Heathen England today!

I've been updating the language in GSR's 'Heathen England' (An eye witness account of the the birth of TSA was first published in 1877). I'm hoping that the ammended 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. I was walking down Dartford High Street on Market day and the scene would have been one GSR would have recognised. 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!)

Below is a taster from the updated 'Heathen England' taken from the opening of chapter 2.

"WHY AREN’T PEOPLE INTERESTED IN CHRISTIANITY?

Why is it that while so many churches are putting up new buildings, collecting more money, holding more services and social events (including special youth services) and thinking seriously about evangelism that the noticeable gap between Christians and ordinary people is still so great?

Part of the reason is that many Christians won’t admit (or can’t see) that there is a problem. Just stand and watch a large congregation leaving a popular Church on a Sunday evening. Watch the well dressed, comfortable, happy people. Look at their smiles as they say "Good evening" to each other. Their cheerful chatter sounds as happy as the whistling of the birds in the woods. They’ve had a great time — an inspiring sermon, a good crowd, powerful praise, perhaps they’ve even had a prayer meeting with seekers at the Mercy Seat.

Now look at the gang of youngsters who are walking by. Just a quick glance tells you they have had nothing to do with Jesus today. They are as smart as the others; but they are not the slightest bit interested in Christianity. Neither is that man with the cigarette[1] in his mouth, who guides his wife and child through the crowd of ex worshippers. He prefers to take his wife out somewhere else on a Sunday rather than go to church. The big rough men who follow him, angry at the people in their way, show their hatred of both Christians and the church in the way they swear and curse as they push their way through.

The pastor and his congregation, indeed everyone who has been in that church feels no discomfort at the thought of those who stayed outside. The simple truth is that such a thought never even crossed their mind.

[1] The original word here was ‘meerschaum’ which was a soft white mineral used for making pipes or cigarette holders."

love and prayers

A

Holiness testimonies please!

I recently bumped into an Officer who was a delegate at 'Brengle' (here in the UK) some time ago but was disappointed when the teachings of Brengle were dismissed early on in the proceedings due to the fact that 'no one today testified to holiness' (as understood by Brengle).

Once again biblical standards are brought down to our miserable levels of moral ineptitude and poor performance rather than held up as an attainable goal – so let me put my neck on the line and throw out a challenge at the same time!

I am fully saved by the blood and grace of Jesus. I am saved from sin and also from sinning. I can testify that everything I have and am is fully consecrated to God. I have (in line with God’s revelation) renounced all that is sinful in my life (and doubtful) and by God’s grace I do not deliberately break any known laws of God. By God’s grace I do not sin!

I still make mistakes, I still act impulsively and I am still sometimes a little immature (especially when I play with my two little girls!) I still have to go to Christ and seek his forgiveness when these human traits make my ministry less effective than it might be but by the grace of God I do not sin.

I am not under law but under grace, I am no longer a slave to sin but I am a ‘living sacrifice’ constantly and consistently set apart for God.

I believe that the rediscovery of personal holiness and its power to deliver us from sinning (as well as from sin) will prove to be the salvation of the Salvation Army.

What about you? – do you enjoy the blessing of a clean heart? Do you walk each moment by the saviour’s side? If so then please fulfil that last condition of holiness and testify (here in the 'comments' section of this blog) to God’s power to save completely!

“Lord, give me more soul-saving love,

Send a revival from above,

Thy mighty Spirit pour.

The Army of salvation bless

With righteousness and holiness,

Pressed down and running o'er.”

Hallelujah!

A

The wonder of it all

Although only back in Officership for a few months I am consistently amazed at how tasks, which in my previous incarnation, I would have seen as a duty or even a right are now seen as an immense privilege.

Yesterday I went to LSE Youth Councils and at the end of the day was asked by the DC to go forward and pray for some of those kneeling at the Mercy Seat. 25 years ago I would have approached such a request in the same way I would have approached any request associated with my ‘job’. However, yesterday I felt tremendously privileged and at the same time humbled by the enormity of what I was about to do. I prayed for Jason and Gordon (who they are and where they come from I’ll probably never know) but I do know that God moved in their hearts yesterday enough to motivate them to make it to the Mercy Seat. I also know that God will have heard theirs and my prayers and the dear, ever present Holy Spirit would have touched them.

