A contemporary holiness testimony

I have had the most remarkable week!

After fifteen years of searching for holiness I think I have finally discovered the truth that 'set's us free'. Any regular reader of my blog will appreciate how intense this battle has been and how vacillating my own moral performance has been during this time. My dithering and indecisive pilgrimage has seen me swing between the extremes of puritanical asceticism to liberal moral abandonment.

Last week somehow – I'm still not quite sure how it happened everything seemed to fall into place.

The stumbling block for me has always been the 'doubtful things' – identifying, exposing and rejecting the sinful things in my life has always been relatively straightforward – but when it comes to the doubtful things it has always been more complicated. Of course the problem is that a refusal to surrender what is 'doubtful' will always leave us quite incapable of surrendering what is sinful. Achan's sin – hiding those things which ought to be devoted to God among our own possessions – is, I am quite certain the curse of the contemporary church. It is our inability to settle the holiness question that holds us in our current state of fear, confusion and impotency. In short, our own version of Achan's sin leaves us 'obligated to defeat'.

Last Friday I finally got to the point where I was willing to surrender all. God's grace had put me in a position where I was willing to make a consecration that was "both entire and real" as the old doctrine book says.

" To be entire it must include the body, with all its members and powers; the mind, with all its faculties; the heart, with all its capacities; also goods, money, family, influence, reputation, time, ability, life, indeed everything. To be real it must be not in imagination or sentiment merely, but everything must henceforth actually be used as belonging to God and not to ourselves." (SA Doctrine Book 1923)

Having got to a point where I was willing to make such an absolute surrender I had a moment that within the context of my own personal struggle was Abrahamic in its immensity. With my arm raised, ceremonial dagger poised over coffee, football, crosswords, TV and the myriad of other distractions that make up my own collection of doubtful things – God held my hand! I felt; genuinely felt that in the face of my sincere willingness to surrender all God actually gave me some of it back. God didn't want me to surrender half of the things on my list but what he did want to know was whether I was willing to give them up.

At the end of the day as Samuel taught "to obey is better than sacrifice'. When it comes to holiness the one – possibly the only – condition that God sets before us is our genuine acknowledgement that he is first in our life. Keith Green puts it succinctly in his classic song:

To obey is better than sacrifice,
I don't need your money, I want your life.
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon,
But you act like I'll never return.
To obey is better than sacrifice.
I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights,
Cause if you can't come to me every day,
Then don't bother coming at all.
 
Holiness is about giving God our lives, placing him first, and having a relationship with him. It's not about what we do or even about what he does – it is about us dying and him living in our place. I'm not a huge fan of 'The Message' as an Englishman some bits of it are too American for me but there are some passages that are really quite brilliant. One such passage is Peterson's paraphrase of Romans 12:1-3

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

If the proof of the pudding really is in the tasting then God with infinite patience has finally enabled me to experience holiness. This week has been the most positive, peaceful, effective week I have had since the early days of my conversion. The phrase used to describe a section in the old song book keeps on coming back to me ''holiness enjoyed' and yes, I have watched TV, drunk the occasional cup of coffee and completed the Telegraph cryptic crossword!

This week I have enjoyed a ''career of uninterrupted victory over sin', I have enjoyed 'maintaining contact with the life giver', I have enjoyed 'the peace of God' and I have found beauty in the simplest of things, this week I have enjoyed singing the following words with the confidence that only grace can give:

"Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue,
Christless eyes have never seen;
Birds with gladder songs o'erflow,
Flowers with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am his and he is mine."

The impact of this new life has been evident not only in my own heart and actions but evident in the life of my family. An atmosphere of domestic organisation and calm seems to have descended over our home.

After so many years of struggle and confusion I think that this is actually holiness – and the most amazing thing is that I didn't actually discover it at all – it was (like salvation) the free gift of God, he gave it to me last Friday, no angel voices, no tongues of fire, no trumpet blast - not even a 'still small voice' - he just dropped it into my heart almost unnoticed.

"Thank you Lord for saving my soul,
Thank you Lord for making me whole,
Thank you Lord for giving to me
Thy great Salvation so rich and free."

 
Much grace and peace, Andrew.

Pressing projects!

In a couple of months we are off to a new appointment – Rayleigh in Essex. This appointment will be very different from Dartford in far too many ways to mention. However Rayleigh’s status as a middle-class, largely white Anglo Saxon market town might make ministry more – rather than less – demanding.

In addition, in a couple of months, I will be starting an MA in theology. It is my earnest intention that this study will not eat into my mission time and my plan is to try and fit it into the early morning and late evening periods of the day.

All of this means that the pressure on me to finish off current projects is increasing. I have an unfinished book on holiness outstanding and I’ve also been working on contemporising the text of ‘Heathen England’. I am seriously contemplating taking a week’s leave and locking myself away somewhere like Sunbury Court and getting both projects out of the way. This might well be the answer as I always work better to deadlines – especially tight ones!

