Another Unsung Hero Gone

Hi…remember me?
Sorry it’s been so long between posts, but over the last month or so, my family and I have been dealing with issues of life’s journey to death. Barbara’s dad died a couple of weeks back. This, of course, has been followed by the emotionally turbulent transition for her mom into this new chapter of life without her husband.

Barb’s father, Major Ralph Leidy, was one of the many outstanding, yet mostly unsung officers who quietly go about their mission of influencing lives for Christ without a lot of fanfare, flash, or hoopla. As I prepared to conduct his funeral, I learned that during their years as corps officers, the Leidys sent some 26 people(!) to Training (5 of who were even in attendance at his funeral!). And get this…every single one of those 26 kept their officer covenant and served right through to their own retirement! Quite a feat in this day where officership more and more resembles the “Hokey Pokey” dance – “you put your whole self in, you take your whole self out, you put your whole self in, and you shake it all about...”

Ralph’s commitment to finding those who are lost continued right up to his death. The Sunday before he died, the Clearwater Citadel Band came to his apartment and played him a mini concert (he was a life-long 2nd baritone player). As the band played, a number of neighbors and curious onlookers came out and gathered to listen, including a particular neighbor from across the street. When the band finished playing, this fellow came up to the bandmaster, pointed to my father-in-law and announced to those gathered, “This man has been trying to get me saved for years! And this (meaning the expression of love shown by the band as they played for Ralph) might just get it done!”

Nice…

I love the term we Salvationists use when one of our soldiers pass away: Promoted to Glory. Even as I type the words, I sense the strong but unwritten “hallelujah” that so often accompanies the phrase. One reason Promoted to Glory stands out for me is that there are a number of those among us who richly deserve various forms of earthly promotion who – for one reason or another – are overlooked or otherwise passed over. Maybe they didn’t stand out as much as so-and-so. Maybe the job they did never brought them anywhere near the limelight. Maybe all kinds of other possibilities… But God sees to this final promotion. And none of His faithful ones are ever overlooked. None of them passed over or forgotten.

So here’s to the passing of one of our quiet giants. While we’re still blessed to still have a number of others in our ranks who fit that description, my fear is that their number is silently dwindling as we focus on so much else around us.

Hey, I have an idea… Maybe each of us could step in and help take up the slack. Let’s do what we can – whatever that may be – to make a difference for Jesus right where we are!

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Safety Off!

I enjoy the writing of Erwin McManus, who pastors a very unique gathering of believers in the Los Angeles area. McManus is one of those guys whose spirit seems to reflect the same kind of daring and passion that marked early Salvationists. Like them, he’s outspoken and uncompromising in his belief that the Church is at her best when she is involved with and interacting with the world outside the walls of our sanctuaries and citadels.

The quote below comes from his book An Unstoppable Force, subtitled daring to become the church God had in mind. As you’ll see, McManus warns of the danger of buying into some of the popular concepts and ideologies that have been embraced by much of the Church here in the West.

I think there’s a word here for the Army as well…

“Out of the community church context has come an unending parade of pop and bumper sticker theologies – the kind that gives us comfort for all the wrong reasons. One of these in particular has both misguided the church and diluted the calling of every believer who is shaped by it. You’ve heard it said that the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. I am sure this promise was well intended, but it is neither true nor innocuous. When we believe that God’s purpose, intention, or promise is that we will be safe from harm, we are utterly disconnected from the movement and the power of God.

“I remember sitting in the home of a pastor and his wife just after they had finished seminary. They were tremendously gifted and had chosen to serve in a small community of a few thousand residents. We began to talk about their future, and I suggested they move to a major metropolitan center, such as Los Angeles. I was stunned not so much by their response, but by the rationale behind it. With great passion, they told me that God would never expect them to do that. God would never subject their children to the danger and corruption of the city. I remember leaving that night wondering what was happening to the church. If those preparing for leadership are looking for the safe place, who will lead the church into the dangerous places?

“Somehow we have missed the reality of the biblical experience. From Abraham to Paul, those who followed God were subjected to great dangers. Paul describes his journey with Jesus as anything but safe.

“In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, Paul writes, ‘Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.'

"The truth of the matter is that the center of God’s will is not a safe place but the most dangerous place in the world! God fears nothing and no one! God moves with intentionality and power. To live outside God’s will puts us in danger; to live in his will makes us dangerous.”

I think he's nailed it!

God bless us with more Salvationists throughout the world who are eager to throw safety and caution to the wind by choosing to be in and stay in the "dangerous" center of God’s will. Give us more officers and leaders who willingly offer to serve in the dangerous places of our society and culture. And bless us with the holy passion to be dangerous to all of hell for Christ’s sake.

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Fuel for your Flame -- Catherine Booth

As yet another follow up to the September 27 posting below, here’s still more fuel for your inner flame from one of our hottest firebrands – Catherine Booth. In spite of the fact that she wrote these words more than a century ago, trust me – you’ll still feel the heat her godly passion generates.

“Heat burns. Hot saints set on fire the hearts of other saints. They singe the consciences of sinners, burn the fingers of Pharisees, melt the hearts of backsliders, and warm up those who have left their first love.

“Hot saints are mighty The Spirit is not given by measure to them. They may not be very intellectual or learned, but their heat makes more impression on the hearts of sinners, and stirs more opposition from hell that all the intellect and learning of a whole generation of lukewarm professors… Hot saints are more than a match for their enemies. Satan himself is afraid of them…

“To be hot ensures opposition from the world. The world hates hot saints, because the look with contempt on its pleasures, set at naught its maxims and customs, trample on its ambition and applause, ignore its rewards, abjure its spirit, and live altogether above its level… [The world] can tolerate lukewarm religionists – rational, decent people, who appreciate this world as well as the next, and can see how to make the best of it; but these ‘hot,’ ‘pestilent,’ ‘mad,’ ‘fools,’ who obtrude their religion everywhere who are at everybody about their souls, who are always talking about God, death, judgement, heaven and hell – ‘Away with them! They are not fit to live...’

"Let me remind you, in conclusion, that to be hot ensures God’s special favor, protection, and fellowship, and our final victory… Whereas to be lukewarm is to be spewed out of His mouth, which indicates special dislike, disgrace, and final abandonment. WHICH WILL YOU BE, HOT OR LUKEWARM?”

– Catherine Booth
Practical Religion

Keep your fire hot and your altar ready…!

Willis

Fuel for your Flame -- T. Henry Howard

As you see from the previous couple of posts, I’m still offering quotes and insights from past Salvationists intended to focus on ways we can keep our inner burn well-stoked.

For this post, I’ll let Commissioner T. Henry Howard throw a few more logs on your fire…

"How shall we feed the fire or fan the flames? That is the question for us. We may rest assured of God’s willingness to cooperate in the fuel supply if we are determined to keep the Fire burning. In all our spiritual life and service there is the principle of action and reaction as between God and the soul. His offer of fullness of blessing does not relieve us of personal responsibility… If, therefore, at any time we see a decline or loss of the fire either in ourselves or in others, we can be certain that the decline or loss was due to the unfaithfulness or neglect of the person concerned.