It was also good to take 5 young people from Dartford who'd never been to such an event before (although I did feel a little bit sorry for John the only boy among the 5!)

What a wonderful honour and to think I get paid for this!

Hallelujah!

A

Promoted to Glory!

Colonel Bo Brekke.

Not murdered but

Promoted to Glory.

I think all death for a Salvationist, however it happens, is a 'promotion to glory' that is not to say that Bo's death was not a terrible sin but it is to say that for the Christian 'all things work together for good.' Whatever happens, no matter how deep the grief, no matter how wide the scars - in spite of everything - the Colonel, even in his death remained 'more than conqueror'.

However the Colonel's life ended he has gone straight to heaven!

The Colonel was martyred for the stand he took against corruption, Bo stood up against 'sin in the camp' when he suspended his alleged murderer and for that he was killed - I think that 'Promoted to Glory' is definitely a fitting comendation for a martyr.

A quote from an article 'We are the Poor' written by the Colonel, follows:

"The Salvation Army’s mission is to ‘event’ the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to make the message of Jesus real to people. That has to happen in the context in which people live their lives. Jesus always met people where they were. He never said to anyone, ‘Please change the circumstances of your life and then I will come and have fellowship with you.’"

What better place to 'event the gospel' other than the communities in which we live and where our halls are? (see my previous blog entry).

Peace, perfect peace, when at last death shall o'ertake me;
Peace, perfect peace, shall surround my lowly grave;
Peace, perfect peace, when the songs of angels wake me;
Peace, perfect peace! Peace, perfect peace!

May God bless and comfort those who mourn

A

Holiness enjoyed

Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day!

Yesterday I arrived in the High Street to sell The War Cry; I went to a café in the town centre. The café is frequented by those people who Booth and Railton would have called ‘working men’. However, these men and women don’t work but survive on an assortment of benefits. I thought it would be good ‘presence evangelism’ to sit with them in full uniform (model C, cap and all).

As I ate my ‘special breakfast’ I overheard a conversation between two of the staff and it became apparent that one of them was a victim of quite terrible domestic violence. Before leaving I introduced myself and offered to do everything we possibly could to help. One of the things that came out of the conversation, was the fact that this lady who probably gets paid ‘cash in hand’ and earns no more than about £400 per month had no phone and had spent the previous night, alone, awake, surrounded by broken glass, terrified and unable to call anyone for help. Later in the day Tracey returned and gave the lady a phone with credit loaded onto it and telephone numbers for local and national support groups. With the phone was a postcard with all our activities listed and our contact details.

Later in the day, whilst collecting, a family of 7 approached me and asked ‘when’s your place open, when can we come and ask questions?” Yesterday was our ‘Pantry’ when we open our hall to the public and sell meals, drinks, snacks and cakes. I arranged to meet the family at 12:30 at the ‘Pantry’. It turned out that the matriarch who was registered disabled and the only child still living at home (a son aged 25 – also disabled) had received 56 days notice the day before, by their landlord, to vacate their home. Two vulnerable people, scared, confused and facing homelessness with no one to turn to but The Salvation Army - all it took was a quick call to the relevant Council department and all fears were allayed, accommodation was offered and an interview at the ‘housing’ was arranged.

Back on the streets a young ‘Goth’ decked out in black with numerous piercings had been eying me for some time with suspicion. I remembered Commissioner Hunter’s advice to ‘collect eyes as well as money’ and smiled at him every time he looked my way. Eventually he came and made a donation and walked off reading The War Cry. Two smart grammar school boys and a businessman also took War Crys – all because the ‘special one’ (Jose Mourinho not Jesus!) stared menacingly from the front cover. What a great evangelical tool the War Cry is.

