Saturday, March 7, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Orders and Regulations for Soldiers
From the Soldiers O and R's Chapter 11 - Section 2. Saved to Save
1. Just as the central word of the name of his Movement is salvation, so the salvation soldier will recollect that his Soldier's Covenant begins with a declaration about having personally received it and concludes with a dedication to personal work for the salvation of the whole world. The love of Christ requires him to make an unreserved commitment to His service.
2. Behind the unreserved dedication to the salvation war is the assurance 'that the sure and only way to remedy all the evils in the world is by bringing men to submit themselves to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ' (The Soldier's Covenant).
3. The salvation soldier must not therefore comfort himself with the knowledge that he is taking part in the collective endeavors of an association of people. He is also an individual agent of the Lord Jesus and has to show personal enterprise in the endeavors to win people one by one. He will be surprised how the numbers will grow if every soldier wins one person each year.
4. The salvation soldier must not be satisfied with a corps, however flourishing and attractive and strong, which is not above all striving to win new people for Christ. Soldiers who are truly saved must pray and work earnestly to save others.
5. While the soldier will be gripped by the assurance that 'all have need of God's salvation', he will generally be well advised to give special attention to those with whom he has much in common and whose problems and situation in life resemble his own. An adolescent is likely to be the best ambassador of Christ to another young person, a housewife to another, a converted alcoholic to one who is seeking deliverance from the same addiction and so forth. But the most important thing is to be led by the Holy Spirit and to act with tender love, assured that the motto, 'Every soldier a soul-winner', is pleasing to God.
Now soldier up! We are an Army of Salvation - Share the message of Jesus today. Only Jesus Saves!
Live Holy, Preach Jesus!
1. Just as the central word of the name of his Movement is salvation, so the salvation soldier will recollect that his Soldier's Covenant begins with a declaration about having personally received it and concludes with a dedication to personal work for the salvation of the whole world. The love of Christ requires him to make an unreserved commitment to His service.
2. Behind the unreserved dedication to the salvation war is the assurance 'that the sure and only way to remedy all the evils in the world is by bringing men to submit themselves to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ' (The Soldier's Covenant).
3. The salvation soldier must not therefore comfort himself with the knowledge that he is taking part in the collective endeavors of an association of people. He is also an individual agent of the Lord Jesus and has to show personal enterprise in the endeavors to win people one by one. He will be surprised how the numbers will grow if every soldier wins one person each year.
4. The salvation soldier must not be satisfied with a corps, however flourishing and attractive and strong, which is not above all striving to win new people for Christ. Soldiers who are truly saved must pray and work earnestly to save others.
5. While the soldier will be gripped by the assurance that 'all have need of God's salvation', he will generally be well advised to give special attention to those with whom he has much in common and whose problems and situation in life resemble his own. An adolescent is likely to be the best ambassador of Christ to another young person, a housewife to another, a converted alcoholic to one who is seeking deliverance from the same addiction and so forth. But the most important thing is to be led by the Holy Spirit and to act with tender love, assured that the motto, 'Every soldier a soul-winner', is pleasing to God.
Now soldier up! We are an Army of Salvation - Share the message of Jesus today. Only Jesus Saves!
Live Holy, Preach Jesus!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Captain's meditation on Exodus 4:3-14
Look up the scripture (go ahead look at it - here is the recap)...
Moses was called by God, but he wasn't sure anyone would believe it. God said to him, "What is that in your hand?", "a staff" Moses replies. The Lord said, "throw it on the ground" and it became a snake and Moses RAN FROM IT. Then the Lord instructed Moses to "TAKE IT BY THE TAIL" and it again became a staff.
After the promise of yet two more signs Moses responds with, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." To which the Lord said, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
What is Moses' response now??? Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." We then read that prior to sending Moses a helper, verse 14 says "then the Lord's anger burned against Moses."
How many times has God asked me to do something for Him, only to be met with a list of signs I want to see, or excuses I have. Isn't it enough to know that God Almighty has spoken. He will provide you with whatever resources you need. He knows your talents and short-comings (He made you) and is ready to use you anyway.