"[There is] the need of constant care if our heart-fires are to be maintained. Fuel must be carried to the altar in the form of worship and loyal devotion and love and glowing aspirations; the sacrifices of righteousness and praise must be there; renewed consecrations, sanctified aims, high ideals, and enthusiasm are as the beaten oil of the sanctuary. These forms of fuel we must add to the fire."

Commissioner T. Henry Howard

Fuel for Sacred Fire

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Fuel for your Flame -- S.L. Brengle

In light of my September 27 epistle, I thought I might offer a few follow-up postings of what could be considered high-octane fuel for your spiritual fire.

Let’s start by letting Commissioner Brengle weigh in on the subject…

"What is this fire? It is love. It is faith. It is hope. It is passion, purpose, determination. It is utter devotion. It is a divine discontent with formality, ceremonialism, lukewarmness, indifference, sham and noise, parade and spiritual death. It is singleness of eye and a consecration unto death. It is God the Holy Ghost burning in and through a humble, holy, faithful man…

"This burning is the spirit that led the young men soldiers of a corps to come to the officers many a night and ask for the key of the hall that they might spend half the night in prayer, until their corps became the banner corps of a dozen States. It is the spirit that inspired an officer in a desperately hard corps in a city full of indifference and opposition to have an all-night of prayer every week with two or three kindred souls who shared with him the burden, until God moved the whole city, and the Mayor became his friend and protector, and the city officials and pastors attended his Sunday afternoon meetings in the City Hall, and the people gave him money for a new hall and instruments for a big band, while the platform was filled with soldiers who had caught the flame from their officer.

"Do you ask, How can we get the fire? I answer, Not by feasting, but by fasting; not by playing, but by praying; not by sleeping and slothfulness, but by watching and by diligently seeking God and the souls that wander from Him; not by skimming The War Cry once a week and reading newspapers and devouring the comic sections and sporting news, but by searching the Scriptures."

Commissioner S.L. Brengle
—Resurrection Life and Power

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Why "Fan the Flame"?

What sort of image does the word fire conjure up in your mind?

I’d guess that most folks will turn to some kind of mental picture of that flaming phenomenon that grills our steak and toasts our marshmallows at a backyard cookout, brings a warm and comfy ambiance to a cold winter’s night, or causes billions of dollars of disaster and loss throughout the world when it blazes out of control.

For me and many other Christians, however, fire in the spiritually symbolic sense of the word is a highly significant and powerful image. For us, fire calls up impressions of holy passion, zeal, a driving purpose, an inner “burn.”

You don’t have to read a whole lot of early Army history before you come to understand that fire in the spiritual, “holy passion” use of the term was a very popular concept with Salvationists back in the day. Our authors wrote about it, our musicians composed songs about it, sermons were preached about it. We emblazoned it on everything from our flags to our jerseys… Everywhere they turned, early Salvationists were encouraged to live lives that were described as being “on fire.”

I’ve gotta tell you, I love that!

But regardless of whether we’re talking about literal, burning fire or fire in its spiritually symbolic sense, let’s agree that there are some fundamental principals that are common to both. A short sampling of those would include:

Both need fuel in order to continue burning. Remove the fuel and before long you’ve killed the fire.

Fire – literal or spiritual – must be respected. You’d better not be careless with it or around it (one of the earliest lessons learned in childhood, but not often taught in the spiritual context, I’m afraid).

Unless you’re careful, fire can be extinguished

If left to itself, the natural tendency of any fire is to go out.

I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that there are some incredible fire stories in the Bible, such as:

• God talking to Moses from out of a bush that’s somehow on fire but doesn’t actually burn (Ex 3-4:17)


• Elijah calling down God’s fire on the water-logged offering on top of Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:19-39), as well as on his would-be captors (2 Kings 1:9-15)


• God sending fire on David’s offering at Araunah’s threshing floor (1 Chron 21:18-26)


• The coming of the Holy Spirit as symbolized by “tongues of fire” that rested on each of 120 people gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4)
  

For me, one particular fire passage highlights a spiritual principle that challenges both my life and ministry, as well as forms the foundational purpose for this blog site. It’s found in the book of Leviticus.

Now before looking at the passage itself, it might be helpful to point out a particular fact about Leviticus...

Did you know that unlike Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus is arranged more categorically or topically as opposed to chronologically? In other words, Leviticus is more of a “procedures manual” or “handbook” than it is a narrative. Why is that important to know, you ask? Because it means that what you read in the book’s earlier chapters don’t necessarily happen before what you read in later chapters.

Tuck that little point away in your understanding (you’ll need it in just a moment) and let’s pick up the action taking place in Leviticus 8-9.

It’s describing the formal ordination – the commissioning, if you like – of the Hebrew priesthood. It was an eight day affair, according to the text, that required following a long list of instructions and particulars. The details include everything from the various types of offerings that God called for as part of the process, to the sorts of animals to be sacrificed, and the procedures to be followed.

Scroll ahead in the passage to the last offering being made on the last day of the event… Something amazing happened:

“Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out they blessed the people and the Glory of God appeared to all the people. Fire blazed out from God and consumed the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the fat pieces on the Altar. When all the people saw it happen they cheered loudly and then fell down, bowing in reverence.” Leviticus 9:23-24 (MSG)

Understand, this was different from every other altar fire they had ever used or seen. This fire didn’t rely on any man-made ignition methods. This was God-fire – flashing down from the Father Himself – that burned up the offering on the altar. Proof of His blessing, His approval, and His presence.

And the record points out that when the people saw this, they were filled with praise to God as well as a strong sense of holy awe.

Incredible!!

Set all that on the back burner for a moment, and let’s go “back to the future” by flipping pages from chapter 9, to orders from God given in chapter 6 (which actually were given after the chapter 9 miracle. This is what I was talking about earlier when I was explaining about Leviticus being generally more topical than chronological.).

Jumping in at verse 8 and reading through verse 13, God tells Moses to pass on some particulars to Aaron and the boys about burnt offerings. And as you read through these six verses of commandments and instruction, you find God hammering home a particular point about this holy fire He sent to crown their altar and offering. Three times in the passage He tells them – with each repetition being a little stronger than the one before – that they are now responsible to feed and care for what He has ignited. Check it out:

“…the fire must be kept burning on the altar.”
Lev 6:9

“The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out.”
Lev 6:12

“The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”
Lev 6:13

Good old Matthew Henry adds an interesting insight on this passage:

The first fire upon the altar came from heaven (Lev 9:24), so that by keeping that up continually with a constant supply of fuel all their sacrifices throughout all their generations might be said to be consumed with that fire from heaven, in token of God's acceptance. If, through carelessness, they should ever let it go out, they could not expect to have it so kindled again. Accordingly the Jews tell us that the fire never did go out upon the altar, till the captivity in Babylon.
(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by
Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

OK… Let’s look at this God-established principle in light of a present-day application.

