My Brother’s Keeper

Am I my brother's keeper?

Well, that depends. In reality, just because I say I am, that doesn't mean I'm effective in the role. First, let us take a moment to consider what exactly a keeper is. My good friend Google defines a keeper as: a person who looks after something or someone. Synonyms include: guardian, steward and caretaker. So let's ask ourselves again this way:

Am I my brother's guardian?

Am I my brother's steward?

Am I my brother's caretaker?

We read in Genesis 4:8-10, "Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' 'I don’t know,' he replied. 'Am I my brother’s keeper?' The Lord said, 'What have you done?' …"

The arrogance of man leads us to ask God ignorant questions, practically mocking Him. Understanding God knows all, Cain retorts to God's inquiry of his brother's whereabouts with, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" No Cain, you weren't.

In Batman Begins, Batman was on a doomed train with his adversary and says, "I don't have to kill you, but I don't have to save you either." Often times, this fits our lives. We may not have killed our brothers like Cain, but have we saved them?

God asks, "What have you done?"

Again, knowing full well the actions Cain had taken, God asks him that question. Being a keeper is more than being there - it's being present. It's more than talking to someone - it's speaking into them. It's more than instructing - also correcting them. You are their phone call in the middle of the week that encourages them. You are their coach, teammate and referee. You are their keeper ,and being their keeper is doing!

What have you done?

Are you killing your brother? Are you not saving him?

With so much turmoil in the world, here in the US, in our communities and even in our homes, the world is in desperate need of keepers!

(That goes for you too sisters ;-) God bless)

Prayer
Father, my prayer is simply this, help me to be a keeper. 

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps

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Can We All Get Along?

These famous words were spoken by Rodney King following his public beating by police officers and a week of rioting in Los Angeles. Many times, I ask it myself in relation to our society and the church. It appears that the early church also asked itself this question. In James 3:13-18 (MSG), the writer of this books states it this way:

"Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor."

Three things jump out at me and challenge me in this scripture. "It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts." The old adage of actions speak louder than words echoes in this verse. I often think more highly of myself in my head than how I live. The reminder here is to guard against that type of thinking. What does a holy life look like? It is "characterized by getting along with others." It can be difficult at times because other people can be difficult, and so can I. Finally, we are reminded that healthy community is a result occurs "...only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other..."

We need to treat others with respect and common decency. It is hard work, but it is how we are told we should act. Let's reflect God’s wisdom and not our own, and I think we can answer the Mr. King's question with, "It is possible."

Written by Chip Kelly
Territorial Lay Leader
Development Bureau Director

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Not “To Get," but “Because”

God's acceptance is the power that liberates us from sin, not the reward for liberating ourselves. - JD Greear

I recently listened to a seminar on rightnow.com (I recommend this site to anyone wanting to obtain a great resource in ministry) by JD Greear, and he suggested a number of ideas. It was mostly things I agreed with but never had heard them articulated so well. I've always believed that the Gospel was inherently in opposition with the world because its source is not of this world. Meaning often, if not always, its teachings suggest we live and believe the opposite of what we might naturally do!

We say payback, the Gospel says love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. We say stay in the boat, the Gospel says step out!

Our thinking is different.

Consider the initial quote in this post. Too often, we consider the blessings of God as the goal and end result of a life well lived. When in reality, they are the basis for which our lives should be lived. Matthew 6:33 says to seek his righteousness first and 1 John says we ought to love because He first loved us. No longer let us think or see God's gifts as rewards at the end. Let us instead recognize them as the fuel injected into our spirits to power our lives thereafter!

God doesn't merely want our love and obedience. He wants us to desire to love and obey Him! Our relationship is offensive to God if it stems from coercion. He doesn’t want the love of trapped people; rather, He desires the love of the free who willingly submit themselves to Him and live for Him.

What does that look like? I believe this type of love and obedience looks unplanned. There's no scheme or hidden agenda. It is rooted in "because," not in "to get." Imagine if a child did their chores because it was one less thing their parents had to worry about, rather than to get an allowance. Now imagine if we applied this to our relationship with the Lord.

I’d like to challenge us all to live like we are accepted by God and not to get accepted by Him. Let's not pay God with our love, but let us love Him because of the price Jesus paid.

Dear Lord, you died and rose again because you loved us, not to get our allegiance. I pray that we may, in turn, live because we love you and not to get the acceptance already afforded to us by your great sacrifice.

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps

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The Slow and the Furious: But and Yet

"This is going to hurt me more than its going to hurt you!"