It angers me to tell my kids something over and over again without hearing, "yes daddy". Certainly God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, is worth the same response from His children, "Yes Father, Your will be done."
No matter what you have to do today, or what task is set before you, no matter how inadequate you feel, or how simple the tool in your hand, God can and will use it - all you need to do is QUIT RUNNING FROM GOD'S DIRECTION AND GRAB HIS GRACE BY THE TAIL!
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Moses was called by God, but he wasn't sure anyone would believe it. God said to him, "What is that in your hand?", "a staff" Moses replies. The Lord said, "throw it on the ground" and it became a snake and Moses RAN FROM IT. Then the Lord instructed Moses to "TAKE IT BY THE TAIL" and it again became a staff.
After the promise of yet two more signs Moses responds with, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." To which the Lord said, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
What is Moses' response now??? Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." We then read that prior to sending Moses a helper, verse 14 says "then the Lord's anger burned against Moses."
How many times has God asked me to do something for Him, only to be met with a list of signs I want to see, or excuses I have. Isn't it enough to know that God Almighty has spoken. He will provide you with whatever resources you need. He knows your talents and short-comings (He made you) and is ready to use you anyway.
It angers me to tell my kids something over and over again without hearing, "yes daddy". Certainly God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, is worth the same response from His children, "Yes Father, Your will be done."
No matter what you have to do today, or what task is set before you, no matter how inadequate you feel, or how simple the tool in your hand, God can and will use it - all you need to do is QUIT RUNNING FROM GOD'S DIRECTION AND GRAB HIS GRACE BY THE TAIL!
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
A section from the Orders and Regulations for Officers
Lord help me always keep first things first, and may every soldier and officer alike be ever mindful of our "orders" to preach the good news to all creation.
(This is from the "O & R's" pages 15 and 18, Part 2 – The officer's principal responsibility – soul-winning)
As The Salvation Army was raised up by God to bring men and women to experience the saving power of God, an officer’s first duty is to further this purpose. Every officer should personally seek to bring the sinner to God and, by example as well as precept, to train his people in their divine task. It hardly needs to be said that like officer, like soldier. Where an officer is zealous in soul-winning, so will his people be. Where he is indifferent, his spirit can affect the entire corps. Other duties – such as planning meetings, caring for his people, attending to fund-raising – are all essential, but nothing should take priority over this primary duty for which he has been specially trained. This applies to all officers, whatever their specific appointment may be.
The officer will not be content if the work of the Army is better understood, or if his youth sections flourish, or if he secures more time on the mass media for the Army’s message, unless these become the means whereby young and old alike personally commit themselves to Jesus as Savior and Lord. To this end he will not only make use of the Army’s time honored methods of evangelism, adapting them in the most effective way possible to the needs of the hour, but he will courageously experiment with new ways of making Jesus known as Savior of men. In other words, he will be willing to be dedicated to failure. In the divine economy this could be the way to God-glorifying success.
Officers, Soldiers, & Followers of Christ, tell someone today that Jesus is the only way to escape hell and be saved for heaven. Remind the "believers" that we are "saved to saved" and remind a "saint" that we are "saved from sin and from sinning".
Live Holy and preach Jesus today!
(This is from the "O & R's" pages 15 and 18, Part 2 – The officer's principal responsibility – soul-winning)
As The Salvation Army was raised up by God to bring men and women to experience the saving power of God, an officer’s first duty is to further this purpose. Every officer should personally seek to bring the sinner to God and, by example as well as precept, to train his people in their divine task. It hardly needs to be said that like officer, like soldier. Where an officer is zealous in soul-winning, so will his people be. Where he is indifferent, his spirit can affect the entire corps. Other duties – such as planning meetings, caring for his people, attending to fund-raising – are all essential, but nothing should take priority over this primary duty for which he has been specially trained. This applies to all officers, whatever their specific appointment may be.