Whilst I was out with The War Cry, Tracey at the ‘Pantry’ (along with an amazing band of hard working and tireless volunteers) had fed 5 homeless men, spoken to another about a more permanent solution to his predicament and distributed sleeping bags. There are a lot of homeless men in Dartford, most of them with drink or drug problems. Comfort, succour and advice was given and of course the gospel was shared in a very matter of fact way.

On my way home I popped into our local ‘Turning Point’ office, introduced myself and expounded the benefits of working together. In spite of the fact that I was very up front about our evangelical objectives the staff seemed very keen and the idea of a mutually beneficial partnership seemed positive to all.

As I trudged back up ‘West Hill’ towards he quarters I felt elated, nothing really special had happened on that Thursday but it had been a truly wonderful day. I felt so fulfilled, so complete, I was so happy and content I wanted to cry. As I walked and praised God so a tingle began to move across my body, a warm glow from the soles of my feet up to the crown of my head. It was a truly spiritual experience, as real as if someone had laid hands on me and prayed. A little voice deep within stole a phrase from the old song book and said, ‘Andrew this is holiness enjoyed!’

Birthdays, bands, and reconcilliation...

On Saturday evening I attended a festival to celebrate the 85th Birthday of Ray Steadman Allen.

In 1982 Rosemary (Ray’s daughter) and I got married at The Salvation Army’s Training College in Denmark Hill in London (UK).

Sadly, as with so many things in my life at the time, the marriage ended in failure and we divorced in 1991. However, Rosemary and I have remained good friends. We had two children Ben (23) and Caitlin (20).

On Saturday I took our children to their Grandpa’s birthday bash and sat with the grand old man, his wife Joy and their other daughter the Reverend Barbara Steadman Allen (an Anglican minister) in a box at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

I wore my Captain’s uniform, the badge of my calling, while my ex-wife sang in the International Staff Songsters. There was a moving and humbling sense of both reconciliation and forgiveness accompanying the proceedings. There was a definite nailing of the past, a restoration of the years the locusts have eaten and a warm feeling of love, forgiveness and mutual respect in the air (the sort that sometimes only seems to come with age).

The highlight for me was the playing of Ray’s masterpiece – Romans 8. Featuring the tune associated with the words

“In the cross of Christ I glory,Towering o’er the wrecks of time;All the light of sacred storyGathers round its head sublime.”

After an excellent and inspiring evening I went home to my new life with Tracey and marvelled at the wonderful grace of God that can draw life out of death and make all things work together for good.

Then to top off a truly wonderful weekend 5 people knelt at the mercy seat at Dartford in an act of faith in the future and in a spirit of re-consecration.

Sometimes God takes the most promising things in life and subjects them “to frustration…” in the hope that “they will be ‘liberated from bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” God has certainly done this with my life and I give him all the glory.

I cannot think of a time in my entire life when I felt more content or more at the centre of God’s will than I do now.

Love and prayers

A

The joy of collecting

I love collecting – dare I say I find it almost as fulfilling as leading somone to Christ!

The following points aren’t all applicable to Annual Appeal but they are all applicable to local collecting, street stands, pubs etc (which is what I’m really talking about). The points are not in any order of importance.

• Collecting allows me to exercise my responsibility to make my Corps financially self-sufficient. Being on mission support is a little bit like owing your Mother money – if you ring her up and say we’ve bought some new curtains she wants to know why she’s not been paid back first. Financial self-sufficiency gives freedom.


• Also, if my Corps becomes financially self-sufficient I am releasing funds to help other Corps in need of money.


• Collecting takes me into the real world – where I should be. When I collect I am vulnerable, often the subject of abuse (and sometimes praise and thanks). Either way it keeps me on my toes.


• Collecting is evangelism (sometimes verbal evangelism – always presence evangelism). The uniform declares that ‘Mr/Mrs Salvation Army’ is around. (I learnt this from my great friend Alan, who at Ripon, and then North Allerton (and now undoubtedly at Pill) was instantly recognisable to so many in his community as the Salvation Army Officer.


• Collecting gives me a chance to pray – it’s a bit like standing still prayer-walking. I can target certain places and individuals with my prayers. I can pray generally for the Corps and its mission.


