Courage

What is real courage? Is it leaving all to go and live among the poorest of the poor? Is it being tortured for one's faith? Is it facing ravenous lions or gladiators or is it simply standing up and refusing to compromise when one is clearly in a minority?

Not according to William Booth.

The following quote is taken from an extensive article in The Officer Magazine (1895) the article was printed across several editions.

"Perhaps the highest form of courage of which the human soul is capable is that which goes up with boldness to the throne of grace, claims a full salvation at God's hands, and power to maintain and fight for it day by day. That dares to walk in the light of God, relying upon His arm for all the grace needed for a holy, conquering life.

We want the courage that will face the rebellious world of today, come out from it, renounce its riches and fashions and recreations and follies, which will despise them, and which will reject its friendships as being enmity with God. We want a courage that will recognise and resist and defy the devil. We want a courage that will trample on the daily desires of the flesh for ease and luxury.

We want a courage that will confess our Lord and glory in His salvation and proclaim deliverance from sin by Him before the whole world. We want a courage that will tell the truth, the whole truth, the plainest truth and most soul-cutting truth, on the platform, on the streets; that will warn men of the evil of sin and beseech them to flee from the wrath to come, no matter what sacrifices may be threatened or involved thereby."

According to Booth – "the highest form of courage of which the human soul is capable" is simply being holy.

To meet the conditions of holiness - to comprehensively renounce sin (and all things doubtful), to completely surrender all to God, to establish - and ten to maintain those links which will continuously fuel holiness and finally to embrace the consequences of such a commitment – according to Booth that takes guts – real guts.

No wonder there are so few holy men and women alive in 2009.

God grant us the grace to find such courage.

Amen.

Holiness alone delivers success!

Folloowing on from my blog a couple of days ago on holiness I came across the following snippet from The Officer Magazine, March 1894...

"The last two or three issues of the USA "Cry" to hand have contained correspondence with reference to "what constitutes a successful field officer?" following figures are given as an example of an officer's work, and as showing the possibility of lifting a "hard go" :-

Seven Months Preceding

Total attendance at meetings 7,532
Total attendance of soldiers 1,655
Number of open-airs 21
Number of soldiers at open-airs 217
Number of souls saved 4
Number of soldiers on roll-call 20
Number of recruits 0
War-Crys 75
Soldiers in full uniform 6
Soldiers wearing S's and badge 8

Seven Months Captain Well Saved

Total attendance at meetings 19,238
Total attendance of soldiers 4,930
Number of open-airs 100
Number of soldiers at open-airs 2,216
Number of souls saved 60
Number of soldiers on roll-call 39
Number of recruits 6
War-Crys 150
Soldiers in full uniform 14
Soldiers wearing S's and badge 32

I think no one would deny that the above record is a success. Now, how was it done? “Visiting," says one. No, not at all, for the captain was alone nearly all her term and had too much other work to make a speciality of visiting. "Open-air work," suggests another and we admit that to a great extent; but the root of the matter is neither visiting, open-air work, soldiers' meetings, singing, speaking or anything else but the grace of God, given to those who seek it to the exclusion of everything else. All other things are branches, leaves and blossoms on the tree of Salvation Army service; but the root, the trunk which makes and holds up the branches, blossoms and fruit is a daily consecrated body, soul and spirit."

Holiness will prove to be the salvation of the Salvation Army.

Love and prayers

A