armed and dangerous

What's the vision? What's the big idea?

2008-05-16T14:12:00.002+02:00

Meine Vision umfasst den Aufbau einer Gemeinschaft nach neutestamentlichem Vorbild innerhalb der Gemeinde Gottes. Nach meinen bisherigen Erfahrungen erfordert dies das Durchbrechen bzw. die Neudefinition von gemeindlichen Strukturen. In meinem Fall beziehe ich mich auf Die Heilsarmee als gemeindlichen Hintergrund.

Eine mögliche Ausformung wäre eine Lebens- und Dienstgemeinschaft von Christen innerhalb eines sozialen Brennpunktes, die sich zum gemeinsamen Ziel gesetzt hat, Gottes Bild von Gemeinschaft nachzuspüren und anzustreben, sowie durch ihr Leben und Dienst einen Unterschied in ihrem Lebensumfeld, ihrem Stadtteil zu machen.

Diese Gemeinschaft soll ganz bewusst nach außen nicht geschlossen, sondern so offen wie möglich gestaltet werden, beispielsweise durch eine Art Café als Anlaufstelle für Außenstehende.

Eine mögliche Ergänzung wäre die Ausweitung zu einem integrierten Jüngerschaftstrainingsprogramm. In diesem Fall würden junge Erwachsene mit dem Wunsch, ihr Leben von Gott verändern zu lassen, bewusst in die Gemeinschaft aufgenommen, um durch Erfahrung und Einsatz ihr Leben prägen zu lassen.

Was ist dein Traum?
Was ist dein Traum von Gemeinde?
Was ist dein Traum von der Heilsarmee?

wie auch immer man es nennen will...: WEG-Gemeinschaft - Café Vielfalt - Haus der Jünger

2008-05-16T13:56:00.004+02:00

Meine Vision ist der Traum von einer authentischen christlichen Gemeinschaft, die ihre Herzen und Türen zeitlich unbeschränkt öffnet, um Zerbrochenen Heimat und Heilung anzubieten. Durch ihren Veränderung schaffenden Einfluss vermittelt sie den Menschen der Umgebung ein Bild dessen, was das Reich Gottes auf der Erde ausmacht.

Konkreter ausgedrückt umfasst sie ein neues Verständnis von Gemeinde innerhalb der Heilsarmee, das sich aus der gelebten Gemeinschaft untereinander und der real einbezogenen Gegenwart Gottes definiert. Ihr Kernstück ist ein Haus der Heimat für jeden, der Gemeinschaft sucht. Ein Haus mit offenen Türen, sowie voller Menschen, die bereit, sind Zuwendung, Zuhören und praktische Hilfe zu schenken, wo Menschen danach hungern.

In diese offene Gemeinschaft eingewebt ist das Zusammenleben von Christen, die sich an diesen Ort zum Dienst berufen wissen, sowie das in den Alltag integrierte Leben des Glaubens in Form von gemeinsamer Anbetung, Fürbitte und Suchen des Willens und der Wahrheit Gottes als Einladung und Zeugnis für sämtliche Anschlusssuchenden. Diese Gemeinschaft will eine Anlaufstelle und eine Quelle des Lebens sein für die Christen, die im gemeinsamen Dienst und Leben die Fülle christlicher Gemeinschaft suchen, für die Müden und Zweifelnden, die auf unterschiedlichste Weise ihren Weg durch die Tür und in die Gemeinschaft finden, sowie für junge Erwachsene, die eine Zeit ihres Lebens riskieren, um sich von Gott auf die Probe stellen und ihr Leben verändern zu lassen.

Gleichzeitig jedoch tragen das Alltagsleben der Christen der Gemeinschaft, ihr bewusstes Aufsuchen ihrer Mitmenschen und ihr praktischer Einsatz außerhalb der eigenen vier Wände die Einladung Gottes wie Ströme lebendigen Wassers in den Stadtteil.

Dürfte ich mich für einen Ort der Umsetzung meiner Vision entscheiden, würde ich den Hamburger Stadtteil St. Georg wählen. In diesem Fall ist alles, was die Vision beinhaltet, in folgenden Worten gesagt: „Es lebe St. Georg!“ Damit ist nichts anderes gemeint, als die Hoffnung, Gottes volles Leben in St. Georg sichtbar und erfahrbar zu machen. In ihrem Wesen jedoch ist diese Vision ortsunabhängig.

new start

2008-01-28T13:06:00.000+01:00

Talking to my friends about the personal challenge of our faith and ministry I discovered three things I now decide to put my focus on again:

1. I want to trust God that He is in controll.

This means that noone and nothing else is in controll than God. Not the Salvation Army, not destiny or the harsh reality, not what seems to be impossible.

2. I want to live in close communion with God.
This, probably is the point I slack in most right now. But I know that I need this foundation to pick up God's directions and to get an idea of His plan.

3. I want to do what I hear him tell me.
This is about obedience. Knowing that I'm still learning to discern God's voice from others, I can only learn by trying it out. By doing this, I trust, that I will grow in understanding and experience His confirmation.

Grund genug zum Danken

2008-01-16T22:12:00.000+01:00

Habe soviel Grund zum Danken:

- eigenes Zimmer
- eigenes Bett
- Wasserkocher
- Fernseher
- DVD-Player
- Video-Recorder
- Wärmflasche
- dicke Bettdecke
- Anlage
- DVDs
- Videos
- Kassetten
- CDs
- Schminkzeug
- genug Unterwäsche
- genug T-shirts
- genug Pullover
- genug Socken
- genug Hosen
- genug Schuhe
- genug Jacken
- kann immer Süßigkeiten essen, soviel ich möchte
- Fast-Food
- Wasser, Cola, Sekt, Bier, Orangensaft, Apfelsaft, Multisaft, Milch
- 5 verschiedene Wurst
- 2 Käse
- 3 Sorten verschiedene Brötchen
- gute Wohnlage
- kann mich draussen in der Natur entspannen
- in der Weser am Strand baden
- Papa hat nen festen Job
- keiner in der Family ist arbeitslos oder krank
- mal eben so nen Döner kaufen
- Handyguthaben
- Geld für Urlaub
- Geld für den Führerschein
- Möglichkeit ne Ausbildung zu machen
- Möglichkeit Abitur zu machen
- telefonieren
- habe Freunde in ganz Deutschland
- kann mal eben so in die Disco gehen und Geld ausgeben
- kann die Nächte durchmachen, darf wissen, das danach eine warme Dusche
und ein warmes Bett auf mich wartet, wo ich auspennen kann
- kann Kassette hören zum Einschlafen
- bekomme Geburtstag- und Weihnachtsgeschenke
- habe Leute, die mich liebe und für mich da sind
- darf Sport machen
- haben Geld für Mathe-Nachhilfe und Monatsfahrkarte
- kann immer ins Internet
- Eis zum Nachtisch
- immer saubere Klamotten
- duschen, wann ich will
- baden, wann ich will
- ein Zuhause
- tolle Nachbarn
- tolle Geschwister
- ne Gitarre
- eine Gemeinde, wo ich mich wohlfühle
- gesund (ausser jeden Tag Kopfschmerzen, egal)
- Mannschaft
- Taschengeld

das ist doch hammer oder? wenn man sich der Sachen erstmal bewusst wird, könnte man den ganzen Tag nur danken ;)

HALLELUJA...

(diese Gedanken sind nicht von mir, sondern Mörle - Danke, Mörle, für so ehrliche, berührende Aussagen!)

open doors

2007-08-10T10:18:00.000+02:00

I have a dream of church.

A church where doors are open, whenever you drop by.
A church where people are ready to listen and help at any time.
A church where doors don't need to kept shut because of lack of helpers or people willing to share their lives.
A church where people find a home whether there are church members or completely un-churched people.
A church that is ready to help, no matter whether you are in need of food, shelter, prayer, conselling, or simply, love.
A church that is preparing youngsters to be disciples. To really live out their faith, to give room to that and to help them do so.
A church that is giving room to the body of Christ to worship, learn, live community without excluding the world.
A church that is ready to be watched and to take everyone in.
A church that combines all of that at ones.

In my mind there is this complete vision of church.
I'm dreaming of that kind of church.
I'd like to build up such kind of church.
I'd like to see such kind of church in the Salvation Army.

Do you think that's possible?

watching THE CLOUD

2007-08-10T10:13:00.000+02:00

Reading one of Spurgeon's sermons one line struck me: Our need to watch THE CLOUD.

This picture goes back to the people of Israel wandering through the desert, led by THE CLOUD, day and night, which told them when to rest, when to start travelling again, and where to go.

In some different context Jesus also is talking about the necessity of watching the signs happening the way we are watching the weather.

So, this is the idea: Believing that God is walking in front of us by his Spirit the same way he was in front of Israel in the cloud, we simply need to watch THE CLOUD to follow his leading.

So, where is THE CLOUD in your life? Resting? Wandering?

Follow THE CLOUD!
And we will be fine!

submission is key

2007-07-10T11:33:00.000+02:00

Reading about how to face different kind of attacs from the enemy I learned some puzzling truth hidden in the letter of James in the bible.

Do you know these kind of condemnations when the enemy is trying to condem you for not totally living the way God told you to, condeming you for not taking his call absolutely seriously? Obviously, in this case, we ourselves are not quite sure about the rightness of our path and the enemy takes the opportunity to weaken us even more.

There is the key James is offering:
James 4:7: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Agreeing with God about His will, submitting ourselves onto Him will make the enemy flee. Because then he knows that you know that there is nothing left to accuse you with.

I found it to be true. What a surprise!

back to the well

2007-07-10T11:25:00.000+02:00

One fact about our German Salvation Army is currently making me cry. It looks like our Salvation Army is not prepared to spiritually nurture both, new converts and our own people.

Both, absolutely spiritually mature people from inside of our ranks, and people fairly new to faith in Jesus, are expressing their need for spiritual nourishment, which helps them to stand firm and to grow. And both at times don't see any other option then leaving our corps for other places to spiritually get fed, or, at least, needing to add the community with other believers to our services in the Salvation Army. And these are people who I can't even blame not to be able to live out of their personal encounters with their God.

And, sadly enough, I myself am heaps more blessed by visiting some other churches and hearing God's word preached. This doesn't mean I'm denouncing my calling to the Salvation Army. But I hunger for spiritual nourishment as I know every other believer does.

And I'm longing to see our Salvation Army being a place again, ready to lead people to Christ, to help them grow and to send them out again.

an irrevocable calling

2007-07-04T12:08:00.000+02:00

I believe in the calling of the Salvation Army. And I will continue doing so, since God says in His word that "God's gifts and his call are irrevocable". (Rom. 11:29)

For me this means, that His calling for us as part of His church remains the same regardless of how much we strive or fail to fulfill it; even if this is true of us: "True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?" (Rom. 3:3)

So, what do I understand as the calling of the Salvation Army? Many tried to define it, William Booth did, several generals did, and this helps us to get it clear for ourselves. Let me define it today with the wording of our Soldier's covenant: "(the) devotion of (my) life to His service for the salvation of the whole world".

Am I willing to give my life for that reason?

And, how can I live it out in my setting, in the setting of our corps?
I believe, God has given us hints to show us the path. Let's follow them!

something like an answer

2007-06-27T17:36:00.001+02:00

So, now what about pub mission? That was my question for God throughout the whole weeks I'm doing that here in Frankfurt. What do you, God, really think about it? How we can do the job better? Is it the right thing to do, anyways? Is there anything else we should rather do?

After going out on pub mission for the first time all on my own, something I read in a book struck my mind. It was something about reaching those with the gospel we wouldn't be able to get in touch with by any other way. That's the answer! Or at least something that sounds like at least part of the answer. Pub mission is certainly on way by which we might possibly reach those we would never even meet otherwise.