• Collecting gives me chance to pay back both God and The Salvation Army for the undeserved generosity they have shown me.


• As a Corps Officer I have some considerable control over how the money I collect is spent and therefore I don’t need to feel guilty that I am collecting under false pretences.

Sometimes I think that if we returned to the principle that we don’t get paid if we don’t raise enough money I think we might prosper more.

The ‘burden’ of fund raising doesn’t distract me from mission it is an integral part of it – hallelujah!

Love and prayers

Andrew

"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

Collecting ditty :-)

This week I have been collecting and collecting and collecting…
To ease the burden I made up the following ditty (to be sung under my breath as I collect)

By the way, the tune is Rachie…

In the name of Jesus I now bind up greed
In the name of Jesus selfish hearts are freed.
In the name of Jesus think less of your self
And in gen-er-os-it-y please share your wealth!
In the name of Jesus pause upon your way,
Put some money in my box today I pray.

Yet much more than money I am hoping for
In the name of Jesus there is much in store.
I can share salvation if you dare believe
Health and hope and hap-pin-ess you can receive.
In the name of Jesus pause along your way
Seek and take salvation – oh be saved today!

Love and prayers

A

What's wrong with being a Rotarian?

What's wrong with being a Rotarian?

According to their web page “Rotary International is a global network of service volunteers. It is the world's largest service organisation for business and professional people, with some 1,210,905 members operating in 168 countries world-wide. There are some 58,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland in 1,845 clubs, helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace. It’s a fulfilling role, and Rotarians can get involved as much or as little as their time will allow.”

But ‘Salvo Cadet on a mission…” asks “I was just interested in your reasons for declining the Rotary invitation... I know several officers who are part of their local Rotary and find the relationships built there are invaluable... what's your thoughts?”

The following quote is taken from an article I had published in JAC last year:

“Rotarians instead of radicals

“Our Officers will make broad their phylacteries and hob-nob with mayors and councilmen and be greeted in the market-place, but God will not be among us” (Brengle)

Now I have no problem with The Rotary Club whatsoever; it is a noble organisation and one deserving of praise. However it is a humanitarian organisation and not a Christian organisation. My concern is that it has over the years become incredibly popular with Salvation Army Officers. I have even known some Officers who have accepted positions within the organisation such as ‘president’ or ‘secretary’. Now if ‘all my days and all my hours, all my will and all my powers’ belong to God and The Salvation Army what time do I have to spare for The Rotary Club? No matter how noble the project is to which I am lending my time how can it be more pressing than one that has God at its heart? Attending a lunch once a month with well-to-do business men may seem like a good way of securing financial support for the Army – but is it the best use of my time? If I am totally honest with myself is my attendance really motivated by fund raising or by the promotion and well being of my own self importance? Indeed if I find myself willing to wear the ‘Inner Wheel’ on my lapel but shrink from displaying a Crest or a Cross is that not evidence of serious inner betrayal?

My purpose is not to knock Rotarians (be they Salvationists or otherwise), nor I am saying that to be a Rotarian is a sin – far from it! My purpose is simply to ask whether there is any risk to our commitment if we give in to the temptation to divide our loyalties. In addition, is association with such groups likely to lead us into materialism? Are we more likely to judge ourselves according to the world’s standard rather than God’s?

There is however a much more serious threat posed to Officers through links with humanitarian groups such as Rotary. Over familiarity with the world can lead us into deeper and more dangerous associations. Like a man who smokes ‘pot’ for recreational use it is easy to slip into ‘hard drugs’, just so, these innocent memberships can lead us into the clutches of secretive and more devious societies. History – albeit largely unwritten history – shows that The Salvation army has always struggled to maintain its independence and its impartiality when courting commerce.”

Incidentally O&R’s for Officers seems to recognise the need for care when joining secular clubs etc when it says in Volume 2 – Procedures, Part 9 - External Relations Chapter 1 - Governments, Public Authorities and other Agencies. Paragraph 7:

“Membership of service clubs (Rotary etc) is governed by approval from the territorial commander.”

