Armybarmy Blog

Wednesday afternoon bonus.

Hacking it in the corporate world.
I’ve heard people criticise Salvation Army officers in the past that they couldn’t hack it in the corporate world. It screams out for a response. Here is one:

“We have fantastic quality leaders in The Salvation Army, both at the officer level and local officer level.” So says Phil Wall, founder of Signify Ltd, a leadership consultancy (and legend Salvo, in October Pipeline, available from our blog roll, bottom right). But that isn't enough. Here's a bit more.

First up, loyalty. Corporate leaders are committed, often, not to the company, but to the dollar. Officers are committed not to the dollar but to the Lord through The Army.

Second, commitment. Corporate leaders work crazy hours for their wealthy lifestyles and perks beyond mention. Officers are literally on call all the time for modest to humble lifestyles beyond criticism. And I know 80 hour/weekers in both streams.

Third, professionalism. Corporate leaders epitomise professionalism. Officers aren’t called normally to act in professional manner, though the senior officers lead organisations larger than most companies. Corporate culture is (should be) different from Salvationist culture.

Fourth, social skills. Corporate leaders are usually quite adept within their social strata. Officers often straddle the divide between wealthy and homeless and operate effectively within both spheres.

Fifth, impact. Corporate leaders raise wealth for shareholders. Officer leaders transform lives, care for people, make disciples, and reform society (as the AUS Territory asserts).

Maybe the question is backwards. Maybe we should ask if corporate leaders could hack it in officership. Such a questionnaire might proceed as follows:

First, sacrifice. Are the corporate leaders prepared to give up the fancy home, fancy car, sensational perks, wonderful vacations, and other creature comforts associated with corporate leadership?

Second, skill base. Can the corporate leaders pastorally counsel in the morning, evangelise door-to-door in the afternoon, preach in the evening, and write a budget at night? (and maybe serve meals on the street at midnight or play basketball with the teens, as one CO I know)

Third, love. Will the corporate leaders be motivated by love for the down and out, the more fragile in our communities?

Fourth, availability. Are the corporate types prepared to pick up and move at the command of the TC, tomorrow? Anywhere? In the world?

Fifth, humility. Is it possible to have ambition submit to the organisational will?

If any corporate leaders can answer ‘yes’ to these five questions, AND if they submit their lives to Jesus and get discipled and trained up as soldiers, then have them apply with their nearest candidates secretary today.
grace
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October 31, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
Happy Reformation Day.

Michael Ramsay's blog (starting Oct 26) leads us up to Reformation Day. Dig in to his content. He also riffs on our Atheism post (on secular education, below). Good stuff.
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Andrew Bale gives his holiness testimony on his blog, post Oct 28. He does it partly in response to the exclusion of Brengle from SA holiness teaching because apparently no one experiences holiness anymore. Well, the last two AUS books published are on holiness, unapologetic Wesleyan holiness (the latter book is straight-up Brengle) so whoever isn't hearing holiness testmionies isn't listening too much. Bale gives us the opportunity to testify in his comments section of the blog. So, head over the the European Blogs on the roll at right, and click on Andrew Bale, and start commenting.
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While we're in the European section, veteran blogger Gordon Cotterill has an interesting Booth blog up.
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Berwick Salvos vision statement: God's people fighting to rebuild and restore each generation in our community.
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We had reason to hit up the beahero.org (God bless BE A HERO) website frontpage and found this quote, in the face of the overwhelming social injustices in the world (and outlined in BE A HERO):
"Now something must be done, and somebody must do it"
William Booth, The War Cry, July 11, 1885
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That is a direct call to soldiers. Who's listening?
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Here's another William Boothism, since we're on him:
"The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender."
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We had opportunity to engage in a little evangelism yesteday with a youngster we know - no visible results, but good times. There is a follow-up plan in the offing.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 22; Mark 7-8 (love 8:34 call to discipleship).
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

October 30, 2007. (updated 30th pm)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2AM)

I heard a story yesterday about a young officer in the southern USA fresh out of SFOT who wasn't doing too well and who received a pastoral visit from his concerned Divisional Commander. She asked him why all the lessons he learned in training college weren't resulting in lots of people getting saved and sanctified and enrolled as soldiers and deployed in the fight. He responded, "I guess, Colonel, that I'm just burned out." The DC replied, "Burned out? Son, you ain't even been lit up, yet!" (hat tip NM)
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"Officership isn't designed to leave" (D. Collinson).
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Graeme Smith, fresh to the European blogroll at right, spins off our Oct 28 post on academic credentialism.
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The next vision in The Dream:
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…that we would establish Lighthouses of Prayer to cover our neighbourhoods with grace.
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We're not expert on Lighthouses of Prayer though in Williams Lake there was some attempt at it. We're not sure what God and the Commissioner have in mind on this one but we googled LoP and came up with a few options:
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http://www.prayerlighthouse.com/
http://www.efcc.ca/index.cfm?pageID=67
http://www.highway.org/FP/lighthouses_of_prayer.html
http://praytexas.com/text/lighthouse.htm
and so on.

It is difficult to ascertain which is the original system. The following is an edited process of one version:
Phase 1: Establish a "Perimeter of Faith" and "Speak Peace" (Luke 10:5)
Phase 2: Bridge Building (Luke 10:7)
Phase 3: Pray for felt needs (Luke 10:9)
Phase 4: Proclamation (Luke 10:9)
(http://www.lighthousesofprayer.org/dnn/)
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One slice of 'conventional wisdom' is that we have heaps of candidates for officership in the developing world and not so many in the western world. This is not entirely true. There are so solid numbers in a few territories in the West (as disparate cultures as England, northeastern USA, and southern USA) which would disprove social and socioeconomic and cultural arguments in favor of the developing world.

So, we wonder if the problem in recruiting officers in some developed world places has LITTLE to do with life-long calling, self-sacrifice, lack of vocational authonomy, and the tenured benefits package, and MORE to do with the culture (including legitimate or illegitimate stereotypes of officership), the training system, and state of the Salvationism and the Salvation War in a specific territory. Hmm.
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Quick solution (well, you know that fundamentally we're sold that holiness is the solution to every problem)? Sign up yourself. Change the culture from within. If God has called you to soldiership then speak positively about officership so that there isn't some weird bulls-eye stuck on every somewhat keen young salvo we find. Use apostolic optimism in your speech and encouragement. Recruit officers, long, hard, and often.

Look, every keen salvationist MUST obviously prayerfully consider officership. As they do, encourage them.
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JAC51 is still out there. Enjoy the read. justsalvos.com is fully operational. Bookmark it (including the blog). We're looking for great contributions for JAC52 (email to revolution @ mmccxx . net). And we're all trying to get SOMEONE saved today. God help us all.
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Hey, armybarmy.com front page has a 'new' preach by me called Showers of Blessing (1999!). Throwback!
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 21; Mark 5-6 (6:48 - good encouragement for those praying in the night - at about 3 am Jesus came to them).
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

October 29, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
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Lots to say today, so we might have to go point-form...
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Please pray for the Bakers in Mozambique - see Heather and Robbie Dolby's blog for details (the Bakers were kind enough to endorse our book, BE A HERO).
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Kudos to Colonel Glen Shepherd, who scored an honorary doctorate from Trinity Western University last week (here's his speech):
http://www.salvationist.ca/2007/chief-secretary-receives-honorary-degree/#more-2569
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Eleanor Burnes-Jones blog (Oct. 23) - fixes up my take on professionalism - thanks.
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Michael Ramsay sets us up for REFORMATION DAY in his blog (it is two days away).
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Karyn Baker has a great 'Desire and Power' post on Oct. 14 on her blog.
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Andrew Clark has posted the O+R questions in his Oct. 23 entry.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=YXVYP5I1RWYRRQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/opinion/2007/10/27/do2702.xml
is a great article called:
How will abortion be viewed 200 years from now? Check it out.
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http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf/vw-sublinks/2F003864D073B39B8025737C00483E58?openDocument

A copy of 'Women as Risk-Takers for God' by Lorry Lutz has been presented to every training college to celebrate one hundred years of women's ministries in The Salvation Army.
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(from IHQ site) World Evangelisation is:

Enabling every person on earth to hear the gospel in a way they can understand, and have a valid opportunity to become a Christian
An approach to man in his totality and the world in its totality in order to transform, perfect and save them

We are committed to World Evangelisation because:
We accept that Christ's Great Commission applies to us
We know how much the salvation made possible by Jesus has transformed us, so we want to share it with others throughout the world
Our activity, however small it may be, makes a contribution to world justice and peace
It helps prepare for the future coming of Jesus. (Mark 13:10)

And also because:
It is within the traditions of our movement and the church
It stimulates the life of the home church
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Did you know (IHQ site): The Salvation Army is at work in 111 countries and has more than 1.1 million members worldwide?
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http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTFiM2UwY2E3OTE2ZjNmNGFjODEwODFlOGNlMDA2YmU=
review of a forthcoming televesion programme called Facing Reality (in North America) about abortion.
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Don't kill babies (unborn or otherwise).
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General Shaw Clifton addresses the National Press Club of Australia, November 28.
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Stay close to Jesus. Aim for souls today.
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God is here.
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SA Daily Reading: Job 20; Mark 3-4.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

October 28, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends
He is risen!
(hb2JE)

Some people in the West are unreasonably enamored with formal credentials and the secular post-secondary experience that normally provides them. Christians ought to be especially cautious in this regard. Check out this:
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Philosopher Richard Rorty argued that secular professors in the universities ought "to arrange things so that students who enter as bigoted, homophobic religious fundamentalists will leave college with views more like our own." Rorty noted that students are fortunate to find themselves under the control "of people like me, and to have escaped the grip of their frightening, vicious, dangerous parents." Indeed, parents who send their children to college should recognize that as professors "we are going to go right on trying to discredit you in the eyes of your children, trying to strip your fundamentalist religious community of dignity, trying to make your views seem silly rather than discussable."
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source: http://townhall.com/columnists/DineshDSouza/2007/10/22/the_atheist_indoctrination_project
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It's baldly true. Christians have children, struggle to bring them up in the fear and friendship of the Lord, and then send them off to secular universities like those alluded to by Rorty, where their foundational spiritual beliefs are marginalised and mocked. And we tragically lose many of them to the Kingdom.