So, what was God's answer having learned that? "Optimize it!"

If by doing pub mission we get in touch with people we at the moment don't reach by any other way, it would be wasting opportunities to skip it. But how can we optimize it? Making sure, that people REALLY get confronted with the Good News by meeting us having their dinner out? That's a question worth to think about.

warum wundert ihr euch?

2007-06-25T17:49:00.000+02:00

Ist euch das schon einmal passiert? Völlig begeistert für deinen Herrn und seine Sache erzählst du anderen von deiner Einstellung und deinem Leben. Und die Antwort stellt dich in ein Licht, so als ob du nicht ganz normal wärst. Oder zumindest ein bisschen anders als alle anderen Normalen.

Komisch. Wir sind doch alle Christen, oder?

Mich erinnert diese Situation an Apg. 26:8, Paulus sagt das: "Warum wird es bei euch für etwas Unglaubliches gehalten, wenn Gott Tote auferweckt?" - etwas für ihn absolut Normales, aber in den Ohren und Augen anderer völlig abgehoben bis unecht.

Ich wünsche mir eine Christenheit, in der einem nicht das Gefühl gegeben wird, Dinge zu übertreiben, wenn man seinen Glauben tatsächlich ernst nimmt, lebt und zur absoluten Priorität macht, und das ganz offensichtlich und unübersehbar. Sondern, in der man sich einfach voneinander anspornen und vorantreiben lässt. Denn das hat mich auch an diesen Punkt meines Lebens für und mit Jesus gebracht.

Learning from others

2007-06-20T17:59:00.000+02:00

I went to this open-air service in the inner city of Frankfurt, excited about the fact, that there are actually other churches living out what we as Salvation Army consider as part of our DNA. And it was so, so good to be there!

Watching these Christians publicly proclaiming their faith, inviting others to simply watch and test, or to join brought up again some dreams I had years ago, by now. Now I wonder what happened to them. At the War College I discovered the idea that having an open-air doens't necessarily mean to mainly focus on the people passing by - but to simply celebrate your God, right there, on the street, as a sign to the world watching. This is what they were doing. Praise God, in Germany!

Back in Canada I wondered how it would work out to simply transfer our Sunday evening service to a public venue, not only to invite others to believe, but simply to worship our God, willingly choosing to be seen by everyone. It never came to pass. To sad. Because it seems to work.

Can you imagine, a whole group of Christians, in the very shopping mile of the city kneeling on the ground to proclaim that Jesus, only Jesus is king? That's what they did. It's powerful.

I loved how they offered seats for people on little benches we know from the Biergärten. I never experienced something like that. And they invited people to give their life to Jesus. Guess, who did? William Booth would say "our people". People from the streets, drunk people. But, hallelujah, not only those. But I already learned, that this confirms that Jesus came not for those who already think that they got everything together, but for those who know their need for him.

I'm waiting for the day when I can enrich our Salvation Army open-air heritage with what I saw down here. It's a blessing for the city.

I wish there would be more of this.

Es könnte verboten sein...

2007-06-18T18:08:00.001+02:00

Hört euch mal diesen Satz an:

"TUE ES HEUTE, SCHON MORGEN KÖNNTE ES VERBOTEN SEIN!"

Ein Satz, der für eine pensionierten Heilsarmeeoffizierin besonders vor der Zeit des Dritten Reiches von Bedeutung geworden ist. Aber auch ein Satz, der heute absolut aktuell ist.

Gerade vor wenigen Tagen habe ich einen Brief der christlichen Gemeinde in der Türkei an alle Christen weltweit gelesen, der Einblick in die Hintergründe der Ermordung der drei Christen am 18. März dieses Jahres gibt - Christenverfolgung in Europa, gar nicht so weit weg von uns.

Wer weiß, wie lange wir noch legal auf der Straße auf Jesus hinweisen dürfen? Wie lange wir im persönlichen Gespräch jemanden überhaupt zu Jesus einladen dürfen? Wie lange wir uns als Gemeinde im Namen von Jesus Christus versammeln dürfen.

"Die letzten Jahre noch..." Wahrscheinlich befinden wir uns in diesen letzten Jahren. Wäre doch zu schade, wenn wir diese Chance ungenutzt ließen.

Deswegen, lasst uns nichts zurückhalten, aber alles geben!

Leicht gesagt, ich weiß. Aber ich wünsche mir, tatsächlich so zu leben. Und zu sehen, wie Jesus' Gemeinde beginnt, so zu leben.

the wisdom of the father

2007-06-15T18:15:00.000+02:00

At times God needs to approach me like a father his child, asking to give back the toy he got in his hands. A toy he seems to be far too young for. A toy he doesn't know how to properly play with, yet. A toy he is more likely to get harmed by than to enjoy.

When the child gives the toy back to him, the only way seems to be to put it into a box and shut it away in a place out of reach, a place, the child might not even needs to know.

Maybe, there will be a day, when God the father decides to take the box back out, to open it and to give the toy back to his child. This will be the day when the child is ready to handle it, and, to enjoy it. Without harming itself.

I only hope that in the meantime I don't act like a greedy child, constantly nagging and trying to reach with my little arms what was taken from me.

Maybe, there will be a day...

Sie haben keinen Menschen...

2007-06-13T18:25:00.000+02:00

Was mich ziemlich beschäftigt, ist zu hören, wie einige derer, mit denen ich über Jahre hinweg in der Gemeinde gewesen und im Dienst für Gott gestanden bin, in ihrem Leben und ihrer Beziehung mit Gott kämpfen, wenn nicht fallen.

Ich weiß einfach, oder ahne es zumindest, wie groß Gottes Pläne für ihr Leben sind, wie unendlich das Potential, das er in sie für sein Reich hineingelegt hat. Umso frustrierender ist es, mitanzusehen, wie sie sich davon weiter und weiter entfernen zu scheinen.

Erinnert ihr euch an den Gelähmten am Teich Bethesda, den Jesus heilt, nachdem er verzweifelt klagt: "Ich habe keinen Menschen..." - keinen Menschen, der ihm geholfen hätte, Heilung in dem Wasser des Teiches zu finden.

Diese Worte sind mir eingefallen, als ich über diese mir so nahestehenden Menschen nachgedacht und gebetet habe. Ich glaube, eines ihrer Probleme ist: Sie haben keinen Menschen.

Keinen Menschen, zu dem sie eine Vertrauensbeziehung aufbauen konnten, die sie in ihrem Leben und Glauben stärkt. Keinen Menschen, an dessen Leben sie ein Stück weit sehen können, wie Gott sich ihr Leben vorstellt. Keinen Menschen, der sie ermutigt und ermahnt, sein Leben mit ihnen teilt und ihnen zur Seite steht.

Dies ist ein Aufruf! Ein Aufruf, die Augen zu öffnen und sich umzuschauen nach denen, die in unserer Umgebung und Gemeinde leben, und vielleicht tatsächlich kämpfen, nicht vom Weg abzukommen, oder zumindest, auf dem richtigen Weg zu bleiben, und voranzukommen.
Ein Aufruf, sie zu sehen, und sich ihnen an die Seite zu stellen. Ohne Rücksicht auf das, was es uns kostet. Denn es kostet Zeit, Einsatz, Liebe, Geduld.

Aber ohne das, fürchte ich, kommen einige zu Fall.
Ich würde mir so wünschen, etwas daran ändern zu können!

You are my all in all

2007-06-01T11:03:00.001+02:00

Some of you might know this verse: Ps. 73:25: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you."

Has God ever challenged you to give up anything so that you will learn the truth of this verse? The idea seems to be simple. Even if it sounds - and, believe me, is - hard, God challenges you to leave things behind to allow him to be all you need and desire in life.

I somehow guess, that this really is some really rewarding truth, something that actually will work out that way God is promising it. That he will fill our lives even more when we make room by giving up something else.

I'm still learning... It's kind of a hard lesson. But, that's the way I got to know God so far, it seems to be worth it. I hope I not only claim this to be true but actually believe it in my heart so much, that I live it out.

just thinking about ...

2007-05-25T15:11:00.000+02:00

All of you who are part of the Salvation Army know this kind of procedure: Officers or soldiers dress up, stack their bags full of War Cries and get on their way to do pub mission.

Sadly enough it mostly seems to turn out less about mission but about money, because that's simply the easiest way to adress people who in some cases don't really want to be disturbed during their meal. Praise God for the War Cry, at least for those parts that actually provide spiritual guidance and give some hints about faith in God. May God use it abundantly to reach out to lost souls!

As you know, there are two sides of the coin. The back side might be the fact, that in many cases officers force themselves to do this two, three times a week, trying to keep up a right motivation by reminding themselves, that the main purpose is to win souls by giving out our literature. At some points it really feels like it's a "reminding oneselves", a "setting oneself at ease again" about this tradition.

Oddly it really works out pretty well. Some people actually are quite delighted to actually meet the Salvation Army - which they though dead already - right in front of them. And many claim always to be willing to donate, if not to others than at least for the Salvation Army.

It proves to be a quite secure way to provide funds for the daily costs of running our houses, paying the salaries of full-time workers, and - of course, doing ministry. But at what costs?

In many cases it seems to end up this way: Officers, who have spend a whole day in the office, preparing for ministry, doing paper work, actually drag themselves to manage another three, four hours of running throughout the city, visiting one pub after the other. Depending on age, physical condition and the climate this turns out to be quite exhausting - as you probably know quite well.

The day after my first experience of doing pub mission I found this verse in the Moravians' Daily Watchwords: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Mt. 6:33 - So, what about this? What about officers, corps who actually put all their possible effort into building God's kingdom, not wasting a thought, or time on beggin for money? Do you believe it might work? It must work! I believe it!

But, sadly enough, I myself am pretty stuck in this kind of thinking, that we need to take on our responsibility to make our whole ministry possible. And, as soon as I think about not keeping up this way of asking for donations, the thought comes up to me: "But how are we then getting the money we need...?" You know, what I mean? Who ever said that we ourselves need to come up with ideas to provide funds?

If pub mission would only really mean that there is time and opportunity to really get to talk to people, making them think about their salvation. I know it happens, but how often? How easily does that happen?

Thank God for people who actually love doing this thing! Let them go! They are an important part of us being present in our cities! But does the simple fact that "we need the money" and that "we not only do it because of the money but to give our literature" justify that everyone, whoever does like doing this or not, needs to keep it up, on cost of his health and joy in ministry?

Now, only tell me one more thing: Am I right?

Der Weg zum Sieg

2007-05-24T09:10:00.000+02:00

Zu meinem Abschied von Hamburg bekam ich von Besuchern unserer Gemeinde ein Buch, das, soweit ich das bisher durchblicken konnte, geistlich sehr tiefgehend und daher auch absolut wertvoll für mich ist.

Vor Tagen wurde mir dadurch auf noch nie vorher bedachte Weise bewusst, wie Gottes Weg zum Sieg völlig dem Verständnis der Welt entgegen läuft. Unsere normal anerkannte Denkweise konzentriert sich auf unseren eigenen Einsatz, Kampf, der schlussendlich, idealerweise zum Sieg führt.

Nicht so aber Gottes Wege. So lautet Gottes Weg zum Sieg folgendermaßen:
Glaube, ruhe, siege!

Wenn es denn so einfach wär! Denn, selbstsüchtig und selbstbezogen wie wir sind, fällt es uns komischerweise leichter, alles zu geben, es uns alles kosten zu lassen, um unser Ziel zu erreichen. Wie schwierig ist es dagegen, die Hände sinken zu lassen, und einzig und allein sein Vertrauen in Gott zu setzen, dass er den von Jesus am Kreuz erkämpften Sieg in unserer persönlichen Situation erlebbar macht.