I firmly believe that my inability to complete the book on holiness is partly demonic. I do not claim to be a gifted writer but I do acknowledge that God uses me in this way and that the results of what I write (under his influence) can have a profound impact on those who read them. I think that this book, written for today’s generation but passing on truths not really properly preached or understood for 100 years or more, could have a significant effect on The Salvation Army. Does that sound a little pompous or arrogant? Maybe, but I assure you that I take no credit for this (currently drawn out) project. I believe that the words are Gods and the holiness they address is needed by today’s church in order to become truly effective.

Holiness – the surrender of all that is sinful and doubtful and the entire consecration of oneself to God – is out of fashion at the moment. Worldliness – considered a sin by the church for 1900 years and then suddenly made legitimate – rattles around our ankles like a heavy ball and chain. A holy church, an unworldly church is a liberated church and one that can reach its maximum effectiveness for Christ and his kingdom. An unholy church will quite simply not ‘see Christ’ – not in its mission, not in its leaders, not in its congregations – for ‘without holiness none shall see the Lord!’

Grace and peace, A

In his time...

Recently I was in conversation with Lee (see blog below) about smoking. Lee has given up so much in the last 8 months that I really didn't feel he needed to get into a battle with nicotine on top of everything else. I shared with him the testimony of the Jesuit writer John Powel (recounted in 'He Touched Me: My Pilgrimage of Prayer') about smoking. Powell had tried to give up smoking on many occasions unsuccessfully then one day as he reached for the first cigarette of the day he unexpectedly heard a quiet voice within say 'no more cigarettes John'. He obeyed the voice and has been nicotine free since. I suggested to Lee that when the time was right God would take the desire to smoke away just as he had removed his urge to drink.

In my own life my two biggest enemies have been lust and gambling (closely followed by pride and selfish ambition). Although these strongholds have been comprehensively demolished by the Holy Spirit temptation still lurks in their ruins and occasionally sallies forth in attempt to ensnare me once more. When it comes to holiness our big sins are easy to identify what takes more time is identifying and surrendering the doubtful things. For me, one of these doubtful things has been coffee. I have tried on many occasions to give up coffee but without success. Recent circumstances have led me to heed my own advice and leave the matter in God's hands.

Coffee seems to be the cement which holds church fellowship together; coffee is entrenched in our very fabric. Go to a Christian conference and coffee is available on tap. Hold a meeting, get together with a potential convert, network with other agencies , go to a church service, attend an Alpha Course, got to a bible study and coffee is there constantly oiling the ecclesiastical cogs. In addition, with the advent of Fairtrade there is almost a moral obligation to support the ethical coffee market. Then there is the fact that the local coffee shop is often the hub of the community - a suburban watering hole where all levels of society find neutral ground – therefore the coffee shop is an excellent place to witness. Then last week I read an (accredited) article about the benefits of moderate coffee consumption. Anything over two cups a day is likely to have an adverse health impact but keeping your intake to just two strong cups a day (preferably taken before noon) can have a very positive effect. Apparently, coffee is full of antioxidants and can limit your chances of heart disease and Alzheimer's. In addition there is a chemical in coffee that destroys the bacteria that causes tooth decay (incidentally all of these claims are equally true for dark chocolate!)

So maybe if Paul was writing to Timothy today rather than encouraging him to take a little wine with his food he might tell him to get down to Costa Coffee or Starbucks!

So (with an absolute clear conscience) I'm going to follow the example of Railton rather than Finney and start knocking back the black gold (but no more than two strong cups a day!)

If God isn't happy with my decision then he will let me know and whisper quietly in my inner ear as I reach for the coffee pot one morning. In the meantime I am not under law but under grace.

"¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, ¹⁸because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men." (Romans 14)

Grace and peace, A

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.

Obligated to defeat...

Holiness requires the surrender of all that is doubtful in addition to all that is sinful. Anything less that absolute surrender leaves us 'liable to defeat'. If we are holding on to things which God wants us to surrender then not all the prayers, bible study and fellowship in the world can save us – we will be defeated!

Willis Howell sent me a great quote the other day from John Piper:

""The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of the triviality we drink in every night.... And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable."

How many recently launched Christian lives have sailed out of the harbour of conversion and immediately crashed on the rocks of compromise? Usually the rock that sank the boat was something small and insignificant like a cup of coffee or a football game. It is the doubtful things that usually bring us down rather than the sinful things.

There is nothing in the bible that suggests that owning property or being wealthy is a sin, indeed some people have built a whole theology around the opposite belief but if Jesus thought the best way to survive the snares of this world and the attack of the enemy was a simple life of poverty then maybe that's the way wise Christians still choose to walk.

Father, save me from the trappings and distractions of this world, save me from the doubtful things, help me to identify the 'apple pie' in my life and lay it on the altar of consecration.

Today's scripture:

1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32

"Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and the laws that the Lord gave to Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged." (22:13)

Psalm 91:9-16

¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honour him.

¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

1 Corinthians 2:6-2:16

¹²We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

Grace and peace, A

Do what you know to be right!

