profound statement:

"The best part of the day was the last 3 hours of school. We had this huge grad assembly about drinking and driving, and a lady whose daughter had been killed in a car accident on prom night told her story of loss and mourning. Afterwards I thanked her and hugged her. She recognized the tunic and asked me to pray with her and begged me to keep my friends safe on prom night. She was crying while she was hugging me and she apologized for getting tears on my jacket. I said "No, it's okay. I'm fairly sure there's no article of clothing more suitable for tears to fall on."

Wow.

Just great. I know the most powerful times of ministry and life I have ever experienced were when people were crying on my epaulets.

Big Hat Tip C in Nanaimo. Keep it up.

Grace,

Aaron

April 30, 2007. (updated)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
Here's a William Pearson classic we sang last week (SASB 593):
----
Jesus, give thy blood-washed Army
Universal liberty;
Keep us fighting, trusting calmly
For a world-wide jubilee.
Hallelujah!
We shall have the victory.

2.
Thou hast bound brave hearts together,
Clothed us with the Spirit's might,
Made us warriors forever,
Sent us in the field to fight.
In the Army
We will serve thee day and night.

3.
'Neath thy scepter foes are bending,
And thy name makes devils fly;
Captives' fetters thou art rending.
And thy blood doth sin destroy.
For thy glory
We will fight until we die.

4.
Lift up valleys, cast down mountains,
Make all evil natures good;
Wash the world in Calvary's fountain,
Send a great salvation flood.
All the nations
We shall win with fire and blood.
----
Evelyn Clark picks up on the Comm. Clifton Rev 7 SA stuff at her blog (see Euro blogs at right). And Anthony Castle has a great definition of The Army from a 1910 source - see it at the oceania blogs at right.
God is here.
SA daily reading: 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13 (the classic bit on Obed-Edom); Psalm 68 (the classic end-time women warrior text if you don't have the wrong translation); Matthew 17.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court