Aber genau das scheint ans Ziel zu führen! Und, so schwer es mir fällt, bestätigen viele meiner Erfahrungen diese Aussage. Wie oft habe ich versucht, durch mein Handeln und meine Initiative meinen Wunsch Realität werden zu lassen. Und wie oft rückte dieser dadurch nur umso weiter von mir weg! Schließlich musste ich jedes Mal eingestehen: "Hätte ich bloß auf Gottes Handeln gewartet und vertraut!"

Die Bibel ruft uns, uns in unserem Denken nicht dem der Welt gleichzustellen, sondern unseren Sinn von Gott erneuern zu lassen. Dies scheint mir der einzige Weg zu sein, diese uns so entgegenlaufenden Wege des Reiches Gottes zu verinnerlichen und zu begreifen.

our people

2007-05-20T17:10:00.000+02:00

For the first time after years in the Salvation Army I feel fairly far away from what William Booth labelled "our people": The people living on the streets, living a kind of life totally different to ours, way beyond our so loved comfort und life quality.

Encountering people like those every one of us meets on the streets in all of Germany's inner cities William Booth knew he has found out a lot about God's calling for the Salvation Army. "These are our people!", he exclaimed. And I know what this newly gained knowledge feels like.

Again, for the first time after meeting street people daily in our homeless drop-in in Hamburg for years I'm now living and working in a place where they seem to be as far away as they were when I lived my life not knowing that God has planned more.

Temptation is high to simply walk by and follow one's daily business. It's so easy to ignore them, although God taught me to really love them. But, thank God, I still know, that these are "our people", and that they have a special place in God's kingdom and especially in the Salvation Army.

my testimony

2007-05-20T16:57:00.000+02:00

The testimony I'i about to give in my new corps in Frankfurt is going to be about calling. How incredibly big, far beyond my understanding, God's calling on the lives on his children, on my life, is. Just imagine, being anointed, called to deliver the Good News, called to proclaim healing and freedom to a broken and captivated world. And I'm allowed to be part of it! We are! A calling so big that someone is all about stopping you to fulfill it!

There simply remain a few things I just guess that there is still a lot to learn about:

There is a big price. Slowly I'm discovering more and more about what it actually costs to live God's calling out. It costs my dreams, my reign over my life, my priorities.

How can I actually live this calling out?
In my own strength it doesn't work, obviously. But the bible tells me that it's possible. There must be a way, there IS a way! Remaining in him, staying utterly dependend on him. So, how am I to do this?

How can I reach the best possible fullness of fullfilling this calling?
There must be more than what we experience right now. There is more! How can I get there?

Any answers on that?

Angry about the right thing?

2007-05-12T20:45:00.000+02:00

Do you remember Jonah? I'm sure you do, but only Jonah running away from God, Jonah being swallowed by the fish, ...

Let me tell you of another lesson we can learn from Jonah, which I learned from Chick Yuill at ROOTS UK:

Do you remember Jonah sitting under the rizinus God made grow for him to provide shadow and to cool down both his body and soul? Because at this moment Jonah was angry. Angry at God because he chose to be merciful instead of simply wiping out a whole city.

But then God did not only made the rizinus grow but also sent a worm making the bush wither in just a few hours.

Reason enough to be angry, or not?

So what's the point of this? Firstly, Jonah is angry about a merciful God who didn't send thousands of people straight into hell. Secondly, he is mad about the lovely shadow being gone.

Are we angry about the right thing? Are we angry about what pleases us or about what pleases God?

Think about it!

the bible study crisis

2007-04-07T12:10:00.000+02:00

Honestly, it's kind of a sad story. Due to my struggle to really experience Jesus in his glory and truth by reading the bible I allowed myself to not read the bible at all more and more.

But this also gave God opportunity to point out some interesting truth to me, which helped me to realize the effect not reading the Word is having on me.

During the last couple of weeks I got quite mad at all kind of gross attitudes and roots of bitterness and condemnation that rose up from my heart. It made me angry and desparate since I desire to be more and more transformed by Jesus.

But then he pointed out some reasons for that: It seems to be quite clear. What is going to happen when I don't take his truth into my inner being, if I don't allow him to alter my thinking by the power of his word? Do you see the connection?

I kind of realized that this is the outcome, all of which is in my heart without God comes out even more the less I feed my spirit with what is from him.
I hope this helpes me to allow him to fill me up with his word again and again.

miracle man

2007-04-07T12:02:00.000+02:00

I thought it was a only a story, that people actually meet Jesus in such a way that they allow him to absolutely turn their lives all over. It was hard for me to really believe that this could happen, that people meet Jesus and change their lives, right away - because I so rarely saw it happen with my own eyes.

But, it IS true! By God's grace I had the opportunity to experiencce it by counselling a woman who turned away from Jesus. But Jesus went to meet her, without help of men and called her back. So she returned to our church and really opened her life up to him.

Suddenly she realized that sleeping around with her boyfriend is not ok anymore.
Neither is smoking.
And she also made the decision to tithe.

Now she left her boyfriend, successfully stopped smoking and invites her neighbour to church.
Praise God! What a miracle!

I so desire to see that happen more often! Thank you, Jesus, for reminding me that this is possible! I only have one answer why this doesn't happen a lot, because we are not open to his correction and don't allow him to fully reign over our lives.

Erneuerung beginnt beim Leiter

2007-03-16T16:14:00.000+01:00

Ungeachtet dessen, ob ich das idea-Spektrum (Nachrichtenmagazin der Evangelischen Kirche) als christliche Bild-Zeitung betitele oder als wertvolle und vertrauenswürdige Informationsquelle - dort sind des öfteren durchaus hilfreiche Beiträge zu finden!

So z.B. der Beitrag "Eine „wachsende Kirche“ fängt beim Pfarrer an " von Walter Nigg (siehe Link) mit der erstaunlichen Erkenntnis, dass Gemeindeerneuerung bei der geistlichen Erneuerung des Pfarrers/Gemeindeleiters beginnt, frei nach dem Motto "Wie der Herr, so's Gscherr."

Wie wahr, wie wahr!

Ein kleiner Ausschnitt und Vorgeschmack als Ermutigung, sich auf diesen Artikel online einzulassen, für alle, die sich in dieser Position befinden:
"Wir sind in die besondere Nähe Christi berufen, um mehr in der Schrift zu meditieren, mehr mit Christus zu reden als andere, die die Zeit dazu nicht haben, und wir sollen im Umgang mit ihm lernen, gute Hirten zu sein. "

Preist den Herrn für diese so besondere Berufung! Das ist es doch wert, sie von ganzem Herzen zu ergreifen und an diesem Aspekt ausgerichtet zu leben!

a suggestion to a new way of reading our bibles

2007-03-10T10:49:00.000+01:00

Little by little it's dawning to me, that throughout twenty years of being influecned by our Western church-culture I got into some way of viewing and handling my bible that I'm not satisfied with any more.

I guess this way of reading your bible is pretty close to what you experience:
At some point in the morning you open your bible, quickly go through the verses suggested in your bible-reading plan. If you actually experience that God is speaking through this to you - halleluja! - if not, got another chance tomorrow, let's move on!

And sadly enough all too often this is my way of reading the bible, too.

But as I'm getting more and more unsatisfied with that I believe that this is absolutely not the way the bible itself is suggesting. All verses that I remember about opening myself up to the word of God are about "meditating on" or "thinking about" God's word - which is absolutely unlike simply "reading".

I made it my prayer to God to alter my way of treating his word and to show me the steps that I need to go to lead me deeper into the wisdom and knowledge of his word. And I already experienced, that the part that I'm taking in fulfilling this prayer, is hard work, and requires some costs. But it's worth it.

Do you want to do the same?

Agressive Christianity according to the co-founder

2007-03-10T10:45:00.000+01:00

“I believe that Satan’s strategy has always been, and continues to be, to deceive God’s own people. Let me tell you one of the ways that he has succeeded in doing that: In regards to our responsibility to the world. Satan has got us to accept what I call a “namby-pamby, little kid two-hand-touch football” presentation of the Gospel. This is the half-scared, half-committed way of putting the truth of Jesus before uncommitted people, thinking that this is the appropriate, sensitive way to talk to them about their souls.

Jesus said: “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the message of God’s good news to one and to all.” Do you think that these words meant, “Go and build chapels and churches and invite the people to come one or two days a week, and if they don’t then leave them alone?”
“You go!” Jesus orders. Go where? Go everywhere to everyone! Wherever you find them, if they have a soul, then you announce the message of God’s good news. If I understand it correctly, that is the meaning and the heart behind the commission.

They are asleep – go and wake them up. They don’t see the danger that they are in. If they saw it they wouldn’t need you to run after them. The problem is they are preoccupied. Open their eyes, and turn them around by your desperation and forceful care. Do not be satisfied with just throwing around a good word about Jesus. Do not be content with gentle invitations and then prayerfully leaving them alone. Jesus wasn’t! He ran after them and pulled them out of the Hell to which they were heading.

I can hear some people whining and saying, “But you must be careful, we don’t want to push them away.” Come on! Do you expect me to wait until the uncommitted, godless person wants to be saved before I try to save them? Do you expect me to wait until my unsaved friends drift off towards hell, and never tell them about the state of their lives?

We have to make them look at the light, take off their blinders, open their eyes to make them suffer through it. If they run away from us the first time then we find them and do it all over the next time. We don’t let them have any peace until they get right with God and get their souls saved.

This is what Christianity ought to be doing right here, right now. Just do it. Don’t let your family, friends, and acquaintances die with their blood on your hands.”

Catherine Booth

Just a little reminder.

The visit - A call to holiness

2007-03-03T11:43:00.000+01:00

Some of you Germans might now Adrian Plasses book "The visit" which now is available as DVD. Get you hands on it - it's worth it!

This movie opened my heart anew to Jesus' way of meeting and touching individuals. Jesus absolutely unlike us doesn't overlook someone who is hurt, lonely and in need of help. And he takes time to meet him.
Jesus also doesn't flee from situations that go deep, he doesn't make unnecessary words, doesn't fall into embarassment but uses the tension we normally flee from to heal and set free from what enslaves us.

All of this lead me to one simple prayer: "I want to be more like you, Jesus!" - Which is nothing but a prayer for holiness, holiness stripped down to what it really is.

All I seriously don't want to be like is what was picture in the movie in the figure of Peter - held captive in outward rules and forms that so often seem so normal in our church life. But, I'm afraid that sometimes I'm pretty close to being directed more by these rules than by Jesus' example. Unless he's the only one I look up to.

calling

2007-02-23T21:09:00.000+01:00

Maybe it's the same with you, that the question about calling is just coming up again and again. Conversations with a friend visiting this week helped me a lot to just clarify my understanding about what God has called me to, regardless of the situation and location I'm in.

What is our very first calling in life? Simply, to seek the Lord.

In other words he expressed it this way: To maintain a pure heart before our Lord and to continuously labour for his Kingdom in prayer and deed.

This goes in line with the words of my corps officer: "Being at the very center of God's will more about having a right heart before God than that it is about location."

I know, this doesn't answer specific questions about God's calling on our lives individually, but it helps to get the foundation straight.

2007-02-21T12:49:00.000+01:00

When Sunday a new soldier was enrolled in our corps he read the Soldier's covenant to us. Reason enough to remind all Salvation Army soldiers among us of some striking lines in our covenant that God pointed out to me anew.

"I will be faithful to the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him. "
When a friend of mine got enrolled three years ago he always stated that he is entering the Army for what God has called her to be, and not for what it might be right now. A statement which helps me to be faithful even if reality sometimes might be disappointing.