A strong case could be made that as believers, God has in a very real sense “ignited” something in us. At the very instant of salvation, the Holy Spirit – who is symbolized by fire (coincidence…? Hmmm…I don’t think so!) – consumed our sin, flamed our hearts, and signaling His approval, His blessing, and His presence within us. And for those who’ve been willing, God has also lit a passionate Pentecostal fire of holiness that burns away anything within us that is unlike Jesus.

You see, I believe that God has faithfully done exactly what we’ve asked of Him, as time and time again we’ve thrown our heads back, raised our hands, lifted our voices, and zealously sung Booth’s words, “…send the fire!” From there, however, whether through carelessness, inattention, or sometimes just plain foolishness, far too many let that freshly God-sparked fire starve for fuel. With hardly as much as a notice – degree by degree – the inner heart-flame is allowed to gradually burn down, cool off, flicker, sputter, and then sadly go out. And listen gang…when Holy Ghost-fire goes out – when the fire of holy passion cools – there’s no amount of personal effort, or church attendance, or rule-keeping, or program involvement, or any other kind of “going through the motions” that will make a difference. Oh it might look a lot like the actions of an “on-fire” believer, but it’s all smoke and no flame. Only God can reignite the fire that’s gone out in a heart.

This is why I’m convinced that this Leviticus principle is so important. It’s code-red critical for us to understand and embrace the fact that once God has lit – or rekindled – a fire on the altar of our soul, we then carry the responsibility to keep that holy passion-flame well-fed, well-fanned and burning hot ; at all times and at all costs. “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out!”

You know, this could possibly be how God plans to re-fire our Army. Not by way of some corporate, miraculous, Cecil B. DeMille kind of moment that so many look for, but rather something that starts smaller…like a spark that spreads from soldier to soldier, from town to city, from division to territory, until the world is once again ablaze with passionate, mission-minded Salvationists.

But for that to happen, this – like all fires – has to start somewhere.

I wonder…is it possible that you’re the tipping point for all this? That you’re the catalyst God wants to use? Could it be that the only thing needed to set it all in motion is for your heart-altar to ignite – or be rekindled – with the God-sent fire of holy zeal?

I dare you to ask Him. In fact, I double-dog dare you to offer yourself to God for the job! (NOTE: In the Southeastern U.S., a “double-dog dare” is the highest of all challenges! No one with even the smallest sense of honor among his peers can ever pass up the double-dog dare.)

And once He’s given you that fire, once you’re “burning”, do everything in your power to keep that flame well-fanned and fed. When you take care of your part, the door opens wide for God to do His through you.

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Heroes

I grew up in an age of heroes. Sports figures like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays wowed and impressed the group of kids I ran with. Then we’d go home and watch the heroic adventures of TV cowboys such as Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger. Heroes were just everywhere! What’s more is that this was also the golden age of superheroes. I can remember running around with my arms stretched in front of me in “flying” fashion while my Superman cape dramatically rippled and flowed in the breeze behind me (In reality my “cape” was an old dish towel that my mom had pinned to my shirt. But as far as I was concerned, it was the genuine article!)

But regardless of when or where you were born, there’s something in each of us that is drawn to the heroic, isn’t there?

Just think about it... Have you ever noticed just how many box office blockbusters over the years have centered on a heroic main character? Luke Skywalker, fearlessly steps forward to face-up to the Empire. Maximus, the Roman general, heroically refuses to surrender his honor. William Wallace, who, even in the face of his own execution courageously challenged his countrymen to believe they could actually be free.

And it’s not just movie heroes. We’re moved by the real-life soldier who has returned safely from a war zone, the fireman who has just put his life on the line to save people from a burning building, the policeman who rescues someone from a dangerous situation. Heroism tugs at our hearts.

You see, heroes are the embodiment of values that are important to us. And I believe that somewhere deep inside each of us is the secret desire to be heroic.

Salvationists…do you know that heroism is woven into the fabric of our heritage? In a sense it’s our birthright. The Army that you and I are part of has been passed to us by an incredible group of heroes. Heroism is in our spiritual DNA.

Beyond the well-known adventures and exploits of the Booths, Railton, Brengle, Booth-Tucker, and the like, we have truck-loads of records and accounts from around the world that demonstrate the heroic spirit of Salvationists whose names we likely have never heard of at all.

In their book, Be A Hero, Commissioner Wesley Campbell and Captain Stephen Court include some snapshots from the pages of our history that illustrate exactly what I’m talking about. Like this report sent to the War Cry from Major Wells (whoever he was) – a pioneer Officer in California:

"My heart is cheered. We are making the devil mad. Victory will come! Look
out for some martyrdom here in the near future – it is to come, for sure. Well,
we are saved to die, and don't care much where our bones are buried."

Don’t you love that?! No backing down, no compromising. No running away from the
enemy. Yeah, they’ll likely kill us and throw our bodies into some hole... Whatever...!

Campbell and Court also share this telegram sent from Captain Albert Brice to his Territorial Commander, back in 1887. For whatever reason, Brice was evidently facing life-threatening persecution. But rather than knuckling under to the pressure to quit, he decides to stay the course and keep doing what he was doing letting the results fall where they will. His message to the Commissioner simply said...

“Expecting to go to Glory Wednesday night.”

Albert Brice was actually expecting to die! Clearly, he had settled in his mind that such a possibility was simply part of the potential cost of doing business – the business of reaching those that others thought were unreachable. Mocking, beating, ridicule, scorn, possible death...it was all just part of the deal.

Friends, our history is filled with literally hundreds (thousands?) of these kinds of stories!

I have a small collection of early Army books that help to fuel for my passion. One of my favorites is a late 19th century Orders and Regulations for Field Officers (designated as a “Special Edition” intended “…for the use of Candidates for Officership”).

Part VIII of the book makes for particularly interesting reading as it covers such timely subjects as “How To Deal With Persecution”, “Mobs”, and “Riots” (just the sorts of issues your corps faces, right?). Part VIII also has a section that discusses an officer’s responsibilities to reach and save “Roughs” (criminals / gang members / violent types etc.). Here’s a direct quote from this section:

“Go to them. There are certain parts in every town where they are to be found. You need not be in a neighborhood a single day without knowing their haunts. But what if they kill you? Well, you must die. You have often sung and said that you would. Now, here’s a chance. Make up your mind to the worst; then perhaps he that would lose his life shall save it.” (emphasis added)

Remember, this is from Orders and Regulations!! It’s being put forward as the standard. Heroism is pointed to as the rule, not the exception. In fact it was an expectation! And our history records that many lived up to it. “Salvationism” was practically synonymous with heroism.

Is this still the case, I wonder, or have things changed in our more enlightened day and age?

Tell me…what’s expected of Salvationists where you live? What’s required of the soldiers at your corps? What standard are they held to? Is “just showing up” good enough? Is that all that’s asked or hoped for?

