Keep Calm, and I'll Fight

A very popular image being used on posters all over the world is that of a crown with the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" written underneath it. This phrase was coined by an unknown civil servant to be a moral boost to citizens of the United Kingdom during the perils of World War II.

Like our friends in England during the Second World War, we too are under siege. The difference is while the British were being bombed, we are at war with sin and hell. Knowing this way back in 1912, General William Booth is reported to have given his famous "I'll Fight" speech.
 
"While women weep as they do now, I'll fight. While little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight. While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, I'll fight. While there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight. I'll fight to the very end!"

Society is changing. Sin is now seen as acceptable. People are justifying sin as a part of society and believe that as society changes, what God views as sin changes along with it. I must emphatically disagree. Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the LORD, I do not change." Not convinced? How about Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." God's word, God's views, God's love, God's will NEVER changes because God himself never changes. He is perfection, as is his will and his law.

Society is not going to get better without some fighting. Not physical fighting, but true engagement in spiritual warfare. This may scare you. People are afraid to send their children to school, to go to the movies, and even leave their homes let alone engage their secular friends in conversations for Christ. But I have a message for the timid: Keep calm, and I'll fight. I'm not alone in this. The Salvation Army is full of fighters on the streets you wouldn't want to walk down, in the neighborhoods you're afraid to drive through...Where there seems to be no hope, no light, we will fight.

The message is for today's society and future generations. As the chaos of this world consumes you, I'll fight. As sin guides you in your views, I'll fight. While there remains one soul reaching out for the redeeming blood of Jesus, I'll fight. So, everyone just Keep Calm, and I’ll Fight.

Written by Bramwell Applin
Community Relations Manager

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The Friend Zone

In the lush green plains of relationships, two great peaks reach skyward casting a permanent shadow on the valley between them. On the lesser peak stands planted a flag reading "Friendship." Across from it, on a clear day, bursting through cloud nine can be seen another flag which reads "Romance."

Between the two mountains, in that dark and shady valley are the remains of unattained desires scattered about like an elephant graveyard. In its center lies a mound of wants that could not safely make it from one peak to the other. Atop this mound of insecurity, disappointment and 'what-ifs' is planted another flag. Unlike the other flags that boldly flap in the wind, this flag is tattered from the multi-directional winds of the valley. It reads, "The Friend Zone!" 

John 21:15 says: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." 

Commissioner Israel Gaither brought to my attention that Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him using agape love, an unconditional love, but Peter responds using a philia love, a brotherly love. In other words Jesus ask Peter, "Do you love me?" and Peter responds, "I like you a lot..." planting Christ firmly in the friend zone.

Many of us entertain, even enjoy, a friendship with Christ. We don't mind the occasional chat or benefit from the relationship as if Jesus was that one friend in high school that was invited out only because they had a car. As long as the friendship doesn't inconvenience us, we will even hang out with Him for a bit on Sundays if it will keep Him happy.

Commissioner Gaither said it best, "Jesus doesn’t want us to 'like' Him! He wants us to love Him!" Instead of accepting a meaningful relationship with Christ and giving Him the prominent office in our life, we have made Him the Prime Minister of Justafriendistan! Liking Christ is nice, but loving Him is better! Having a good friendship with Jesus is wonderful start, but He wants more from this relationship.

General William Booth was once asked to reveal the secret of his success. After some hesitation, tears came to his eyes and he said, "I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me..." 

Will you allow the walls of fear and comfort to be torn down so that Christ can have all there is of you? 

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound

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Eternal Perspective

The Bible refers to Christians as aliens and strangers in the world (I Peter 2:11).  This world is not our home; we are pilgrims on a journey to a heavenly city where God dwells.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the thrown saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21: 2-4)

It wasn't until I was in my late thirties that I began to think about living life from an eternal perspective rather than an earthly perspective. And it probably wasn't until my mid-forties that I began to practice eternal perspective in my everyday life. While I don't always get it right and I often have to remind myself to step back and re-approach situations from an eternal perspective, here are a few things that I've discovered…

Eternal perspective makes life's difficulties less traumatic.   When stress is high or someone I love has disappointed me, eternal perspective reminds me that God is in control and the distress and pain that I am experiencing will end.  The end of my journey is a place of peace and joy.  With that mindset, I am able to calm myself, place myself into God's hands and follow His lead on how to walk through my difficulty.