"I am convinced that the love of Christ, who died and now lives to save me, requires from me this devotion of my life to His service for the salvation of the whole world. " - Reason enough to be in the Army, isn't it?

I found it helpful to be lead to go through my covenant again to reshape my inner picture of what it means to be a soldier. The picture our corps or other soldiers might give sometimes so differ from what we agreed to in our covenant. But that is what we signed up for. And I again found it worth it, that I did.

By the grace of God I will be faithfully living up to that!

a year's review - 2006

2007-02-14T21:24:00.000+01:00

When I published the first entry after taking up blogging again I was asked to give my personal year's review of this passed year which I spent ministering with my home corps in Hamburg/Germany.
Here it is.

2006 was a year which not at all turned out to be the way I had expected it to be like.

For me the year 2006 was
a year of tears
but also
a year of a new experience of intimate prayer.
It was
a year of God's renewed grace every single day
A year of God's faithfulness despite of my failure.
A year of learning that God's ways are different to mine.
A year of deep community with God in my loneliness and desperation.
A year of God helping me to fulfill my responsibilities.

In the beginning of the year God gave me this verse which carried me through all of this: Romans 4:21: "God has power to do what he had promised."

Most of the time I had the impression that he simply didn't want to give to me what I was aksing for. Looking back I question which of that were mistakes I didn't need to go through. One thing I'm convinced of is that this was THE ONLY WAY God could lead me to teach me his lessons and to transform my heart to beat more unisono with his.

When the new year 2007 started God miraculously ended the pain and led me to find new freedom by challenging me to submit under his will without my understanding. This set me free to walk on.

The War College graduate

2007-02-14T21:23:00.000+01:00

Sorry, this may sound a bit like self-promotion, but for anyone interested, there is my testimony as a War College graduate of the Martyrs session in the internet.

Glory to God!

Jugend betet für Hamburg

2007-02-13T18:24:00.000+01:00

Anfang Januar bin ich durch die Jugendveranstaltung der Allianz-Gebetswoche auf eine ziemlich coole in Hamburg laufende Aktion gestoßen, die sich "Jugend betet für Hamburg" nennt. Wenn man so will, ein relativ normaler, wöchentlicher Gebetabend von Jugendlichen, für Jugendliche.

So unglaublich es scheinen mag, treffen sich dort jede Woche an die 20 bis 30 Teens und Twens einfach um Gott anzubeten und für Anliegen und Gottes Reich in unserer Stadt zu beten.

Auf jeden Fall finde ich diese Tatsache unendlich beschämend, wenn ich auf unseren Gebetskreis blicke, der mit ziemlicher Sicherheit ein Bild für den durchschnittlichen Gebetskreis einer Gemeinde darstellt, wo sich fünf bis zehn Leute bemühen, dranzubleiben und sich nicht entmutigen zu lassen.

Da sage noch mal einer, von den Jugendlichen könne man nichts lernen.

Und auch wenn das in Hamburg ist - eine super Idee, die wirklich zu funktionieren scheint. Und, die auch wirklich Potential zu haben scheint, Veränderung zu bringen. Das schließe ich daraus, dass ich jedes einzelne Mal unheimlich kämpfen musste, die Entscheidung dafür zu treffen. Also muss ja irgendwas dahinterstecken, wenn es dem Teufel ein Anliegen ist, mich davon abzuhalten!

This is my God!

2007-02-01T12:44:00.000+01:00

I hope this is not devaluating God, but sometimes he is simply nice!

For weeks I have been fighting lack of motivation in the mornings, I'm jobless and it simply seems easier to fill part of the day sleeping than finding some meaningful things to do.

But God pointed out to me that a holy life is different to that. In addition to that he again and again tried to motivate to get up simply to spend time with him.

Thank God, he doesn't leave me alone in this struggle.

Listen to what happened yesterday morning:

7:30 am: The phone next to my bed rings (there is the corps office in my appartment)

A ladies voice is asking whether she can donate some furniture.

Normally I would be quiet angry about that, but I know for sure - she simply had to call because God made her to.

Thank you, Jesus!

master of transformation

2007-01-29T16:20:00.000+01:00

We all know from the bible, that God's ways are different to ours, but in reality eventually it's so difficult to live with that out and expect God to work completely contrary to our expectations and still to meet his promises.

The most amazing thing concerning this matter I experienced since the start of the new year is God's miracle to restore inner peace to my life simply by altering my attitude without changing a single detail of the outward circumstances.

I hope that from these experiences I might learn that God is focussed on the transformation of my heart, much more than changing in what I feel stuck in. And I'm glad that he tought me to be thankful for this.

grace lectures

2007-01-22T12:02:00.000+01:00

I never considered it difficult for me personally to accept God's undeserved grace. Not until now, when I suddenly find myself confronted with some weird attitude in my heart which makes me prefer the hard way of reaching the goal by my own strength instead of simply receiving God's freedom and grace.

It's a bit like not being willing to forgive oneself, even if I know that God has already forgiven me. But God is not stubborn the way I am, he is gracious. And so he is gently talking to me about the burdens I carry which he actually does not want me carry. The burden of obedience and endurance without joy.

It all runs down to pride. It is pride that makes me end up fighting agains failure, helplessness and dependency from God.

In this situation God opens my eyes to new details of his character. He is simply willing to give me a new chance, start anew, walk new ways, in short, simply to give me grace.

The fourfold purpose of life

2007-01-17T12:50:00.000+01:00

Did you know that the creation story doesn not only tell us the beginning of our world, but also contains some hidden truths about our main purpose? This is true at least according to Rick Joyner, who was preaching years ago at a "Dawn of a new day"conference in Germany.

Genesis 1:26: "God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us."
The most inportant and very first purpose of our lives, the basic of everything else:
First main purpose: TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it."
Second main purpose: TO CULTIVATE THE GARDEN

Genesis 1:28: "Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Third and forth main purpose: TO BE FRUITFULL and TO TAKE DOMINION

So, what does that mean for us? If any of those four is missing we don't fulfill the purpose God has created us for. And he has placed every one of us in a special place. So, what is "my garden"? What is the area, God has entrusted me with to cultivate, to bear fruit in and to take dominion over?

No victory without fight

2007-01-17T12:37:00.000+01:00

There is a tendency in our spirituality which I would call victory euphoria. I went through that myself. It's characterized by the word wictory right at the centre of every conversatiopn and prayer, it's all about claiming and proclaiming victory, just like we only need to call out this magic word in order to see it fall down from heaven.

So, there is nothing wrong about victory, but lately God brought some new light into my understanding of Jesus' victory on the cross in my life.

One fact I kind of forgot about was that there is no victory without fighting. And that'S the less desirable part of it. First there is the struggle, the wrestling and the wounds, then the party.

And this spiritual battle includes self-denial, obedeience and brokenness. Things that don'T sound like triumph anymore, but are crucial if we ask God to grant victory.

Absolutely unlike us God isn't mainly focussed on quick success. He's more interested in transforming our heart and attitude thatn winning the battle as soon as possible. Maybe that's why we so often have to wait so long for God's victory in our lives.

Thinking about the character ov citroy reminds me of some lines from Rob Dolby: "We as humans have this image of running the race, and crossing the finish line in great shape and with great strength; but lately I have had that image reshaped, sometimes we finish the race not running at all but even crawling, and success can look like just being able to remain standing at the end."

Maybe that'S the picture we need to get used to claiming voctory for us. This is not meant to weaken the incredible power of God allowiung us to partake in Jesus' victory right here on earth. But it speaks some deeper truth into the process that leads to victory.

Am I willing to accept God'S way of granting voctory? Am I ready to undergo all of which it does to my pride, impatience and selfishness?

When I was walking alongside the Elbe river the morning after a storm Friday morning I felt taken right into the mdidle of what victory feels like. It is like the rising sun on a new morning after a dark, stormy night. It's like the relief that fills the air when the waves that were once big and frightening slowly go back into the riverbed. It's the feeling of being over the top, even if there is still chaos and damage around you.

God chose to

2007-01-12T18:55:00.000+01:00

Right now God seems to be going through some lessons with me about accepting his will, even if, or, especially if it's absolutely contrary to what I actually was hoping for. But it's all my fault, there was a time - and still is - when I was asking him to teach me his ways, so he's doing nothing else but answering my prayer - can't accuse him of that.

So, that's the challenge. Do things, or, NOT doing certain things, allowing God to completely change your mindset, your hopes and expectations, giving up what you measured your decisions on, ... simply for one reason: because God chose to.

As long as I don't understand his motivations that's the only thing I can count on, hoping that God has done enough transforming work inside of me so that my selfish heart considers it worth it.

Following the message of the bible it is worth it.
Because God knows better.
This is why I should be fine with his answer.
"Why, Lord?" - Because he chose to.

unhealed wounds attract flies

2007-01-10T13:08:00.000+01:00

All of you who have been at the War College might remember that phrase about demons: "Where there is garbage, there are rats." So, there is a new one from Rick Joyner: "Unhealed wounds attract flies."

Have you ever wondered, what in your life makes it so easy for Satan to trick you into believing his lies? One of the answers are the scares we carry around unless we allow Jesus to heal where others have wounded us and by doing so take away every ground on which Satan can build all of this lies about others that so much destroy their lives, our relationships and our soul.

We can't prevent that we get wounded, but all of us have open doors to our Father in heaven who calls himself "the one who heals".

Schluss mit “eigentlich”!

2006-12-22T13:30:00.000+01:00

Sorry, this is for my German friends, it's about the undeniable voice of God, forever reminded us of our inobedience, if we didn't choose to obey right away.

Hinter diesen Slogan als Ermutigung zu Enthaltsamkeit während der vorösterlichen Fastenzeit vergangenen Jahres möchte ich eine Ermutigung zum kompromisslosen Gehorsam des Drängens des Heiligen Geistes stellen.

Wer von uns kennt nicht Situationen, in denen er ohne Zweifel weiß, auf eine bestimmte Art und Weise handeln zu müssen, weil Gott ihn dazu ruft? Sooft wir auch betonen, uns im Hören auf Gottes Reden so unsicher zu sein, ich glaube, das kann kein Christ leugnen: Dass wir zumindest einen von Gottes Wegen zu uns zu reden kennen, den wir – wenn wir bloß ehrlich sein würden – nicht als von Gott leugnen können.

Das Tragische hinter diesem unbequemen Wissen ist die ewige Reue danach, wenn wir uns nicht von Gott zum Handeln herausfordern lassen. Denn sooft wir an diese Situation erinnert werden, steigen die Worte in uns hoch: „Eigentlich hätte ich …“ Eigentlich … – eine nicht zu leugnende Tatsache, dass Gott gerufen, wir jedoch nicht gehorcht haben.

Ich wünsche mir für jeden von uns, dass, je länger wir mit unserem Herrn unterwegs sind und ihm näher kommen, weniger und weniger „Eigentlich hätte ich dies und das tun sollen“-Situationen unser Gewissen quälen. Und dass wir uns immer öfter, wenn die erschreckende Gewissheit in uns hochsteigt, dass Gott genau jetzt will, dass wir für ihn eintreten, dafür entscheiden, den kurzzeitigen Kampf um Überwindung dem ewigen „Eigentlich“ vorziehen.

The Nativity Story - "Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit"

2006-12-22T13:28:00.000+01:00

Watch this movie to find new access to what is so familiar to us that it is not much interesting to us anymore! Besides, that it clearly tells the world that “God became human”, it speaks some clear language about some spiritual truths.

Based on the Old Testament promise of the Messiah, the film pictures how everyone knows about the power behind these words spoken so long ago. The interesting fact is, how this penetrating knowledge is absolutely not related to faith or unbelief of the person, the pious Jews know the truth behind it as well as the pagan king Herod.