Yesterday I was in conversation with the Lord and were discussing (as we often do) 'doubtful things'. Sanctification requires the surrender of all things sinful and doubtful. In other words if you can't justify a particular use of time or money then it has to go on the altar! The problem is that many doubtful things by their very nature are difficult to qualify. In addition where does one stop? If it is a 'doubtful' use of one's money to buy a daily newspaper what about having a TV? If it is a doubtful use of one's time to watch a football game what about participation in sport? The last thing I want to do is to become a prisoner to a cold form of ascetic holiness that has nothing whatsoever to do with God.

As we were talking the Lord said "why not focus on the things you know are wrong – start there!" This very obvious statement struck me like some esoteric revelation from on high.

How many of us struggle with God over whether we should or shouldn't take caffeine yet give into lust? How many of us avoid eating meat but indulge in gossip? The enemy loves to distract us with the minutiae of our faith in order that we never deal with the more obvious and pressing aspects of spiritual obedience.

In Isaiah 1:16-17 we read:

¹⁶ wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

¹⁷ learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

It seems to me that the emphasis here is absolutely right – 'stop doing wrong' – this is something we can do right away, we know what things are wrong, there is no debate that needs to be had here! Then, 'learn to do right', the doubtful things will be revealed to us with absolute clarity as we, through grace, live in the love of God. In addition, our lives will become concerned with social justice, for there is no holiness without a concern for social justice.

Today's scripture readings:

1 Chronicles 16:37 – 18:17

Is there a link between verse 18:6 and 18:11? I think so.

"The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went." (v6) "King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations." (v11)

Psalm 91:1-8

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

"²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."" (1:27-31)

"²For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. ⁴My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, ⁵so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (2:2-5)

Grace and peace, A

Goals, gongs and scriptural paradoxes.

Yesterday I was listening to a news report about the 2012 Olympics in London. The reporter was explaining how the athletes, as part of their training, set personal targets and log their performance on a daily basis. If they fail to meet a target one day then they try and compensate the next. These targets don't just relate to physical activity but include things like diet, meditation, rest and sleep. Every evening they analyse and record their physical, emotional and mental state and any weak areas identified are targeted with new aims and objectives. In addition they use this intense introspection to identify areas of compromise where potential distractions might be taking their focus away from that illusive gold medal.

The report brought to mind two passages of scripture:

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

And:

Hebrews 12:1-2

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."

What do I want out of life? I want to be holy. I want to be a successful soul winner. I want to live in the love of God. I want to abide in Christ. I want my life to be nothing other than a perfect reflection of Christ. I want to be a champion of social justice. I want to be a prophetic voice to The Salvation Army. I want to be a mighty warrior... and so I could go on.

All of these objectives are far more worthy than that of becoming an Olympic champion. Yet how does my regime compare to that of an athlete? Is my diet, sleep pattern, training schedule etc as focussed as theirs?

If I ever met an Olympic athlete I would undoubtedly recognise them by their visible commitment to their goal. That commitment would affect their whole life, the time they went to bed and got up, the food they ate and the amount of leisure time they had – all of these things would be impacted by their Olympic dream.

What about my dream, what about the Kingdom of God? Isn't that worth as much as a Gold medal?

Today's Scripture Readings:

1 Chronicles 9:1-10:13

David's mighty men – imagine being listed in the bible as a 'mighty man'! I don't know who these men were or what they did – but here are their names, preserved for all time in the eternal word of God.

Lord, may I, through your grace, find my name so listed when I stand before you in your kingdom. Amen!

Proverbs 18:17-19:2

"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way." (19:2)

This September I am starting an MA in theology – those who know me may well be surprised as I have always been something of an anti-academic! I'd much rather be surrounded by ignorant practitioners than knowledgeable theoreticians. However, people seem more likely to listen to you when you have a few letters after your name and so at the Army's behest I've agreed to undertake this study. This will be in addition to my role as a Corps Officer - if I'm honest, (and where can I be honest if not in my journal?) I'm quite looking forward to it J

Romans 14

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (v17)

"Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (v23)

To me these two verses present something of an internal contradiction. This is something I will have to continue to battle with. I will either have to find 'righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit' in some parts of my life or I will have to surrender them. There is no room in my life for doubtful things. I think the key is found at the end of verse 17 "in the Holy Spirit" – our standards of behaviour and chosen lifestyle have to be determined here – in the centre of God's love. Holiness is the outcome of my relationship with God as well as the basis for it.

Grace and peace

A

Gentle exchange

I had a dream last night in which God asked me to surrender some recently acquired habits – to some people these things would be perfectly acceptable pastimes – but God could see that they had the potential to shift my focus and take my eyes of Jesus. Anyway, it's not these activities that I want to discuss but the manner in which the request was made. Jesus didn't demand but asked me to surrender in the most gentle and disarming way. There was no struggle here – he could have asked for anything and I would have given it. The exchange was one of absolute love. I have never had such a gentle nor as effective an interaction with Christ. Needless to say that, through his grace, I have gladly complied with his request. It is a truly wonderful thing to be loved by Christ!

Grace and peace, A

Today's bible readings:

1 Chronicles 4:9-5:26

Proverbs 18:6-16

My mouth has always been one of my greatest strengths and one of my worst weaknesses. I am an impulsive (and compulsive) speaker! A friend of mine once said to me 'Andre your mind is like diamonds in mud, we all hang around and listen because every now and again a diamond falls out but most of the time all we get is mud!'

