Repent and do the things you did at first
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
By: Major Howard Webber
WILLIAM BOOTH said: ‘I do not want another ecclesiastical corps cumbering the earth. When The Salvation Army ceases to be a militant body of red-hot men and women whose business is the saving of souls, I hope it will vanish utterly.'
What a statement! In the light of Booth's word, what should we make of Christ's message to the Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:2-5)? I believe it contains a word of commendation and rebuke and is a powerful message to The Salvation Army in this country today. It fits like a glove, it is worthy of much contemplation, and we ignore it at our peril: ‘I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men... You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place' (all quotations from New International Version).
Could it be that our movement's erosion over the last decades has been God gradually removing our lampstand from where he once placed it? Certainly we work hard and are doing much that Christ would commend, but we are not doing what once we did. We may well have acknowledged the height from which we have fallen, yet, tragically, so much of our response to that knowledge has been about saving ourselves from extinction, restoring our numbers, climbing back.
Over 20 years, church growth principles, conferences and councils, seminars and studies have done little to stop our decline. None of these things will save us. None of these
things will end the drought, the all-consuming locust or the plague that threatens to destroy us. God alone can save us, but we have yet to reach the point of utter helplessness and humility where we acknowledge that God and God alone can save us.
‘When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land' (2 Chronicles 7: 13, 14).
We have yet to be troubled enough, anxious enough, burdened enough to pray as we ought. Our prayers have yet to reach an intensity, a passion, a fervency, where
-we ache for God and what he desires
-we see the lost as he sees them
-we ache for the lost with the longing he has
-we get rid of everything that gets in the way of our hunger after him and our longing after them.
How God would have us pray like the prophet of old: ‘Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!' (Isaiah 64:1, 2).
Fire came down supernaturally upon offerings from Moses (Leviticus 9:24), David (1 Chronicles 21:26), Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:1) and Elijah (1 Kings 18:38). It was fire coming down supernaturally from Heaven in the self-same way that ‘lit up' those early-day apostles (Acts 2: 3, 4), and has revived God's people and refocused their attention and energies on the eternal issues, and drawn countless masses to Christ and his cross through the ages since.
We readily sing: ‘Tis fire we want, for fire we plead, Send the fire!' (SASB 203) - but is it true? How much do we want the Holy Spirit's power? We have yet to reach the desperation and despair of men like John Knox who wept before the Lord: ‘Give me Scotland or I die.' Where, today, are there people anxious for the lost, weeping for the lost, pleading for the lost? Who truly cares? What we need from God is his burden for them. Listen to Paul writing to the church at Rome: ‘I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race' (Romans 9: 2, 3).
It isn't about being an evangelist, but rather having a burden that causes us to plead and pray relentlessly to God to do something until he does, with the attitude Charles Spurgeon spoke of: ‘If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed-for.'
(Article originally published in Salvationist Magazine)
Posted By: Eric at 11:00 AM : Link : 1 Comments
From Weakness to Strength
Monday, February 26, 2007
John 5:1-15
1 Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”
11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.
13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” 15 Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.
Faith is powerful. According to Hebrews 11, faith: is sure and certain (v.1), helps us understand the creation of the world (v.4), helped Abel to bring a better sacrifice to God than Cain (v.4), made it so Enoch could skip death (v.5), inspired Noah to build his ship and save his family (v.7), made Abraham move to an unknown land (v.8), allowed Sarah—an old woman—to become pregnant (v.11), strengthened Abraham to offer Isaac to God and allowed Isaac to return to his father (v.17-19), saved Moses’ life (v.23) and walked the Israelites through the Red Sea (v.29). The author of Hebrews even admits that he “could go on and on” about faith (v.32), and sums up this collective faith testimony by writing, “Their weakness was turned to strength.” (v.34).
In today’s Scripture passage we read an incredible testimony of Jesus healing a paralyzed man. This unnamed man sat by the healing pool of Bethesda and helplessly waited for thirty-eight years. He was alone, with no friends or family to bring him to the healing pool when it stirred. Alone for thirty-eight years! In verse six we read: “When Jesus saw him and knew how long he had been ill, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” Jesus knew the man’s loneliness, sickness, sorrow and helplessness and had great compassion and healed him right there in the midst of all the other sick people (see verse 5). So Jesus told him to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk. The man believed in his power, followed his instructions and was instantly healed!