Using our heroic past as a backdrop, it just may be that there’s a message for the soldiers of today’s Salvation Army to be found in the following passage:

Remember those days in the past when you first learned the truth. You had a hard struggle with many sufferings, but you continued strong. Sometimes you were hurt and attacked before crowds of people, and sometimes you shared with those who were being treated that way. You helped the prisoners. You even had joy when all that you owned was taken from you, because you knew you had something better and more lasting.

So do not lose the courage you had in the past, which has a great reward. Hebrews 10:32-35 (NCV)

Learn from our past. Let it serve as a model. Hold to our heritage of heroism. Count the cost and be bold for Jesus. Allow God to stir and awaken your inner hero!

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

You remember the story of The Three Little Pigs, right? Early renditions and tellings of this standard fairy tale date back to at least the 1800’s. More recent versions include Disney’s classic 1933 cartoon as well as some more contemporary “politically correct” interpretations. Regardless of which adaptation you choose, the story line is basically the same.

In spite of this fact, however, let’s still have a quick review:

Three young pigs go out into the world to seek their fortunes and make a life for themselves. Two of the pigs are generally irresponsible and indifferent – wanting only to live and enjoy the moment – while the third pig approaches life from a more practical and intentional viewpoint.

Realizing that some sort of shelter will be needed, the first couple of pigs, you’ll recall, want to get the job done as quickly – and with as little effort – as possible They don’t want to be bothered with taking the time required to build sturdy, protective homes. After all, they’re now independent and eager to get on with their new lives and all that it offers. So one of them quickly throws together a house of straw while the other fashions bundles sticks into what he calls a home. Pragmatic pig #3, being far more deliberate and aware of the risks around him, builds his house out of sturdy bricks.

Enter one wolf with a craving for fresh pork.…

He goes to the first pig’s straw house, knocks at the door but is denied entrance (I wonder just how successful the wolf had been over the years in using this approach with other pigs…?). “No big deal,” thinks the wolf. And with hardly any effort at all – a huff here and a puff there – he removes the only flimsy barrier between him and a ham dinner (The fact that the wolf ate the pig is a small detail left out in Disney’s far less traumatic, more “family friendly” telling of the story).

Going up the road to pig number two’s stick house, the wolf has ideas about a second helping of bacon. As before, the pig doesn’t welcome the wolf (go figure!). But welcomed or not, the scene plays out pretty much like the previous pig-wolf encounter: a little huffing, a little puffing, a little blowing, and before you know it, the wolf enjoys a second course of pork chops.

Coming to the third pig’s brick house, the wolf is anticipates yet another helping of what has essentially proven to be a day-long ham fest. Once again he goes with the direct door-knocking approach, and for the third time is not invited in. Fine – time for the huffing, puffing, and blowing. But something’s different. This time he’s dealing with a would-be victim who is prepared, on guard, and equipped for just such a danger. Try as he will, the wolf can only bully, bluster, and do his best to intimidate. The pig, on the other hand, is safely behind solid defenses, and never becomes the wolf’s victim.

OK, so why this review of an old folk tale? It’s simple, really. You see, as with all good fairy tales I think there’s a lesson – a moral in the story – to be learned and applied.

In the culture and society where I live (USA South), a significant percentage of believers appear to live their day-to-day spiritual lives in the careless, lackadaisical style of little pigs #1 and #2. Their actions and choices seem to reflect a driving desire to live only for the moment as they impulsively chase after whatever the culture’s latest “shiny trend,” or current “fad-du-jour” may be.

That being said, they still want some kind of shelter for their souls. But not wanting the bother and discipline required to build a substantial, unshakable faith, they search for something quicker and easier. As a result, many have settled for a kind of cut-rate, wobbly, spiritual shanty that’s held together with little more than the sappy stickiness of the emotional “soul candy” that gets handed out Sunday after Sunday in some churches. Certainly no place to run when times get tough!

Blinded by the dazzle of the culture’s latest “shiny trend,” or the current “fad-du-jour”– and not wanting to miss out on any aspect of it – they’ve completely lost sight of the fact that there is a savage enemy far more cunning than any fairy tale wolf that actually prowls, stalks, and hunts them.

Peter doesn’t beat around the bush. Inspired by the Spirit of God, he gives us the information right between the eyes…

“Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy,
goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.”
1 Peter 5:8 (NCV)

Let’s understand something, gang… The devil – this one that Scripture calls “your enemy” – is not looking to simply “slow you down,” “trip you up,” “discourage you,” “cause you to stumble,” or any of the other little cutsie phrases some Christians use to describe his actions. He’s not some sort of celestial naughty boy who hides in the bushes waiting to play a prank or mischievous trick on us. No, the Bible paints the clear picture of a predatory, murderous, cold-blooded enemy – like a wild, man-eating lion – with a goal of stopping short of nothing less than to kill your soul, and destroy your faith. This is why it’s so critical that the Christian Soldier intentionally builds a strong, durable faith that can withstand the enemy’s efforts to get past our defenses and destroy us.

If your local evening news broadcast alerted you to the fact that a real life, man-eating lion had somehow escaped from the zoo and was last seen prowling around in your neighborhood, tell me…what would that do to your personal “caution level?” Would you bolt your doors and lock your windows? What other security measures might you put in place to protect your family and yourself? How closely would you listen to every sound that reached your ears? And if for some unimaginable reason you had to go outside, just how watchful and alert would you be as all your senses maxed out their awareness?

So why is it that so many don’t operate on spiritual “high alert” to what the Bible says is the exact same kind of threat?

Instead of diligently guarding their hearts and staying watchful for the presence of danger, a significant number of Christians leave the access points of their lives and hearts (e.g. the eyes, the ears, the mind, etc.) wide open and unprotected. Careless about such things as the kinds of DVD’s and TV shows they watch, the sites they visit on their computers and the books and magazines they choose to read, far too many have had their spiritual lives ripped to shreds by this lion-like enemy. No huffing and puffing was needed for him to get past their defenses and savage their souls. He just figuratively knocked on the door and was welcomed in!

General Frederick Coutts sure hit the nail on the head when he observed:

“Many of us know so little of Satan’s real power because we yield so easily.

He has no need to exert himself unduly. We fall so quickly for so little.”

— General Frederick Coutts
The Call to Holiness

How about you…?

Considering your own life and spiritual experience over, let’s say, the last 3-6 months, do you think the enemy sees you as a pushover or an immoveable opponent? A fat target or a fierce fighter? How substantial is the protection around your heart? How hard is it for him to reach you? Do you stand strong or fall easily?

Let me suggest that we take the attitude William Pearson talks about:

No, we never, never, never will give in,
No we won’t! No we won’t!
No, we never, never, never will give in,
For we mean to have the victory forever.

Song 800
Salvation Army Songbook

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...

Willis

What's Left Behind is Important

One of God’s incredible blessings on my life is that I am the youngest son of Warren Howell (who turns 91 later this month!). I’ve done nothing to earn it, and had nothing to do with the selection process. It’s simply one of God’s amazing gifts of grace that has marked me and shaped aspects of my personality, my work ethic, my parenting, and my views as a Salvationist.

