For even a child may serve the Lord...

Speaking as someone with 26 years experience as a parent I can say with confidence that family life has its highs and lows. Last night was an unquestionable high!

In bible study we dealt with the difficult but important subject of spiritual warfare and demonic oppression. My middle daughter (aged 13) asked to sit in and do her homework; I was pleased that although she was doing her homework she seemed to be listening to the bible study as well. My youngest daughter (aged 11) has a downstairs bedroom next to the living room where the bible study was being held. Unbeknown to me she was listening to every word being said and later asked if she could attend bible study in the future. That alone would have qualified as a high but then she went on to share more with me.

She explained that as she was listening she'd understood the enemy's tactics, 'the devil,' she said 'together with all his demons is trying to pull as many people down to hell as he can whereas God is trying, together with his angels, to pull everyone up to heaven.' Bethany decided some time ago that she wanted to be a Salvation Army Officer and has always been very spiritually aware and mature for her years. She went on to say that 'you and Mummy are working with God to help him get as many people into heaven as you can. I know it's always been understood that one day I would be a Salvation Army Officer but tonight' she continued 'as I was listening to you talk, I got my calling, I knew that God was asking me to help fight against sin and the devil.'

In addition, she also told me that as she had been eavesdropping on bible study she had been monitoring an unpleasant conversation on MSN between some of her friends. She told me how she had eventually intervened and brought the conversation to an end and then prayed with the injured parties online.

In the bible study, in the midst of our conversation, we got onto the subject of Paul and his 'thorn in the flesh'. I explained to the group that the enemy will always attack us first at our weakest point; he'll twist that thorn in our side in an attempt to distract us from our mission.

Bethany has a lot of complicated medical problems and she can become critically ill very quickly. As she had been listening she had identified these problems as her 'thorn' and assured me that no matter how much the devil attacked her she would, in the name of Jesus, stand her ground. As she shared with me there was a glow in her face and an obvious excitement in her delivery. This was undoubtedly one of those very special moments that God gives to parents.

As I prayed with her I remembered that time 11 years ago when, as a newborn baby, she very nearly died because her medical needs had not yet been identified. At that time God gave me a promise for Bethany, a verse from 1 Samuel 1: 27 "²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." When I was given that promise I handed my daughter over to God in a solemn covenant – it would appear he is coming to take what is rightly his – Hallelujah!

Grace and peace, A

I’m the boy you killed…

I'm not normally susceptible to advertising but the most recent road safety campaign in the UK has really affected me and impacted my behaviour behind the wheel.

In the advert a middle aged man stares in his bathroom mirror haunted by the image of the boy he killed while speeding. Later he spots the dead eight-year-old while taking a bus, when he gets to work the dead boy is under his desk; viewers then see the driver tormented as the boy's dead body lies alongside his bed as the man tries to sleep. The advert finishes with the slogan: "Kill your speed or live with it."

You can't get away from this advert as it also features on the radio - in the radio adverts young victims tell how their memories linger with the motorists who took their lives.
One says: "At the weekends, I'm there. On holiday I'm there, building sandcastles. I'm there beside his son. At night he tries to forget. But I'm always there. I'm the boy he killed five years ago because he was speeding. And now he has to live with it. Think."

I don't consider myself a dangerous or illegal driver but sometimes I am distracted or in a hurry, now every time I get behind the wheel this series of adverts haunts me and changes the way I drive.

Maybe the church ought to run a similar series of adverts to be played to congregations on a Sunday. It could run something like this: Everywhere the subject goes they are followed by a huge crowd of people – poor, ragged, abused, fat, thin, rich, black, and white – a whole cross section of society.

The voiceover could say something like "We're the people that went to hell because you were too timid to tell us about Jesus, we're the people who starved to death because you were too distracted to feed us, we're the children who were abused because you chose to look the other way, we're the trafficked people who were postituted because you didn't care…"

What might the slogan be?

Any suggestions?

Grace and peace, A

St Francis puts me in my place (again)

When I look at the lives of the Saints and the early Army pioneers I am reminded just how far I have to go in terms of my own personal spiritual development. I had such an experience the other day when I came across the following report of a conversation between St Francis and one of his 'little brothers' Leo (I have taken the liberty of updating the language but the sentiment remains unchanged.)