I want to introduce some quality control into my talking!

Today's reading from Proverbs chapter 18 mentions the mouth three times:

⁷ A fool's mouth is his undoing,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to a man's inmost parts.

¹³ He who answers before listening—
that is his folly and his shame.

I have been guilty of all three of these things: speaking foolishly, gossiping and answering before listening (indeed even before the other person has finished speaking!)

"Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

Romans 11:5-11:32

Teach me how to love thee

The more I study holiness the more I realise it is about love more than everything else!

It will undoubtedly involve self sacrifice and obedience but they must be responses to God's love.

We have to be 'in Christ' to be effective.

I struggle with this. I know how to pray for people and situations and my prayers are answered but I'm not sure I'm that good at just being 'still' and knowing that God is all that he says he is.

"Teach me how to love thee, teach me how to pray..."

Today's bible readings: I'm a busy person, definitely a Martha rather than a Mary! In recent months I have become painfully aware that the only thing that really matters in life is to regularly spend time in the 'presence and power' of God.

Lord, teach me how to handle silence and inactivity, teach me how to pray, 'teach me how to love thee... better day by day'

Larnelle Harris sums it up well when he says...

"I miss my time with you,
those moments together.
I need to be with you each day
and it hurts me when you say
you're too busy,
busy trying to serve me
but how can you serve me
when your spirit's empty?
There's a longing in my heart
wanting more than just a part of you.
It's true; I miss my time with you

What do I have to offer?
How can I truly care?
My efforts have no meaning
when your presence isn't there.
But you will provide the power
If I take time to pray..."

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:7

When Paul said to Timothy that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" he hadn't recently read the first few chapters of 1 Chronicles. My bible reading plan takes me through scripture once a year and I have to confess that the last two day's OT passages have left me cold!

Psalm 89:19-29

David's understanding of God was almost Christian in its familiarity and intimacy 'He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Saviour.'(v26)

Romans 10:1-11:10

"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Verses 9-13)

Where would we be without Paul – if you could only have access to one book in the bible which would it be? For me it would be a difficult choice between Romans and 1 John!

Grace and peace, A

Families and fundamental things!

Yesterday sounded a severe warning!

We had a great family day – went out shopping, had a lovely meal at a Garden centre, laid turf in the backyard, planted flowers and even rounded off the day playing Monopoly!

However, when I got up in the morning I got straight into the day without sitting down with the Lord, praying, reading his word and listening to him. I always intended to but just didn't get around to it! This will have given the enemy an opportunity to undermine my relationship with the 'life-giver', would have weakened me, made me less effective and (if I allow the practice to continue) set me up for a fall.

I am a 'morning person', I like to get up when the sun does and most days God wakes me long before the rest of the family have even thought about getting up. This gives me the opportunity and time to make my devotions the first thing I do in the morning! Thank you Lord for pointing this out, I pray that you will keep me ever alert to the gradual influence of the enemy and keep my eyes focussed on you.

Today's bible readings: 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:55,

Psalm 89:14-18

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." (v14)

Holiness and social justice are inextricably linked, to try and maintain one without the other is impossible!

Romans 9:22-10:4

"What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (9:30-33)

Holiness is not about what I do or sacrifice it is about love, it is about my relationship with God. Of course holiness will include self-denial but such acts of sacrifice must always be a response to God's love and not done out of a sense of cold duty! If I give up coffee because God asks me to and I want to please him – Hallelujah! If I give up coffee because I think that such a sacrifice will in some way or other save me from the enemy – ouch!

There is a magic formula for victory and it is called grace – it comes through prayer, bible study, and fellowship with other Christians – it comes through abiding in Christ. There is no other way to enjoy a 'career of uninterrupted victory over sin' than to 'maintain contact with the life giver' – Amen!

Grace and peace, A

Free Taster 3...

"Although revivals ultimately end in the conversion of people opposed to Christianity, they always begin inside the Church. When William Booth boldly declared 'send the fire' in his stirring hymn, he cried to God 'Look down and see this waiting host, give us the promised Holy Ghost, we need another Pentecost!' As we seek another Pentecost we might be encouraged to recall that the first one happened in a meeting attended by a group of fearful, sinful, doubting men and women prone to denial, failure and fear. The weaknesses swept aside by Pentecost were personal to each individual disciple. Pentecost didn't demolish the temple, or wipe out the Pharisees or edit the law – it dealt with the individual. Revival will always be the revival of the individual – the more individuals that are revived, the fiercer the flames of revival will burn.

It is no wonder then, that in spite of their many inquiries, the collective denominations that make up the Christian church have been unable to write a strategy for recovery, for the problem lies not in the fabric or the methodology of the church but in the heart of individual believers. Indeed, God can only revive congregations one soul at a time and he does that through holiness.

When Christ speaks about the Church, he uses the metaphor of a body. It is the nature of cells, whether they be healthy or cancerous, to reproduce. Decline will either continue or be reversed according to the health of individual cells. There is nothing wrong with the head or the heart of the church, it is the unhealthy cells that make up the body, through which the head and heart try to operate, that bring about failure."