If I had the time, I’d tell you about Warren Howell the Corps Sergeant-Major of nearly every corps we attended, or Warren Howell the Songster Leader, or Warren Howell the de facto corps officer of a small military base in Morocco, Africa, and the many other times where he saw a ministry-related need and filled it. That’s just the way he always was.

The way he is now, however, is something altogether different. In many ways he’s even someone altogether different. Alzheimer’s disease does that to people. Slowly, irreversibly, the quietly strong, spiritually passionate man I’ve known as my dad continues to fade away like an old photograph. The fragile, older man I see in his place bears a striking resemblance to him, but it’s only a faint representation. Many of the best details of his personality have already disappeared,

But throughout his life – one day at a time – my dad has built and handed me a rich legacy. It’s a blessing I deeply treasure, and take great joy in sharing with others. What’s more is that I carefully guard and protect it. You see, I wouldn’t want any careless action on my part to cast a shadow on the heritage he has passed to me.

As Salvationists, just how careful are we with the doctrine of and belief in heart holiness which has been handed to us by our Army forbears? Far beyond the lives of the Booths, Railton, Brengle, and other well-known personalities, a vast Army of faithful soldiers – the majority of whose names have faded from our memories – have proved the possibility of living a holy life.

I wonder… Are we in danger of allowing this spiritual birthright to fade until it becomes little more than a footnote in a religious history book, or will we pray that God’s Spirit rekindle this burning zeal that inspires us to live our lives out from under the power of sin? Will we hold to our God-given spiritual heritage of holiness or will we blend into the background in an eager attempt to look like everyone else on the evangelical landscape?

In a classic passage in his book Love Slaves, Commissioner Brengle shares his concern on this very subject:

“…it is this Holiness – the doctrine, the experience, the action – that we Salvationists must maintain, otherwise we shall betray our trust; we shall lose our birthright; we shall cease to be a spiritual power in the earth; we shall have a name to live and yet be dead; our glory will depart; and we, like Samson shorn of his locks, shall become as other men; the souls with whom we are entrusted will grope in darkness or go elsewhere for soul-nourishment and guidance and while we may still have titles and ranks, which will have become vainglorious, to bestow upon our children, we shall have no heritage to bequeath them of martyr-like sacrifice, or spiritual power, or dare-devil faith, of pure, deep joy, of burning love, of holy triumph.”

– Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle
Love Slaves

I think his words have proven to be rather prophetic, don’t you?

Tell me...What kind of an Army are you leaving to those behind us?

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

An "Over the Line" Life

Colonel William Barrett Travis knew the situation was hopeless.

He was in command of a rag-tag group of rebels holed up in San Antonio, Texas, in an old Spanish mission called the Alamo, surrounded by thousands of Mexican troops under the leadership of General Santa Anna. Travis offered a final opportunity to the men gathered with him inside the walls. According to legend, Travis drew his sword and scratched a line in the sand. He then challenged all those who were willing to stand and die for what they believed to cross the line.

The choice Travis put to his men couldn’t have been clearer. It was a classic “black-and-white” decision:

• CHOICE A – Stay, fight, and accept the consequence for their actions and convictions.
• CHOICE B – Give in and surrender to the force that surrounded them.

Choose this or that — period. No third option, no “middle ground.”

The stakes were ultimately high. One side of the line meant life and general comfort. The other side represented sacrifice, pain, and probably death -- a fact that was certainly in sharp focus.

While the “line in the sand” story may or may not be true, we do know that a life-or-death choice was, in fact, made by each man in the Alamo. History records that in the early hours of Sunday, March 6, 1836, Santa Anna’s forces breached the walls and eventually killed every Alamo defender. But their courageous stand inspired an army and their sacrifice fanned a flame of passion that led to the establishing of the Republic of Texas.

It’s not too much of a stretch to draw the parallel that as Christians – and especially as soldiers of The Salvation Army – we too are surrounded by an enemy force that would like to eliminate us. And like the Alamo’s soldiers, we have to choose to either make an uncompromising – often uncomfortable – stand for our convictions and our mission, or give in to the pressures of culture, peers, and critics all around us. Clear cut choices of right and wrong, good or bad, courage or cowardice, participant or by-stander, are put in front of us on a daily basis inviting us to choose a side and act accordingly. And the choices we make will either inspire others to similar acts of faith and courage or give them reason to question our beliefs and write-off our witness.

Generally speaking, today’s society doesn’t like well-defined lines — let alone people whose actions are determined by their beliefs and convictions. In fact, there are many who work very hard to blur and distort much of what is clear. Today’s culture tells us that there are few, if any, moral absolutes, truth should be left up to the individual and his/her circumstances, and that open-minded acceptance of everyone’s point of view is the preferred attitude of the day. Consequently far too many of God’s soldiers have become uncomfortable with openly declaring a firm position or opposing view about most of what goes on within their circle of influence. Rather than crossing the line, taking a stand, and making a difference, they sit back and blend in with the crowd, allowing people to sink deeper in sin and continue their slide toward Hell.

Friends, this kind of compromise and fence-straddling is simply not an option for the Salvationist!

Tell me… When was the last time you reviewed the terms and conditions you agreed to live by when you were sworn in and enrolled as “a true soldier of The Salvation Army”? The day you signed your Soldier’s Covenant, you made a choice and stepped over a line to make a clear declaration as to where you stood, what you believed, and how you would behave as a result of those beliefs (Check out the 10 “I will…” statements in the “Therefore” section of your Covenant.).

I wonder… Do you still feel that way? Does your life agree with your Covenant? Do your choices inspire and encourage the soldiers around you, spurring them forward to action?

I’m convinced that as Salvationists, we are called to be activists for Christ not passive spectators. This line is clear. The question is which side of it are you on?

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Too Big Even For God?

If someone were to stop you on the street and ask you just how powerful you suppose God really is, how would you answer?

It’s hard to wrap your mind around such an infinite concept, isn’t it? I mean, how do you even begin to try to calculate – let alone describe and define – that which is unlimited? How do you take what is completely without boundaries and confine to the limitations of language, words, and human comprehension? No matter how far you take it, or how deeply you’re able to imagine it, or how well you describe it, God’s power and ability would still be endlessly beyond our greatest measurement or explanation, right?

Still, you’ve been challenged. You want to give the best answer you can. You might point to the vastness of space and the cosmos, or describe the intricate detail and balance of the microscopic world as proof of His power and ability. You could try to describe the might of the most powerful force in the known universe, a black hole (so powerful that not even light can escape from it), and explain that God’s power is immeasurably beyond even that.