The phrase heard around the world. No matter what language you speak or the neighborhood you’re from (unless you suffer from affluenza), these words preceded an inevitable form of punishment.

"How can it be?"

How can my pain hurt you, not as much, but more than it hurts me? As a child, this paradox baffled me to my core. It made no sense that the source of my perceived affliction would hurt more than I. As a child, and sometimes even now, my thinking was simple: Up was the opposite of down, there were winners and losers, and there were pain givers and pain receivers. Now, you ask me to believe in a mutual suffering? A mutual suffering that stems from love and anger.

Love. It has caused wars, raised heroes, built nations and caused committed men and women to gladly look death in the eyes and stare back! So has anger. These two great passions can be seen as the seeds from which all great efforts and conflicts grow.

A man will climb and cross mountains to get to the woman he loves. If she were harmed, in anger, he would traverse those same peaks in pursuit of her assailant. A mother would move heaven and earth for her children, yet she will grow angry if they misbehave and discipline them.

In the same way, God would do anything for His people because He loves us. Not unlike the loving mother’s reaction to poorly behaved children, this does not absolve us from the discipline of His love.

I was always taught that whenever you see 'but' in a sentence, the latter often contrast the aforementioned statement, BUT when you see ‘'yet,' a crucial detail is about to be added. In Numbers 14:18, we read:

"The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.

Yet

he does not leave the guilty unpunished"

The Lord loves us, but this love doesn't negate His anger when we exhibit undesirable behavior, yet the discipline is still from a place of love. Love and anger are a two car garage that are attached to the same house. One is a luxury sedan and the other is a four wheel drive SUV. They pull out of the same driveway and onto the same street. The weather or circumstance determine which the driver takes, but they are both intended to get us safely from point A to point B.

God is abounding in love and slow to anger, but that anger isn't rooted is hate. It's rooted in love. He only grows angry because He cares. My fear is not His correction. My fear is when He no longer desires to correct.

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps 

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The Offering

It's the small things in life that truly capture my eye. Things like the smile of a child and that light in his or her eye that glows and shines beyond anything I have ever witnessed in life. Moments like these are captured flawlessly by my mind like a photograph, and they remind me about the love and word of God. One child in particular named Jayden, a small young boy in my Corps, left me with an unforgettable portrait. 

One Sunday morning during announcements, he tapped my hand and whispered, "Elizabeth guess what?" I looked at him with curiosity and responded, "What?" He smiled so widely as he cradled something out of his pocket. "What is it?" I asked. He opened his little fist and showed me two pennies, and his little eyes glowed with excitement. Then, he sat back and anxiously waited for the announcement to end and the time of offering to begin. As the time came, he smiled at me then became nervous. He asked me to walk with him, and I did.

It meant so much to see such a young child present an offering to God. Two pennies doesn't really seem like much. However, to this child, two pennies meant everything. It brought me back to the story in the Bible about the widow who gave two small copper coins in the offering box. The Bible tells us that “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)

Jayden reminded me that it isn't about how much you give but how you are giving it to Him. He presented his offering with a willing heart, full of love and excitement for God. Even if he didn’t quite understand that, it was powerful to me. It reassured me and taught me that nothing is too small for God. I've convinced myself time after time that what I have to give to God just isn't enough, nor can it be compared to all He has done for me. My all isn't always a lot, but God says it's enough, and that amazes me. God receives all that we give with a willing heart and blesses it no matter how small. Deuteronomy 15:10 tells us to "Give generously to Him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."

That day in offering, Jayden gave more than anyone in the congregation. He offered to God all that he had, a big heart along with two small pennies, and that was the greatest offering I have witnessed. Not only do I believe that God will bless his little heart, but through Jayden, God has blessed me.

Written by Elizabeth Ramirez

Newark Ironbound Corps

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A Life Formatted for God

As a tech in The Salvation Army, it is best practice to use a disk drive or an external drive that has been formatted. By having the drive formatted, it will reduce the risk of infected files or corruption on the drive. Any time you work with something that is used and has current applications or software, it is best to format first. This will reduce any incompatibilities or current applications and software that are not needed. The assurance of having a formatted drive rules out and eliminates the possibilities of failure.

The Bible (God's Word) speaks concerning how difficult it would be to put something new into or onto something that has been used. In Matthew 9:17, it reads: "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

I like what the last phrase of v17 says: "both are preserved." God's assignment is to assure both are preserved – HIS word and His people. That's why the scripture points out the story of Nicodemus in John 3:3. In reply, Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again (formatted)."