Each to his own!

Love and prayers

A

Stuck record...

I don't want to sound like a stuck record but...

It’s the end of week one and I can honestly say that I cannot think of anything else I would have rather do or anywhere else I would rather be than the Corps Officer of Dartford Corps.

To say I have thoroughly enjoyed my first at Dartford would be an enormous understatement!
The excitement, variety, challenge and optimism that covenanted Officership delivers cannot be equalled anywhere in the world. This week...

• I met a confused elderly lady who wants a fridge


• a recovering alcoholic who wants more than just food (hallelujah!)


• delivered a business plan to DHQ for much needed hall improvements (not just aesthetics but improvements that will increase our mission capabilities)


• came up with a strategy to make the Corps financially self sufficient by Spring 2008


• led a two hour roller coaster Corps Council meeting,


• did two much needed pastoral visits,


• chased up THQ about IT,


• collected for an hour at ASDA (Wal-Mart for those over the pond!)


• Spoke to a lady whose husband wants to trace his lost Father,


• shredded about a ton of obsolete filing


• and introduced myself (via email) to the other ministers in the area.

I am so happy, so certain that I am in the right place and that God is here and I am only just starting to warm up.

We are going to have revival at Dartford (not just the SA but all the churches), I know it, and I feel it in every fibre of my body and every pulse of my soul. Am I making myself a hostage to fortune by saying that? No! I’m simply expecting God to deliver – and he will!

Watch this space.

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

For blessings which he gives me now!

My body is recovering quite well following my recent surgery. My external wound has healed exceptionally well but the internal ones will take a few more months. I go to see my surgeon a week today and hopefully he will permit me to return to light duties.

In the meantime, yesterday was a Bank Holiday and somehow it just didn’t seem right to do no work today and so I dealt with the Corps’s outstanding administration.

• A letter to Reliance Bank Ltd
• An email to THQ
• 4 emails to DHQ
• A polite letter to the Rotary Club declining their invitation to join
• The processing of two soldier transfers
• Asking payroll to sort out an error in my pay (I got paid £-20 – i.e. according to my payslip I owe them £20!)
• Calculating telephone refunds

Nothing amazing here, no one got saved, no one received the blessing of holiness, the naked weren’t clothed nor the hungry fed but it felt so good.

I am actually an Officer again and the joy I feel is genuinely beyond words!

These little tasks were completed with real care and devotion and a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Can there be a better or more fulfilling occupation other than Salvation Army Officership?

Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost, in the Army – Forever!

A

TSA and the origins of Alpha.

Check out the comment from Steve Court's non-Salvo mate here

Sorry to disagree with your non salvo mate Steve but TSA did come up with Alpha and most of the over modern evangelical tools used by the church today.

We were using the ward system long before cell church poked its head out of the womb! As for Alpha our system for making and following down recruits (welcome sergeants, recruiting sergeants, rolls, visititation sergeants, recruits classes, Soldiership classes) as used prior to 1950 surpasses anything Alpha has to offer! Add to that that directory and Corps Cadets, open-airs, pub booming, slum and gutter brigades etc and there is very little the contemporary church has ‘discovered’ that wasn’t used by or even initiated by TSA. We were doing ‘Café church’ and offering a sandwich alongside Salvation before cafes had been invented – Railton mentions salvation tea-parties in ‘Heathen England’ in 1877! As for the ‘4 spiritual laws’ how many tracts beginning with ‘How to…. Get saved… find holiness… win souls’ etc did the early SA publish? Our problem is not that Salvos spend “too much time asking why they didn't come up with good stuff rather than using that time to actually come up with the good stuff”. Our problem is that we stopped using the good stuff we’d already come up with and even today continue to discard that good stuff because we think it is past its sell by date.

When TSA has the guts to be TSA and stop trying to imitate other churches we might actually notice that other churches have been imitating us and borrowing our ideas for years!