"One winter's day, bitterly cold, St Francis was travelling with Brother Leo, when St Francis said "I hope that God will allow the 'Little Brothers' (the name he adopted for the Franciscan Order) to be an example of holiness all over the world. However, even if they achieve this they will not find perfect joy.

Even if the Little Brothers give sight to the blind, heal the sick, cast out demons, give hearing to the deaf, or even raise the dead – they still will not find perfect joy.

If a Brother knew all the languages of the world, all science, and all scripture, if he could prophesy and even read minds and hearts – he would still be a long way from perfect joy.

If he could speak the language of angels and understood all of the earth's deepest secrets even in this he would not find perfect joy."

Leo was amazed and questioned the Saint, "Father, in God's name, I beg you, please tell how to find perfect joy." Francis replied "When we arrive at our destination, soaked with rain, frozen, covered with mud and dying of hunger and we knock at the door of a local inn, and the landlord angrily refuses us entry and accuses of taking money from the poor and preaching a false gospel and leaves us outside in the snow and rain all night, frozen andstarved. Yet we, so abused and rejected, refuse to defend ourselves or think badly of him; but instead humbly accept that he knows us better than we know ourselves and that God is simply using him to correct us, then we shall know perfect joy. Above all the graces and gifts the Holy Spirit gives to his friends is the grace to conquer ourselves and to willingly suffer pain, outrage, disgrace, and evil treatment for the love of Christ."

When I think how quickly I sometimes leap to justify and defend myself, when I consider how ready I am to jump to conclusions and to hastily judge another's motives then I realise how far I fall short of what God expects.

Let's all heed Paul's words to the Ephesians (4:1-3) ^"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Grace and peace, A

Adolescence and an Army that doesn’t care (sometimes)

Children in the UK are unhappier than they have ever been according to recent research. The main causes of unhappiness are low self-esteem, body image and family conflict. Research by the Children's Society has shown that 7% of children aged between 10 and 15 in England - around 300,000 - are "significantly" unhappy.

The survey, carried out by Ipsos Mori between April and July 2008, asked children to score certain aspects of their lives on a happiness scale between 1 and 10. Most children questioned were actually happy, scoring (on average) above 5. However many children between 10 and 15 scored below the halfway mark.

Children who scored on average nearly 9 out of 10 - stated home, friends and family as the cause of their happiness. The highest levels of unhappiness were recorded in areas of appearance and confidence, with 17.5% saying they were unhappy with their looks, and 16% unhappy with their confidence. Almost twice as many girls were unhappy with their appearance as boys.

So, in summary, what does this research show us?

Children with settled home lives where the parents get along are generally happy.

Children with reliable friends are happy.

Adolescents are prone to unhappiness.

Some teenagers, especially girls, are unhappy with the way they look and lack confidence.

Did we really need expensive research to tell us what common sense has known for generations?

The unpredictable and sometimes unfounded unhappiness of adolescence provides the Army with a tremendous opportunity for evangelism. Let's preach the gospel to our teens – let's tell them that happiness and self worth are not dependant on how we look or how talented we are but that 'in the family of Jesus' everyone has an equal place.

The trouble is that if we told them that it wouldn't tally with what they see.

As I look around the Salvation Army and focus on our young people, I see that teenagers thrive or perish not by the rules of the gospel but all too often by 'the standards of this world'.

Talented, handsome, well-connected, athletic and confident children get the front seats at church just as they do at school. It takes a very special kind of Youth Worker to promote the awkward adolescent above the talented teen.

On a personal level, I still bear the emotional scars of growing up in an Army where people were defined by ability and appearance rather than by the desires and hopes wrapped up in their hearts.

As we seek the lost among the legions who live on the very edge of society let's make sure that we don't neglect the lost who live in our midst. Maybe they can't pass a football accurately, play an instrument, sing in tune, carry a part or find anyone to go on a date with but they are still a child of God. In fact if they qualify as 'the least among us' then God considers them to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"Go ye into the highways and byways and seek out the geek, weed, nerd and bore and compel them to come in."