This reminds me of the words of an evangelist, Jan Eriksen, claiming, that our proclamation of the Gospel plants some seeds in the heart of the hearers, which non-deniably grow and cause inner turmoil, because there is something powerful, new rising up inside of them.

At one point teenage-girl Mary desperately asks: “Why, for heaven’s sake, did God chose me?” After watching the film there is no doubt about the often forgotten fact, that God’s calling on Mary’s life, at least in the beginning, was much more burden than pleasure. Watching her causing rejection and shame against herself, her family and her future-husband Joseph, only by the grace of Joseph escaping stoning, just because she holds on to the words of God spoken to her and her purity makes me understand the cries of the prophets under the heavy yoke of God’s calling.

Nevertheless, at the moment of Jesus’ birth all sorrow is turned into gladness, which I claim for my own life and hold on to as a basic truth about God’s calling as much as the heavy weight of it.

welcome - a year's review

2006-12-21T17:15:00.000+01:00

Welcome to a new start of an old blog! I actually found that I missed this way of communicating what God is doing in the world and in my life, and that's why I believe it's worth it to try again.

The start of a new year often is a time to review what we accomplished throughout the passed year. To put everyone in the international Salvation Army on the same page about this every year the "Salvation Army's yearbook" is published.

Now listen to what seems to be the greatest accomplished goal in 2006 in my home corps Hamburg, according to the yearbook: "At Christmas 600 underprivileged, elderly and lonly people were guests of the corps in Hamburg for seasonal hospitality." - Judge by yourself it this is the only thing worth it to be mentioned!

I believe it is not. Simply because this is not what we can call the fulfillment of our calling, which is to win the world for Jesus.
Thank God this is not the only thing that happened throughout 2006 here!
I wish that God gives us eyes to review our year's accomplishments according to what he considers worthwile to be mentioned or simply rubbish. And to to better next year.

The End

2005-12-28T20:13:00.000+01:00

Sad but true.

I'm gonna delete my blog soon. Keeping up blogging is currently more stressful than enjoyable to me. There is a time for everything. I believe my time in Canada was my time to blog for now.

Thanks to all faithful readers, especially in Germany.

May God let you experience countless blogable adventures with him!

Awaken the giant

2005-12-03T12:04:00.000+01:00

Christmas time is kettle season in the Salvation Army. This year I have the pleasure to contribute to this extraordinary event for the first time of my life myself.

Altogether I'm fine with the idea of presenting ourselves to the public to encourage people to donate for our ministry which also gives us opportunity to witness as well. Compared to what the Army's Pub Mission developed into I can agree with the idea of doing kettles, especially since the original purpose IS the money and didn't cover up the purpose of evangelism like it is with the Pub Mission.

But one thing which made me incredibly sad was ending up helping out our singers with singing worldly Christmas songs which don't even mention the name of Jesus, in the public, behind our kettle under the name of the Salvation Army, who is called by God to be light and salt in our society.

Honestly, everyone else can do that.
Preaching the gospel, changing peoples' lives by bringing them to God's throne, making God known to them and praying for them - that's what not everyone else can do.

This is just another call to test our activities in relation to our calling and for their effectivity to win the world for Jesus.

Essentials for the new General

2005-12-03T12:02:00.000+01:00

Every time I think of the incredible calling God has placed over theSalvation Army I'm overcome with fear of God, what a great honor andwhat responsibility he has entrusted us with! The only way I can seethis calling fulfilled is by the work of the Spirit of trueSalvationism, the Spirit of God himself. In the Army I see God'sSpirit manifesting himself as the Spirit of whole-hearted andself-sacrificing devotion and the Spirit of power who is showinghimself in great signs and wonders.

The one thing I can see the Army in need of is Openess to the Spiritof the Lord. In Matthew 22:29 Jesus states an important truth in frontof the Pharisees: "Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures,and you don't know the power of God." This very problem causedspiritual leadership in the days of Jesus and in our days to turntheir back to Jesus and with him to God's plans of hope and future fortheir generation. Being close to God in order to hear his heart beat,being one with his Spirit is key to knowing and being able tocontribute to God's dreams.

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORDAlmighty." (Zechariah 4:6). God's Spirit is the one power in which theSalvation Army differs from any worldly army. He is the force thatgives the direction and keeps us on the run. The is the One who grantsus victory. Since there is no victory without a strategy of warfare,our strategy is to follow the leading of the Lord Almighty in battle.

The call is to re-dig the wells of red-hot Salvationism, of aSpirit-filled ministry and of powerful preaching which is changinglives. In order to do this we need to repent of our sin against theSpirit as a movement, for not giving room to the Spirit and notfollowing all his ways, for compromising with worldly securities andlosing focus of our calling. This will enable us once again to activlylisten to and expect the power of the Spirit at work in us at firstand as a result of this through us and among us through sound biblicalteaching and our examples of purity.

God wants to ignite the fire and breath his Spirit into our dry bones.But our part us to propheticly call forth the Spirit, which needs tobe done also from the position of God-given authority over theinternational Army - the Spirit of the One who promises "How much morewill your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

try tears

2005-11-28T14:00:00.000+01:00

Preaching about being watchful I was shocked by the rejection I felt facing me. Viewing the people partly even turning away their heads I was reminded of God crying out through Jeremia about his people showing him their back instead of their faces.

Finishing the sermon after an altar call which noone reacted to I asked people to pray out loud. Hearing their nicely sounding prayers but not feeling or being able so see any reaction to the word God had spoken to them made me cry. I felt the pain in my heart, the tear in my eye.

Later on I had to repent for not letting people see me cry. For not giving room to the Spirit. For not giving God the opportunity to turn the hearts with tears.

I can only imagine what God could have done when people would have had the opportuniy to see God's pain.

2005-10-28T13:57:00.000+02:00

Having learned basics about discipleship in Vancouver, I'm trying to walk in it back in Germany - with amazing results.

Discipleship - which again and again turns out to be one of the biggest problems in our corps, it's not the conversions we have to fight for so much, but helping them to walk with their Lord daily.

There is Susanne. Everytime I visit her and mix up with her on a personal basis, I'm excited about what God is doing in her life. So she is telling me about how she is talking about people she knows from the streets about Jesus, is reading the bible with them, opening them up to the gospel at times and at places where we as Army would never be present. I can see how God is using her big love for people for his kingdom. It's beautiful to see how God is re-directing the giftings he has given her to be used for his glory. And - I'm blessed simply by praying with her. A gifted intercessor. Just converted for maybe a couple of weeks every prayer we share together is centered around intercession for people she met and whose needs she knows about.

And there is Dieter. God called him back to himself after a time of him having run away. On his way home from our coffeebar some guys meet him by surprise, threaten him with a knife, calling him names, for the sake of him being a Christian. His response: I'm a Christian, yes. But you can just kill my body, but can't take my soul. They dropped the knife and ran.

Praise God!

holy speech

2005-10-22T14:01:00.000+02:00

Ever thought about how difficult it is in a language different to yours to fall into the temptation of foul language and unwholesome talk? Ok, it's still far from impossible, but thinking back to my year in Canada I find that God used the language barriere to start purifying my language.

How does that go? The idea is simple: Since you have to think a lot more about how to express yourself in a different language you have to think far more about what you say.
Sad enough I'm still too quick to speak, and, ever sader, to speak words that hurt others quite a lot. That's why I was afraid of returning to Germany, back to speaking German again, it's easy, I don't have to think much about it and - ouch! Better shouldn't have said that.

But God is still at work in me!

He granted us quite a breakthrough by opening our eyes to the worldly fun and use of words we have among our staff members. Having fun too often ends up in jokes on cost of others.

God's solution: Shut up and pray for each other!
It seriously helps! Try it!

jehovah jireh

2005-10-04T21:40:00.000+02:00

God is providing for me what I need.

One thing I and a prayer partner of mine were asking God for was a partner for ministry for me in Hamburg, Germany. Not knowing who God would chose I grew pretty desparate when a friend who I would have chosen moved away just a couple of weeks before my arrival.

I know what I feel called to do, basicly, all kind of ministry, especially street ministry I can't do on my own. It's not wise and I miss out on the blessing God has for the community of his people. And we lose the power of our witness as brothers and sisters who love each other with God's love.

But there is Stefan who I was working with during my first year with the Salvation Army in Hamburg. Who actually had planned to minister with the Army in Vienna starting this fall. But who chose to stay because of his Dad being ill.

Stefan which whose words I can agree with totally. With whom I can pray, for hours. Who I can do visitations, start new ways of outreach, who God is laying on our hearts the same things and who experiences God the way I learned to view God during my stay in Canada.

Praise God for Stefan!
May God bring glory to his name through our ministry together!

lies

2005-09-16T17:33:00.000+02:00

Being back in Hamburg/Germany I find myself exactly doing the same job I did one year ago. Running the drop-in for homeless people in the center of the red-light district and telling about Jesus during open-airs.

I love it.

The problem is that it feels like nothing has changed. Feels like I haven't been away, like I haven't learned loads about God during my year at the War College.

It's a lie. I know it. But it's hard not to allow Satan to draw you back. Not to go with the crowd and walk in what was totally normal a year ago.

I have higher standards now. I want more now.

extreme poverty

2005-09-11T23:48:00.000+02:00

Visiting the Salvation Army in Lithuania I got to do an outreach with them visiting people who live on a huge trash-dump outside the city of Klaipeda. Having lived in the DTES, Canada's poorest postal code I thought I've seen a lot. But seeing people litterally living in hoods made of trash, surrounded by piles of even more trash, and, especially, seeing their tears, hurts.

The Salvation Army has been keeping up visiting them now over a period of four years. This helps people to trust and gives hope for successfully preparing them for the time the trash-dump will be closed and they have to leave.

I know, God cries, too.
Praise him for his heart for the poor!

10/40 window

2005-09-03T13:45:00.000+02:00

The 10/40 window currently appears to be the biggest challenge of worldwide evangelism, a belt of countries encompassing the majority of the world's Muslims extending from West Africa to East Asia, from ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator.

Pete Greig, leader of the international 24-7 prayer movement, writes in his book "Awakening Cry":

"Europe is becoming the darkest mission field despite its spiritual heritage. If the world wide church growth is to overtake the global birth rate, there will have to be an awakening in Europe. Should such an awakening penetrate the Moslem communities of Europe, it might as well also be the vital key that unlocks the 10/40 window."

I'd like to see it happen.

But it seems to run down to my personal involvement in evangelism among my Muslim neighbours in Germany's cities, which quite challenges me, especially since I know that I'm going to spend at least the next year in a neighbourhood with a high percentage of foreigners, while most of them profess to be Muslim.

Since relationships are the major growth factor of the Christian church, which means, of the Kingdom, it all depends on my relationships with my neighbours from Turkey, Arabia and Marocco, or whereever they come from.

I need God's help. To have a heart full of love. To turn my back on any kind of intolerance. To trust in God to introduce me to them. To rely on him to open their hearts's doors. To ignite a passion in me for their salvation. To give me wisdom and discernment facing Muslim believes and rejection of Jesus.

red rag

2005-08-30T16:26:00.000+02:00

Being back in Germany I face a very wide-spread rejection of and opposition to God's Holy Spirit. Mentioning the simple word "Holy Spirit" in connection with certain experiences is like a red tag to many conservative, but serious, Christians.

What have we become?

How did we as God's chosen people end up reacting to God himself and his power with rejection?

It makes me sad.

The major reason, I believe, are hurts caused by pride and arrogance of those experiencing the Holy Spirit in a different way than others. I can feel this danger myself. My prayer is for humility. "Give me more humility, more of you and less of me. More of you, more of you, Jesus!"