Grace and peace, A

Free taster 2...

"When contemporary Christians consider the role of the Holy Spirit the emphasis is often based on what he can do for us rather than on what he can do through us. Too often the Holy Spirit is seen as nothing more than a "blessing factory", as a result the connection between the ministry of the Holy Spirit and personal purity is often missed. Of course the Holy Spirit is about blessing - of that there is no doubt - but his main function is to educate and to empower. The gifts we receive from the Spirit are functional not self indulgent, they are given for "the strengthening of the church" (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Whilst the most intense, personal and passionate moments of the Christian life may well be spent relaxing in the embrace of the "comforter", the purpose of such intimacy goes well beyond our own happiness. Love remains the most powerful motive that God has at his disposal and it is not given to us so that we might indulge ourselves in isolation from the lost. Christ's love is always given to us to inspire obedience, in fact if we fail to obey – or at least fail to sense within ourselves the desire to obey – then according to Jesus it never was his love we experienced in the first place."

Grace and peace, A

A free taster...

I'm working on a book on holiness which I'm determined to finish before the end of the year.

For those who are interested here's a free taster from chapter 1:

"The writer to the Hebrews encourages the early Christians to 'make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be Holy...' for 'without holiness no one will see the Lord' (Hebrews 12:14) When individual Christians in a congregation experience holiness collectively, then Christ becomes visible in everything they do. In a 'holy' church, society will see Christ fighting against social injustice, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, setting the enslaved free and performing all kinds of miracles. In a church like this, Christ will be seen at the local council meeting opposing harmful developments and defending the cause of the vulnerable. He will be seen standing up against politicians and projects that seek to take advantage of the weak. In a church like this, Christ will be seen freely associating with sinners and outcasts, living with and loving those on the very edge of society. In a church like this, Christ will be seen, whip in hand, cleansing the temple and re-establishing the fundamental principles of righteousness.

Holiness can do all of this because it fills the individual believer with a perfect love for God and their neighbour and gives them that all important ability to 'stop doing wrong' and obey. Indeed; unless such deliverance takes place in our hearts, we will remain ineffective and unfruitful because our refusal to consecrate ourselves leaves us 'liable to destruction'.

Understanding the function of holiness brings us to the heart of our problem and its solution. Within the contemporary church, certainly in the developed world, there is a distinct lack of expectancy. Although we read about God's power operating in the past, we don't expect that same power to be evident in our churches today. When the unconverted cross our thresholds - especially if the baggage they bring with them is bulky - we don't expect to see instant transformation. Our first thought when an addict knocks on our door is to try and meet their material needs; food, clothing, a sleeping bag or maybe even a train ticket to another town or city – the last thing we offer (if it is offered at all) is Salvation.

Back in September 2007 'The Salvationist' in the UK carried the testimony of a man who said "I could have been in The Salvation Army 10 years ago , but each time I came they gave me food when what I really needed was Christ!"

Why is there this reluctance to offer the bound freedom, the blind, sight, the hungry satisfaction and the sinner forgiveness? Is it because we don't kreally now the power of full salvation for ourselves? Are we all too often bound, blind, unfulfilled and enslaved by habitual sin ourselves? If God hasn't done it for us how can we possibly expect him to do it for other people? The reality is that we can only share the truth if we have personally experienced the comprehensive liberty it promises. Ruth Tracy puts it succinctly when she says:

Only as I truly know thee
Can I make thee truly known;
Only bring the power to others
Which in my own life is shown. (SASB 435)

It is not our theoretical knowledge of holiness or our familiarity with miracles worked in the lives of others or our appreciation of church history that empowers us – we can only ever overcome through the 'blood of the lamb' and the power of our own personal 'testimony'.(Revelation 12:11)"

Grace and peace, A

The war of holiness

Why is it that the most obvious things always seem to take the longest to sink in?

The war of holiness is not won or lost on the battlefield of temptation, indeed defeat or victory is determined long before we reach the moment of demonic persuasion!

Sincere and well meaning Christians do not want to sin even though they do on a daily basis. The deliberate act of disobedience isn't in the sin itself but in the refusal to obey the unequivocal call to consecration that rings in the heart of every true believer. God demands certain things from us – what he demands of you may be different to what he demands of me but don't be deceived he makes demands! Usually these demands are small – almost trifling – 'spend less time playing silly games on Facebook', 'watch less TV', 'cancel your subscription to cable TV', 'don't watch sport on a Sunday' – whatever his demands may be we will know for however we try and distract ourselves these demands will track us and hunt us down and corner us and will not let us go until we either refuse them or yield.

It is here in our own personal Gethsemane that holiness will happen or stall, it is here that our future effectiveness and fruitfulness will be decided. If we are foolish enough to try and hide these 'devoted things' among our 'own possessions' then whatever we do, however hard we try, no matter how intense our prayer or sacrificial our fasting we will fail for we will have been 'made liable to destruction'.

The following quote from John Piper was sent to me by Willis Howell:

"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of the triviality we drink in every night.... And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable."

Or as God himself puts it in Joshua 7 Salvationists have...

"sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why they cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction."Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it."

God demands all; if we try and give him less than he demands then we will give him nothing.

If we can hear God's clear call to consecration then we must stop what we are doing, drop everything and pay attention for until we respond positively we will endure a life of constant defeat, unvarying vacillation, careless compromise and ineffective spiritual lethargy. The nagging and persistent call that constantly harries us at every turn is not our imagination but it is the voice of God. Let us have the knowledge that recognises who is speaking to us, the wisdom to understand his demands and the courage to surrender! If we settle this question we settle them all!

"Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' "So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle."

Father let the Salvation Army be filled with Samuels!

Grace and peace, A

All or nothing!

I am now more convinced than ever that holiness must encompass all. There is within The (western) Salvation Army a compromised holiness that might appear slightly better than rampant worldliness but is actually an impertinent insult to God and his purity.

It might seem that going to band practice, not cursing, being a good employee, saying please and thank you, not falling out with other soldiers, attending bible study and tithing makes us better than the 'miserable sinners' around us but when we place such a belief in its true global context it looks as paltry as it actually is! Still, at least this kind of holiness allows me to 'set apart' money for the cable company each week so that I can watch sport on a Sunday.

According to a UN agency report published on Tuesday almost 1 billion people in the world are going hungry each day after the rising food costs have pushed 40 million more people into chronic hunger this year – every tear from a hungry child falls on the heart of God like acid on an open wound.

The western governments' goal of halving the number of hungry people by 2015 has suffered a "serious setback" as the current financial crisis has pushed more people, particularly in the developing world, toward hunger.

"For many countries, the world goal of reducing hunger by half is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve," Food and Agriculture Organisation Director-General Jacques Diouf said, referring to one of the Millennium Development Goals set in 2000. "This sad reality should not be acceptable at the dawn of the 21st century," he said, unveiling the Rome-based agency's annual report on world food insecurity. He added: "Even the objective of cutting by half the number of hungry by 2015 is morally unacceptable."

Is Jacques Diouf a Christian? I don't know – he's certainly not a Salvationist yet even he can see that even the objective of halving the number of hungry people in our world is 'morally unacceptable'.

Holiness, proper 'social holiness' (the only kind there is according to Wesley) puts everything (that's EVERYTHING) it has at God's disposal and says, Lord, take this and use it to feed the hungry, heal the sick, free the captives and preach the good news about Jesus.

Anything else – even if it looks good – is a lie and is gently lulling us into an uncertain eternity!

Grace and peace, A

Holiness – putting pen to paper...

I'm currently working on two projects.

The first is contemporising the text of George Scott Railton's 'Heathen England' (An eye witness account of the birth of TSA first published in 1877). I'm hoping that the amended text might be suitable for publication. It is amazing just how much of what GSR reports is relevant to today - people say that the world has changed but in truth it hasn't. A walk down Dartford High Street on Market day presents to the eye a scene that would have been recognised by GSR. Perhaps the Gin Palaces have been replaced with 'greasy spoon' cafes and amusement arcades but the place is essentially as it was 100 years ago (right down to the modern equivalent of the Pawn Shop!)

The second is a book on holiness. To say that the latter is a work in progress is an understatement. I first began to write it 15 years ago when I got saved. Since then I have chopped, changed and cut and pasted the text over and over again. Part of the delay has been caused by an uncertainty within about what holiness actually is. I've always been familiar with what Wesley, Palmer, Finney, Booth and Brengle believed it to be but it is only recently that I have fully accepted that what they taught is as true and as relevant today as it ever was.

However, we dress it up holiness is about conviction, renunciation, consecration, faith and obedience!

Today as I was about to wade into chapter 5 of 'Heathen England' I felt the spirit of God stop me in my tracks with the command that I should put Railton to one side and complete my 'work in progress'.

What we need is clear and concise teaching on holiness for (and I passionately believe this) it is a rediscovery of personal holiness that is key to revival.

So if you have any great quotes on holiness please email them to me at ajbale61@googlemail.com

Grace and peace, A

Mrs Booth on the Army's success...

Following on from my recent posts on holiness.

I recently came across this quote from Mrs Booth:

“God has blessed The Salvation Army because it has been wholehearted in its
devotion to Him and His service. If every one of you will be true to the
principles of The Salvation Army, and everywhere put the interests of God's
kingdom first, He will help you and strengthen you and uphold you and provide
for you and will use you for the propagation of His kingdom in the world... the
secret of success is in all being true to God.” (She was speaking on July 3rd
1882 at a series of meetings held to celebrate the 17th anniversary of The
Salvation Army).

It should be noted that in the period 1881-1883 The Salvation Army had quadrupled in size going from 172 Corps and 363 Officers in the UK to 528 Corps and 1,340 Officers in the UK and 106 Corps and 201 Officers abroad!

I have struggled to identify the difference between then and now and have (after careful consideration) dismissed all of the contemporary views such as: the world was a different place then, people were generally more religious, they weren't real converts but transfers from other churches etc. Upon careful examination none of these explanations stack up.