Why? Here are a couple of quick takes:
1. our worldview is such that we crave the affirmation that certain letters behind our names offer, especially if those letters came from certain socially respected or even revered schools. So, over the formative years of our children, we implicitly (or, sometimes, explicitly) drill into our children that they 'should' go to this school to study. Granted, sometimes it isn't directly the parents, but even then it is often the parents allowing this influence to seep in from school, friends, books, and television.

2. our children aren't solid enough in their faith to effectively tackle the offensive onslaught of the enemy. Part of this relates back to the environment cultivated by the dynamics of #1 above (among other things, students have ingrained in them a submissive, deferential posture towards the professor). But a larger part of it relates to ineffective discipling of our children. What is the solution here? Well, Junior Soldiers and Corps Cadets have great potential. But parents also need to take responsibility for training up our children in the way they should go. Do it.

testimony - I intentionally did a degree in a programme that was militantly against most of what I believed. I figured it would toughen me up and I might convince some people to follow Jesus. It did toughen me up but I wasn't able to convince any of the staff or students to follow Jesus. And the environment was oppressive to Christian faith.

3. (conclusion) So, let's raise up mighty warriors who can handle the attack of the enemy (not flesh and blood enemy); AND, let's re-think our blind reverence for the enemy who dresses up in academic costume. As it always does with my buddy Ian, it comes down to revelation - obey what God tells us
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We lifted this from Richard Munn (hat tip RM)
Gordon McDonald Trifecta: 3 principles for ministry survival. Without them we will perish. Non-negotiable principles: -

 Shabbat - Hebrew
 Koinonia - Greek
 Missio - Latin

People who collapse violate one or more of these three. If we are to be effective we have to find out a way to be intentional in sabbath, fellowship and mission.
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Our take on the Sabbath rest is found in Hebrews - sanctification. Our version of fellowship is not nursing a coffee in the foyer after the holiness meeting but authentic Christian community. Our understanding of mission is to win the world for Jesus. God help us.
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Sunday! It's a big soul-saving day. Let's be a part of it.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 19; Mark 1-2 (ch1 includes what it takes to get saved, in a nutshell - v15,17).
Much grace,
StephenC

afternoon update (but don't forget to read today's main post)

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Clocks jump ahead an hour overnight Saturday in Australia.
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The Australia Territory is reporting its first growth in over a decade, up 7% in attendance between 04 and 06 and up 4% in soldiery in the same period. Hallelujah. That and much better will do. God grant it.
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The next vision in The Dream
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"…that our 24/7 Prayer Initiatives will be adopted by individual corps throughout the territory all the time."
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Amen. We were blessed to soldier at a corps that has been praying non-stop for more than 3 1/2 years. Praise God. We can tell you from experience that it changes the dynamics of the Salvation War. The War Room in Vancouver became the hub of the corp and the war. Prayers emanating from there protected people, healed people, led to conversion, delivered people, brought about revelation and discernment and conviction, facilitated sanctification, honed in on worship, honoured God, birthed strategies, bolstered faith, increased boldness, etc.

In a newer outpost started from that corps the soldiers when 24 hours one day a week of prayer. They didn't have teh consistent committed numbers to go non-stop that early in their war but they stil tackled 24.

So, smaller corps could do something. Every corps that would not describe itself as small could go non-stop and radically transform life. Non-stop!
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grace
sec

October 27 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2IG)

There is a new TC appointed to Pakistan. Colonel Ward will need all of our prayers.
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The General's new pastoral letter is now out, titled OTHERS. I recommend that everyone signs up to receive it directly (from IHA - www1.salvationarmy.org). Here is the closing prayer:
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Loving Father in Heaven, look upon your people known as Salvationists and fill us again and again with your love. Let this love spill over into the lives of many, so that others are blessed, helped, and encouraged to come to faith in Christ. Grant to each of us your grace, that we might truly obey your command: 'Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love' (Galatians 5:13). Amen.
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There is a nice intereview with the author of WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY? here:
http://townhall.com/columnists/DrPaulKengor/2007/10/25/qa_with_dinesh_d'souza_part_i If you read it, you'll delve into the state of Christianity, the response to popular atheists, and apologetic philosophy.
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Collinson blogs on time today. Here's a bit from a sociologist:"The available figures suggest that 20 per cent of employees work 50 or more hours a week and 30 per cent regularly work on weekends." If the weekend workers do only five hours we're looking at 55 hour weeks. And those who are local officers and other keen salvationists slam back another 10 hours a week at the corps. That is a 65 hour week. My old DC did the math similarly to that and came up with a 60 hour work week for officers. Now, I know full well that this is a lighter schedule than some keep. But it is a good standard.
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Speaking of Pakistan (above), this latest article gives much more information on happenings:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C10%5C21%5Cstory_21-10-2007_pg13_5
For those interested, 100,000Rs = 1,586.04 CAD or 1,648.26 USD or 1,798.58 AUD. Tragic.
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secular prophecy for The Salvation Army (hat tip Richard Munn):
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"In millennia past, the most potent act of the rulers of nations has been the recruitment and deployment into battle of great armies of their people. Can we, in coming decades, mobilize throughout the world a new, militant, but peaceful army – tens of thousands of leaders who would in turn recruit fresh leaders at the grass roots, in villages and neighborhoods, from among the poor themselves, to fight and win a worldwide war against desperation?

"Leaders working as partners with the dispossessed people of the world to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – happiness empowered with transforming purpose – could become the greatest act of united leadership the world has ever known."
James MacGregor Burns, Transforming Leadership.
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Yes, Lord! // Read JAC // Get sanctified. Get someone else sanctified.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 18, Psalm 114, Acts 27-28.
Much grace,
stephenC
posted by Stephen Court

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

JUSTSalvos website is now officially up and running. We've been plugging justsalvos.com for a couple of weeks now but today is it operational. We've featured it on the last section of our blog roll at right.

There is tonnes of stuff, ranging from campaigns (JUSTLive, JUSTPray, JUSTLose, fair trade, chocolate, etc.) to news and opinion. You'll want to pore over it and check it regularly for updates.
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One of the new features is a Salvation Army Australia electoral guide:
http://justsalvos.com/userfiles/file/Election%202007%20Web.pdf
The Army has called the parties to act on six key social issues on that page:

1. National Poverty Reduction Statement
2. National Housing Affordability Statement
3. National Asylum Seekers Statement
4. National Health Policy Statement
5. National Homelessness Statement
6. National Aged Care Statement

But there is also a dead tree voting guide for Salvos and friends in six parts going out to several scores of thousands of people between now and the vote. Kudos to those involved in asserting SA positions in such a strategic manner.
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The War College Board of Reference has added a new member - Commissioner Joe Noland (joenoland.com). He joins a stacked crew of leaders that includes a few generals, a few commissioners, a couple of colonels, and a partridge in a pear tree (just joking - it also featres Stacey and Wesley Campbell - no rank, but great authority). Welcome, Commissioner! Noland replaces Chick Yuill, who has served on the Board since its inception, helping bring TWC along from dream to reality - Thanks, heaps, Chick!
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Yesterday we noted that there is a brand new JUSTSalvos national blog (see roll at right). A different voice every day...
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Anthony Castle has anotehr great post called, Soldiership is Death. You'll want to check it out at right.
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Cory H. has no more officership recruiting quotations for me (scroll down and see a trend for the last week plus) but he does think that Tom Brady deserves a hat tip for six touchdown passes in 2 1/2 quarters on Sunday. Kudos. Much more impressive is fellow QB Jon Kitna's 20 conversions on his team (imagine 20 professional footbal players on one team getting saved! Hallelujah. Imagine the cartridges...).
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 17 (v9 - good promise for the righteous and pure in heart - advancing and getting stronger); Acts 24-26).
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

Afternoon update...

Big announcement: There is a new blog called JUSTSalvo National here:
http://www.justsalvosaus.blogspot.com/
(and on our blog roll already - hat tip Don Grad!)

It features key players on the social justice front for the Salvos in Australia:

Major Mike Coleman (who you'll know from his blog on our roll at right);

Major Paul Moulds (legend Sydney downtown Salvo);

Heather Saunders (international community capacity development expert);

Paul Mergard (national catalyst for SA social justice);

Major John Farquharson (African and Indigenous cross-cultural expert);

Lieutenant Genevieve Peterson (local credibility wed with policy advocacy)

Sonya Evans (Australia Eastern Social Justice Director)

Bookmark it and visit it daily, as these guys are scheduled to updated daily.
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That photo competition we posted recently. Hat tip to Donny Melanson, Revolutionist War College warrior, for the second prize in the competition (the aforementioned shot of Jonathan Evans praying over Main and Hastings from the War Room).
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And, did you read of Vancouver's plan to fly homeless types out of the city for the Olympics? Aaron blogged it below. Ridiculous.
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grace
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October 25, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Each year there is a photo competition in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver - locals being handed disposable cameras to fire away (hat tip Heather Dolby). It gives a nice taste of the neighbourhood. Our own Jonathan Evans (who leads The War College there with hsi wife Carla) is in the fifth or sixth shot (Donny Melanson took the shot):
http://www.hopeinshadows.com/calendarDemo.html
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That forthcoming prayer book by Major Graeme McClimont is titled PRAYERS IN EXILE. Stay tuned.
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that our worship would be filled with creative means to celebrate God’s provisions and presence among us."
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Amen. God help us. One aspect of this is complete abandon that accompanies death. When your sinful nature is neutralised then you don't worry about how the person in front of you is going to respond to your slightly shrill and occasionally out-of-tune singing; you don't concern yourself whether or not the person next you is offended by the slight body odour wafting from under your raised arms; you're not uptight about how the people across the room will react to your frenzied glory fits.

Another aspect is the varied expression to which we alluded in a recent post - painting, dance, poetry, prophetic acts, signing, flags, and so on. It enriches worship in our experience (and the art part can spritz up the walls in the hall - one corps at which we soldiered was starting to look like an art gallery).

A third angle is for us to celebrate God's provisions and presence. It can be rewarding to focus on different aspects, first provision and then presence. We glorify God for HIs provision and for His presence! Hallelujah.
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More officers! We want more officers. Here is General William Booth's take on it (hat tip Cory Harrison):
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WANTED ALWAYS to become OFFICERS IN THE SALVATION ARMY men and women of God
Anxious to devote their lives to the work of souls,
Whose character will bear any amount of investigation;
Who can talk to a crowd of people out doors and in, so as to wound sinners’ hearts;
Who can lead a band of godly men and women to do something likely to win souls;
Who are perfectly ready to speak, pray, visit, sit still, travel a hundred miles, or die;
Who have given up drink, tobacco and finery, for Christ sake, or are willing to give up anything and everything for Him;
Who are willing to be led and taught, and to be sent home again if they do not succeed.
Who are willing to be evil spoken of, hated and despised, and even to be misrepresented, misunderstood, and undervalued at headquarters.

