The smallest of beginnings…

I've decided to read through the official history of The Salvation Army again, I'd forgotten how gripping these books actually are.

The following quote is just crying out to be blogged!

Written by William Booth in 1865 round about the time he had just agreed to preach in the tent meetings in Whitechapel:

"We have no very definite plans. We shall be guided by the Holy Spirit. At present, we desire to be able to hold consecutive services for the purpose of bringing souls to Christ in different localities of the East of London every night all the year round. We propose holding these meetings in halls, theatres, chapels, tents, the open-air and elsewhere as the way may be opened or we seem likely to attain the end we have in view. We purpose to watch over and visit personally those brought to Christ, either guiding them to communion with adjacent and sympathetic churches or ourselves nursing them and training them to active labour."

A couple of weeks before he wrote this William was about to leave London for an evangelistic tour of Derby. Had he gone to Derby then the Army may never have come into being. However, that's not the point I want to make.

Look at Booth's vision – what was it that he was hoping to do? He was going to preach to the lost in the east end of London, disciple them, link them up with local churches and possibly employ them as evangelists, that was it – yet look at what grew out of that simple plan.

In truth, he had no plan, no vision, and no hope beyond a humble attempt to meet the demands of the 'great commission'.

As I return to active service tomorrow (following a public holiday) I don't have to come up with a strategy or a mission development plan all I need to do is to "be guided by the Holy Spirit… hold consecutive services for the purpose of bringing souls to Christ…in halls, theatres, chapels, tents, the open-air and elsewhere as the way may be opened … watch over and visit personally those brought to Christ… training them to active labour." If I do that and encourage my people to do the same then within 2 decades Dartford Corps ought to be opening up its first overseas outpost!

Grace and peace, A

Derelict, defunct or just undevoted?

Most Christians don’t win. They might win occasionally but they don’t win consistently on a daily basis. In spite of a plethora of scriptural promises that ought to ensure that we are ‘more than conquerors’ we continue to experience the occasional lapse (some more than others).

This tendency towards ongoing defeat is true both on a personal basis and also on a corporate basis. Our Corps do not win battles consistently – we win the occasional skirmish – a soul here and a soul there – but as for revival…

The Salvation Army, together with the wider Church, is also prone to defeat, in fact as I consider the performance of individual Christians, Corps and Denominations the phrase ‘could do better’ seems like a massive understatement – at least it does if you make Acts 2 your benchmark.

A quick review of our personal and corporate performance as believers calls to mind the following words…

“We have not served Thee as we ought,
alas, the duties left undone,
the work with little fervor wrought,
the battles lost or scarcely won!”

This lack luster performance bothers me – in my own life it terrifies me. I have enough knowledge of revival and holiness to know that something is seriously out of kilter.

Why are we so familiar, both personally and corporately, with (at best) half hearted victory and (at worst) defeat? Why is it that we seem to have “been made liable to destruction”

In Joshua 7 we see a contest that ought to have been no contest. We see an Army of superior skill, experience and numbers defeated by a substantially inferior enemy. Had this been a game of football the Israelites would have been odds on to win (that is if you could have found a bookie that hadn’t closed his book). Yet the Israelites lost because they had “been made liable to destruction”. If God has made you “liable to destruction” then you are destined to defeat no matter how much the odds appear to be stacked in your favour.

I believe that the Israelites in Joshua 7 are a metaphor for the contemporary western Salvation Army and Achan is symbolic of many contemporary (western) Salvationists. We have “taken some of the devoted things; (we) have stolen, (we) have lied, (we) have put them with (our) own possessions. That is why (we) cannot stand against (our) enemies; (we) turn (our) backs and run because (we) have been made liable to destruction.” Consequently, God “will not be with (us) anymore unless (we) destroy whatever among (us) is devoted to destruction.”

The early Salvationists were very quick to point out that holiness was the secret to their success; they credited holiness as the source of their consistent victory.