The story of Jesus healing this man is an incredible testimony of the power of God and the faith of the paralyzed man. The man’s greatest weakness was being paralyzed for thirty-eight years, a weakness that Jesus immediately turned to strength. Imagine the testimony of faith this healed man now had, standing up, walking around, showing the world that he was healed because Jesus walked by him and because he believed he could be healed by Jesus.
What are some weaknesses in your life that need to be turned to strength? What are some situations you are facing that could use a healing encounter with Jesus? Ask him to heal you, follow his instructions and have faith!
Posted By: Eric at 1:31 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Norridge Corps Country Western Night
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
This Saturday, February 24th the Norridge Corps is hosting a Country Western Night from 5-9pm.
It should be a great time. Activities include: line dancing, games, music, face painting, chili cook off, pie contest, silent auction, food, eating contest and much more. It costs $3.00.
For directions to the Norridge Corps (8354 W. Foster Ave. Norridge, IL 60706) please click here.
Posted By: Eric at 4:21 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Apply for Band of Survivors 2007!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Applications for Band of Survivors are starting to come in! Is your application on its way?
Metro youth that are passionate about God and are prepared for an intense month of mission should consider applying for Band of Survivors. We only have room for 16 high school students (ages 14+) and 5 young adult leaders (18+) so make sure that your application is done well (remember: “keep it, keep it tight!”). Applications are due at DHQ before Friday, May 11.
Please click here for Band of Survivors application and information.
Posted By: Eric at 11:11 AM : Link : 0 Comments
More Youth Encounter Pictures!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
I just added two new batches of Youth Encounter Pictures. Check them out!
Click here:
(Photos courtesy of C. Himes)
Or here:
(Photos courtesy of S. Kincaid)
Posted By: Eric at 1:03 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Love is the life of The Army
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
“The Army is so thoroughly organized and disciplined, so wrought into the life of nations, so fortified with valuable properties, and on such a sound financial basis, that it is not likely to perish as an organization, but it will become a spiritually dead thing if love leaks out. Love is the life of The Army. 'If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.' But if love leaks out we shall lose our crown, we shall have a name to live and yet be dead. We may still house the homeless, dole out food to the hungry, punctiliously perform our routine work, but the mighty ministry of the Spirit will no longer be our glory. Our musicians will play meticulously, our Songsters will revel in the artistry of song that tickles the ear, but leaves the heart cold and hard. 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. We shall still recruit our ranks and supply our Training Garrisons with Cadets from among our own Young People, but we shall cease to be saviours of the lost sheep that have no shepherd.”
Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle Ancient Prophets
Posted By: Eric at 9:57 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Camp Wonderland P&PN and Youth Encounter Photodoc and Report
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Last weekend’s Prayer & Praise Night and Youth Encounter at Camp Wonderland was awesome! Over 240 youth came all the way to Camp Lake, Wisconsin, to take part in a worship service that included a Justice Minute about Darfur, Worship, Testimonies, a Sword Drill and a message about what God sees when he sees us.
The Youth Encounter continued after the meeting on Friday night with games, snacks and fellowship in the Sharp Center. The next morning we began with Morning Devotions and Cell Groups that all talked about what others see when they see us. Youth were challenged not to hide their light in the light but to let it shine in the darkness (see John 12:44-50 and 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). The afternoon was filled with fun activities such as: Tubing, Rock Wall, Volleyball, Ice Skating, Cross Country Skiing and Board Games. After we had dinner together, everyone was on their way home by 5pm on Saturday. It was a great time and we already have next year’s Youth Encounter in the works.
Don’t miss the next Prayer & Praise Night on Friday, March 16th at the Englewood Corps. P&PN begins at 7pm!
Check out these photos from the weekend. To view as a slideshow click here.
(Photos courtesy of J. Bukiewicz)
Posted By: Eric at 5:20 PM : Link : 0 Comments