THE FOLLOWING NEED NOT APPLY:
Persons, who, “being out of employment, desire to vie themselves entirely, etc, etc,”;
Who, “do not think they can be expected” to exhaust all their strength in laboring day and night to save souls;
Who, “if engaged, will endeavor to give satisfaction to their employers”;
Who will take any notice of the fact of their going or living anywhere or doing anything they are asked to do;
Who desire “light employment”, “find their work beginning to tell on them”, ect. Etc.;
Who would like to know “particulars as to salary, hours, home, etc. before being engaged”;
Who “are sometimes troubled with doubts” about the inspiration of the Bible, the divinity of Christ, the Atonement, election, the possibility of falling from grace, eternal damnation, or the personality of the devil;
Who, “having had considerable experience” in our kind of work and think they know how to do it.
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Are you in? (wow, there is some great stuff for those of us who are currently officers to re-read!)
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Let's see how many we can get saved today!
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 16; Acts 21-23.
Much grace,
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posted by Stephen Court

assorted Wednesday afternoon offerings...

SALVATION SOLDIERY by William Booth (hat tip Cory H):
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"Here, young men and young women, you are thinking about this cadet business, and I am not surprised at it either. What is trade and shop keeping, and emigration, and marriage, and money making, and—and anything else compared with this business of war?"
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If you aren't called to the trade or shop keeping then train up.
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that those gifted with creative ministry gifts would have every opportunity to employ these very skills in the work of the Army."
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Amen. We've been blessed to soldier at corps in the last decade where this is realised. Painters/artists/dancers/designers/crafty-types/writers/musos and others have had space to employ these skills and gifts in the Salvation Warfare. Hallelujah. The Soldiers O+R is clear on this issue that soldiers who see a need should plunge in and not wait for a CO's blessing. So, the freedom is there.

What may limit it in some places is a foreign professionalism at work in which soldiers want to get paid for employing these skills in the Salvation Warfare. This is not traditionally Salvo at all, but has crept in with some of the 'new' ministries of the last generation (youth 'pastor' being the biggest target). So, this weakness is systemic and not individualistic. How do we counteract it? as usual, in spiritual warfare, we attack in the opposite spirit. So, in this case, we do for free what that for which some might expect reimbursement. We are FREE to employ our gifts/abilities in the Salvation War. Hallelujah.
grace
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Vancouver Made It Onto Sports Illustrated!

There was a link on the si.com website to a blog about one thing this city is planning to do with the homeless prior to the Olympics: buy them airplane tickets to send them back wherever they came from.

Here's the link:

http://100percentinjuryrate.blogspot.com/2007/10/vancouver-is-not-your-brothers-keeper.html

Grace,

Aaron

October 24, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

JAC invites contributors and celebrates new ones (see a handful of new ones in the current issue- JAC51). If you have something that deserves a wider readership than your Sunday congregation or your prof, or if you have an idea that we all need to hear, then fire it off to us (revolution@mmccxx.net).
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Jim Mancuso thinks that this is a particularly good catch:
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3072444&categoryId=2564308
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Speaking of great athletes, here is C.T. Studd (hat tip Peter Lindstrom):
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"Christ's call is to feed the hungry, not the full; to save the lost, not the stiff-necked... to raise living churches among the destitute, to capture men from the devil's clutches and snatch them from the very jaws of hell, to enlist and train them for Jesus, and make then into an Almighty Army of God. But this can only be accomplished by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion,... by reckless sacrifice and heroism in the 'foremost trenches... The difficulty is to believe that He can deign to use such scallywags as us, but of course He wants Faith and Fools rather than talents and culture. All God wants is a heart, any old turnip will do for a head; so long as we are empty, all is well, for then He fills us with the Holy Ghost."
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Hallelujah! We all qualify!
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A great sign-off from a Revolutionist at The War College:
~live simply. love prodigally.~ (hat tip Dawn Paulson).
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading :Job 15; Acts 19-20 (20:24 - Paul testifies that his life is useless unless he uses it for the purpose God has for him - to tell people the good news of God's kindness and love).
Much grace,
stephenC
posted by Stephen Court

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

Boy, the posts have been getting lengthy. We'll try to trim down for a few days (and if you're hankering after more, make sure you read recent posts before dipping into JAC and the years of Blog AND JAC archives - there is a lot of propaganda to read).
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And, in case you missed it, we're recruiting officers. Listen to General Bramwell Booth (in vol4 of the official history):
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"Men (and Women)! Men (and Women)! Men (and Women)! Oh, my God, send us men (and women)! Never mind if you do stammer, or if you have a wooden leg, or a weak chest, or if you have only one eye, or have no platform ability. If you are a Salvation Army soldier, and have brains, energy, tact and business ability, don’t let this appeal haunt you till you write the Field Secretary straight away."
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You can email your candidates secretary or DYS or TP or us (revolution@mmccxx.net).
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that the proliferation of new ministry openings would be so common and normal that we would have to appoint personnel just to keep track of it, most often after the fact."
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Amen! This one wounds purely Burmese, or Papua New Guinean, or Indian, or...! Praise God that this is a reality and a need in some developing countries. May it happen here. I suspect that the only way we could get under the radar here is if they are bi-vocational/incarnational community outposts (sound familiar? If not, google mmccxx). With this model no cash is requested for personnel and none for property so it is actually possible to slip under the noses of 'the army'. And because soldiers are off fighting and attacking and invading it grows supernaturally as God gives the increase. We have faith for this vision to be realised. Do you?
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Remember, free will boils down to this: discipline now or punishment later.
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Be the revolution you want to see. Start today. Let's see what God wants to do.
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 13-14; Acts 17-18 (18:25a - Apollos was taught in the way of the Lord and talked to other with great enthusiasm and accuracy about Jesus).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 22, 2007 (updated, noon).
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2SS;JAM)
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There are some interesting points made on the social change front (families, children, norms) in this article:
http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/634/26/
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There are some nice testimonies here from some cadets:
http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/college/testimonies.htm
I read this week that UKI Territory welcomed 44 cadets into their new session and that USW is aiming for 45 next year. There is a goal for Candidates Secretaries.
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Here is the website for AUS's training college:
http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/college/
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Commissioner Joe Noland, the visionary, blogs on vision this week (see his blog at right).
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Charles Roberts has some good insight on worship in his October 17 blog (at right).
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Eric Himes has another helpful blog bio - October 16 - on Commissioner Henry Bullard. Here is a taste:
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"It was during his time of service in Japan when Henry began a great campaign to bring freedom to girls held under the Yoshiwara system of licensed prostitution, which trapped women in sexual slavery and denied them their freedom. This crusade attracted world-wide attention and because of Henry's work, the government secured the right for prostituted women to go free if they wished. Within a year, 12,000 women had claimed their freedom from prostitution. Henry's work and influence in Japan were of such righteous character that his name was placed by an influential committee amongst the "benefactors of modern Japan" one of the highest honors given in Japan."
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(He also served as Secretary of Emigration).
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that our soldiers roll would only be an increasing reality as would our worship and discipleship meetings."
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God hit a soft spot on this one for us. The barmy army will know that we are of the conviction that a universal embrace of covenant is the only thing that willreverse the fragementation of The Army, spare us from the Anglican crisis, and re-position ourselves downstream in the River of God's Grace so that He can accomplish His purposes for us through us. So, amen!

We need more senior soldiers. You who are reading this and are in your late teens through your 30s and are regulars with the Salvos but have never signed up as soldiers - why?
- Can't you handle history's most hardcore covenant? God will help you.
- Was it never pitched to you in attractive, urgent terms? Well, you are reading this now.
- Was it never properly lived out in your midst? Be the revolution you want to see.
- Is it because you wanted to slam back the odd pint on a Friday night? Such a petty pursuit isn't worth addressing in light of the heroic calling we're considering here. Get trained up and sign up for life.

You'll possible know some of the standards at our corps: saved for a year; clean for a year; in formal discipleship; in cell; in brigade activity; read the Bible; read the O+R; read the Handbook of Doctrine; memorised the doctrines; tithing; prepped for uniform; signing up for life...

And we need Junior Soldiers. These kids can be dangerous warriors to the enemy (try Psalm 8 for starters). We praise God for the dedicated Junior Soldier Sergeants who train them up and lead them. God, multiply them. We were stoked to hear of one fairly young corps that is aiming to enrol 50 Junior Soldiers this season (would that jump them to the front of the queue in the territory?). More, Lord!
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We're recruiting warriors for training colleges around the world. But we're not desperate to have merely warm bodies in the bunks. This is General Bramwell Booth's take on it (WHY AND WHEREFORE, hat tip Cory Harrison):
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"What sort of soldiers are specially likely to be accepted? Those who are godly, and have a clear experience, and live a holy life; those who love souls, and are hard and energetic workers; those who have good health, and are loyal to the principles of the Army, and who appear to have sufficient gifts as are necessary to make efficient leaders."
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There you are. Calling by itself is not enough. You need to have the character to be a successful officer. And you need to have a record.
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John Cardinal O’Connor asked at the Harvard Law School in April 1986: “How safe will the retarded be, the handicapped, the aged, the wheel-chaired, the incurably ill when the so-called quality of life becomes the determination of who is to live and who is to die? Who is to determine which life is ‘meaningful,’ which life is not? Who is to have a right to the world’s resources, to food, housing, to medical care? The prospects are frightening.” (from First Things, at right).
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 11-12; Acts 15-16 (good stuff in both texts).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 21, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Here are a few more books I look forward to seeing in print in the (near) future:
VISIONS (William Booth with Fleur Hodge).
LITTLE RED BOOK (title?) (Rowan Castle)
PRAYER GUIDE (title?) (Graeme McClimont)
HEATHEN ENGLAND (George Scott Railton with Andrew Bale)
And, if Captain Paul Moulds has his way, here are a few reprints:
MAIDEN TRIBUTE.
BROKEN EARTHENWARE.
ARNOTT: A notable Salvationist.
(Maybe SALVO PUBLISHING will run a few of these...)
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I read a great testimony of a day in the uniformed life of an officer at the Canadian SALVATIONIST:
http://www.salvationist.ca/2007/is-our-uniform-a-bother/#more-2472
(hat tip Michael Ramsay at his blog)
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"The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report notes that as Canada opened government-sponsored injection sites and drug-paraphernalia distribution centers and became increasingly tolerant of marijuana use, the country's drug problems worsened dramatically."