Grace and peace, A

Victory in the House of

Praise God for a victory in the House of Lords this evening

Further to my blog recently on the threat to Christian liberty via the Equalities Bill…

Three amendments tabled by Baroness O'Cathain were passed by the House of Lords tonight. The first amendment was voted through 216 votes to 178, the second was conceded by the Government and the third was voted through 177 votes to 172.

Another amendment which would have restricted the freedom of Churches was defeated by 195 votes to 174 and the law has not been narrowed any further.

Although the Government has consistently maintained that the effect of their provisions would not alter the current situation, it is the opinion of many Christian organisations that the proposed provisions contained within the Equality Bill would have further reduced the freedom of Churches. We are therefore grateful that the status quo has been maintained and the law has not been narrowed any further.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, director of Christian Concern for our Nation said:

"This is a great day for religious liberty in the UK. We are thankful that the law has not been changed and the freedom of Churches to control their own affairs has not been restricted any further. The results show what can happen when Christians pray and take action. Let us be encouraged that even in an increasingly secular society, the voice of the Church can still be heard."

Most of all we are thankful to God for answering our prayers. We serve a mighty God!

Grace and peace, A

How do you read yours?

So Cadburys (the maker of cream eggs) are to be swallowed up by the American giant Kraft! Cadbury's cream eggs are a British institution, when I was a boy they appeared in the shops just before Easter, these days they are available from the beginning of January! Personally I don't like Cream eggs they are far too sweet and sickly for my savoury tooth. In recent years Cadburys have used the following advertising slogan in relation to cream eggs – "How do you eat yours" – the suggestion being that everyone eats them and the only question that needs to be asked in relation to them is "how"? Cadburys have even offered prizes to people for the most original methods of consumption.

Some people treat their bibles like a cream egg, they read it 'in season', i.e. they read it at special times of the year and then when they do read it they only read the 'sweet' bits. They avoid anything that might call to 'deeper consecration' or surrender. They ignore those verses that seek to correct a slack and apathetic approach to Christianity. When it comes to the bible the only question that really needs to be asked is "How do you read yours"? Every Christian ought to read the word of God on a daily basis and they ought to read it all not just bits and pieces.

If you've never gone through the whole bible in one year then you ought to do so. There are many good reading plans available on the Internet - 'The One Year Bible Online' is a good place to start. I've been using such a plan now for about 10 years and as a consequence I am more familiar with my bible than I have ever been. This year I decided to have a change.

The Salvation Soldier's Guide is a collection of bible readings for the morning and evening of every day in the year. The selected readings are particularly relevant to Salvationist's. There are 'morning' and 'evening' readings available and a very short reading for midday. Very often the readings are linked together and you will find them an excellent source of inspiration for sermons. The original readings were taken from the King James Version and very few copies of the original 'guide' are still around. This site contains links to the original readings but taken from the New International Version. This particular edition of the 'Guide' was compiled and edited by G S Railton (which for me at least always adds extra spice!)

If you have no bible reading plan I would heartily recommend the 'The Salvation Soldier's Guide' - if you already have a reading plan then the 'guide' is an excellent supplementary source of inspiration.

Grace and peace, A

Equality Bill and the rights of Christians...

I have always believed that political correction and human rights would poses greater persecution to the contemporary church than physical persecution. The Equality Bill, which is currently at the committee stage, will place a duty on public bodies - like schools and the police to promote homosexual and transsexual 'rights', churches and The Salvation Army will not be expected to promote such rights but it may well become a crime to say that these things are a sin or to prevent homosexuals or unmarried heterosexuals who cohabit from holding certain positions within the church like youth workers.

Christians have become concerned because the Bill also is narrowing the current exemption in employment law for "organised religion" by changing the existing exemption so that it will only apply to posts that wholly or mainly involve leading or assisting worship or promoting or explaining doctrine.

Yet church ministers have many pastoral and administrative tasks which do not directly involve leading worship or teaching doctrine, even more so in the case of pastoral or youth workers. So the law may require that these posts have to be open to adulterers or practising homosexuals.

The following link takes you to a legal opinion by John Bowers QC and a briefing (from christian.org.uk) provide further information. For the wider problems being caused by the 'equality and diversity' agenda, the following report also Marginalising Christians.

Get involved now or face prison tomorrow!

Grace and peace, A