BOOST!

Under the inspired leadership of our divisional leaders, Majors Ron and Robyn Clinch, we met together this past week with colleague officers at our annual BOOST! fellowship experience.

It was a real time of blessing all round, as evidenced by the following organized events.

• INTELLECTUAL BOOST ~ bizarre trivia evening...
• MISSION BOOST ~ guest speaker/OASIS director, Captain Paul Moulds...
• DEVOTIONAL BOOST ~ worshipful reflection sessions led by various officers...
• PHYSICAL BOOST ~ guest speaker/nutritionist, Karen Inge...
• PERSONAL BOOST ~ lots of free time to relax and fellowship together...
• FUTURE BOOST ~ introduction of new officer allowance structure...

I'm glad that we were there to share in the many God-moments!

Hebrews 12:14 (MSG) ~ "Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity."

Lieut-Colonel Moira Wright

Back in 1968, when Dabak first arrived at The Salvation Army's Children's Home as a 3 year old girl, the then Captain Moira Wright (pictured) was the superintendent who was responsible for accepting Dabak into residential care. Moira's remarkable dedication to her officership ministry and 33 years of missionary service is charaterized (even today!) by courage, encouragement and a deep desire to see others grow to be strong in their Christian faith.

Currently retired to her home country of New Zealand, we have been privileged to have Moira stay with us for a few days enroute to Malaysia, where she will join in the Army's 70th anniversary celebrations.

Distance is no barrier, for all these years later Moira is still interested in each of her "children" and maintains contact with them wherever they are around the world. Dabak and I know firsthand the blessing of being the recipients of her motherly care!

The words of SASB 426 are indicative of Moira's conviction and cause us to give praise to God for this remarkable woman of God.

I want, dear Lord, a love that cares for all,

A deep, strong love that answers every call;

A love like thine, a love divine, a love to come or go;

On me, dear Lord, a love like this bestow.

I want, dear Lord, a soul on fire for thee,

A soul baptized with heavenly energy;

A willing mind, a ready hand to do whate'er I know,

To spread thy light wherever I may go.
George Galloway Jackson (1866-93)

Vine Branches

Those who grew up in the Church prior to the 1980s are likely to have been taught that to 'be fruitful' one needs to work hard to live Christian lives, to be "busy for Jesus" through personal involvement in a heavy schedule of groups/meetings, and to always be happy come what may. One songwriter summed it up like this: " By the pathway of duty flows the river of God’s grace". And chances are that most people have experienced a sense of spiritual guilt, burnout and frustration as they tried and failed to do these things.

Nowadays it is common thought that to live a 'fruitful life' means focussing simply on living in the closest possible relationship with God. It’s not about how much or how little we achieve, but how deeply and strongly we rely on God’s love. There is nothing special we need to do to gain God's attention, for we always have been the focus of God's concern. Our personal challenge is to be God-focussed: staying vitally attached to the Vine.

As we remain focussed on God, He causes the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives, bringing forth the fruit of His presence.

John 15: 4 (MSG) ~ "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me."

Spiritual Inheritance

This morning we were reminded that the Apostle Paul makes it clear in Romans 8 that as children of God, we are heirs ~ more specifically, ‘joint heirs’ with Christ.

Since our marriage, my wife and I have had joint bank accounts. In a joint bank account, two people or more share one account. Now, if you are in a joint account, how much can you withdraw from that account? Half of what’s in there? No, to have a joint account means that you can draw out of that account 100% of whatever is there. (I hope I haven’t given Dabak any ideas!)

Scripture states that we are ‘joint heirs with Christ’. We share in His kingdom but not just a part ~ we share it all with Him. We have access to all the promises of God, to all the blessings of God, to all the inheritance of God with Christ Jesus. We are joint heirs. It is all ours. Everything we need for life and godliness is ours.

Do you know how much power that has in it? Do you realize how wonderful that is? Our relationship is not one of uncertainty but of belonging. We are the children of God. To be told that we are loved is one thing. But to be adopted and made joint heirs with the Son of God is a far greater blessing!

Truth is, we are a God-claimed and Spirit-led people who have been called to be ‘children of God’ and claim a wonderful, spiritual inheritance. Thank you, Lord!

Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) ~ "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ."

Roadshow Encore

The Salvation Army Historical Society hosted its annual Roadshow Exhibition and Encore concert event at Box Hill Corps.

Informative and interesting historical displays were exhibited throughout the afternoon, followed by an excellent evening programme featuring noteworthy personalities from our rich Army heritage ~ Sister Poll Cott, Adjutant Tom "Mudgee" Robertson and Colonel Arthur Arnott ~ and musical contributions from the Camberwell Timbrelletes (dressed in old time Army uniforms and bonnets), Waverley Temple Young People's Band and our very own Inala Chapel Choir.



I came away greatly inspired and immensely proud.
Proud of our history... and inspired to be 'history in the making'.
Proud of our Army personalities... and inspired to be all God wants me to be.
Proud of our young musicians... and inspired to encourage their ongoing development.
And last, but by no means least, proud of our chapel choir... who openly proclaimed in song their God-given inspiration.

Congratulations to Commissioner Wesley Harris and his team for organizing the event and being proactive in promoting the history of our God-inspired movement!

Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV) ~ "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Hope

In secular society, more often than not, 'hope' is dubious and implies a certain amount of despair and wishing, believing that a better or positive outcome may be possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. Take for example the current crisis situation in Myanmar. The world lives in the hope that the government will open its doors to international assistance, while acknowledging that this may not necessarily happen.

Hope, one of the three theological virtues in the Christian tradition, is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Christian hope is based on the certainty of our faith in Jehovah-jireh, our provider God. In this instance, we believe that God is working in this crisis situation and it will not surprise us that by some 'miraculous' reason the government of Myanmar will soon loosen their restrictions upon receiving foreign personnel into the country.

Christian hope declares that the end is always far better than the beginning!

Hebrews 6:19 (NIV) ~ "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

The Lost

In Luke 15 there is a trilogy of parables concerning the lost ~ the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Son. There is no doubt that Jesus' emphasis in each of these was to challenge us about our own attitudes toward and response to “the lost, the hurting, the disadvantaged and marginalized”. Every time Jesus spoke in parables, He left his hearers with a message of spiritual challenge to effect a deep, personal change in their lives.

One of our Bible discussion members reminded us of Ira Sankey's song, The Ninety and the Nine. I later discovered that Sankey came across these words in a Bri­tish news­pa­per while he was conducting an evan­gel­ical campaign in Scot­land with Dwight L Moo­dy. He tore the po­em from the pa­per, put it in his pock­et, and for­got about it. Lat­er that day, at the end of their ser­vice in Edin­burgh, Moo­dy asked Sank­ey for a clos­ing song. Ira was caught by sur­prise, but at that very moment the Ho­ly Spir­it re­mind­ed him of the po­em by Elizabeth Clephane that was in his pock­et. He brought it out, said a pray­er, then com­posed the tune as he sang.

There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare. Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

"Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through 'ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry, sick and helpless and ready to die.

And all through the mountains, thunder riven and up from the rocky steep
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven, “Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne, “Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Lord, keep me passionate about the 'lost' and focussed on doing my part to 'bring them home' to You!