Faith with feet

Here's a thought about faith.

Abraham is praised for his faith. God saw his faith and counted it as righteousness. Paul uses him as an example of faith in Romans.

What did Abraham's faith look like?

God told Abraham to go to a new land. He promised to give the land to Abraham and to make him into many nations. Abraham believed God, even thought he never really saw the fruit of the promise.

But Abraham's faith wasn't just believing. He went to a new land where he was a stranger and settled there. His faith wasn't just a headstrong belief. Abraham's faith was much more. He believed God to the point where he did something about it. This was the faith God counted as righteousness.

James said that faith without works is dead. Abraham's example of faith helps us see what that means. Faith doesn't just believe. Faith does. Faith doesn't just believe God heals. Faith prays for the sick until some get well. Faith lives in poverty, knowing "God will provide." Faith keeps praying, even when it feels like God isn't listening. Faith isn't just a belief, and faith isn't works. Faith is a conviction of truth that runs so deep that it effects how we live. And God sees our faith and counts it as righteousness.

What does your faith look like?

Prophets

People are starting to prophesy again. It seems to me that God is doing a new thing. People outside of Pentecostal churches are beginning to prophesy. Israel Gaither agrees. My friend Olivia Munn was recently at the Eastern Territorial Congress. The National Commander for the Salvation Army in the US, Israel Gaither, gave a word for those attending. Quoting my friend Olivia, he said-

"The Lord is doing something new in the Salvation Army, something to do with prophesy, especially in regards to the youth. Everyone-- if a young person comes up to you and prophecies-- listen to them! God is doing something in the youth of the Salvation Army, and they are beginning to prophesy."

Prophesy is God speaking through His people. As long as God and man have been in interaction, there have been prophets and prophesy. We haven't seen or heard much prophesy lately. But people are beginning to prophesy.

An ancient Israelite prophet, Joel, once prophesied that one day the Holy Spirit would fall on all people and all kinds of people, young and old, rich and poor, would begin to prophesy and see visions and dream dreams. Look around, be aware, people are doing it.

Can you feel it inside you? Do you see it around you? YHWH is doing something new...

What is the Spirit saying to the churches today?

Love your neighbor

We are meant to be loving. "But who is my neighbor?" the lawyer asked (Luke 10: 29). Jesus tells him a story about a man beaten half to death and robbed naked. A bunch of church people walk by and ignore him. Then a social outcast finds him and takes care of him far more than anyone would expect. That reminds me of my friend Charlie.

Charlie leads the teen center at the corps here. He isn't a Christian. Like the Samaritan, he has been rejected by the Church. That means my people pushed him away. Charlie, however, works for the Salvation Army running the teen center on Friday nights to give teens a safe and positive environment to grow and play. He isn't an officer/soldier/pastor/worship leader, kind of modern examples of the priest and Levite, but he is the one reaching out to the broken here.

Who are the broken?

A generation of kids who are being raised by themselves. With the high divorce rate, many kids are dealing with the outcome of broken marriages. There are loads of kids who need to be adopted and even a bunch of kids who are "unadoptable." Then you got your "latch key" kids who have parents who are always working or away. So they lock themselves into their homes and raise themselves. People call it a "Fatherless generation." So many kids don't have a physical father. So many more haven't been introduced to our Heavenly Father. This generation is the beaten up, naked, half dead man on the side of the road, beaten down by our old enemy satan and ignored and rejected by the people of the LORD. Thank you YHWH for samaritans.

We need to become more like the Samaritan. It requires sacrifice. It requires humility. The Samaritan gave up his donkey and a lot of money for a half dead bleeding stranger. This is Christ's example of love. We need to love. We need to accept people like Charlie. We need to be fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters to a generation who is hurt and broken, full of sex and drugs. I met a kid recently who is in Narcotics Anonymous. I think he was 14, maybe younger. His family is angry with him. He was a bad example to his 11 year old brother who is starting to smoke crack now too. But this story has a good end. The 14 year old found love and acceptance from an older Christian who listened to his story and spoke God's Truth into his life. The boy accepted Jesus' blood for his sins and now has a Father.

We need to love. We need to love. God commands it, we need to love. Please, please, please love. Without love we are a hopeless, fruitless people. Start with your friends. Start with your family. When you can love them, love the rejected. Love your enemies. The LORD will make you love. It's a fruit of His Spirit in our lives. Lets love. Please love. Nothing is greater. Nothing is more important. LOVE.

Another link to Xanga...

Sorry I haven't been blogging here. I tend to use this for spiritual insights and the other for personal stuff and a lot lately for Army stuff.

I've been blogging and having discussion on the uniform. It's been good thus far. I like hearing what people are saying about the issues.

My last two blogs there have been about Army spending and soldier giving. I encourage you to read them. It's another important issue to me. Check out my Xanga, and if you need to, post comments here!

www.xanga.com/ibelieveweshallwin

Uniform talk continues...

The conversation continues! Check out my blog!

www.xanga.com/ibelieveweshallwin

Read and make your reply!

Uni Beef 2

More thoughts on the uniform! Please read an respond!

www.xanga.com/ibelieveweshallwin

Freedom!

Hey, I did some listening prayer with Doug and Denise on Friday. And interestingly enough, as soon as I blog about legalism and how I "used to be" so legalistic, Jesus shows me traces of legalism still lingering about in my walk. I've been really legalistic about time with God. He's shown me how I've been and told me how to not be. Well, He's leading me down that path anyway. So praise the LORD for greater freedom from lies!

I get to do some more moving of heavy things tomorrow! Hurray!

Have a good day. Don't forget to fight and pray!

Talk on SA Uniform

I just posted this on my Xanga (www.xanga.com/ibelieveweshallwin) and I thought I'd put it here too. I want people to respond. So please do! And if you know anyone who would be interested in the topic, invite them too! I want a lot of sincere opinions. Thanks!

If you've ever looked at my little xanga picture, you can see I am a young uniformed Salvationist. According to the 24 Hours newspaper in Vancouver, I actually make the uniform look cool. I even occasionally wear my cap when I'm walking around when I'm out on my War College Open Air meetings. But to be honest, I'm beginning to have my doubts...
What I mean is, why do we have a uniform? The spirit of our fathers was to avoid traditionalism and legalism by evaluating everything done to see it's use in Salvation. As I understand it, if it wasn't any good, they'd change it, replace it, or throw it out all together.
So in keeping with this tradition, lets evaluate the uniform. How is it helping us win the world for Jesus? How is it possibly hindering?
Let me begin with my biggest beef-
I think right now in the Western Army (as I have experienced it) the uniform is working as a conduit of legalism and division. How many soldiers have been harassed about the way they are wearing their uniform? I know I've been stressed out a number of times for forgetting my tie. There's often little to no grace or mercy for these things. If I show up to the morning meeting and I don't have my tie on, I'll be laughed at or scolded. Or how often are women scolded for their hair touching their collar? (I kind of worry about my long hair too...)This leads to little arguments and some offense and eventually hard feelings and judgments. None of this is useful to the Kingdom and certainly isn't getting anyone saved.
I also think we've kind of lost the original meaning of the thing. How many soldiers even know why they wear the thing? Sometimes I don't really understand...
That's kind of the tip of the ice berg. I want to discuss this with people. I want to make a solid decision, whether or not uniform is still a good thing. So post your opinions. Lets work out the truth, in a spirit of love and grace of course!