Could be that you’d even use some Scripture to support your answer. Maybe you’d start with Jeremiah’s declaration…

“O Sovereign LORD! You have made the heavens and earth
by your great power. Nothing is too hard for you!”
Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT)

Perhaps you’d want to add the testimony of an archangel…

“…nothing is impossible with God."
Luke 1:37 (NIV)

You might even use Jesus’ own words…

"What is impossible with men is possible with God."
Luke 18:27 (NIV)

Or you could even choose to let God simply speak for Himself…

“I am the LORD God. I rule the world, and I can do anything!”
Jeremiah 32:27 (CEV)

Regardless of how you approached the challenge, I would imagine that the bottom line idea you would want to get across to your questioner is that there is nothing God cannot do. No limits. No boundaries. No constraints. Nothing is outside of His ability. Nothing is beyond His power.

So if that’s the way we see God, why is it that when it comes to the possibility of a Christian living a holy life – having a truly purified heart – many believers dismiss the idea as impossible? We’ll shout loud and proud from the rooftops that our God has the power to do everything ranging from the creation of galaxies and solar systems to raising Jesus from the dead. But somehow this same God is completely stumped when it comes to knowing how – or having the ability – to make the human heart holy in this present life…. That’s an order too tall even for Him.

If this were really the case, why would God frustrate and tease His people by requiring something of them that He could never provide and they, in turn, could never achieve?

Let’s let Oswald Chambers weigh in on this matter:

"If Jesus ever commanded us to do something that He was unable to equip us to accomplish, He would be a liar. And if we make our own inability a stumbling block or an excuse not to be obedient, it means that we are telling God that there is something which He has not yet taken into account."

Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest

If Chambers is right, then tell me….

• …what is the “something” in your life “…which He has not yet taken into account” ?

"I am the LORD God. I rule the world, and I can do anything!”
Jeremiah 32:27 (CEV)

• …what obstacle do you see that He somehow doesn’t?

“I am the LORD God. I rule the world, and I can do anything!”
Jeremiah 32:27 (CEV)

• …what conditions do you face that, in your opinion, puts heart holiness completely out of reach?

“I am the LORD God. I rule the world, and I can do anything!”
Jeremiah 32:27 (CEV)

The majority of those I’ve spoken to who question the possibility of holiness, generally look at the matter from a purely human standpoint:

• "There’s just no way I can be free from sin."
• "I’m bound to sin in some way each day. "
• "I could never overcome this-or-that temptation. "

It seems to me that this viewpoint is alot like looking through the wrong end of the telescope – everything seems impossibly far away.

Turn the whole proposition around, and suddenly it all looks different! You see, it’s not what we can or can’t do; it’s what the infinitely powerful God of the universe can do in us and for us. That’s how we get the pure heart that God expects and we dream of!

All He waits for is your invitation. You see, the Holy Spirit doesn’t come barging in to a heart uninvited. He waits to be asked in. A clean heart is only a prayer away from you.

So here’s a thought… Why not spend a little knee-time with Him about this and give holiness a try today?

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis

Rescue The Perishing!

I’m a native New Englander. A “Connecticut Yankee,” as some would put it.

Born into a family of New Englanders (Mom from Malden, Massachusetts; Dad from Portland, Maine), I grew up being very familiar with the heritage and tradition of New England sea stories.

One of these stories has always reminded me of this section of the classic lithograph found in the front of William Booth’s In Darkest England and The Way Out.

Here in this portion of the picture (which actually is an artistic rendering of a vision Booth had and described in an article he entitled Who Cares? in the June 20, 1885 War Cry) you see the heroic efforts of Salvationists gathered around the edges of a turbulent sea, doing everything within their power to rescue the multitudes of those who are drowning in an ocean of evils, vices, and sins. If the image had a bit better resolution, you might make out the fact that there are even a couple of boatloads of Salvationists who have put their own lives at risk by going out into the heavy seas to rescue those who are beyond the reach of the shore-based efforts (one boat even has an Army flag flying!).

Here’s the New England sea story that closely mirrors this picture:

Back in colonial days of this country, countless ships were wrecked and lives were lost off the rocky coast of Massachusetts. The sad fact was that this often happened within sight of the Nantucket shoreline. Finally, the people of Nantucket could no longer stand by and watch tragedy after tragedy happen so frequently, and so close to their reach. In 1786, they formed what was called the Massachusetts Humane Society (for rescuing people, not animals, as we think of the term today). From that point on, any time a ship hit the rocks off the Nantucket coast, the alarm quickly spread to the Humane Society members who would launch out in boats – regardless of the time of year, the weather conditions or the hour of the day – putting themselves at severe risk in the process in order to save as many lives as they could.

Over time, they adopted a motto for themselves and their mission: “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” (Is that heroic, or what? -- W)

Roughly a hundred years later (1870’s), the Government professionalized life saving efforts with the implementation of the United States Life-Saving Service, which eventually became the U.S. Coast Guard. Volunteers no longer went out to rescue those who were shipwrecked. That job was turned over to the paid professionals. The self-sacrificing citizens who had once risked their own lives in order to save others no longer challenged one another with the words, “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” Now, they sat back and let the “experts” handle the work.

I’ve got to tell you folks, I see this as something of a cautionary tale for us as Salvationists…

Consider our Army roots. It's easy to see the close parallel between the actions and attitudes of the early Army with those of the colonial Nantucketers, isn't it? I mean, even the most casual glance at the picture is enough to validate the comparison, right?

We all know the story of how, in Booth’s day, people’s lives were being “wrecked” on the rocks of sin, often within reach of professing Christians. We’re very familiar with the details of how finally a group of believers who cared more about those being lost and less about their own safety could no longer stand by and do nothing – they had to act! So under Booth’s leadership, they banded together as the Christian Mission and ultimately The Salvation Army. Nowhere in Army history do we read of any Salvationist announcing the exact phrase “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” But that same “whatever-the-cost” attitude and passion of those words and that sentiment was certainly reflected in the early Salvationist mindset and behavior.

Fast-forward to today…

I don’t know how things are in your part of the Army world, but here in the States, more and more of the rescue work Salvationists once willingly took on themselves is being passed over to “professionals.” In far too many locations, Army work with the homeless, the needy, the hungry, and the fallen which was once seen by our soldiers as an opportunity to talk with a person about their soul has been transferred to the efforts of hired employees who may or may not be in step with our spiritual mission.

Also, like the Humane Society, we once had a reckless passion to launch out from our corps and citadels into “less refined” areas of town hoping to find and rescue those drowning in sin. For too many these days, going out after the shipwrecked has become…well…an inconvenience. It’s far easier to sit in the climate controlled comfort of our buildings and pray that God sends someone their way. Hey…isn’t that why we have professionals?

I wonder what the world might look like if our Army re-embraced a “you-have-to-go-out-but-you-don’t-have-to-come-back” attitude. I wonder what difference that kind of behavior might make in our communities. What difference would it make to the Kingdom?

Wouldn't you love to find out….?

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis

Still Wild at Heart?

It seems to me that some of God’s creations were never really meant to be tamed.