Holiness requires a complete surrender of all we have to God. Those things which God has “devoted to destruction” we must give up – that means everything that is sinful and everything that is doubtful. Secondly, we must surrender all that is left to God. This means all our time, talents, money, passion, influence – even our families and personal relationships – everything we have must be fed into our love for God. We must ‘Love the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength” and the reality of our absolute commitment must be evident to “our children” we must “talk about it when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up.” They must see, our brothers and sisters in Christ must see and the lost must see that Jesus is not only first and last in our lives but also everything in between.

We must respond to the words of Paul, so ably paraphrased in ‘The Message’…

“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.”

I have come to the realisation slowly and painfully that have (individually and collectively) been made ‘liable to destruction’. God will not give us victory until we have dealt with the consecrated things we have hidden away in our everyday lives. Perhaps, if you belong to a church other than the Salvation Army, you might need to prayerfully debate what those things are, however if you’re a Salvationist (especially if you’re an Officer) there is no need for a debate for our covenant demands an absolute surrender.

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.

O hear, thou God of Heaven,
the vows that now I make!
to thee my life is given,
'tis for the lost world's sake.
to serve thee I am ready,
though friends and foes despise,
I now present my body
a living sacrifice.

I want this experience for myself, I fed up with occasional failure, fed up with a hit and miss Christianity that sometimes wins but too often loses.

There is obviously no other way to secure victory than to give God everything - so by his grace that is what I am going to do – no – that is what I am doing from this moment on. I give everything to God. I refuse to be held back any longer by those who say that such a commitment is unreasonable, old fashioned or no longer required. I want to see revival (both in me and around me) I want to see Dartford on fire, I want to see my Corps explode like a scatter bomb of fruitful evangelism – not only successful where it is but also planting cells and outposts in other places too!

I want this, God wants this and he has promised that I will be ‘more than conqueror’ – if I pay the price.

By his grace I will – God help me!

Hallelujah!

"We are an Army mobilised by God!"

I recently read a really exciting account of churches working together, people getting saved, wonderful scenes of divine refreshing. However, this comment, posted by a Salvation Army Officer, had a sting in the tail. The last sentence contained the following comment "uniform is almost a thing of the past" .

On Thursday, whilst collecting in the High Street in Dartford, I had conversations with 5 drunks (all positive - though one began quite aggressively). One lady with mental health problems (who I had helped previously in the week) stood with me for 5 minutes and sang the praises of The Salvation Army. My uniform makes me visible, vulnerable and always available. I also had a conversation with a fellow minister from 'Churches together' who was out shopping; I doubt he was accosted by any drunks?

I love wearing my uniform and I am hardly ever out of it (even on those rare occasions when I limit it to a t-shirt with a red shield on it.) When I am out and about in my parish I want everyone to know who I am and what I stand for. When I pick my daughter up from school parents approach me for advice and help. The other day a man collecting trolleys in a supermarket asked me about TSA and we ended up talking about Jesus and Salvation.

People who would quickly forget me walking past their shop remember the uniform. Some people may mistake me for a traffic warden or a security guard but at least I look different and stand out. Whatever people associate the uniform with anywhere else in the country - in Dartford it is associated with practical love, evangelism and social justice. I sometimes wonder why we as an Army are so quick to surrender what other churches would quickly take up if given the chance – we have a traditional right to carry out loud and intrusive street evangelism, we are welcome in pubs and clubs with Christian tracts, we are free from the restraints of rites and ceremonies, we have a recognisable uniform.

I am all for ecumenism and I would be equally happy to be the Officer at a Salvation Army Church as I am to be an Officer at a Salvation Army Corps but please, please, please let’s not lose The Salvation Army bit. I’m happy to be a Christian, I’m blessed to belong to the body of Christ, I'm overwheled by the generosity of salvation, but I am so glad that God called to me to serve as a covenanted Officer in The Salvation Army rather than a pastor in 'Pioneer', ‘Icthus’ or the ‘New Frontiers’ (great though those churches are). Being a Salvationist for me is the icing on the cake!