In addition some of the conversions were extraordinary such as that of Charles Jeffries who was the second in command of the 'Unconverted Salvation Army' one of the many skeleton armies which sprang up to oppose the early Salvationists. They operated in Bethnal Green with uniforms and flags under their motto 'Be just and fear not!' they carried out organised mock open-airs wherever the local Corps went. Jeffries got converted and went on to be a Commissioner in The Salvation Army.

I have come to the conclusion that the only real difference between then and now is the commitment of Officers and Soldiers. In 1881 holiness was an uncompromising devotion of everything whereas today, if it exists at all, it is a slow and gradual progression through various tiers of nominal Christianity that never expects to reach its goal, which is (apparently) likeness to Christ.

Take the example quoted above, the conversion of Charles Jeffries. Several young recruits of the Whitechapel Corps were so concerned about the spiritual state of Jeffries that after the Saturday watchnight service they stayed on and prayed for his conversion until the dawn. Then they prayed for him again at the Sunday evening service when Jeffries got saved.

Watchnight services came out of the Methodist tradition usually began at 8:30 and went on until midnight. The service consisted of a short suitable sermon, and the rest of the time was taken up with alternate singing and prayer. No doubt on both of these days there would have already been several open-air services and at least two other indoor meetings. Of course they weren't all attended by the same people. However the fact that the crew was willing to change watch meant that the lifeboat continued to patrol the waters without ever needing to stop!

I have been castigated by Officers in the UK who refuse to accept the statement that our devotion to duty and commitment lacks the passion and zeal of our forbears but that is a fact – even if it is unpalatable.

Our predilection for worldly entertainment and our lukewarm attempts at holiness set us poles apart from those early pioneers. We need to go back to our roots, switch of our TVs, turn our back on the movies, put down our books and newspapers and devote all we have to God.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

“LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known...” (Habkkuk 3:2)

"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." (Joshua 3:5)

Come on let's do it!

Grace and peace, A

Jack and others...

Someone called 'Jack' in comments on my previous blog raises concerns about holiness. It is imperative holiness is properly understood so I've decided to make 'Jacks' comments and my responses a new post.

Jack says:

"The main problem I see with the concept of holiness is that the definition of what is 'sin' will differ from person to person... What you believe to be sin and what the person next to you believes is a sin may be quite different, yet you may both consider yourself to be holy. If it is only your own opinion or what you believe has been revealed to you, does it really have any credibility...?"

The bible and the Spirit working in conjunction identify sin. When they identify sin it must be given up. Holiness will look different on other people because of the degree of revelation but if there is doubt then the grey areas have to be given up as well.

We mustn't forget consecration – holiness is all about consecration and the grace which makes it possible. We need to focus on what we surrender to God rather than on the things we give up - if everything I have is given to God then it will be impossible for me to sin (unless I take something back) to sin requires resources (time, money etc) if all of this belongs to God how am I going to sin?

Jack says:

"So do I understand you correctly... in accordance with your holiness manifesto, drinking anything other than water is for you a sin?"

No not at all. Sometimes it will be impossible to only drink water on other occasions – times of legitimate celebration - it might be OK for the water to be turned into wine (metaphorically speaking!) For me the decision to only drink water has more to do with social justice than holiness (although the two are inextricably linked) the promise to drink only water is a reminder that some go thirsty and a reminder to do something about it.

Jack says:

"So you have set your own definitions for sin and holiness, which will no doubt differ from the definitions of others. You mention the bible as helping to identify sin - who decides what keeping the Sabbath holy means? This is why I still cannot see 'holiness' as being anything other than each individual's perception of themselves - you may think you are holy by your definitions, I may disagree with you. So if you think you are 'holy' but others don't, then what's the point?"

A condition of holiness (indeed a condition of salvation) is obedience. If God directs us via conscience, scripture or experience to surrender something which others see as legitimate the issue of obedience is with me not them. If God (to use your illustration of the Sabbath) tells me not to watch football on a Sunday then the command is for me. If others choose to do what God has asked me not to do that doesn't make them sinful nor does it nullify my obedience.

St Francis of Assisi had no possessions, no home and no money. He wore one simple robe and lived on charity. However, if others didn't have the freedom to work and earn money they could not have supplied the 'alms' that Francis depended upon. George Scott Railton was often referred to as a Salvationist Francis of Assisi; however without the wealth of people like Edward Rabbits and Henry Reed the Salvation Army would never have been born. Holiness is about being obedient to what God is telling me and not about worrying about what he is saying to other people. Holiness isn't about comparing me to others it is about allowing the Spirit to create for me my own unique pattern of faith and practice and then living according to it.

My holiness manifesto is what I believe God is demanding of me, if it challenges others to follow suit that's great (as long as the inspiration to follow comes from God). If it doesn't that's fine too.

I can't tell other people what to give up or what to consecrate but what I can do (and will do) is encourage others to give up everything that is sinful and doubtful and consecrate their all to God. What I can and will do is point them to the command to "love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul and body." It is then up to them to work out the detail 'with fear and trembling'.

What must one give up? Everything that is sinful and doubtful.

What must one consecrate? Everything they have.