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/238wykxx.asp

The good news in the article is that the government is taking advice of caring citizens (there were many letters written by War College students, among others) and is about to treat the addicts and punish the dealers and suppliers (read the article for more details). Let's shut them all down (needle exchanges, free heroin clinics, 'so-called' 'safe-injection' sites - the 'so-called' was coined by the federal justice minister). And, from the directly preceding post, let's shut down the free birth control for 11 year-olds (and keep the bars smoke-free!).
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On Officership, in THE GENERAL NEXT TO GOD, by William Booth:
"Make your will, pack your box, kiss your girl, be ready in a week." (hat tip Cory H)
It is not too late to sign up for the PRAYER WARRIORS Session of Training College. More fun than you can shake a stick at!

If you're not quite ready to sign your life away, then hit up The War College for the 08-09 INCENDIARY Session (try thewarcollege.com for more details).
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that we would never have another day in our existence where someone was not brought to Christ."
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Amen! Amen! Conversions every day! God grant it! We'll start with this fact for the territory. Then, by God's grace, we'll see it true for every division. And then, God blessing us, may it be true of every Corps in the territory! That would be something like 59,860 conversions each year. This is not even unrealistic (I know that in USA the four territories together do something close to three times that number).

But how do we get there? Well, I suspect that if all 10,000 soldiers (SS and JS) were looking to evangelise every day, taking up divine appointments, pressing for decision, optimising every contact, praying and believing, we'd exceed these numbers in no time. All glory to God!
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We can start today! Let's all try to get someone saved (if everyone in the barmy army attacked today and the results were similar to those recorded by Campus Crusade for Christ in random evangelism we can expect that around 160 people would get saved today).
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 9-10; Acts 13-14.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

From Opinionjournal.com (Friday)

On Safe Injection / birth control / smoking in bars...
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In San Francisco, as the Associated Press reports, "city health officials took steps Thursday toward opening the nation's first legal safe-injection room, where addicts could shoot up heroin, cocaine and other drugs under the supervision of nurses."

Meanwhile in Portland, Maine, the AP reports that "school officials on Thursday defended a decision to allow children as young as 11 to obtain birth-control pills at a middle-school health center."

In both San Francisco and Portland, however, smoking in bars is strictly prohibited. It's bad for your health, after all.
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Come on, Salvos, in those cities, raise your voice, raise your game.
grace
sec

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

We'll give Adelaide a bit of love this morning...
There are new songs available at the updated myspace location for these Ingle Farm revolutionists:
http://www.myspace.com/revolutionheadquarters
As the site explains:
"revolution headquarters is not the name of a band but an idea... we don't have a name for the band... we just wanted to sing salvo songs, with salvo beliefs and loud guitars... is that too much to ask? after all didn't Jesus say, "God gave rock and roll to you - put it in the soul of everyone"?"
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Adelaide is also hosting UP pretty soon:
UP
United prayer
ACH
277 Pirie St city
Rally 7:30pm Dec 14
Lock in 10pm - 9am
$5
"Prayer stations, spiritual readings, Worship, dance dance revolution, daytona x 8, Halo tournament, pool, air hockey, all night cafe and more!"
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I'm looking forward to seeing these books and other in print in the (near) future (don't hold us to titles):
ONE DAY... A God-dream for the Australia Southern Territory (by 35 contributors).
INSANE: How a bunch of crazy salvos helped shape the world (Nealson Munn and David Collinson).
MEANT TO MAKE IT (Wesley Harris).
LETTERS TO PAUL (Wesley Harris).
ARTICLES OF WAR: A revolutionary midrash (William Booth and Stephen Court).
JUST SALVATION WAR (Campbell Roberts and Danielle Strickland).
CONTRADICTIONS (Sonia Jeffrey).
40 DAYS OF WARFARE (Cory Harrison and Stephen Court).
WARFARE PRAYER (Wesley Campbell and Stephen Court).
Some will undoubtedly be SALVO PUBLISHING projects - hat tip LR/JK.
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that the Family Tracing Service be expanded to find those souls who have been lost to the Army, assisting in bringing them home, where they belong."
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Now this is an interesting one. Some will respond by suggesting that corps should bear the responsibility of finding backsliders. Sure. But wouldn't it be cool to have a coordinated territorial initiative to trace them down across the country? I mean, sometimes it is beyond a corps to chase people down in other states or provinces. But our established and proven network of Family Tracing could pull it off - trace the missing salvo and then arrange for a local salvo to visit the backslider. Think big here - we're not just talking about disgruntled ex-salvos but adults who used to be connected with Sunday School or SA camps or somehow came across our influence and for some reason fell through the cracks. There are some significant possibilities here.
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Don't forget to read the reivew of Harold Hill's LEADERSHIP IN THE SALVATION ARMY, directly below.
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William Booth on officership (from In Darkest England... hat tip Cory H):
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"We cannot offer you great pay, social position, or any glitter and tinsel of man’s glory; in fact, we can promise little more than rations, plenty of hard work, and probably no little of worldly scorn; but if on the whole you believe you can in no other way help your Lord so well and bless humanity so much, you will brave the opposition of friends, abandon earthy prospects, trample pride under foot, and come out and follow Him in this new crusade."
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So, who's signing up for that? I've heard there are still some undesignated bunks available at a training college near you (unless you live in the developing world). Comrades?
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 6-8; Acts 12 (heavy consequences for the guards who get outmanoevered by the angel).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Review of Hill
(Barmy Army veterans will know that we are BIG fans of this book - we blogged it for a month straight back in it's manuscript stage - just search 'Harold'. Here is a new review in J O U R N A L O F E C C L E S I A S T I C A L H I S T O R Y)
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Leadership in the Salvation Army. A case study in clericalisation. By Harold Hill. (Studies in Christian History and Thought.) Pp. xvii+349. Milton Keynes–Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster, 2006. £24.99 ( paper). 10 1 84227 429 5; 13 978 1 84227 429 3 JEH (58) 2007; doi:10.1017/S0022046907001868
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Here is a noteworthy addition to Studies in Christian History and Thought. Harold Hill's book (with a foreword by Ian Breward) should command the attention of scholars of religion broadly and not only of those who are intrigued by the course which the Salvation Army has taken since its origins in the 1860s and especially since its formal adoption of the now familiar name in 1878. The author brings an ideal combination of qualifications to bear on the subject, dual degrees in history and theology together with an insider's feel as a serving officer (in Zimbabwe and latterly in New Zealand) for the past thirty-five years. He also writes snappily. The argument is driven along at a fine pace, sharply and succinctly, and crackling with wit. The central theme of its complex story is the tension between that aboriginal anticlerical theology of a ' priesthood of all believers ' and the quasi-military structure which in practice has operated against equality and promoted distinctions akin to the difference in established Churches between clergy and lay people. Since 1978 the Army's officers, previously 'commissioned', have become 'ordained' as well, a step that Harold Hill regrets in a postlogue in which he spells out his own sympathies. These

"lie with the 'neo-primitive ' ideals which call for an emphatic rejection of clerical status and a turning away from the trap of denominational identity. I believe those directions offer a chimerical security, whereas the Army's true vocation is as an egalitarian, counter-cultural movement …The Army's ecclesiology must not be shaped only by its military language and hierarchical structure ; but also by its egalitarian, evangelical theology."

Hill plainly wishes his book to influence the Army's current debates and future course, but he has also written a considerable work of history. One strong trend was identified early enough by Bernard Shaw in his preface to Major Barbara (1905), when he prophesied with his usual pugnacity that the Army's 'present staff of enthusiast commanders shall be succeeded by a bureaucracy of men of business, who will be no better than bishops, and perhaps a good deal more unscrupulous '. It is to the credit of officers such as Major Hill himself that a countervailing tendency has always flourished and that Shaw's bleak vision has not materialised. MERTON COLLEGE, P HILIPWALLER OXFORD
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grace
sec

October 19, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

You in the barmy army know that we're non-sacramentalist as the official SA position. But Major Peter Lindstrom fired us a bit from a Rob Bell podcast that is challenging, so we thought we'd pass it on (hat tip PL):
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"So what do you do in a culture when your central book has lost its cultural authority, and what do you do when your institution is known for a bunch of things that you don?t want to be known for? Well then how is authority established? I would argue that authority is established by joining the God of the oppressed, we are going to go and find those on the underside of power who have been forgotten, who have been mistreated, who have been marginalised, someone else did this 1000 years ago.

"We are going to love them and care for them and give to them like a eucharist, we are going to break ourselves open and pour ourselves out, because that is what Jesus said to do. Our trust, is that when a group of people put the well being of the world ahead of their own well being everybody will have to take notice?What you have is a world that is desperate for somebody to incarnate Jesus in such a way that it cannot be denied, that is real.
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And, now, a prophetic word from the 1980s (Swing Out Sister):
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When explanations make no sense
When every answer's wrong
You're fighting with lost confidence
All expectations come

The time has come to make or break
Move on don't hesitate
Breakout

Don't stop to ask
Now you've found a break to make at last
You've got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout

When situations never change
Tomorrow looks unsure
Don't leave your destiny to chance
What are you waiting for
The time has come to make your break
Breakout

Don't stop to ask
Now you've found a break to make at last
You've got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout
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(hat tip - the 'swing out sisters' G/C)
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And now, the next vision from The Dream (see Oct 6 post for the complete Dream):
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"…that our commercial department at THQ become a resource and focal point for facilitating our increasing efforts in Fair Trade."
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Some might not know that THQ has a big commercial department that coordinates the substantial commercial transactions/relationships that fuel services and processes throughout the territory. It is a classic idea that this department champion Fair Trade. It can use its significant negotiating power for Fair Trade on the buying end, and, on the distribution end can offer a line of Fair Trade resources. And what goes for one territory can certainly go for many around the world.
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This officership thing: Look, you know that we are on record on this blog that officership has, in some cases and some places become the soft option (check the archives). We're not running from that position. BUT, we're not sitting on our hands, either. Let's make officership the hardcore option again! Let's challenge each other to make that happen. Let's make this description of officership true again today: (From BRAMWELL BOOTH / MILDRED DUFF by Madge Unsworth - hat tip Cory Harrison):

"The work of a Salvation Army officer is a sentence of hard labor for life."