The Lord Jesus wants to format you that you can receive the Word of what the Father has spoken, concerning Jesus and your relationship with HIM. It's hard to rewrite over an application or program. The possibilities of failure are imminent! The Lord Jesus wants to give you a fresh start and a new beginning with him.

Let's not operate any longer on Windows 98 or XP. There is a new operating system that has worked out all the glitches (sin) and the blue screen (death). Jesus repaired both, and to receive his operating system (Holy Spirit), we must be formatted. It's amazing that the root word of format is form, and God the Father can do just that! Will you open your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, repent (turn away) from your sins, invite HIM into your heart, and let the formatting begin? God Bless you!

Terrell Curry
IT Service Desk

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Examine Your Assumptions

Assumptions are a powerful thing.  If we assume something, for example that it will rain today, it affects how we plan for that day.  You might grab an umbrella, reschedule a hike, or cancel a trip to the beach. 

Let's go deeper than just how it affects our day-planner.  Merriam-Webster defines assumption in the following ways:

1 : a taking to or upon oneself <the assumption of a new position>

2 : the act of laying claim to or taking possession of something <the assumption of power>

3 : arrogance, pretension

4 a : an assuming that something is true

b : a fact or statement (as a proposition, axiom, postulate, or notion) taken for granted

Depending on your life experience and working definition, you may identify with many of these definitions above.  The fact of the matter is when we make an assumption, we begin to own it or take possession of the idea or thought.  We all make assumptions.  It is part of our human condition.

Here is the big question:  What assumptions do we make about God?  Our faith? Scripture? I think we would be naive to think we don't make assumptions about God, either consciously or otherwise.  How can assumptions impact our faith? How do we move beyond these assumptions in our walk?  Scripture has a few things to say about this danger. 

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
What happens when we go beyond just our assumptions?

Ephesians 4:14-15

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

Assumptions require going deeper to find out what lies beneath a thought or notion.  If we do the hard work of pressing beyond our assumptions we make ourselves open and available to the Holy Spirit.  We might not always know the end result, but at least we haven't settled in and stopped at simply assuming.

Written by Chip Kelly 

Territorial Lay Leader
Development Bureau Director

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Marriage God's Way

What is your definition of Marriage?  If I were to interview people at random asking that question, I would receive a variety of definitions. It's one of the hottest political topics of our day. If I were to ask the question, "What is the purpose of Marriage?"  What would you say? On what do you base your answer?

As Christ Followers and Salvationists, we believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God and that they only constitute the divine rule of Christian Faith and practice. As Christ followers we base our definition of and purpose for marriage on the teachings of the Bible. The Bible teaches us that Marriage God's way is a "oneness" created by God (Genesis 2:19 – 25).

Adam lived in a pristine garden full of fruits and vegetables with a pure river running through it which watered the garden and provided an unlimited source of crystal spring water. (Can't you just picture him doing the backstroke down the garden river with a big smile on his face?). He had all kinds of animals with which to play and frolic. He had meaningful work taking care of the garden. He enjoyed the privilege of free choice as recorded in Genesis16, when instructed to eat from any tree but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

While naming the animals, Adam must have noticed that each kind of animal had mates, but he had no companion. When he started naming the animals, he was practicing his power of speech. Surely he had to notice that he had no one with which to speak. Both he and God must have noted these things because God said in Genesis 2:18 "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

So, God performed the first recorded surgery. Note that Eve was not taken out of Adam’s head to surpass him or from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side to be equal to him, and near his heart to be dear to him, and under his arm to be protected by him. The human pair was different from all the animal pairs. Eve was formed out of Adam – she was body of Adam's body - THEY were one. One flesh refers to the personal union of a man and woman at ALL levels of their lives: emotionally, personally, socially, economically, legally, and sexually.

Once, when the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" Jesus replied, "Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female. And said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)

The Bible teaches us that Marriage God's way is a oneness created by God and an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman for a lifetime.

Sin has messed around with the exclusivity of marriage since Old Testament times and has therefore ruined marriage for many people. God clearly warns us to honor our Bond to our spouse.

