I have just returned from the UK Commissioning – an uplifting, challenging and inspiring weekend. There were many moments of real anointing (not just high emotion but genuine invasions of the soul by God the Holy Spirit!). The preaching in particular (from Cmmrs John and Betty Matear and Lt-Colonel Vic Poke) was perceptive, incisive and showed real evidence of discernment, passion and courage.
However… there were two moments during the weekend when I felt a divine frown – maybe even a bit of a glower from on high.
The first was the declaration of faith made by the Captains to be, I am sure everyone meant what they said and I have no reason to doubt their wholehearted acceptance of the doctrines – yet if you dip into any of the many SA discussion forums that are around or hang out at an Officer’s fellowship it will not before long before you hear Officer’s openly challenging – even dismissing – some of the doctrines. In particular doctrines 1, 5, 9, 10 and 11 seem to be considered optional by many of those who bear the red felt on their shoulders.
The second came when the congregation sang:
All my days and all my hours,
All my will and all my powers,
All the passion of my soul,
Not a fragment but the whole
Shall be thine, dear Lord,
Shall be thine, dear Lord.
The use of words like ‘all’ and ‘whole’ make this a real Railtonian commitment to all-out, no-holds barred, life or death warfare. This is not an itsy-bitsy, namby-pamby, limp-wristed, half hearted wink in the direction of consecration – this is hardcore holiness.
I wonder how many who sang the chorus genuinely meant it? If the truth were known then the passion, time and powers of the average Salvationist is shared out between TV, sport, materialism, leisure, and personal ambition (etc. etc.) with what’s left being tossed in the direction of nominal Christianity. The bulk of us are like the Jews of Hosea’s day (8:2-4):
“Israel cries out to me, 'O our God, we acknowledge you!' But Israel has rejected what is good.”
Whilst moved and pumped up and enthusiastic and left chomping at the bit by the two days these two occasions made me smart . Do we honestly think that God is going to honour such blatant hypocrisy? What must he think when he hears our words and at the same time sees where our priorities lie.
Maybe we should have sung the following instead:
“Too long at ease in Zion
I've been content to dwell,
While multitudes are dying
And sinking into Hell.I
can no more be careless,
And say there's naught to do,
The fields are white to harvest
And labourers are few.”
I remain set apart by the grace of Jesus for God in the Army for life!
Andrew
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3 comments:
I've posted over on Old-wells about stuff God is doing in me about facing up to the reality of what is in our hearts. I believe we often actually think we have given our all to God but "our hearts are deceitful above all things" and we compare our committment to our culture not to the biblical norm.
What we are satisfied with most of the time is what God would throw on the fire as chaff.
On the other hand I battle with trying not to have a critical or a negative spirit. Was the worship I attended on holiday really superficial and bland or was it just not to my taste and not under my control?"
Does every gathering of God's people, evangelistic effort, new intitiative in these days always have to have a "but" attached to it?
I suppose we will always grapple with getting the balance right between complacency and contentment.
God bless
Carol
Sorry Andrew,
I've replied to this twice. I thought my internet connection had failed. I'm not really going mad!!!!
Am I?
God bless
Carol
Hardcore.
Xander.
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