Now, with that in mind, if you think you can hack it, apply today.
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Let's try to get some people saved today.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 5; Psalm 108; Acts 10-11.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 18, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf has the celebration of life and service for Colonel Bo Brekke.
----
Danielle Strickland's blog features The Army's new official stance on prostitution...
----
I had a little Holy Spirit moment to these powerful words by Phil Laeger from his song BE A HERO:
----
I don't want to close my eyes anymore
don't want to just live for myself
No, I don't want to just cry anymore
No, I want to help
(cue music - 'Jesus loves the little children
all the children of the world')
And the hero is what they need
and it's time for you, time for me,
time for us to wake up and see
time for you, time for me
to be a hero.
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Praise God (and, though this is not an advert, you can get that song from Boundless volume 2).
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Searching through the blog archives I came across an extended argument on officership in May 2005 that spins off Commissioner David Edwards's phrase, 'ridiculous luxury'. You may enjoy it (if you weren't in the barmy army back in 05).
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The next vision in The Dream:
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"…that Salvo Stores and the Trade become responsible outlets for Fair Trade goods."
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The Army in AUS has already started to realise this vision. As you noted on this blog it very recently declared The Army fair trade in principle. As principle plays out in practice, this will happen. There is a pretty strong network of stores through the territory and the potential influence is significant. It is one of the strategic ways to help change society. God help us.
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And, on officership... why aren't you an officer? Are you a keen soldier? Are you fruitful in evangelism and discipleship? If 'yes', keep reading. Are you called to some other vocation? Is what you are investing your waking hours in now what God has dreamed up for you? If 'no', then keep reading. If you aren't called to something else, and if you are an able soldier, then apply for training college. The need is often the call to officership and, assuming character and mission effectiveness, the lack of call elsewhere is always the call to officership. So, apply today.
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Let's all try to get someone saved today.
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 3-4; Acts 8-9.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

THE UPRISING: A holy revolution? endorsements

Holiness is not just about piety and slightly better behaviour. Holiness is not just about learning how to manage or hide your sin. Holiness is about realising that sin is slavery and death, and that God has given you the option of freedom and life. This is life-changing, world-altering stuff. So why don't we teach it? Why is this not a number one priority for teenagers trying to follow the way of Jesus? Probably because so little is expected of teens in the Church. Court and Munn argue that this should not be. Not only do they think teens can grasp the reality of holiness, they also believe there is no better life available than one freed from the sin that entangles. Deep, relevant holiness teaching for teens, written by a teen. I wish I had this to read when I was a teen. Aaron White, Vancouver
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Some write out of shallow wells of book knowledge, but in this particular book, Olivia writes from her deep-rooted convictions and from an outflow of her relationship with her Savior. Our family was privileged to spend a summer with Olivia and many of the concepts shared in this book were lived out in her day-to-day experiences. This is the real deal. I believe that through the uprising her voice will be heard by thousands of young people and a true holy revolution will be sparked! Lieutenants Josh & Jen Polanco, Chicago Blue Island
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Olivia Munn exudes a zeal for holiness and a passion for saving those who are suffering. May this book yield such a harvest of worship and service in the lives of other young people, that we would see the kingdom of God advancing before us in this generation! Captain Annalise Francis, New York
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If there is anyone in The Salvation Army who has something to say about Holiness, it's Steve Court and Olivia Munn. They live it, breathe it and make it work. Steve continues to challenge me to live a life of Holiness and you will be challenged to sharpen the iron and live fully sold out to Christ. Paul Mergard, Brisbane
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In an attempt not seen before, two passionate writers converge to bring us an unprecedented work on holiness ‘for teens and by a teen’. Olivia Munn and Stephen Court use THE UPRISING as a daring attempt to transport teaching and understanding of holiness to those who can most outrageously live it out … and they have succeeded. THE UPRISING, I am sure, is not a book that will stay on your shelves very long before many are asking to read it. Cory Harrison, Chattanooga
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Stephen & Olivia are both unashamedly extreme passionate and prophetic Salvationists. Stephen has opened up to me a whole new salvo world that altered the course of my journey and I'm certain Olivia will also be on the front edge of the rebirthing of The Salvation Army in the coming years! Lieutenant David Collinson, Melbourne
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Steve and Olivia team up at the start line, catapulting me forward in the race of holiness. I see them along the way cheering me on to come home and be with God in Fullness! – Jonathan Evans, Vancouver
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Stop. Consider how much of your time, money and brainpower you've spent gossiping, manipulating people and circumstances in your favour, buying clothes/makeup/magazines/music and maintaining a flawless appearance to the world ... Hmmm. So now that the Creator of the Universe has got your full attention, and your heart is set on holiness, equip yourself with a Bible, a bunch of other believers, and the practical wisdom you'll find in this book.
Heather Dolby, Charlotte
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This is the best Holiness book I have ever read. Not only do Munn and Court explain what Holiness is, they show us through their own personal experiences that receiving Holiness is much closer than we think.

If you work through this book with a posture of prayer, you and the whole world will never be the same again.
Andrew Stringer, Sydney
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Munn and Court go together better than peanut butter and jelly. A must read. The combo shows how simple holiness is. I plan on using this as a resource for my teen cells. Great read. I love it.
Nicole Brindle, Victoria
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It stirs, challenges, and motivates a longing for Holiness. Jennifer Ivany, London
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THE UPRISING is a call to more. A call to greater things. A call to lay down your life for your King. It's a call to death, and a call to real life.

Munn and Court expertly weave together one of the most comprehensive and accessible books on holiness in this generation - we do well to heed their call to holy revolution. Xander Coleman, Melbourne
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Bite-size chapters and Steve Martin references - an instant winner! But Uprising goes far beyond an easy-to-read, inspirational spiritual handbook for teens. Seldom have such profound themes been described in such accessible ways, while leaving little quarter for excuse or rationalisation. Court and Munn write with wit and pace - their imagery vivid and visceral - not about the rhetoric of theology, but about an experience drawn from deep personal acquaintance: fullness in Christ that spills over changes the world. Their combined voice persuades ‘if it’s possible for me, it’s possible for you. Don’t miss out. Go for something better.’ Ricardo Walters, Cape Town
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Bulk discounts are available for Youth Councils. Order now with revolution@mmccxx.net.
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grace
sec

October 17, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2mw/dw)
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What is a Mission Station?
"To this I reply, that, as I understand it, it is not a building, or a chapel, or a hall; it is not even a society, but a band of people united together to mission, to attack, to christianise an entire town or neighborhood. When an Evangelist receives an appointment from this Conference, it is not contemplated that he shall deal merely with those who are already within the walls of certain buildings, or with those who may be induced to come inside them; but it is intended that he shall be an apostle of the Gospel to all those who live around. When you reach the station assigned you, if it has not been done already, you should take your stand in that hall, or theatre, or tent, and draw a line around the breadth of population you can hope to reach, and make that your parish, and aim, with tears and prayers, and the trumpet-blast of the Gospel, to christianise every soul within it.

- from “How to Manage a Mission Station” by the Rev. William Booth, July 1876 (hat tip Richard M)
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This is a good reminder for salvos, LOs, and COs.
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The next vision in The Dream:
----
"…that programmes such as Salvo Stores and Employment plus would also become saving stations for the lost and fully integrated into the mission of the territory."
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Amen! For those who don't know, E+ was an inspired innovation by Wilma Gallet that has proven to be a leader in the field. It is cut from the same cloth as the Match Factory. Salvo Stores is the brand name of the thrift store network (that is adding book corners to sell Christian books). My buddy Peter Mitchell led our thrift store in Williams Lake back in the day, and people got saved pretty regularly there. He's an officer now (XCulture in Vancouver). He was an evangelist, and welcomed the evangelists (and raised heaps of cash for the mission, too). I've recently met up with Andrew Lee, who is a salvo heading to reinforcement service in a dangerous country and Andrew came to the Lord through Salvo Stores volunteering. Praise God! May God give us all eyes to see what He's got up His sleeve with our customers and volunteers and clients.
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Andrew Stringer and Anthony Castle have both posted positive reviews of THE UPRISING: A holy revolution on their blogs (Anthony's has a picture).
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And, for the height of pretension, we point you to Wall Street Journal's Best of the Web (see link on blog roll) yesterday for this report:
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"Back in August we noted with amusement Red China's plan to prohibit Tibetan Buddhist monks from reincarnating without government approval. Others found this funny as well, but not Slavoj Zizek, a Slovenian philosopher who has written advertising copy for Abercrombie & Fitch. In a New York Times op-ed piece, he offers what we guess is supposed to be a defense of the Chinese law:

. "The Western liberal media had a laugh in August when China's State Administration of Religious Affairs announced Order No. 5, a law covering "the management measures for the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism." This "important move to institutionalize management on reincarnation" basically prohibits Buddhist monks from returning from the dead without government permission: no one outside China can influence the reincarnation process; only monasteries in China can apply for permission."
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The War goes on. Oh, and a correction: apparently the 10 conversions reported for GO FOR SOULS is wrong. 11 got saved! Hallelujah. Let' skeep adding to the number.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Job 1-2; Malachi 1-4 (Sorry - I misread Mal as Mat over the last two days!); Acts 6-7 (how about 6:8 on Stephen - full of God's grace and power, performing amazing miracles and signs...).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

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

Major Harold Hill (author of LEADERSHIP IN THE SALVATION ARMY) has a new book coming out called Te Ope Whakaora (The Army That Brings Life), a collection of documents on The Salvation Army and Maori, 1884-2007. The Army That Brings Life - Hallelujah! It all sounds intriguing. You can order yours through Flag_Publications@nzf.salvationarmy.org.nz.
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The next vision in The Dream:
----
"…that headquarters support units would be understood as such, not diminishing their purposes for accountability, but wholly in the context of authentic support and encouragement."
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I have to get my head around this one because I'm an advocate of HQ leading, not just supporting. I've been blessed to have that experience in corps, with a strong DC and an able HQ staff. But I can testify that the Salvation War on the local front is easier/smoother when we enjoy the authentic support and encouragement of HQ. I love a HQ that prods and pushes and exhorts and stirs us on to love and good deeds, challenging us to fight harder and more effectively than ever before. I love a HQ that models it, has lived it (has a track record of victories), and is not afraid to call us all to it (that is the accountability part of the vision). Amen. Bring it on, Lord Jesus.
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People are wondering about our term 'prophetic relevance'. Basically, we're prophetic first and relevant when it helps us be prophetic or fulfill our prophetic mandate.
----
JAC51 is hot. I'm wondering if you've read it all, yet, and told ten friends.
----
Anthony Castle blog has some juicy stuff.
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Have you registered for CONNECTIONS 07 yet?
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It's been exciting to hear people testifying to sanctification and others praising God for conversions and sanctifications in recent days. It's been while since we've talked about people (actual people with names) getting sanctified (in my narrow expeirence). Praise God. I think He might be doing a new thing!
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I heard today of a couple headed to training college in USE. Praise God. There are places in most of the western SA training colleges still open. It could be that God wants you to take one of them and be a Prayer Warrior (sessionaly name). And there are still spots open for The War College Incendiary Session that starts in September. It might be that God wants you to fill one of thos spots. Check out thewarcollege.com for more information.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Psalm 148; Matthew 3-4; Acts 5 (v24 - they were perplexed and wondered where this would all end. :-) Indeed).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 15, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2ofm)

Here is an apostolic letter to the troops from Commissioner James Knaggs (originally addressed to the delegates of GO FOR SOULS):
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in the fight,

You have chosen well to assemble for this "Go For Souls" conference. This is a most significant opportunity to sharpen your preparation and courage to win people for Christ. Can I encourage you to love indiscriminately and unconditionally? God has called every person to salvation and desires that no one be left out. Your witness as a soul winner will give evidence to the world of our Saviour. He ust be seens as all loving and accepting, for that is who He is.