The officer will not be content if the work of the Army is better understood, or if his youth sections flourish, or if he secures more time on the mass media for the Army’s message, unless these become the means whereby young and old alike personally commit themselves to Jesus as Savior and Lord. To this end he will not only make use of the Army’s time honored methods of evangelism, adapting them in the most effective way possible to the needs of the hour, but he will courageously experiment with new ways of making Jesus known as Savior of men. In other words, he will be willing to be dedicated to failure. In the divine economy this could be the way to God-glorifying success.
Officers, Soldiers, & Followers of Christ, tell someone today that Jesus is the only way to escape hell and be saved for heaven. Remind the "believers" that we are "saved to saved" and remind a "saint" that we are "saved from sin and from sinning".
Live Holy and preach Jesus today!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Captain's meditation on Mark 7:36
Mark 7 verses 31-37. People brought a man to Jesus who was deaf and could hardly talk. Jesus took the man aside and healed him. Afterwards Jesus healed the man he could hear and speak plainly.
Verse 36-37 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement, (and they said) He has done everything well...
Why is it that Jesus commanded people not to tell anyone and they kept talking about it, and He commands us to preach the good news to all creation and we remain silent?
Perhaps we just aren't overwhelmed with amazement?.... If we are - how could we keep from talking about it.
SOLDIERS OF JESUS - Let's start proclaiming that our Jesus saves and has done everything well?
Verse 36-37 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement, (and they said) He has done everything well...
Why is it that Jesus commanded people not to tell anyone and they kept talking about it, and He commands us to preach the good news to all creation and we remain silent?
Perhaps we just aren't overwhelmed with amazement?.... If we are - how could we keep from talking about it.
SOLDIERS OF JESUS - Let's start proclaiming that our Jesus saves and has done everything well?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sunday's Sermon - Standing near the cross
To listen to this past Sunday's sermon, just click the play arrow here for audio or download options. For sermon notes see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this page - next to today's title is a PDF for notes.
God bless your study!
To listen to past sermons see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this blog page. Note it may several seconds to start below.
God bless your study!
To listen to past sermons see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this blog page. Note it may several seconds to start below.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A day for prayer and rest
A blessed Sunday to you.
In between "doing ministry" and "doing ministry" Mark 1:35-36 tells us...Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
Maybe you are tired from being busy about the Lord's work, or maybe you are just tired of everyone on the planet needing your attention, phone, cell phone, instant message, text, email, on, and on... everyone is looking for you.
Jesus knew that the only way to stay properly connected to The Father, and empowered by His Spirit, was to intentionally be alone with God in prayer.
The world can survive without you for a while, get yourself to a solitary place and spend some time in prayer today.
By the way, after you have allowed God to recharge you, remember that there is a world that needs you, go to tell them of the Savior.
Recharge in private, then be spent doing the work of telling the world about Jesus.
Note
As always if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, who lived, sacrificially died in your place, and rose from the dead, then repent of your sins (confess and turn from them), have faith in Jesus alone (faith is simply placing your full trust solely in Him), and receive Him by faith today.
In between "doing ministry" and "doing ministry" Mark 1:35-36 tells us...Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
Maybe you are tired from being busy about the Lord's work, or maybe you are just tired of everyone on the planet needing your attention, phone, cell phone, instant message, text, email, on, and on... everyone is looking for you.
Jesus knew that the only way to stay properly connected to The Father, and empowered by His Spirit, was to intentionally be alone with God in prayer.
The world can survive without you for a while, get yourself to a solitary place and spend some time in prayer today.
By the way, after you have allowed God to recharge you, remember that there is a world that needs you, go to tell them of the Savior.
Recharge in private, then be spent doing the work of telling the world about Jesus.
Note
As always if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, who lived, sacrificially died in your place, and rose from the dead, then repent of your sins (confess and turn from them), have faith in Jesus alone (faith is simply placing your full trust solely in Him), and receive Him by faith today.
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