On my behalf I can do nothing but thank God for conquering my unbelief and my rejection and leading me deeper into experiencing his Holy Spirit. Into new ways of experiencing God.

My comment to those running from anything that sounds "charismatic": God wants you to experience more of him. Don't miss out on the fullness of life he has for you.

Do you want more?

scepticism

2005-08-30T16:16:00.000+02:00

Looking back to a year at The War College, I can agree with my leaders that I'm a pretty sceptical person, especially relating to spiritual experiences I've never experienced myself or which don't fit into the narrow box of this certain type of Christianity I grew up with.

Although I fully aknowledge that God can use a healthy sense of scepticism to protect me but in most of the cases I have to admit that I missed out.

I missed out on receiving the spiritual gift of seeing in the spirit.
Why? Because I was not sure if I wanted it.
I missed out on the experience of speaking in tongues when it was offered to me.
Why? Because I didn´t want it.

I had to repent. God, please forgive me. Forgive me for not trusting that you want to give good gifts to your children.

I know I missed out on the fullness God had for me at this certain point of time. But I still believe that God is a God who offers second chances.

martyrs

2005-08-25T12:28:00.000+02:00

Reading part of the New York Times posted in an Austrian newspaper I read the comment of a native South African Sheik who lectures at a mosque in Vancouver:

"All Muslims, if given the chance, should want to become martyrs."

Not that I agree with any believes of the Islam religion or want to express any favour with Muslim leaders. But this statement could be valid for our faith in Christ:

"All belivers, if given the chance, should want to become martyrs."

Dying for Jesus instead of denying him. If facing this question, I hope, I chose living up to my The War College sessional name, chosing to be a martyr. God, give me grace!

Europe is facing problems coming up with Islam becoming more and more popular in many countries, Muslims requesting more freedom in proclaiming and teaching their believes and Muslim countries applying to be part of the European Union.

If this tendency continues it might finally cause a separation between people merely professing to be Christians and whole-hearted committed believers. Between those chosing to back off their belives when facing opposition and those who finally have to make up their mind if they are willing to die for Christ at all costs.

This, I belive, will plant martyr-like faith in the remnant of believers left that provides the fertile ground for the extension of the kingdom: Persecution as the beginning of church growth. The blood of the martyrs as seeds of the church.

I still don't dare to explicitly pray for this. It may cost my life.

"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philipians 1:21

Comments of German readers concerning the situation in Germany are welcome!

grace

2005-08-17T04:41:00.000+02:00

There are a couple of things I experienced God has given me special grace for, which means for me, he has made it easy for me to do them so that he can bless me with the benefits of it.

- wearing my Salvation Army uniform (especially since there are countless of soldiers and people interested in soldiership whose major problem is having to wear uniform)
- praying in the 614 Vancouver 24-7 prayer room, "The War Room", from two to five o'clock am
- partnering with one of my session mates for three months of summer assignment who I didn't have a good relationship with before we left together, but during our ministry together we grew up to good accountability and partners in the salvation war
- walking down Main and Hastings during the night among crowds of dealers, prostituted women and drug addicts where people get murdered ever again without fear

God is good!

life lessons

2005-08-13T00:22:00.000+02:00

Things I learnt during six years practical application of everything learnt at the War College in Maple Ridge:

- In Jesus there is victory even in seeminly defeat.
- God's Spirit might chose to move and manifest his power independent from my preparation or prayer.
- I still got to learn a lot about time management.
- God knows how to use bad things for my best.
- Those in the front ranks might not be God's main people his builds his kingdom on.
- There is power in prayer when God commands me to pray specificly.
- Without love my walk in righteousness might come across as religious.
- Never underestimate the power of the prayer and encouragement of the saints!
- God answers my prayers for more of his presence and power.
- Doing ministry as a team makes us a testimony to the world by our love for each other.

restoration

2005-08-11T00:38:00.000+02:00

I think, all of us have been in the situation of putting up with something totally going into the wrong direction, but not succeeding in changing anything, so that we eventually gave up and just let it slide. That's what happened in our squad.Lack of committment, lack of leadership, lack of openess to each other. And, eventually, the lack of the willingness to change.

Reconciliation and healing of the whole situation was all I desired. But I more and more gave up hoping for it.
We all were guilty, we all felt that we missed out personally and regretted our behaviour. And we all had to repent.

Thank God that he didn't gave up on trying to wake us up. He made us wiling to fight. And he brought us to the point of repentance to each other and to God. The bible says, confessing our sins to each other brings healing. Healing to our unity, to our relationships, and to our hearts.

I believe, today God restored what we allowed Satan to destroy during this year in our squad. And he called us to walk it out. With new openess and a new start of carrying each others burdens and encouragement and prayer for each other.

Thank you, God, for not giving us up!

questionable conversions

2005-08-01T19:40:00.000+02:00

"...not only have the salvations been minimal but the quality has discouraged me also. Many of the conversions that we hear about today are queconverted are questionable. We should not only ask if people are saved, but what are they saved to? What are they converted to?
I believe that you are better off to let a person live in sin than to let him have some phony salvation experience, and make him believe that he is a Christian when he is nothing of the kind. So it is no just quantity but quality that we are looking for."

(Cory Harrison after Catherine Booth "Aggressive Christianity)

Could the pressure for high statistics concerning conversions be a reason for half-hearted conversions at our fronts?

repentance

2005-07-31T23:49:00.000+02:00

Having seen three people get saved in two days at our shelter and non of them having seen anything what we call discipleship I feel pretty ashamed.

Sorry, God.
Sorry for not caring for your babies in the faith, so that they will grow and stand firm.
Sorry for not giving them the opportunity to tell about their new joy in you.
Sorry for not making sure they get instruction of how to continue to live with you victoriously.
Sorry for not sheltering them against the attacks of the enemy.
Sorry for asking you for people to get saved but not being ready to sustain them.
Sorry for not holding them up in prayer.
Sorry for not sacrificing time and effort to lead them on.

Forgive me, Jesus. Forgive us.

"If we are faithless, he will remain faithful." (2 Timothy 2:13)

God, show yourself faithful to our converts. Sustain them in your love. Don't let them be taken away. I can't do it. But help me to do what I can do.

Teach me how to care for your children. So that you can entrust me with them.

quenching the spirit

2005-07-31T23:44:00.000+02:00

Reading Brengle's book "When the Holy Ghost is come" gave me some new insight into what it means when the bible is warning us not to "quench the Spirit". Ever thought about that?
What about this explanation? Makes me at times be pretty close to what is so fatal to our walk with God.

"You do not need to do some great evil, some deadly sin, to quench the Spirit. Just cease to rejoice, thorugh fear of man and of being peculiar; be prim and proper as a white and polished gravestone; let gushing joy be curbed; neglect to pray when you feel a gentle pull in your heart to get alone with the Lord; omit giving hearty thanks for all God’s tender mercies, faithful discipline and loving chastenings, and soon you will find the Spirit quenched. He will no longer spring up joyously like a well of living water within you. "

consecration

2005-07-31T23:41:00.000+02:00

Back to Vancouver, back to blogging!

"We are not our own, but we are bought with a price, and consecration is simply taking our hands off from God’s property. To withhold wilfully anything from God is to be a God-robber."

(Samuel Logan Brengle, "When the Holy Ghost is come")

Nice way to put consecration!

Hands off!

immeasurably more

2005-07-28T22:00:00.000+02:00

Yesterday God added two people to his kingdom during Knee Drill, our prayer and worship meeting. And he did it all by himself. Not that we were pushing towards people getting saved, not even that we were inviting people, or even were expecting more than just Jamie and me the only ones praying together, or that we would have asked God to show his power in a particular way this evening.

No, I was praying for myself to get freedom to pray and worship when one girl knelt down next to me. And God kept bringing them. One after the other kneeling down, receiving prayer, and two of them eventually asking God into their lives.

All the time I was wondering where these people came from, and why God suddenly chose to bring them into his presence. All I know is that we can not plan for God to show up with his power. Or to save people. Or even us successfully inviting them. Probably, so that we can't take the credit for ourselves.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

shared blog

2005-07-27T08:20:00.000+02:00

Check out this blog of Jonathan and Carla Evans, faithfully continuing to win the world for Jesus, starting in Maple Ridge by leading the first 614 outpost of the big vision of MMCCXX.

Jonathan invited me to contribute to his blog. Read my new entry - and other good, righteous stuff from the Evans'. If you're into discussing covenant in relation to the Salvation Army - that's the place to be!

http://suburbanoutpost.blogspot.com

declaration

2005-07-26T08:10:00.000+02:00

I don't want to be satisfied with the second best alternative of God's plan for my life.

But, I want to strive for the highest possible fulfillment of God's purpose of my life.

u-turn

2005-07-26T08:00:00.000+02:00

There is something about God making me stop and calling me to go back and finally do what he originally told me to do. In the book "Purpose-driven life" from Rick Warren I read, that obedience, that is not done immediately equals disobedience. Outch! That's me!

Thank God for his patience, and for second chances. Thank God for his second reminders to do what he told me to do, now! And thank him for the powerful rewards for obedience.

Always, when God clearly told me to stop and go back to where I just failed to fulfill my mission, he rewards my obedience with the powerful confirmation of exactly having done his will. One time he made me turn around on my bike and go back to the youth center I just had left and give one of the guys a bible. Today he made me go downstairs again to ask one guy to give me his crack pipe.

Whether I never heard about the effect my action had like in the first case or whether I was honestly given thanks for my concern - what it runs down to in my accountability to God is me obeying his call. Ideally, immediately.

effective evangelism

2005-07-24T08:49:00.000+02:00

Thanks to Steve, he found these quote stating two reasons for what makes an evangelist effectiv in his ministry:

- he is hungrier for Jesus that anyone this person has met; and,
- he is committed to evangelism, not only before big crowds, but, even in the early days, on the streets, day after day after day.

(www.armybarmy.com/blog.html, July 22nd)

I can learn from that!

love the fight

2005-07-23T04:00:00.000+02:00

"A soldier will find a well'spring of true enjoyment and happiness in the salvation war."

(William Booth)

Fits together with what he says in his vision "Who cares?":

"To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them."

I guess, I would not be happy, if I would not would not know that I had given my life to the war for the salvation of souls.

officership

2005-07-23T03:48:00.000+02:00

How do you treat your calling to be an officership?

William Booth suggests when talking about soldiers raising up their children towards officership, the "highest aim in life" to seek that their children are not only "a good soldier, but an officer, counting it the highest possible honor should God see it fit to make them the leader of his people".

(Orders and Regulations for Soldiers of the SA)

What a privilege!

satan's counter attack

2005-07-19T01:40:00.000+02:00

Satan is at work.

On one single day we had one lady freaking out at a staff member and being taken by the police, one of our worship team members almost leaving during practice because of a dispute because of the sound system, one guy getting into a fight with his brother on the shelter property and fighting against the police till they finally managed to bring him down and two guys being close to starting a fight right next to our food truck during street ministry.

After having two eggs thrown at our food truck and members of our team the same day one lady commented the fights going on around our shelter:

"I have not seen one single day without a shot gun going off. Is has become worse since you guys are here. They don't want you to be here."

That's for sure. Satans doesn't want us to be in the midst of human misery and desperation.

"Opposition! It is a bad sign for the Christianity of this day that it provokes so little opposition. (...) When the Church and the world can jog along comfortably together, you may be sure there is something wrong. The world has not altered. Its spirit is exactly the same as it ever was, and if Christians were equally faithful and devoted to the Lord, and separated from the world, living so that their lives were a reproof to all ungodliness, the world would hate them as much as ever it did. It is the Church that has altered, not the world. " (Catherine Booth)

Looks like we're doing something right.