Yes, soul winning is about Jesus, born for our salvation, crucified in our place, and risen in victory over the grave, death, and the enemy. In these days, ten, give Him the glory and look to Him and the Holy Spirit to open your heart evern further so that your capacity to truly love will be increasing. Remember, too, that salvation also means full salvation... the second blessing, also known as sanctification. The best witness is Holy Spirit filled. "You will receive power, after the Holy Ghost comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).

I would be there if I could. Know that Carolyn and I will be praying for you and trusting God for His grace, love and power among you each. Hallelujah!
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Amen.
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Now, There is a TACO trivia night coming up November 3rd at the Melbourne training college. TACO stands for Train A Cadet Overseas (in this case, Indonesia). And you eat lots of Tacos.
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And the next vision in The Dream:
----
…that our social programme strategy will be based upon the needs of people in the context of Biblical mandate, not necessarily the offerings of government contracts.
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Nice. Convenience is sometimes the enemy of God's will. We need patient discernment on this issue. And sometime we have sex with Hagar (we write about it in THE UPRISING, now available, by the way) - that is, we try to bring about God's will be our means instead of His. And we mess up there, too. There are many diversions and temptations in how we evangelise through social means. God help us follow you closely on it, please.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Nehemiah 13; Matthew 1-2; Acts 4 (good prayer in Acts 4, especially 29-30).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

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

Alright. James Thompson has been guided to a keeper of a project - GO FOR SOULS Conference is transferable. If you are interested in training and mobilising and deploying soldiers inthe fight you might want to talk to him about doing a local version of GO FOR SOULS (he blogs at right).
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We praise God for saving ten people out in the neighbourhod surrounding Plenty Valley Corps this weekend at GO FOR SOULS. It works! There were spiritual readings tables, bottles of water (cleverly labeled) and lightbulbs (again cleverly labeled), and cold-call artists accompanying Holy Spirit on an evangelistic mission. Hallelujah. Many stories, but here is one: when our van was closing in on our target ground one passenger pointed to a teen sitting against the mall wall and prophesied, 'she is going to get saved this afternoon' - and she was the first - hallelujah).
----
Go see Danielle Strickland's blog, which has an expose on Teenaged Affluenza.
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Lieutenant Rowan Castle preached holiness last night to wrap up GO FOR SOULS and he had some keeper lines:
- (to teens regarding relationships: "It isn't how far is too far but how pure is too pure."
- "How dare we suggest that the Cross of Christ is not sufficient to save us FROM our sin?"
- (Paraphrased) "Yes, we're here for the revolution of our whole world, but first we need a revolution of our whole heart."
- He also broke down the global population into two groups: 1. those under the thumb of satan's rebellion; and, 2. those who are freed to fight in the Revolution! His thing is this: we're all born into the rebellion of satan against God, but we can choose to join the revolution (establishing the rightful rule of God in the kingdom). So, get sanctified.
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The next vision in The Dream:
"…that we would have effective ministries to eradicate homelessness, human trafficking, prostitution and other indecencies currently common in our society."
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Praise God. Captain Danielle Strickland is the territorial social justice director in AUS and JUSTSalvos is spinning off several different strategies to helpful realise this very vision. Check out the justsalvos.com (still being built up) and participate in JUSTLose, JUSTLive, JUSTLearn, JUSTRead, JUSTBe, Freedom Fridays, and other initiatives. Praise God, also, for the AUS last week going officially Fair Trade. Hallelujah.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Nehemiah 11-12; Psalm 1; Acts 3 (v12 - Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 13, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

GO FOR SOULS (great conference name!) ends tonight but goes all day. At 7:30pm REVOLUTION Project is leading worship and Lieutenant Rowan Castle is preaching. It doesn't get much better than that. Make a point to show and bring an independent (not relying on Jesus yet) friend or two, if you can.
----
For those transferred this week: Commissioner Harris once responded to an officer who questioned his appointment: "I'm not responsible for my appointment; I'm responsible in my appointment."
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The next bit of The Dream:
----
"…that every social programme would be inviting to any one in need to be helped towards eternal affect, still maintaining our resolve to dispense such love indiscriminately and unconditionally…and that their connections with the corps ministries become seamless to the point that they would become a type of corps in their own right."
----
Hallelujah! Some of the best corps are Harbour LIght / ARC corps. They don't look that strong on paper - they lack coordinated corps councils, usually. They don't look that strong on a Sunday, sometimes - the music isn't always excellent or 'contemporary' and things don't always flow smoothly and cleanly (and it even sometimes smells a little). But where they shine as during the appeal (you remember the appeal, don't you? It is when you're supposed to call the crowd to transformation via repentance or consecration or faith or ... -- tragically, this MOST important part of the meeting is the one too often deleted from most orders of meetings these days ((yes, even more important than calling it a holiness meeting!))).

It is here that lots of people get saved. Hallelujah! Tonnes of people get saved in these 'types of corps'. Can I suggest, gently (!), that on social fronts where that isn't happening it might be because either we have strayed theologically or missionally? (boy am I sounding diplomatic this morning!). As that SALVATIONIST cover suggested Sept 8 (and that we blogged recently) a bunch of our people would have gotten saved a decade ago if we'd fed thema little Jesus for dessert after that soup and goulash. God help us all to be 'social' soldiers, pulling our weight and blessing up comrades who are in the thick of it - with all of those conversions they are getting a heavy crown.
----
God is here.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

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

GO FOR SOULS Conference starts tonight in Melbourne. Lieutenant Rowan Castle, Xander Coleman, and the REVOLUTION PROJECT Band are revved up for a God-glorifying weekend. We're all going out for some evangelism tomorrow, so come on out tonight for some prep... See James Thompson's blog for last minute details (at right).
----
But if you are in North America you might want to catch BC Youth Councils that will feature Aaron White, Jenea Gomez, Olivia Munn, Jonathan Evans (sounds familiar?) on HOLINESS. God bless them!
----
Our very own Aaron White, who seems to be on every other conference line-up, preached at Roots South recently and you can listen in here:

http://www.mypodcast.com/cached/roots2007_20070611_1051-36600-22211-2-25.mp3
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Commissioner Joe Noland has a great blog on his back-up blog called Septuagenarian that you should read here:

http://www.slightlyirreverent.blogspot.com/

He also has a wonderful list of values of some church he stumbled on to and an inspiring endorsement of our TC's Dream on his regular blog (right side).
----
Meanwhile, Rochelle McAlister has a gripping post on GENDER in her blog (right side).
----
And Major Daryl Crowden is blogging in China - meeting up with a Salvo Remnant (right side).
----
Jesus is strong to deliver! Hallelujah.
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Nehemiah 7-8; Acts 1.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

From WSJ's Opinion Journal (Best of the Web - linked below, right):
----
"His undergraduate days are long behind him, yet he is on the verge of becoming a senior, and the New York Times reports on his plight:

"Many of us have known this scholar: The hair is well-streaked with gray, the chin has begun to sag, but still our tortured friend slaves away at a masterwork intended to change the course of civilization that everyone else just hopes will finally get a career under way.

"We even have a name for this sometimes pitied species--the A.B.D.--All But Dissertation. But in academia these days, that person is less a subject of ridicule than of soul-searching about what can done to shorten the time, sometimes much of a lifetime, it takes for so many graduate students to, well, graduate. The Council of Graduate Schools, representing 480 universities in the United States and Canada, is halfway through a seven-year project to explore ways of speeding up the ordeal.

"It's takes them seven years to "explore ways of speeding up the ordeal"? The Voyager 1 reached Saturn in less than half that time. Obviously the Council of Graduate Schools has too many Ph.D.s on its payroll.
----
Make appropriate applications.
grace
sec

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

CONNECTIONS 07 in Melbourne hits us November 23-25 and the online registration is now operational here:
https://ausweb.salvationarmy.org.au/conn07/
Register soon to guarantee you score one of the inside bracelets (or you might need to sit in overflow venues).
----
This is moves day in AUS territory. Pray for peace, hearing hearts, and much mercy and grace.
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Here is a reminder of the power of words and the influence of writers/bloggers:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/hitchens200711?currentPage=1
Be careful what you write. But take the Bible seriously. Take Jesus seriously. Aim to please God come Judgement Day (hat itp Jim Mancuso on the article).
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The families of the five Amish children in Pennsylvania who were gunned down last year received more than $4 million from donors. They've recently given some of that to the widow of the gunman (hat tip JimMancuso):
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1229970820070913
These folks have set the modern standard for reconciliation/ restoration/ forgiveness. God bless them.
----
The next vision in "The Dream" goes like this (hat tip Comm/ J. Knaggs):
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"…that every corps would embrace the gospel for everyone in their community, not discriminating by culture, language, social status, or age…and that the helping ministries would be woven into the fabric so that even under a nuclear microscope we could not distinguish between spiritual and social."
----
Wow! Read that last bit again: 'even under a nuclear microscope we could not distinguish between spiritual and social'. God grant it.