"Salvationism is a clear and well-defined quality that represents distinctive features of doctrine and service which distinguish it from all other organizations and makes of it an entity entirely apart, incapable of being blended with any other people. Any attempt to harmonize it with methods employed by other religious bodies destroys its effectiveness and renders it incapable of achieving its purpose or continuing to develop its special characteristics." (Edward Higgins - When Chief of the Staff 1n 1928)

Love and prayers

A

Corps Officers - essential requirements

If there was a job description for Salvation Army Corps Officers I’d like to think the following would be listed under ‘essential requirements’

• Leadership skills (how to make awkward decisions)
  
• Administrative skills (how to organise your time rather than allowing it to organise you!)
  
• Soul winning (how to close the deal)


• Practical holiness (how to experience daily victory over the world, the flesh and the devil)


• Spiritual gifts (how to acquire and use them)
  
• Spiritual warfare (How to attack and defend!)

Corps Officers today have immense autonomy and are largely unmonitored – this lack of accountability and increased independence is a dangerous mix which can result in incompetent leadership.

When it comes to Officers shouldn’t quality matter more than quantity because quantity without quality equals decay whereas quality will always reproduce itself.

Love and prayers

A

Lessons from hospital (2)

The second week of my stay in hospital I just wanted to get home and as a result was terrified of getting any kind of infection. So… when the elderly man in the bed next to me began to throw up (obviously in some distress) I turned up ‘The Singing Company’ on my Ipod and tried hard to ignore his retching.

Suddenly I thought of Railton travelling steerage on one of his many evangelistic voyages. I thought of him surrounded by the poor and hungry, no proper sanitation, very little food, no fresh air. He would have been surrounded by illness and vomiting and constantly exposed to the risk of personal infection.

As quickly as I could, I unplugged my headphones, called for he nurse and did my best to comfort and assist ‘Bob’ until she arrived. Consequently, Bob began to open up and share with me and that simple act of kindness enabled me to share Christ not only in action but also by way of testimony too.

Later, in the quietness of the ward I asked God to forgive me for my selfishness, thanked him for the humbling that followed and professed my willingness to suffer whatever came my way as a result of showing kindness to others.

Another lesson learnt.

Love and prayers

A

Lessons from the knife!

Well I’m back from hospital…

Made some good contacts and learnt some powerful lessons.

The period from Tuesday 31st July (pm) to Friday 3rd August was hell! That is not hyperbole but a simple fact. I have a wound from my sternum to two inches below my navel. Part of my oesophagus and intestine has been removed, my bile duct repositioned and my stomach has been opened. No food or fluids until Saturday 4th August.
Week one has kind of been wiped from my memory, but I learnt the first two of several powerful lessons (which would come my way during my stay in hospital) in this week.

Lesson 1:
Hell is torment, endless untreatable torment from which there is no relief – that’s why Jesus died to save us! These few days were torment. Not just the thirst and the pain but the horrible (deeply horrible) dreams induced by the morphine. I don’t like hell. I don’t want to go there and neither do I want anyone else to go there! I must evangelise more and my evangelism must be effective.

Lesson 2:
It’s ok to pray for yourself! Not just the ‘Lord have mercy on me a miserable sinner’ prayers or the ‘Lord be glorified through me’ prayers but the ‘please help me’ prayers as well.

In the midst of my torment all I could do was throw myself into the arms of Jesus and ask him to heal me quickly – I’ve never been comfortable asking God for things for myself but Jesus answered my payer and told me it’s OK to ask for things!

Sunday 5th August onwards I began to make a rapid recovery – one so fast even the Dr’s were amazed. I was meant to be discharged next Tuesday but here I am back in blogland and fit enough to type – Hallelujah!

Thank you all for your prayers… more lessons to share over the next few days.

Love and prayers

A

Wounded in action!

In about two hours time I am going into hospital for major gastric surgery. This procedure is to correct/modernise a procedure I had done about 15 years ago. It isn't a 'quantity of life' issue but it is a 'quality of life' issue and to ensure that it doesn't become the former it has to be done. It is unpleasant surgery and I probably wont be properly concious again until Friday. The surgery requires a two week stay in hospital and then a four week convalescent period.