Sure there are folks who have managed to fairly well subdue some of the natural instincts and behaviors of certain lions, and tigers, and bears (“…oh, my!”), but these animals should never be considered completely tame. We watch them with their handlers, and are tempted to believe that they’re cuddly, cute, huggable, and…well…managable. But deep inside, they are still true to their nature. They’re still wild at heart. Provoke them – get them stirred up, or angry – and just watch what happens. The “wild” that is hidden but still inside them will come roaring to the surface with terrible consequences.

Let me point out another of God’s unique creations that in my opinion was never intended for domestication: Christians (especially Salvationists!).

That’s the overall theme of The Barbarian Way (subtitled Unleash the Untamed Faith Within), a short, but very interesting book by Erwin McManus. Throughout the book, McManus uses the image of a “barbarian” – someone generally unwelcomed and out of step with polite, civilized society due to their wild, aggressive, non-conforming nature – as a metaphor for the untamed Christian. Here’s something of the flavor of his writing:

Somewhere along the way, the movement of Jesus Christ became civilized as Christianity. We created a religion using the name of Jesus Christ and convinced ourselves that God’s optimal desire for our lives was to insulate us in a spiritual bubble where we risk nothing, sacrifice nothing, lose nothing, worry about nothing…

It may seem counterintuitive, but the more civilized we become, the more detached from the pain of others we end up finding ourselves. The most civilized churches have really no practical concern for people outside their congregations. The brokenness of a lost and unbelieving world is not enough to inspire the painful changes necessary to make the church relevant to the world in which we live.

Would somebody please get this guy a uniform and a flag…?! He’s got the heart, spirit and attitude of a Salvationist! He’d fit right in with us!

Or would he…?

I don’t know how things are where you live, but more and more here in the West, a growing number of Salvationists are lining up and signing up for “civilization.” Much like the wild animals mentioned earlier, their Salvationist impulses and behaviors having been fairly well subdued by our culture, far too many Soldiers are embracing a sort of domestication. In short, they’ve become tame. Sadder still, they like it

Years ago, Colonel Lyell Rader,(O.F.), was concerned about this very thing. Addressing the issue head-on, he figuratively grabbed his readers by the lapels of their uniforms as he shook them and pointed out: Salvationists once startled the world as an assault force for Christ. Dare the Army now be content to be merely an army of occupation?

I wonder… Is the Salvationist instinct still in us? Does something still stir in us when we see the man under the bridge or the girl on the street, or have we become subdued by the applause of the more affluent in our community? Is there a passionate, holy “untamed-ness” still in our hearts just waiting to rise up and roar back against the enemy? Is there a “hallelujah!” left to be shouted, or is it possible that we no longer do such things because we’ve bought into a more carefully cultivated image recommended to us by those who would gladly be our handlers?

Salvationists who are still wild at heart, let me try to intentionally provoke you – to stir you up. Shake off the constricting frills and trimmings of religious civilization and reconnect with our mission, our passion, and our calling. Raise your banner! Draw your sword! Make all of Hell shudder as once again you throw back your heads and shout your war cry for all to hear! Hallelujah!

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis

Sleepless in Atlanta?

How well do you sleep?

Are you one of those who have problems falling asleep? And once you are asleep, is it hard for you to stay asleep?

If you’re like most Americans, you wrestle with some aspect of sleeping. Studies and statistics say:
• Almost 74% of all Americans do not get enough sleep each night.
• Most will feel sleepy or groggy during the week.
• 51% of adults say they have problems sleeping at least a few nights each week.
• Almost one third of Americans have trouble sleeping every night.
• Half of all Americans can not get up without an alarm clock.
• Alarm clocks interrupt sleep cycle causing, lack of energy, feeling unrefreshed in the morning.
• Those with sleep problems are twice as likely to feel stressed and tired.
(Information from National Sleep Foundation, 2002 Annual Sleep Survey)

As a result, sleeping problems are estimated to be the #1 health-related problem facing Americans (CNN, May 1997). Furthermore, experts tell us that sleep deprivation costs $150 billion each year in higher stress and reduced worker productivity (National Commission on Sleep Disorders, 2003).

So what is it that causes our sleeplessness…?

The answer covers a long list of reasons which would include everything from a son or daughter returning home late from a date, to issues involving physical, emotional or psychological disorders.

Short of one of these more severe cases, however, a significant number of our sleep-deprived friends would tell us that they simply have a hard time “shutting down their mind.” They go to bed still thinking about that project they’re working on, that paper that’s due, or the problem that has them puzzled.

Me…? I have no problems dropping right off to sleep. My head hits the pillow and I’m gone. My wife, Barbara, on the other hand, is a card-carrying member of the “I-can’t-turn-off-my-mind” club. Many nights she’ll lay there trying to will herself to sleep. Doesn’t work… Wanting to be a helpful husband, there’ve been times when – led by the Spirit of God, of course – I’ve suggested to her that maybe her sleeplessness has less to do with an inability to log-off and shut down her brain, and more to do with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I’ve tried to get her to consider the possibility that perhaps she has some hidden, unconfessed sin in her heart, or a guilty conscience that needs dealing with. I mean, since I fall asleep so quickly – secure in the knowlege that my heart is pure and my conscience is clear(!) – all I can conclude is that God is keeping her from sleep in order that she might repent of whatever dreadful personal transgression she might have willfully committed.

Surprisingly, Barbara doesn’t always appreciate my “Spirit-directed” insight! In fact, sharing these “revelations” with her usually gets me smacked, whacked, or kicked out of bed (further evidence of her guilt, if you ask me!).

In Cyril Barnes’ little book, Words of William Booth, he tells the story of a particular time the Founder had problems sleeping.

Late one night, Bramwell evidently heard his father stirring, and went to the old man’s room to see what might be the matter. He opened the door and saw the General pacing the floor, unable to sleep.

Bramwell says to his father, “General, what are you doing up at this hour? You should have been in bed long ago!”

Startled by the interruption, the old warrior stopped his pacing, looked at his son, and answered, “I am thinking about the people’s sins. What will the people do with their sins?”

Let me tell you, that story convicts me more than you’ll know. Why? Because I sleep very well.

I wonder how many of us there might be who, while deeply concerned for others’ souls, aren’t troubled to the point that it has ever disturbed our sleep or kept us awake (kinda makes me wonder just how deep our concern really is!). The thought of someone without Jesus bothers me terribly. But it has never caused me to pace the floor at night. Am I burdened about people and their sins? Most definitely, yes! Am I that burdened? Well…obviously not (wow, that hurts to write!).

While I don’t recall where I found this prayer, it seems appropriate to close this posting with these words:

May God bless you with Discomfort…
at easy answers, half –truths, and superficial relationships,
so that you may live deep within your heart

May God bless you with Anger…
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with Tears…
to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough Foolishness…
to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

Here’s to God also blessing more of us with sleepless nights and a floor-pacing passion for souls!

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis

Hell? Yes!