God said to Moses, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14)

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27 & 28)

Jesus said, "Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Hebrews 13:4) 

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator...because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." (Romans 1:25-27)

Sex outside of an exclusive relationship between one man and woman is destructive. A visual illustration of this is found in a piece of clear tape. Let's say a piece of tape represents an individual whom is sexually pure. Their ability to bond physically with another individual is strong. The first time that piece of tape is placed on someone's arm, it has the ability to  bond to the arm in a strong, secure fashion. However, if the tape is torn off of that arm, it is now covered with skin cells, body hairs, and DNA from the arm to which it was originally attached and its future bonding ability is lessened. Every time that tape is attached to a different arm, more skin cells and body hair and DNA is attached to the tape, impairing its ability to "stick."

In the same way, should an individual who has had multiple sexual partners one day want to marry someone, he is less able to commit and trust that person because his bonding ability has been significantly altered. God has our best interest in mind when he tells us to be monogamous. He wants us to enjoy and experience the fullness of a trusting, loving, committed, relationship. 

The Bible teaches us that Marriage God's way is a oneness created by God, an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman for a lifetime, and an illustration of God's relationship to the church.

The way we live our married life is designed to be a daily testimony to our children and others of God's love, faithfulness, forgiveness, patience and commitment to the church.  Ideally, marriages should be pointing the world to Christ. Throughout Scripture, God's union with the Church is illustrated by the covenant of marriage...

Isaiah 62:5 "As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will God rejoice over you."

Hosea 2:19 &20 "I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness, and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord."

Revelation 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be gland and give him glory. For the wedding of the lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."

The entire book of Hosea and Song of Solomon are marriage metaphors of God's relationship to the church.

So...it makes logical sense that our earthly, Christian marriages were designed to point unbelievers to Christ. Here is an example of how God has instructed us to be examples... 

The book of Ephesians says it well. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God...Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:1 & 22 

Husbands are to submit to their wives as well as wives are to submit to their husbands.

To submit means to subordinate. This kind of submission is a voluntary attitude of giving in. It is not forced. No one is holding a gun to your head and saying "submit or else." It is acting in a spirit of cooperation. 

Submission has to do with humility, others, service, self-sacrifice, and cooperation. It means not always getting my way. It means willingly following another. It means life is not about me. 

A life without submission has to do with pride, ego, selfishness, and superiority.

Submission has to do with putting others' interests above my own.

Ephesians five goes on to explain the type of submission husbands and wives are to give to one another…

Wives are to submit to their husband's leadership and to respect their husbands.

And husbands are to submit to their wives by loving them with the same tenderness and sacrificial love that Christ showed the church...A love to the death. 

The Bible teaches us that Marriage God's way is a oneness created by God, an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman for a lifetime and an illustration of God’s relationship to the church.

As Christ followers we base our definition of and purpose for marriage on the teachings of the Bible. How does your marriage measure up to God’s outline for marriage in the Bible? Don't become sucked into society's view of marriage. Timothy Keller describes societies current definition of marriage in the following statements:  

"Marriage is finding emotional and sexual fulfillment and self-actualization."

"Marriage is a terminal sexual contract designed for the gratification of the individual parties."

"Marriage used to be a public institution for the common good, and now it is a private arrangement for the satisfaction of the individuals. Marriage used to be about us, but now it is about me."

"Today’' society does not see the essence of marriage as located in either its divine sacramental symbolism or as a social bond given to benefit the broader human commonwealth. Rather, marriage is seen as a contract between two parties for mutual individual growth and satisfaction. In this view, married persons marry for themselves, not to fulfill responsibilities to God or society. Parties should, therefore, be allowed to conduct their marriage in any way they deem beneficial to them, and no obligation to church, tradition, or broader community should be imposed on them."

What an impact Christians could have on our children and the world if we all committed to doing marriage God’s way. Permit the Holy Spirit to Counsel you as you answer these questions... 

1)   Does my marriage reflect a oneness created by God? 

2)   Is my marriage an exclusive relationship between me and my spouse? 

3)   Is my marriage a daily testimony to my children and others of God's love, faithfulness, forgiveness, patience, and commitment to the church? 

4)   If you are not married, do your interactions with married individuals support or hinder God's design for marriage?

5)  What is the first step God wants me to take toward a journey to Marriage God's way?

Heavenly Father:

Thank you for marriage as you created it. As your followers, we want to do it your way.  We believe that your way is the best way for us, for our children, and our influence on society.

I ask you, Heavenly Father, that you will give individuals the courage to obey your direction concerning the first step the Holy Spirit may be asking of them. I pray that their first step will lead them to a series of steps that will guide them to a Godly state of marriage or a Godly state of honoring others' marriages.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Written by Major Cheriann Stoops

Asbury Park Corps

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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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