To say that this is frustrating right at the start of our tour of duty in Dartford is an understatement! However, we have always found that God's timing is perefect and I woke up this morning with the band piece 'constant trust' playing in my head - 'Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus', 'The cross is not greater than his grace' etc.

Uncharacteristically, I am quite scared about this procedure (maybe because I have undergone similar surgery before) but my faith is strong.

My CSM said to me last night on the phone - 'You're a good man and definitely destined for glory but not yet - please Lord' - I heartily hope so (on both counts!)

Obviously I will be absent from blog land for a few weeks!

Thank you in adavance for your prayers.

Yours set apart by Christ

A

Soldier rouse thee!

A week today we will lead the forces of good stationed at Dartford against the forces of darkness in that area. We go with absolute confidence because :–

“though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

We go with confidence because I am absolutely convinced and deeply moved within my heart that a revival is about to hit the western territories of TSA with a holy vengeance never experienced before – something even greater than 1865-1880!

I don’t need any encouragement because I am already like a dog chomping at the bit however Richard Munn’s call to ‘neglect not the fight’ has increased my eagerness to engage in battle – listen to his call to arms here Innocence & shrewdness.

Soldier, rouse thee! War is raging,

God and fiends are battle waging—

Every ransomed pow’r engaging,

Break the tempter’s spell.

Dare ye still lie fondly dreaming,

Wrapt in ease and worldly scheming,

While the multitudes are streaming

Downwards into hell?

Through the world resounding,

Let the gospel sounding,

Summon all, at Jesus’ call

His glorious cross surrounding.

Sons of God, earth’s trifles leaving,

Be not faithless but believing,

To your conquering Captain cleaving,

Forward in the fight.

Lord, we come, and from Thee never

Self nor earth our hearts shall sever;

Thine entirely, Thine forever,

We will fight and die.

To a world of rebels dying,

Heav’n and hell and God defying,

Everywhere we’ll still be crying,

“Will ye perish—why?”

Hark! I hear the warriors shouting,

Now the hosts of hell we’re routing;

Courage! Onward! Never doubting,

We shall win the day.

See the foe before us falling,

Sinners on the Saviour calling,

Throwing off the bondage galling—

Join our glad array.

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

A

Millions will consider Jesus next year ...

Millions will consider Jesus next year …

The BBC plan to show peak time half hour episodes of the whole passion narrative after EastEnders throughout Holy Week in 2008.

The intention is to be as accurate as possible to the Biblical narratives and include the Resurrection and appearances on Easter day. The purpose will be to retell the great story as it has been written, so many will ask questions.

Now is the time when the church can pray for the production team headed by Nigel Stafford-Clark, and provide a positive voice for the BBC. It will also be a major evangelistic opportunity that needs some careful thought, prayer and planning. What an opportunity for millions to consider Jesus. How can we respond?

Do pass around your networks so as many people as possible know that this is on the horizon. I understand the pod cast of the session will be on http://www.churchesmediacouncil.org.uk/ sometime next week.

Love and prayers

A

Spot the difference?

158 years ago yesterday (July 6th) George Scott Railton was born. 46 years ago, yesterday, I was born. I must admit that I like having the same birthday as the founder of primitive Salvationism.

However, sadly, we have little else in common. The main difference between us is that Railton lived out the beliefs that I (at present) merely aspire to.

I had some great cards yesterday, but perhaps the most memorable had the following words on the front – “Don’t count your years. Make your years count.’

Is the world ready for another Railton? Ready or not the world and The Salvation Army both desperately need another Railton.

What if in addition to sharing the same birthday and the same aspirations we could share the same lifestyle?

The intent is there; indeed the intent get’s stronger every day. I pray that as we get closer to taking up our appointment at Dartford God the holy spirit realises the intent in a glorious Pentecostal-powered life that tells for God, rescues the lost, liberates the enslaved – gives everything until – eventually, it ‘falls at its post’.

I pray that God the Holy Spirit gives me not only a portion of Railton’s spirit but that he gives me a ‘double portion’.

In the words of Jean Luc Picard – ‘Make it so number one!’

A