But the openinng phrase is also grabbing - that we embrace the gospel for everyone. WE embrace it. This suggests identificational acceptance as the flip side of the identificational repentance coin. And it conjures an image of wrapping one arm around the neck of your mate, the Gospel, and wrapping the other around the neck of your neighbour and pulling them both together (three heads bumping affably). God help us!
----
What God commands, God enables. So, let's get sanctified and try to get someone else sanctified today.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Nehemiah 5-6 (love N in ch6); Psalm 146; Luke 24.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

The next vision

(in "The Dream")
----
"…that our mission would have such integrity that every expression of our ministry would be marked not so much by a red shield or even a crest, but by the love of God for people."
----
Nice. When the TC introduced his dream to us at ACC it was preceded by preaching on the ministry of reconciliation and a debriefing of our war cry - Blood and Fire. He called on us to understand it as Love and Power, roughly equating Blood with Jesus' love (the manifestation of it) and Fire with Power (noting that power is only one characteristic of Holy Spirit Fire). Earlier at ACC General Burrows recounted a story of her time as TC in Scotland and her instruction that the worn out crest on THQ be freshened up with a new paint job. The painter was not a salvo and the result was a crest that read 'Flood and Fire' as he figured that The Army was always on the scene during emergencies and disasters.

All of that to suggest that LOVE OF GOD FOR PEOPLE is a wonderful branding for us, more effective than shield tattoos or the latest crest jewellery or various other items such as caps, t-shirts, jackets, boxers, etc. May the LOVE OF GOD FOR PEOPLE brand each one of us as passionate zealots of Jesus.

Much grace,
sec

October 10, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

It was sweet to hear a youngster, friend of my son, singing all the words to ARMOUR, a great track on BOUNDLESS volume 2 (hat tip Nathan Casey and the Castles). And at ACC, BOUNDLESS volume 2 was sold out because they sang AS WE BOW each morning to much favour (hat tip Jeni Berea Wallace and Mark Hood).
----
There was a good article in Wall Street Journal about the last lecture series. This endeavour trots out famous profs to deliver a lecture as if it was their last one ever. We're going to steal it with preachers. You can, too. If you are not sold on it quite yet you should read the article, here:
http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB119024238402033039-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB119024238402033039-lMyQjAxMDE3OTIwMjIyNDIyWj.html
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A great heart I am blessed to know likes to camp out on these verses all the time:
Galatians 5; Philippians 3:8-16; Philippians 4: 7-8; Psalm 1; Isaiah 1:16-19; 61; Psalm 33:20-22; Matthew 12:34ff (Phillips); etc. (hat tip Merle). You might also be blessed by trying these on for size.
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SALVATIONIST (bottom right on the roll) has had some juicy stuff recently, including these two classics:
1. Cover from September 8: 'I could have been in The Salvation Army ten years ago, but each time I came they gave me food when what I really needed was Christ'
---
OUCH!

and,
2. a book excerpt with a short chapter on one of our (soon to be more) famous Commissioners:
The Liberator

"THE 18-year-old freedom fighter wept as he knelt at the mercy seat in the prayer hall of his own village. For three years he had been a member of the political group demanding independence for Mizoram. The last year had seen them hiding in the jungle, carrying their weapons and preparing to take on the might of the Indian Army. (read more at the September 29 issue).
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People are tumbling toward hell. Let's rescue them! God help us!
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Nehemiah 3-4; Luke 23.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

The only time we ever read of Jesus going off and being alone is for the purpose of prayer. (hat tip OM)

This marks the difference between solitude and loneliness.

If we really want rest and refreshment, we should seek solitude and pray. And then let us accept whatever God brings to us each day and thank Him for it. If that means a loud day with a busy house or schedule, so be it. If it means a quiet day spent with only the Lord as company, so be it.

Grace,

Aaron

Octber 9, 2007. (updated, 11:24am)
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

Here's the next vision of The Dream (see previous days for others, and, a few days ago, the whole thing):
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"…that our love would be seen through intentional and overt acts of mercy and justice, all the while in humility before God, not needing to publish our works, only doing them to glorify God."
----
Consider that for a moment and recognise that it is about us living compassion and a compassionless world sitting up and taking notice. It is like we're a bunch of mirrors reflecting glory to God. God, shine the mirrors, please.
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This classic Booth quote usually omits the last bit, included here for edification value:
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"We are a salvation people - this is our specialty - getting saved and keeping saved, and then getting somebody else saved, and then getting saved ourselves more until full salvation on earth makes the heaven withinm which is finally perfectged by the full salvation without, on the other side of the River."
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Whew! A lot more extreme than at first blush. But let's press in to experience it all!
----
Major Moulds dropped some Australia census numbers on a crowd of ACC zealots:
1996 - 74,145 identified as Salvationist
2001 - 71,421 """
2005 - 64,200 """

And then he threw up the words to "No Retreating, Hell defeating, shoulder to shoulder we stand." It was a bit a splash of cold water in our faces. The challenge is on and real. We're looking to start 100 outposts in the next decade in this territory and we expect there are nine or ten other western territories that could take up the challenge. The developing world territories would probably have to slow down to match us. But, really, you Western Territories - are you up to the partnership challenge? 100 in 10? Let us know (revolution@mmccxx.net).
----
I'm told that cadets approach the TP in some African countries on their knees. Yikes.
----
My buddy told me about one of his recruits who sported a pentagram tattoo prominently on his face. He and some other salvos brainstormed how to morph it into some other picture/message. But hte recruit replied, "My life covers it up." Classic take. He's now a soldier (hat tip Cory H).
----
John Cleary, in passing, mentioned that soldiers are told to 'pray, pay, and obey.' We don't recall hearing that one and wonder how closely some soldiers follow.
----
Don't forget to pray for the General and our comrades around the world at lunchtime today.
----
God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Nehemiah 1-2 (love that!); Psalm 133; Luke 22.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Installation...

If anyone is in or around Vancouver this Thursday (October 11), consider coming down to our Knee Drill at 6:30pm (corner of Abbott and Hastings, above the Salvation Army Crosswalk).

At that time Majors Bill and Winn Blackman will be officially installing the Evans' as the leaders of War College in Vancouver, and the Whites as CO / Leader type people for 614 Vancouver.

Come and join us if you can, and if not, please cover us in prayer.

Grace,

Aaron

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

Today is Thanksgiving (in Canada). "Thanksgiving is our dialect" (hat tip EMC). Head over to Michael Ramsay's blog for the lowdown on Thanksgiving (he blogs with the Canadians on the right). We have a lot for which to thank God over this past year. Even if you're not from or in Canada, you can still piggyback on the occasion to thank Him.
----
The Ramsay mention leads into our Blogwatch: Evelyn Clark has an article by Colonel Brekke (PtG) and a great pitch for officers from General William Booth. Matt Elcome has a photo show of The War College. Danielle Strickland reports that the Australia Southern Territory is officially FAIR TRADE now (see her blog for details). Nealson Munn has a great take on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on his blog: http://www.nealsdownunder.blogspot.com/
Here is a taste (but read the whole thing):
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"The Salvation Army's presence in this neighbourhood is an aberration within an aberration: amidst the destitute and drug-enslaved moves a group of bright, cheerful, eminently wholesome young adults such as my sister, preaching, praying, listening, and dispensing food. The Salvationists of the Downtown Eastside combine a counter-culture attitude with a deep veneration for the 'primitive' Salvationists of our movement's early history. This results in an eclectic sartorial philosophy, with dread locks and nose piercings hovering above the Victorian 'high collar' tunics favoured by William Booth and Samuel Logan Brengle."
----
Vision 2 in the Dream to Commisssioner Knaggs (see below for all 34) goes like this:
----
"…that this love would be seen between each soldier to demonstrate that God has sent His Son into the world not to condemn it, but that the world through Him might be saved…and by this would all people know that we are His followers and represent Him."
----
Amen. Jesus does say that they wil know we are Christians by our love. Mutual and corporate love - love that splashes over the edhes of cell groups and youth groups and companion groups and corps sections and corps themselves to refresh all kinds of people who don't know Jesus yet. Let's fight to see Jesus in each other and celebrate and esteem that. Let's love. How do you work that into a plan? I'm not sure that The Dream consists of 34 stages but this second vision certainly builds on the first vision. God help us.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Ezra 9-10 (hardcore identificational repentence and corporate repentance); Psalm 131; Luke 21 (14-15 - don't worry about what to say - Jesus will give you some irrefutable stuff).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

College Football Thoughts...

Upsets galore, all season long. Makes you think that the rankings must be off. Stanford just took out USC. Michigan is a shell, Georgia got pounded by Tenn, Notre Dame is winless, LSU in danger of losing to Florida (not a true upset, but LSU is currently #1).

Who do I like? Hawaii. They won't get a serious look at the National Championship, but they're fun to watch. They should stomp all over Utah State tonight.

Grace,

Aaron

EDIT: LSU comes back for the win. Could end up being the class of CFB along with OSU and CAL. And ND finally get a win. (And if you're not a fan, all these names mean nothing to you.)

October 7, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

JAC51 is out and free. Have you read it yet?
----
Eric Himes, a couple of days ago, posted on George Scott Railton. for those who want a handy blog-bio of that might man of God, hit his blog (USA blogs).
----
News is that Colonels Sewell are being deployed to Pakistan to consult with the CS until a new TC is appointed. Pray for the Sewells and The Army in Pakistan.
----
Aaron White blogged below about the need for an understanding of holiness. Well, we're pleased to announce that Friday there was a Book Launch for THE UPRISING: A holy revolution, by Olivia Munn and me, and it is aimed at the problem Aaron identifies. It is a holiness book for teens co-written by a teen (and it could be the funkiest looking book in SA history - hat tip Simon Robertson). It is available from AUS Trade and soon from the armybarmy.com eStore).
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Yesterday we blogged the AUS TC's Dream for The Salvation Army (late hat tip to Dave Collinson's blog). Without vision the people perish. God has graciously downloaded a comprehensive vision for The Army and so we won't perish - in embracing it we will live and flourish. Praise the Lord - thanks for Your gracious hand upon us. This is so important we want to blog the various aspects of the dream in the coming days to help keep it fresh in your hearts and to provoke further dreaming as to how to see these things realised in and through our lives. So, here's the first bit:
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"…that every soldier, young and old would be sanctified through and through…and out of the passion of their love in Christ, would be an undeniable force for God’s love in the world."
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An exciting perspective on this is that, 1. the first two SALVO Publishing projects are books on holiness - one for general readership and one for teens; and, 2. Aaron just blogged on the need to understand and experience holiness. That suggests this is a chairos word.

