Doctrines - do we know what we believe?

As a part of our worship time at Glenroy, I've been taking us breifly through the Salvation Army doctrines since our worship isn't just about singing songs, but is living out our lives by living out what we believe and how we stand in our relationship with Jesus. So today we were upto the third doctrine which states;

"We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory "

Last week was obviously doctrine number two (we're going through in order!) which states;

"We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship"

Thats fine, that spells it out exactly as I believe the Scripture clearly states it. Ok, now it gets interesting. Tonight we had our family video night at church - we watched 'Left Behind' which is about the end times and goes through the story basically how it is in the book of Revelation, but at the end, one of the older ladies who has been attending our church for ever really, said to my Mum, I don't really like those spy stories. Mum replied along the lines of 'excuse me?! Didn't you realise that was about Revelations'. The lady didn't really follow, well Mum doesn't think so anyway! Quite sad I feel, always attending, but never hearing - I hope she just knows that Jesus is the Son of God and accepts that as truth.

Well, it does get worse though - this lady is my Mum's sister (who recently died) her mother in law. She said also to my Mother tonight, that she had been praying for Wendy (Mum's sister) but continued saying 'just incase our 'god' couldn't help, I've asked my Muslim next door neighbour to pray to their 'god' to help her'!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What to say!!?? My goodness!!! Ahhhhhhhhh! [pulling out some hair atm]

Lucky I didn't hear this first hand - I would have had a heart attack. A senior of our church - well obviously only in years of attendance! We had just gone through the second doctrine at the start of the week before she had gone off to do this, maybe we have to talk as if we are talking to 3 year olds when we're teaching God's truths - how many others in our church are so far off the track (we do have childrens stories - maybe we need more of them?!). It's funny though, these are the people that refuse to come to Bible studies and night meetings, well anything that has any depth, because they say they don't need to.........(!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I really don't know how to conclude this blog, what else to say!

"And you shall seek me, and find me, when you seach for me with all your heart"

Jeremiah 29:13

Church - be searching!

Scattered flock - Where is the Shepherd?

Last night we had a forum with anyone who wanted to come to discuss Army issues related to mission, officership etc. We had a few turn up and it was lead by Major Raymond Finger. As the disscussions started it all just sounded like a clanging sound - there was no real content behind what anyone was saying. People were just giving the 'correct' taught answers which we hear over and over, word by word. Stupid sayings we've worn out, like we're out to save souls, but everyone just says it to impress the 'important' ranked officers and others there - it made me quite embarrassed actually.

When some serious questions arose, the people who were best to answer were pushed back in line by people who just wanted to hear their own voice and I kept hearing people saying 'I think...' and the people who 'knew' didn't even get to say a word all night!

The worst thing about the night was that no one really agreed on anything, we all are our own boss. If I want to believe everyone meant what they said, then we're an army of individual 'armies' fighting for whatever we want to fight for - where did the Bible and Jesus come into any of it. Not much at all really.

God kept reminding me of the early church in Acts where it was know as 'the way' where we were showing the world the way to life - the way to Jesus. We are all scattered sheep lost to 'the way' - so are people not finding Jesus through the Army because we're lost ourselves?

I thank God for people like Marney and Len Turner who are totally surrendered to Jesus and don't exist for themselves, it's so encouraging knowing I can go to them for real food and Spirit fed resources. I know God is blessing them and I encourage everyone to pray for them constantly as I do!

Another thing that's been bugging me is that the Salvation Army's community support programs are being 'combined' with other programmes like Westcare and we're starting to let ourselves be taken over by them. The very thing God raised us up for is now being dominated by other churches - that's great as long as it's being done, but then I think - are we now redundant? What do we exsist for now or doesn't God requre the Army anymore, or has He changed our mission and focus?

Oh great Shepherd, come tend to Your flocks!

"However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and the that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."
Acts 24:14-16

Encouragement and Freedom

Acts 6:1-7

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews [a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented them to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Yesterday at Church, we had a great time learning about Jesus the Healer and things were going great. One of our attenders had a total turn around during the week, he almost appeared as a new being claiming he had finally found God. Things are going great at Glenroy Salvation Army with our adopted new Sprirtual leaders - Lt Colonels Brain and Elaine Hood.

One of our 'members' was talking to me after the meeting and gave me an insight to an answer I've been after. I've been wondering why we're still not repenting as God's been asking of us. I thought our church was hard of heart but the answer seemed to come through our childrens story.

Our CSM was taking our young ones through the parable of the seeds falling on different types of ground - ie, the path, the thorny ground and good soil. It seems as though we don't have hard hearts but the seeds, or the word of God in our lives are falling on thorny ground and as it is growing in our hearts it is being strangled and taken over by the world. The world has too much of a hold on our lives still - be in the world but not of it!

Now I come to the part to explain the Bible verse above. Our congregation seems to have more fault finding abilities than encouragement abilities - which can have it's advantages if in balance with the encouragement. In my martial arts teachings, I've learnt that for every one bad punch, for example, you need to do seven correct ones to re-correct the one wrong. I thought of this yesterday when people started comming upto me to complain about the things we aren't doing well enough - hey, there is plenty of good things that we are doing, but the complaints are weighing me down too much, I feel drained and disouraged by all of this. No one said a word of encouragement yesterday, just one would have been enough!

Anyway, in Acts 6 (above) due to the complaints of the church, more leaders needed to be raised to deal with the other things that were lacking. At Glenroy, it seems that everything falls on the same people and no one else will offer to help - it's not that they couldn't, they just dont. I'm wanting the church to re-focus on the blessing and laying on of hands that used to happen, to place the blessing of God back onto peoples lives. This way we can re-introduce the baptism of the Holy Spirit back into the disciples of Jesus. I know this is happening in many places, but not enough!! Imagine the world with God's Spirit manifesting in our lives everywhere we go if we hand over all of our lives to God's will - can you see the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit?!

Just to finish with, let's be more encouraging, I know it's not in my nature, but when I give the Holy Spirit reign in my life it starts appearing. We need to be people of encouragement and give hope to those who have no hope, and free those people who have the hand of Satan over their eyes.

Walk in the Spirit - the freedom of Jesus our Christ and in the blessing of our Great God!!