Eternal perspective lessens self-critique.  Media constantly portrays perfect looking people living perfect lives, creating a trap for viewers to waste too much time comparing themselves to airbrushed images living fairytale lives that no human can measure up to.  Eternal perspective reminds me that heaven is under the leadership of one who looks at the heart rather than the outward appearance, and that he has promised a new, heavenly body for everyone in his kingdom.  What God has in store for his Church is immeasurably greater than anything the media will ever conjure up.

Eternal perspective evokes celebration, joy, and freedom in worship.    A natural joy and anticipation occurs when I think about spending eternity with God in His glorious city.  In recent years, I have found myself thinking, "I want to be in heaven to see Joni Ericson Tada, a quadriplegic for over 30 years, dancing and leaping before the Lord.  In fact, I want to dance and celebrate with her."  I want to experience wholeness and glorification as God designed and as I'll experience in heaven. As I contemplate and ponder such things, I worship God with greater joy and freedom.

Eternal perspective gives me the courage to preach and share Biblical truth in love.  Much Biblical truth is considered politically incorrect.  Pre-believers do not want to hear that Jesus is the only way to God and eternity or that marriage is between one male and one female for a lifetime.  Yet, that's what the inspired Word of God teaches. When I consider that faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word (Romans 10:17), I want to give pre-believers every opportunity to "hear" so that they too may experience eternity.

Eternal perspective enables me to major on the majors rather than the minors.   It is human and earthly to allow the petty things of life and relationships to taint your mood and character.  However, when I view things through the lens of eternity, I am better able to let go of my pettiness or the pettiness of others and move on to what's vital.

Eternal perspective is available to anyone who admits that he is a sinner, believes in Jesus as the bridge-builder between his sinful state and holy God, and turns his life over to God's control by following God's road map outlined in the Bible.

Written by Major Cheriann Stoops

Asbury Park Corps Officer 

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Making the Connection

In my line of work in the IT field, I am always trying to make the connection. When working with others concerning their computer issues, my mind is on what caused the problem. The issue is only a result of what the actual problem is, whether your e-mail isn't working, you can't connect to the internet, the phone is not working, or you can't find the power button on your computer (just kidding on the last one!). There is always a reason why something isn't working or responding the way it was dynamically built.

We were dynamically built according to Psalm 139:14 which says we were fearfully and wonderfully made with a connection to God, but because of the fall of man in Genesis 3, we became disconnected from God through sin (disobedience).

At times, a computer is not going to perform to its potential if it's not making the connection with other internal hardware and software components. If one component fails, it affects the whole computer. Then, the computer has to be analyzed to determine what caused it not to print, open up a Word Document, and in some cases, not turn on.

I believe, just like computers, people will not work properly if we do not make the connection. Our peace should not be predicated by what is going right in our life but by our connection to the One who gave us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Our joy should not be determined by things that happen to us but by our relationship to the One who has written our name in the Lamb's Book of Life (Luke 10:20). Our love should not be measured by mere words but connected to the Word that was made flesh (John 15:13).

The only way that a computer can work properly and perform at its best is to make sure that the hardware is compatible with the software, or else you can expect disappointing results. We as people must also make the connection in order to function properly the way we were designed. I believe until we make the connection with Jesus, we also should expect disappointing results.

Are you tired of being disappointed, hurt, disconnected, abandoned, alone, malfunctioned, or just powered off? I have a connection solution just for YOU! Just repeat these wonderful words: "Father, I know you love me and sent Jesus to forgive me of my sin and to take my place in the judgment of sin.  I want to invite Jesus into my heart. I want to make that connection with Jesus. I want to make that connection to God’s plan for my life, and I want to make that connection with heaven. Thank you, Jesus for making my connection!"

Written by Terrell Curry
IT Help Desk Analyst

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