We don’t need another 'Pioneer', ‘New Frontiers’ or ‘Icthus’ because we already have those effective and growing community churches within the body - but we do need a Salvation Army! We have a denominational witness to deliver to the rest of the body, we have a prophetic role to play. Let's give all we possibly can to the body and take all we need but not at the cost of diluting our own God ordained brand. Let's not forget our accountability.

Yours set apart, by Christ for the lost, in the Army

A

Ezekiel 36 & 37 - A word to the dry bones:

Ezekiel 36 & 37 - A word to the dry bones:

The following came to me during prayer a few months ago and has been simmering away until tonight when I made the decision to commit it to paper and publish it on the internet.

The Salvation Army in the western territories has through its conduct and actions soiled its own commission, the commission I gave it when I raised it up to save the world. This turning away from my mission has angered me and caused me to scatter their evangelical efforts and withhold revival. (36:17-18)

Once, the lost and marginalised were yours by right and winning converts was like shooting fish in a barrel. In spite of persecution, hardship and great personal cost my Army went out to those furthest from the reach of my kingdom. The lost have scorned my name and belittled me because of your double standards, compromise and hypocrisy.

So for the sake of my name – not yours – I am going to restore you. Once again the name Salvation Army and holiness will be synonymous. I will do this for my sake, for the sake of my holy name which you have belittled. Once again those on the very edge of society, the unloved and friendless will know that I am God – I will prove myself through you (even though you are not worthy of your calling). I have chosen you and once again your name will be associated with mine. (36:22-23)

I am going to set you apart once more, I will make you stand out from the crowd and lead you back to your original mission. I will baptise you with fire, I will thoroughly wash you until every stain is gone. I will destroy your idols. The things you believe make you respectable and worthy I will smash. I will restore your passion for the lost; I will give you a new heart. I will take away your cold unbelieving heart and give you a heart that desires to obey me. You will go back to your original calling, once more street evangelism, slum and gutter brigades, pub raids and prayer mats will be used to attack the kingdom of my enemies and you will win souls like the Christian Mission. You will be filled with pioneer enthusiasm for militant evangelism. You will be my soldiers and I will be your general. (36:24-29)

It is time to reap, open the doors of your citadels and come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves. No longer will you be despised and rejected, no longer will you be dismissed as an historic curio, you will win the lost and everyday I will add more to your ranks. You will go out into the streets and revival will rain down upon you, you will splash in puddles of revival like children playing in the rain. Yet the more I bless you the more you will repent. The more I use you the more ashamed you will become. If withholding my blessing forced you to your knees in repentance then my new Pentecost will provide the light required to see your sin in all its grotesque glory. You will be victorious but this new humility will allow all praise to pass to me. (36:30-32)

Once again your Corps will be so numerous you will run out of names for them! You will simply add numbers to the end of a city name as you did when you began. The urban areas will be your field and the wasteland and backstreet will be your vineyard. These dark corners will become like a new Eden. My kingdom will come to the cities, and the addicted and oppressed that I set free through you, will do my will! I have spoken and I will do it! Wash the streets, remove the burnt out vehicle, and prepare the way of the Lord. (36:33-36)

I will listen to the prayers of Salvationists once more; I will unblock my ears and focus my attention on them. I will swell their ranks and they will know that I am God. (36:37-38)

Salvation Army can you live, can I trust you once more with such a calling as this? You are so dry, look, walk up and down the aisles of your halls, and mingle midst your musicians and soldiers, look how dry you are – can you live again? Preach, prophesy, command yourselves in my name to stand up and fight again. I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. (37:1-6)
Then when you are ready I will send that other Pentecost of which you are always singing – I will breathe on you and you will feel my life in your bodies and you will stand once more – a vast Army! (37:7-10)

NO more pessimism, no more hopelessness, no more negative reflections, there is work to be done, there are battles to be fought, there is injustice to rectify, there are souls to be won. I will open up the graves of long dead pioneers and new Railtons, Tuckers, Cadmans, Evas and Kates will take up their crosses. Preach and prophesy and say to your soldiers: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my Salvation Army I am going to restore you and then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will take you back to the place where we first met and then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.(37:1-14)

God redeem, bless, set apart and use the Army!

A