Time, health and talents presenting,
All that I have shall be thine;
Heart mind and will consecrating,
No longer shall they be mine.

Take thou my life, Lord,
In deep submission I pray,
My all to thee dedicating,
Accept my offering today.
Take thou my life, Lord, I pray;
My all to thee dedicating,
Accept my offering today."

Brindley Boon)

Grace and peace, A

Happy Birthday Church!

What a fantastic Pentecost!

I woke up this morning with the refrain running through my head "somebody prayed for me" and I really sensed that someone somewhere around the world was doing just that – praying for me! The thought absolutely blew me away – someone, somewhere was going to the throne of grace and asking God to give me power! Thank you Jesus for intercession!

Then this morning I preached on the word 'one' – the disciples were of one mind in one place with one vision and objective. Yet in spite of their unity and their singularity of thought they were still one big mess of weakness, fear, doubt and self loathing. However it is in 'the moment of my weakness when my need for power is great... that the Holy Spirit hears my prayer!" Hallelujah. God visited us with power, there were four seekers and the Mercy Seat was bathed in tears of repentance and consecration.

Then tonight we went to the enrolment of Brother Kyle (he's the guy in the picture). Kyle's a new convert who came to Christ simply because his RE teacher invited him to the Army. Kyle, in his testimony, gave us a brilliant definition of holiness (especially from the lips of a babe in Christ) when he said he didn't just want to come to God during the high times or even just in the low times but that he wanted to give God all the stuff in between – fantastic!

It made me think of the Message's rendition of Romans 12:

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him."

Kyle has God's anointing all over him and I'm certain one day he will have red epaulettes on that brand new uniform of his.

Again God came with power and the Mercy Seat was lined with seekers (I lost count!) Among the seekers was a College friend of Kyle's she got saved tonight after she'd been fished by Xander! Praise God!

Brothers and Sisters God is moving, fasten your seatbelts revival is brewing in the west.

Grace and Peace, A

P.S. When the meeting concluded the soldiers brought out coffee, tea and Krispy Kreme Donuts :-)

Holiness and justice...

I've been reading Strickland and Robert's 'Just Imagine' it's a challenging read and one I would heartily recommend. Those of us who are Salvationists in the overweight West need to read a book like this at least once a month. The last time I felt a book shake me up like this was when I read 'Be a hero' by Court and Campbell.

The biggest risk we run in the west is that Satan will lull us into becoming complacent, apathetic and lazy - people who have become deliberately blind and deaf to the truth. Although somewhere in the back of our minds and at the bottom of our hearts we will be aware that things like hunger, poverty and injustice run rife they'll be buried between so much obsolete evangelical ephemera we won't hear the cries or see the tears of those we're called to redeem.

The thing that hit me today as I was reading was the link between justice and holiness. Sometimes God gives me an order and I see it as a call to righteousness. For example 'don't drink coffee' - because the command is seen as a holiness issue my conscience spends years debating the reasonableness of the request as I question whether it actually came from God in the first place or from that streak of ascetic self harm which runs through many primitive Salvationists!

Today the penny dropped as I realised that sometimes the command to alter our lifestyle is actually a call not to righteousness but to justice – the command isn't 'don't drink coffee because drinking coffee is a waste of money and worldly' the command is actually 'don't drink coffee because most coffee is harvested by slaves!' Strickland and Robert's make the point that in scripture the word justice and righteousness are often synonymous.

So I think I'll have to revisit that list of outstanding commands I have in my internal spiritual pending tray and instead of assessing them on the basis of their 'reasonableness' look to see if there is actually a link to justice.

As I type another example immediately springs to mind – is it unreasonable to give up watching football? Probably, at the end of the day we have to be 'in the world but not of it' and the last thing God wants us to become is miserable, self-righteous, kill-joys.

But then looking at the matter from a social justice perspective – how many teams are sponsored by breweries or casinos? How much money is gambled on football every week? How many wives and children are at this very moment suffering because the man of the house has gambled this week's house-keeping on the outcome of some fierce relegation battle? During the last World Cup Germany actually erected hundreds of 'legal' brothels close to football grounds in order to service the demands of men attending games. How many of the prostituted people who 'worked' in these brothels were trafficked or forced into such service against their will?

Holiness is much more than just an issue of self denial, indeed it is more than just a commitment to a simple lifestyle it is about living a life where my impact on the misery of others is minimised to the greatest extent possible. It's a life where the clothes I wear, the food I eat, the way (and distance) I travel, the place I bank, the shoes I wear, the hot drinks I consume are only enjoyed where that enjoyment is not funded by someone else's misery.

Righteousness and justice are the hallmarks of genuine holiness and without genuine holiness 'none shall see the Lord!'

The Saviour of men came to seek and to save
The souls who were lost to the good;
His Spirit was moved for the world which he loved
With the boundless compassion of God.
And still there are fields where the labourers are few,
And still there are souls without bread,
And still eyes that weep where the darkness is deep,
And still straying sheep to be led.

Except I am moved with compassion,
How dwelleth thy Spirit in me?
In word and in deed burning love is my need,
I know I can find this in thee.

Orsborn (SASB527)

Grace and peace, A