I’ve recently gotten this small, pocket-sized, soft covered old-Army book, published back in 1909, simply called The Doctrines of The Salvation Army. I thought it was going to be laid out like my other antique Handbook[s] of Doctrine. You know, major sections, followed by numbered sub-sections, sometimes followed by points a, b, c, etc. This book is nothing like that. In fact, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The whole thing is laid out in “question-and-answer” format, as if a reporter were interviewing some Army doctrine expert. Here’s a sample:

You say you have a soul. What do you mean by that?
That there is within a man a spirit altogether separate from and independent of his body. A spirit which thinks, wills, knows and feels, and by which he can
distinguish good from evil.

Will this soul die with the body?
No; the soul is immortal; that is, it can never perish.
(from here the “doctrine expert” goes on to quote Ecc. 12:7, and Matt 16:26 -- W)

Very interesting!

Anyway, just the other day, I randomly flipped it open just to show a friend the book’s unique layout. I happened to open to the chapter on Hell. I didn’t get beyond the first question in the chapter.

The “interview” for the topic started off with this basic question:

Do you believe in Hell?

I expected there’d be a simple, one-word sentence as the answer – “Yes”. But I found something else. Oh, the “yes” is there alright, but the punctuation after it is a comma, not a period. “Yes,” is followed by three other words that completed the sentence and rocked my thinking at the same time. Here’s how the answer read:

Yes, all the time.

Man, that answer stopped me short! Those last three little words – “…all the time.” – hit me like an Evander Holyfield right.

Do I believe in Hell? Sure. No brainer. I know in my head, and hold to a personal belief that there is a literal Hell. But do I believe in it “…all the time”…? I’m not sure I measure up to that. I mean, if someone were to observe my life for a week or so, would they come to the conclusion that I do? Do my convictions, or more importantly my actions, give evidence that I believe in it “all the time”?

Wouldn’t you think that an “all the time” belief in Hell would show itself in a person having…I don’t know…a strong, passionate sense of urgency about it all?

In a past issue of armybarmy’s Journal of Aggressive Christianity, I read an article by Commissioner Wesley Harris entitled “Wake Up.” It spoke of this “all the time” characteristic as being one of the things that sets the early Army apart from our present Army. See for yourself (I’ve added the emphasizing):

Generally speaking, one of the differences between early day Salvationists and ourselves is that we often lack their sense of urgency. They would be amazed at the way in which we often close a meeting with a perfunctory nod towards the Mercy Seat, and a passing reference to the possibility of someone kneeling at it. Perhaps we too easily assume that there are no unconverted people in the hall. Our forebears in the faith used language that had the ring of urgency. They spoke of prayer battles and taking prisoners and saving the lost. The unsaved were in dire danger unless they became awake and aware of their spiritual condition. Early day Salvationists took the eleventh of our Articles of Faith seriously. Do we?

When I was a young officer one of my mentors was Commissioner George Jolliffe who was at one time private secretary to William Booth and even lived in his house at one stage. I asked him what was the secret of the Founder’s drive and he replied, surprisingly, ‘It was his belief in hell!’ That was what led him to challenge the cabby or the engine driver or the donor about their soul’s salvation.

He saw people starkly in danger of a lost eternity unless someone could awaken them to their need of a Saviour. There was no time to lose.

That's it...! The “all the time” spirit that the Doctrine Book spoke about!

Tell me...where and how have we lost it? More importantly, how do we get it back?

The clock’s ticking………..

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis

Knock, knock....

We’ve all seen this classic Warner Sallman picture, Christ at Heart’s Door, right? It’s Sallman’s artistic rendering of Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…”

Fine.

I’d guess that it’s highly likely that at some point you’ve also heard some preacher, teacher, or corps officer point out some of the features of the painting. Like how the two arches over Jesus’ head combined with the light around Him form the shape of a heart, and how by looking into the small window on the door, you can see that this “heart” is dark on the inside. From there, it’s usually pointed out how this “heart’s door” Jesus is knocking on has no handle, doorknob, or latch on the outside – it can only be opened from the inside. And it’s usually right about here that the preacher, teacher, or corps officer pushes the point of application: “Have you opened your heart and invited Jesus to come in?”

Ken Callahan is an author, consultant, and friend of the Army that I’ve gotten to work with from time to time. Say what you want about Ken, but you can’t deny the man’s passion for the Church to be in mission, on mission, and about mission.

Ken looks at this painting and proposes that there just might be another, somewhat different interpretation of the picture. He suggests that we look at it from the perspective of, well, the church and mission.

In doing this, he starts off by pointing out a couple of the usual observations – the lack of a handle to anyone on the outside, and the dark interior. But when he gets to the “Jesus-at-the-door” part, he takes us off the well-worn path of the usual understanding of the picture. He asks us to imagine Christ knocking on the handle-less door not of some weed-crowded cottage, or symbolic heart, but of the Church.

Hmmm… Now there's something to think about.

I wonder…how hard is it for certain people – or better yet, certain types of people (like those we label as “outsiders” for any one of a long list of reasons) – to find a “handle” that will open the Church to them? Oh, they can easily enter our buildings, if they ever have a reason to, but that’s not the same thing as getting into the church or the corps, is it? Think about your corps or church… Is the “handle” of unconditional welcome, acceptance, and inclusion easily found and used by those “outside” your fellowship, or is it somehow hidden behind unwritten policies and unspoken requirements? To ask it more bluntly, when it comes to those who aren’t “like us,” does your corps or church have to be opened from the inside?

In coming back to Sallman’s painting, Callahan moves into even more provocative territory...

As if it’s not already controversial enough to think of Christ somehow locked outside the Church, having to knock on a no-handled door like some encyclopedia salesman, Ken puts forward the idea that maybe Jesus isn’t knocking on the door of the Church trying to get in. No, he wonders if it’s not more a matter of Jesus knocking on the Church door inviting us to come out! Out of our sanctuaries, out of our citadels, out of our offices, out of our comfort zones, out of our debates over music styles and form, and into the world where the people are because that’s where Jesus is! He moves and walks throughout the world, still concerned over those who are lost, ready to engage them where they live, work, date, search, divorce, hurt, fight, and suffer.

Interesting view, isn’t it?

In John 17:5, Jesus prayed to His Father about His disciples, and said,

I'm not asking that you take them out of the world but that you guard them from the Evil One… In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. John 17:15,18 (MSG)

If I’m reading this right, Jesus has always intended that our mission would be like His – to the world! To those who don’t necessarily come to us on our terms. To those who may not see things the same way we do. To those who need to be sought out and gone after.

That's hard to accomplish while sitting in a pew that’s bolted to the floor in a temperature controlled room, behind walls and doors – both the literal, physical kind of walls and doors, as well as the figurative kind.

So maybe Callahan’s analysis of Sallman’s picture has a bit of relevance for us to consider. What do you say about it? What’s your opinion?

As for me, I believe I’m going to sit down, turn on some of Chris Tomlin's worship music in the background, and just pray for all those folks on the outside of my corps.

Hang on…there’s Someone at the door…

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis