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