First, it includes every soldier (both JS and SS), not just the local officer or resident keeners or retired officers. God commands it. And what God commands, God enables. So He'll provide the means (repentance, consecration, and faith).

Second, passionate love for Jesus compels and propels us into mission that makes a difference to the world and billions (we trust) of people currently outside God's love.

Finally, and practically, we can get sanctified today. Even those of us who don't know Jesus yet (once we repent and believe and accept Jesus' invitation, "Come follow Me") are invited. First, believe that what God commands, God enables. Second, repent of every sin (and ask Him to reveal them all) and doubtful practices. And consecrate every area of your life to Him. Your sinful nature dies (is done away with or neutralised, in Romans 6:6) and Holy Spirit fills you. And, maybe, you can help get someone else sanctified today! Ask God to help.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Ezra 7-8 (several times he rejoices that the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him/us); Luke 20.
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

Malawi...

I'm constantly struck by how much we complain in the West, and demand rights that are not even conceivable in other areas of the world. We are incredibly spoiled. I'm not suggesting that it's a bad thing that we have, for example, good medical care in Canada. I'm quite thankful for that. But we should be aware of what an enormous privilege this is, and should not be content to have it all to ourselves.

Here is an article about AIDS drugs in Malawi. It only starts to touch on the issue, and doesn't really address the role of the pharmaceutical companies etc..., but it paints an interesting picture. We'd never put up with this situation in the West. (Pay special attention to the ratio of doctors to people in the country.

"Malawi to double free AIDS drugs coverage by 2010
1 day ago

BLANTYRE (AFP) — AIDS-blighted Malawi wants to more than double the number of people receiving free anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to 245,000 by 2010, Health Minister Marjorie Ngaunje said on Friday.

"With currently 115,000 people on ARVs, the government aims at increasing this number to 245,000 by the year 2010," Ngaunje told a conference of donors and health experts.

Though it is still a taboo subject in the conservative landlocked country, some 930,000 Malawians are living with HIV or AIDS where the prevalence rate is 14 percent, according to UNAIDS and official figures.

The conference, organised by international medical and humanitarian aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), is to discuss how to deal with acute shortages of health workers.

Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, the main sponsors of the country's economic reforms, are also attending the one-day meeting.

Saying HIV and AIDS were a major public health problem in the southern African nation, Ngaunje said: "approximately 170,000 Malawians are believed to be in urgent need of ARVs today."

She said the scale-up programme had been hit by "a persistent crisis over the past decade which is largely caused by acute shortage of professional health workers in the public health sector."

Ngaunje said the poor southern African country, with funding from the Global Fund against AIDS, malaria and tuberclosis, had recruited 5,000 health surveillance health assistants to increae access to treatment and to compensate for professional health workers.

Malawi, with a population of 12 million, has 150 doctors on the state payroll, according to a recent figure by the health ministry."

Grace,

Aaron

The Holiness Question...

I was just at an event in North America where it was affirmed that our personal holiness is the most important thing we can give to the kids in our ministry. I agree with this, but was somewhat concerned that we didn't actually talk about what holiness means. We could have a bunch of people believing that living more piously and with slightly better behaviour is somehow the greatest gift we could give to the people we minister amongst.

I dont say this as any kind of knock on the event or the people attending. They may well be giving the genuine gift of holy lives wherever they are ministering. I am just reflecting on the fact that our holiness teaching does often seem to be...incomplete. So the term holiness should not be used with the assumption that everyone knows or agrees upon what it means.

We're taking holiness as our theme for the upcoming BC South Youth Together (Youth Councils for people not up on the new lingo). There are 260 people registered (good gravy! We used to get around thirty when I was a teen!) And I don't want all these kids going away with an incomplete and possibly harmful idea of what holiness is.

So I started by asking my teen cell what holiness means. Most of them have not encountered the word before (they are non-Churched, which might not have mattered actually) though I do believe they've encountered the concept. Some answers were about purity, or being set apart.

My 5 year old daughter was there as well, so I asked her what she thought holiness means. She crawled into my lap and whispered:

"It's like being in heaven."

That's a pretty good answer, if we can apply it to earth.

Grace,

Aaron

October 6, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!
(hb2AR)

Well, ACC in Melbourne is an important, influential conference. This year we were blessed by General Burrows in 1990s form, Major Paul Moulds making me cry again, John Cleary putting it all in perspective, Jeff Lucas dropping Biblical bombs on us each day (the guy is under-rated as a funny guy - he's all of that and heaps more - it is like saying that Wayne Gretzky is a great penalty killer), and others. Read Commissioner Knaggs's blog (top right) for more.

But the climax of this conference this year is the release by the AUS Territorial Commander of his dream for The Army (hat tip Collinson). Here it is:
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I have a dream, that one day...

The Salvation Army will in its entirety, be what God wants it to be…

…that every soldier, young and old would be sanctified through and through…and out of the passion of their love in Christ, would be an undeniable force for God’s love in the world.

…that this love would be seen between each soldier to demonstrate that God has sent His Son into the world not to condemn it, but that the world through Him might be saved…and by this would all people know that we are His followers and represent Him.

…that our love would be seen through intentional and overt acts of mercy and justice, all the while in humility before God, not needing to publish our works, only doing them to glorify God.

…that our mission would have such integrity that every expression of our ministry would be marked not so much by a red shield or even a crest, but by the love of God for people.

…that every corps would embrace the gospel for everyone in their community, not discriminating by culture, language, social status, or age…and that the helping ministries would be woven into the fabric so that even under a nuclear microscope we could not distinguish between spiritual and social.

…that every social programme would be inviting to any one in need to be helped towards eternal affect, still maintaining our resolve to dispense such love indiscriminately and unconditionally…and that their connections with the corps ministries become seamless to the point that they would become a type of corps in their own right.

…that we would have effective ministries to eradicate homelessness, human trafficking, prostitution and other indecencies currently common in our society.

…that our social programme strategy will be based upon the needs of people in the context of Biblical mandate, not necessarily the offerings of government contracts.

…that headquarters support units would be understood as such, not diminishing their purposes for accountability, but wholly in the context of authentic support and encouragement.

…that programmes such as Salvo Stores and Employment plus would also become saving stations for the lost and fully integrated into the mission of the territory.

…that Salvo Stores and the Trade become responsible outlets for Fair Trade goods.

…that our commercial department at THQ become a resource and focal point for facilitating our increasing efforts in Fair Trade.

…that the Family Tracing Service be expanded to find those souls who have been lost to the Army, assisting in bringing them home, where they belong.

…that we would never have another day in our existence where someone was not brought to Christ.

…that our soldiers roll would only be an increasing reality as would our worship and discipleship meetings.

…that the proliferation of new ministry openings would be so common and normal that we would have to appoint personnel just to keep track of it, most often after the fact.

…that those gifted with creative ministry gifts would have every opportunity to employ these very skills in the work of the Army.

…that our worship would be filled with creative means to celebrate God’s provisions and presence among us.

…that our 24/7 Prayer Initiatives will be adopted by individual corps throughout the territory all the time.

…that we would establish Lighthouses of Prayer to cover our neighbourhoods with grace.

…that we would have numerous prayer destinations where people could go for prayer retreats, learning opportunities and resources.

…that our systems would be less restrictive and more imaginative to accommodate the new things God wants to do among us.

…that as a movement, we would be marked by holiness in corporate and individual praxis.

…that there would be such an out pouring of the Spirit upon us that we would be courageous and effective witnesses in our families, communities, cities, Australia and the world.

…that our compassion would be large enough to be understood as authentically global throughout what we do at home and abroad.

…that our people would be quick to respond to the voice of God for whatever He calls them to.

…that our officer training programmes would be taxed by the unusual response of the called to serve as officers in TSA.

…that our local officers would be so empowered to understand their foundational role in the corps ministries and fully embrace the priesthood of all believers.

…that our women would have appointments and responsibilities commensurate with their gifts, abilities and experience.

…that our young people would be filled with the Spirit and recognised as contributors in the fight.

…that our children would be welcomed as authentic soldiers with proper opportunities to celebrate the presence of Christ in their lives and in their environments.

…that an extraordinary forgiveness and healing of past sins and hurts would prevail upon all people victimised by our practises or inattention.

…that God would see that we love Him supremely through Christ and that our reliance on the Holy Spirit completes His hope in us.

…that God would see that we love Him absolutely and are expressing our love for Him by our active love for others.
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Weigh it. Pray about it. Tell all of your friends about it. Read it at your public meetings this weekend. Unpack it. Participate in it. Look forward to the future days of Salvation War-fighting in this theatre of war.
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God is here.
SA Daily Reading: Esther 9-10; Luke 19 (v48 - they all hung on His every word).
Much grace,
sec
posted by Stephen Court

October 5, 2007.
Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.
He is risen!

ACC Special, today:
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If you hear me preach Luke 15 in the future it will be laced with some juicy tidbits I lifted from Jeff Lucas, who is preaching at ACC this week and has a new book on that text - Prodigals. While on JL, he wondered how it was, with the TC and retired General Burrows in the line-up, that there weren't a thousand or so people in the crowd. Intriguing question.
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I promised some people I'd blog on how to emphasise Junior Soldiers again. I've got no rocket-scientist take on it. It seems pretty simple. You take your crowds of kids in Sunday School and challenge their brains out with the extremist covenant of Junior Soldiership (drawing parents into the mix here, too).

You don't need fancy programmes. You just have to do it. It is an important aspect of Salvationism, and it works. One youngster I know has the pledge memorised even though he's a few years away from being old enough to sign up. Testimonies abound as to the protecting and mobilising power of JS covenant. Others prophesy regularly and accurately and tell their friends about Jesus. And many JSs show up as Senior Soldiers and officers.

So, with 164 corps in AUS Territory, for example, I'm guessing that at least 100 have ten kids they could target and sign up before Christmas (don't limit it to the 8-10 year-olds. Grab the pre-teens and early teens, too). What I'm suggesting is that with a little intention we can practically double the number of Junior Soldiers in our territory in the next quarter.* Soldier up.
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* I say double but whispers suggest that it might actually triple the real number on the ground).
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Here are some gems from ACC:
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Major Paul Moulds did it again. Literally every time I hear him preach he makes me cry (God has a bit to do with it).
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In the late 80s, Coopers Lybrand never found an organisation whose people are as loyal as The Army, but they did find us slow on the uptake with proactive initiatives (hat tip EB). Two takes: 1. Do you think that is still valid? I doubt the organisational loyalty is where it was 25 years ago. And, yes, I think that is a bad thing; 2