"They consider us dangerous - which we are!" - Dare-devil faith!

aggressive christianity

2005-07-18T08:06:00.000+02:00

Whenever people are confronted with the term "aggressive Christianity" there are two general responses. They either run away screaming because it reminds them of the worst example of evangelism they've ever seen on TV, or they give their life to it - because they know what it's about.

It's not about beating people up with the bible because they won't believe you're message about God's coming judgment.

It's about being aggressive on yourself concerning your walk with and commitment to God. Following Jesus without compromises.

End of September there is this conference coming up that I'd certainly would go to if I wouldn't be just back in Europe at that point of time: ACC - Agressive Christianity Conference.

Some reasons why I would go:
- it's focussed on "equipping you for passionate and effective ministry" - I want that! And nothing less!
- it "seeks to re-ignite passion in the movement (of the Salvation Army) for the things which we should be fighting for" - Yeah! We need another pentecost! Send the fire today!
- the speakers:
Michael Collins - If I could choose to go for street ministry with one of my current leaders just in order to learn from him, it would be him!
Captain Danielle Strickland - I know what kind of Salvation Army officer I want to be!
General Eva Burrows - Not just because she was one of the very few female generals of the Salvation Army, but because she's a woman of God, having the true Spirit of Salvationism and living out the example of aggressive Christianity of General Catherine Booth

(facts ACC: 30.9.-02.10.05; SA CrossCulture Center Vancouver/Canada; worship - teaching - training; featuring General Eva Burrows, Major Ross Hailes, Major Eddie Hobgood, Captain Danielle Strickland, Michael Collins; contact: darrenhailes@hotmail.com, www.armybarmy.com/ACC)

the powerful prayer of the righteous

2005-07-18T07:57:00.000+02:00

My friend at the War College prayed that for us - hitting the nail on the head about what is on our heart:

"God, thank You for the Martyrs and everyone else who will read this. Thank You for the time they've dedicated to You, and the lives they've dedicated to You. Please use us. A lot. please help us to grow and be more like You, so that if You spent a day as us, things would turn out the same because we only do what You do. I pray for huge bunches of humility to be poured over us and that all pride just leaves us. I pray for us to be contenders, that we press in and get things done. I pray for growth so that we are unrecognizable from each other. I ask for eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hands that heal and perform miracles. I pray that you unleash a crazy amount of miracles and healings through us- and that you are glorified through everything we do. Keep us close to you and dont allow us to take any steps back but to always move forward. Make our hearts more in tune with yours, and teach us justice, mercy, patience, and LOVE. thank you! amen!"

God grant it!

grace

2005-07-12T07:21:00.000+02:00

The more I desire to see God moving through me the more I realize how little I can make that happen by myself and how much it is God's answer to my hunger, to my prayer - and his grace!

And, I believe, it's in response to our faithfulness with encounters with people he wants to meet or messages he wants us to deliver on how much he can entrust us with that.

But something happened: The last two days God was out of the blue just showering me with opportunities to pray for people, speaking his truth and encouragement into their lives - and all not out of some kind of general feeling of duty but out of the Holy Spirit driving me to do it.

And all started with me asking for more of God in my life and ministry.

More, Lord!

pressing on

2005-07-10T08:25:00.000+02:00

Going to a meeting of the "Joel's Army" conference in Abbotsforth, I felt like some giving their testimony about their conversion, how they went to church and wondered how the preacher exactly knew every detail of their life and was talking about it.

My whole week was about seeking more of God's power, his authority, his victories in my life and in my ministry. A prayer which I could see how God answered it.
In the morning I prayed for God to give me the faith to believe in signs and wonders to happen through me here and today. In the evening the speaker was talking all about "pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Phil. 3:12). God's answer to me.

How big is my hunger to see God's power at work? How great my desire to see the world around me rocked by the moving of God's Spirit?

"God determines what you receive by how we press on."

Or how one of our 614 leaders expressed it:
"Run, run, .... RUN!!! RUN!!! RUN!!!

"I WANT TO KNOW Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death..."

purity as condition

2005-07-08T00:14:00.000+02:00

"To be pure in heart is to hold the key to soul-winning success."

Holiness is the solution for every problem!

Psalm 51: 10-13:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

THEN I WILL TEACH YOUR WAY TO SINNERS, AND THEY WILL RETURN TO YOU."

dissatisfaction

2005-07-07T07:05:00.000+02:00

I'm unsatisfied.

I want more.

I'm reading all this books, read stories and meet this people that God literally is changing the world with. So I know that it is true that God can do it right now, with me. And I want it, not less. Not being satisfied with some kind of mediocre outcome. But fullness. World conquest. Victory.

I want God to turn the world upside down through my life.
I want to see my city changed through my prayer.
I want my prayer to break strongholds, call down the fulfilling of God's promises, start revival.
I want people added to the kingdom daily through my testimony.
I want to see heaven open, I want to be one with Jesus, be filled with his Spirit, every day.
I want to see God's fire falling down from heaven, igniting our Spirits, turning the hearts to him.

How do I get there? I don't know.

Through consecration, sanctification and anointing, I guess.

God, forgive me my hidden sins. Reveal my sins to me. Increase my faith. Transform my heart. Let me be like you. I am yours. Fill me with your Spirit. Bring glory to your name.

condemnation

2005-07-07T02:03:00.000+02:00

I often tell people about what I do here in Maple Ridge: praying and talking to people (which means building relationships). Right from the beginning I knew that continuing to do that would require a lot of perseverance. Why?

- because it seems insignificant
- because we seldomly see immediate resultes
- because they seem prone to lose motivation and start slacking

Still, I want to hold on to doing this because I believe that these are the two most important streams of ministry: PRAYER and WITNESSING.

Some interesting fact from my daily schedule: On a normal day I spend an equal amount of time praying intentionally and hanging out with clients intentionally. Seems to be in perfect balance.

Satan, shut up! I'm not willing to receive condemnation about the insignificance of my ministry any more. I WILL NOT BOW!

Lord, give us souls

2005-07-05T23:40:00.000+02:00

Some hardcore prayer I prayed for PTB this morning from the Salvation Army Songbook:

LORD, for a mighty revival we plead,
LORD, GIVE US SOULS; LORD, GIVE US SOULS;
Thy saving power in this meeting we need,
LORD, GIVE US SOULS; LORD, GIVE US SOULS.
Quicken our hearts by the Holy Ghost's power,
pour out thy Spirit, a greaqt mighty shower,
of sin the sinner convict, Lord, this hour,
LORD, GIVE US SOULS; LORD, GIVE US SOULS.

Let every heart on this object be set,
LORD, GIVE US SOULS; LORD, GIVE US SOULS;
help us to pray till the answer we get,
LORD, GIVE US SOULS; LORD, GIVE US SOULS.
Give us the faith that will not let thee go,
faith that says, yes, though the devil says, no;
Lord, thy salvation in this meeting show,
LORD, GIVE US SOULS; LORD, GIVE US SOULS.

Lord, we believe thou art going to save,
LORD, WE BELIEVE, LORD, WE BELIEVE;
floods of salvation and power we shall have,
LORD, WE BELIEVE, LORD, WE BELIEVE.
Souls shall be truly converted to thee,
from all the bondage of Satan be free,
made into soldiers to fight well for thee,
LORD, WE BELIEVE, LORD, WE BELIEVE.

I would like to pray this before every meeting! "...help us to pray till the answer we get!"

the founder speaks again

2005-07-04T05:45:00.000+02:00

"Obstacles exist to be overcome and converted into victories." (William Booth)

In Jesus there is victory over hell, death, Satan, sin, ... whatever you can think of, whatever may stand in our way.

Get on it, brothers and sisters!

In darkest England and the way out

2005-07-04T05:39:00.000+02:00

Listen to William Booth:

"To despair is to lose faith; to despair is to forget God. Without God we can do nothing in this frightful chaos of human misery. But with God we can do all things, and in the faith that he has made in his image all the children of men we face even this wreckage of humanity with a cheerful confidence that if we are but faithful to our own high calling He will not fail to open up a way of deliverance. "

I need to learn that.

Often, when I have to face the hard reality of many people's life stories, full of abuse, desperation, drugs, hopelessness and bitterness against God and his church, I don't dare to speak out about the hope of the gospel anymore. Because it looks too small, powerless.

I know, it's a lie, for "it is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16)

God, I believe, help me, not to doubt!

the call to die

2005-07-04T03:24:00.000+02:00

Having to preach this Sunday God asked me to share what he did in my life in the last two years since I got to know The Salvation Army:

He literally changed my life by giving me the possibility to spend all my day purposely sharing his love and word, in active ministry serving him and people. So that I feel like my life with Jesus started all over again!

Three things he changed in my life:
- my attitude towards sin: zero-tolerance, no compromisses, no habitual sin, but active repentance and working towards holiness
- my purpose of life: "I want to make the most of my everyday and live with a purpose of his glory and for the kingdom." - and as a soldier of The Salvation Army a "soldier at war for the salvation of souls"
- my future: listening to and being obedient to his calling

Although often overlooked or kept secret - if I want to follow Jesus he calles me to nothing less than
- giving up my life
- sharing in his suffering
- expecting persecution

and to live my life for the same purposes Jesus came to the earth for. Which are
- to destroy these works of the Devil
- to save sinners

In short: "We'll tear hell's throne to pieces and win the world for Jesus!"

William Booth: "... lay aside your shame, your pride, your cares about other people’s opinions, your love of ease and all the selfish loves that have kept you back for so long, and rush to the rescue of this multitude of dying men and women."

"There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for everyone who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death."

But still: "You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of hands and shouting of praises- very much of heaven on earth."

"Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you."

the passion for Christ

2005-07-04T03:17:00.000+02:00

Asking about how to keep passion for Jesus alive I got this advice:

To willfully and disciplined pour into my encounters with Jesus.

Makes sense to me. How do I keep my love for someone alive? By enjoying the time we hang out with each other! The same with Jesus.

And since it's so vital, it's so hard. Nothing seems to be harder than stirring oneself up to seek Jesus with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength. But, if I don't do it, I give in to the enemy - and waste time with Jesus.

"Don't let my love grow cold, I'm calling out, light the fire again. Don't let my vision die. I need your discipline."

(Brian Doerksen)

humility

2005-06-27T18:31:00.000+02:00

Since we did Praying The Bible five days a week as a group at the War College I felt the need to continue doing that during my summer assignment to get into the habit of following this discipline even when I have to do it on my own. God reminded me of that when I came to the point of not knowing how to fill the daily time I set aside to meet Jesus in a meaningful way - so I started to work out material to pray the bible for myself.

While I'm reparing myself for further ministry in Germany God is challenging me again and again NOT to raise myself in pride above others back home attempting to teach them, because now I might consider myself knowing everything. So I asked God to teach me about humility:

PTB - humility:

Jesus example:
- Matthew 11:28
- John 1:14,17
- Phil. 2:5-11
- John 13: 4-5; 12-17

human examples:
- 1. Tim. 1:12-17
- Luke 18:9-14

brotherhood

2005-06-27T07:11:00.000+02:00

Going to see the Salvation Army Canadian Staff Band in Burnaby I met one of my session mates, which was absolutely incouraging for me since it was not a "How are you?" - "Good. How are you?" - "Good." conversation, but an encounter that prooved that we are children of the same Father in heaven.

This kind of relationship differs with others simply by the facts that we honestly can share each other's burdens, that real issues we are struggeling with are neither ignored nor overlooked, that we can be real with each other, that you find a listening ear and encouragement and that you get someone to pray for you.

Sadly enough I don't have this kind of relationship with all Christians that are a big part of my life. Which makes me wonder if I'm encountering other's in that way that's lifting myself up that much - which I want everyone to be blessed with when they meet me.

Thanks, brother, for being such a blessing for me!

rebuke

2005-06-24T07:26:00.000+02:00

In a conversation one guy seriously brought me to the point of doubting my salvation and me being filled with God's Spirit. What if our whole Christian mindset about salvation and ministry is not true the way we walk in? What if I've just been influenced by our common teaching while overlooking God's truth in the bible?

And I could not even clearly identify these questions rising up in my mind as an attack of Satan since all he said was plain truth from the bible, with nothing different than a slightly altered interpretation.

Scattered and confused I ran for help to God, turning to my bible, the source of truth, for clarification.

I always kinda envied people hearing Scripture references God told them to look up, like: "Go to Proverbs 4:2, ...", since I hardly experienced God's voice that way in my life. But this time God made it work and it was one of the times I heard God's voice speaking most clearly into my life: "Go to Galations 5:8!"

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. "

I know, I AM SAVED and GOD'S SPIRIT LIVES IN ME!

incarnational living

2005-06-24T07:10:00.000+02:00

Buying a bike I got a whole step closer to fitting in the street community in Maple Ridge, because that's what everybody has and cares about here.

Since my bike got fixed by one of the guys behind the house I got the chance to hang out for hours with our clients where they spend all day. This normally makes me feel kind of like not belonging since there simply seems to be a pretty big gap between people related to as "staff" - which is how they see us no matter whether we are paid or not - and clients.
And it effected me deeply.

Watching how two of the guys got into a fight, one getting his finger cut and the blood dripping on the parking lot; meeting a lady whose husband died just the day before, ... and seeing everybody hugging her and offering help. And me, appointed to be here to show God's love, just standing next to it.

What do we have to offer? Are we living up to it?

As soon as I went into the house and into my room I felt this huge wall between two different worlds separating us from their community.

How can we really share people's lives? How can we become like them without being sucked in into the mentality of living on the streets, aggression, dispair and venting our feelings in swearing?

wedding banquet

2005-06-23T06:01:00.000+02:00

Jonathan reminded us of the beauty of the ministry of the Caring Place where all people, regardless of background or reputation, eat together in the hall that is also used as the sanctuary of the corps - like guests at the feast the Lord has prepared for us.

Going back to Matthew Chapter 22 Jesus tells a story about a king preparing a wedding feast for his son, where eventually none of the invited guests show up but the hall still got filled with guests from the streets, good and bad alike.

They are not the rich ones that are coming to the Caring Place to eat just like they were the ones that rejected the king's invitation in Jesus' parable. They are the ones from the street corners, whoever we can find. And Jesus said, they are the ones really worthy of the honor of being part of his feast.

I believe that God blesses innercity ministry in a special way, which I find confirmed in Jesus saying that he came to "call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough." And I find more people being open to Jesus call on their lives among street people, addicts and criminals - outcasts of society -, than among our self-confident, wealthy, suburban society.

That's why I want to continue to "go out to the street corners and invite everyone I see", so that they may accept the invitation and be part of the big, final wedding feast of Jesus and his bride, all believers, at the end of the world in heaven!

breakthru

2005-06-23T05:50:00.000+02:00

I believe we achieved breakthrough today after days of low motivation, frustration and discouragement. And all started with another discouragement by our worship leader again not being able to be with us at our prayer and worship meeting Knee Drill.

The last days I seriously grew tired of seeking conversation with clients because of the wall of complaint, slander, accusation and impure talk coming against me and causing me to reject their fellowship and giving room to division between us.

I deeply felt the need to pray against that in our dining room; what God faithfully brought up at Knee Drill by calling us to pray against attacks from the enemy prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

I believe and feel that God gave us victory over division between the clients and us, the spirits of complain, accusation, slander and impure talk, intimidation and self-condemnation.
And, over the lie that we need music for a prayer and worship meeting!

kingdom parable

2005-06-22T04:20:00.000+02:00

Sitting in the Chinese garden I saw a single leaf, attached to the branch of the tree by nothing more than a single stringe of a spiderweb, almost invisible, but tight, gently moved by the wind.

God spoke to me through this picture about my connection to him: almost invisible, seemingly not strong enough to hold me, but untearable. Not allowing me to be carried away by the wind of daily troubles, but enabling me to dance in it.

insignificant

2005-06-22T04:05:00.000+02:00

I think, God needs to teach me more about the seemingly insignificance of his kingdom. When people ask me about my plans for the day all I can tell is: praying, talking to people at mealtimes, reading or occasionally going for coffee - which basicly sounds like I'm not doing anything of importance at all.

But since Jesus illustrated his kingdom with a mustard seed, the smallest of all known seeds at that point of time, I cling on to the belief, that God is going to let a huge tree grow out of my smallest efforts. That he wins the battle in the spiritual realm when I'm praying, speaking his truth into the lives of people during conversation, transforming my mind into being like Jesus when I read and building life-changing relationships while going out for coffee.

And sometimes he let's me see the vision of the tree when I see how he speaks through me, hear people admitting their weekness in prayer or can help people discover God in the bible - although it's hard to continue digging into the ground to plant the seeds trusting in God to let me see the harvest, for that's what he promised me:

"Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. The fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and you will gather the harvest."

(John 4:35-38)

Psalm 51

2005-06-19T23:29:00.000+02:00

Lord,
create in me a pure heart, out of which flows love with pure motives, one that stands before you depending on you.
Renew a steadfast spirit within me that makes me constantly seek you, standing firm in the faith, not wavering from your promises, not slacking in obedience, every day.
Do not cast me from your presence but let me see your eyes resting on me and hear your voice comforting me, correcting me, guiding me.
And don't take your Holy Spirit from me, for on my own I can't be faithful to you.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, let me dance because I can't hold back my joy about you and the great things you do.
Grant me a willing spirit, willing to seek your face, to wait on your answer, to claim your grace anew every morning, to chose to believe every day, to fight.

transforming prayer

2005-06-10T22:41:00.000+02:00

I stole that from our 614 leader Danielle Strickland (published in "Salvationism 301"):

"I'm talking about prayer that changes you from the inside out - glowworm style. The actual radiating glory of God radiating from you! And you can't keept it in... you are so in love with Jesus and so close to Him that He fills you with supernatural life and light!
You talk with Him like lovers do.
You tell Him your secrets and He responds with the desires of His heart for you.
You fall into this intimate encounter with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and
you not only call Him, master, you call Him friend.
You lose the Christian lingo and cultural habits and let loose with Him.
You share your heart - everthing in it.
You call out His promises.
You wait and listen.
You answer.
You change.
It's the bomb.

That's what prayer is all about. It's meant to transform you into the image of God. Jesus gets on the inside of you and His thoughts become your thoughts, and His ways your will. You spend time with the Creator of all and He invades you and causes you to be absolutely transformed just by bein in His presence."

I definitely want to trade some morning's prayer time with my thoughts wandering while I'm struggeling not to fall asleep and trying to calm down to listen to God's voice.

But - thank God - there are experiences that let me know that that's the truth about prayer.

"Jesus, teach me how to pray!"

the martyrs

2005-06-10T22:19:00.000+02:00

Praying about opposition and hatred because we follow Jesus, God reminded me of some promises for those enduring and staying faithful till the very end - check that out!

Everyone who is victorious
- will eat from the TREE OF LIFE in the paradise of God.
- will not be hurt by the SECOND DEATH.
- will eat of the MANNA that has been hidden away in heaven and will be given a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a NEW NAME that no one knows except the one who receives it.
- will be given AUTHORITY OVER ALL THE NATIONS, ruling the nations with an iron rod and smashing them like clay pots. They will have the same authority Jesus received from the Father, and they will also be given the MORNING STAR!
- will be CLOTHED IN WHITE. Their names will never be erased from the Book of Life, but Jesus will announce them before his Father and his angels that they are his.
- will become a PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and they will never have to leave it. Jesus will write God's name on them, and they will be citizens in the city of God--the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from God. And they will have Jesus' new name inscribed upon them.
- will SIT WITH JESUS ON HIS THRONE,

(Revelations 2 and 3)

God says: All who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

(Revelations 21:7)

Paul says: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.

(2 Timothy 2:11-12)

Makes hungry for more, ey?

perseverance

2005-06-09T18:51:00.000+02:00

A couple of days ago I got news from the one and ony Austrian Salvation Army corps in Austria, Corps Vienna.

Four years ago the territorial Army leadership decided to close the corps, but the small congregation decided to keep it going on their own. They got permission to continue under one condition: not to claim any financial help from the Territorial Headquater or support by Army personal.

On top of that they lost their building with the shutting down of the women's shelter, so that they are now meeting in the basement of a soldier's residence.

One key person keeping the ministry going is Ilka, a soldier of Christ, not surrendering to opposition, not allowing herself and her congregation to be defeated by circumstances.

I believe God has big plans for his Army in Austria! And since his strength is perfected in our weakness and he can move when our hands are bound I can see it starting now!

the life journal

2005-06-08T23:08:00.000+02:00

It took me quite a few hours, but there it is: I translated the bible reading plan of the Life Journal into German.

I love it, since it gets you to read through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in one year! Our corps 614 Vancouver uses it for cell mates and for recruits for soldiership, since having read through the bible is one of our corps officer's conditions for becoming a soldier.

And since I'm planning to go back to Germany to minister with the Salvation Army there I figure it's a pretty good tool.

You never read through the whole bible before? Get on it!

Find the english version at www.renewnetwork.net/readings.
Want the German one? Email me at esthermv@gmx.at!

souvereign and merciful

2005-06-08T22:57:00.000+02:00

Since I got the assignment to write a devotional on Exodus chapter 10 I got to think about God as the one who willingly makes people stubborn, hardens their hard, blinds their eyes and hinders them from getting to know him and finding healing.

Pretty unfair, especially when he then punishes them for their rebellion. Quite selfish, displaying his power, and, on another occashion bringing salvation to his people, on cost of others.

And all of that seems to have one reason: "That they may know that I am the Lord"!

Paul writes in Romans Chapter nine: "Is God unfair? Why does god blame poeple for not listening? Haven't they simply done what he made them do?"

He is God and I am not. It's all about his mercy. That's the reason that I know him. Because he chose to reveal himself to me. And there is nothing that I can do to influence his decision. Makes me pretty thankful. I'm dependent on his mercy. It's mercy that he's not turning his wrath agianst me but shows me his glory.

He is the Lord. Unquestionable. Incomprehensible. Souvereign. But merciful.

Isaiah 55:9: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

grannies 4 christ

2005-06-08T22:53:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I was blessed to pray with four ladies coming to our shelter, which is also the corps, in order just to pray - calling themselves "Grannies for Christ".

There they are: all of them at the age of over 50 years, speaking in tongues, taking authority over assignments of the enemy, praying for awakening in the Salvation Army, for clients and staff, and for the Canadian Government.

That's how I always want to see a home league meeting to look like! Prayer warriors, declaring war to the enemy, taking the kingdom by force!

God bless them!

why we succeed

2005-06-08T22:42:00.000+02:00

Listen again to George Scott Railton, quoting in "Heathen England" some reasons for the early success of the Salvation Army, which easily could be reasons for success today!

"The Army succeeds by

- aiming at immediate results

"We have always aimed at immediate and definite results, believing that the Gospel of christ, properly preached in the demonstration of the Spirit, and with power, ought to prove, most prove, visibly as well as in the heart, its Divine efficiency." - Amen!

- making the most of the converts

"We simply ask people to speak what they do know and testify to that they have seen, and the mere fact of their having become so totally changed as to stand there at all, speaks with a voice that completely stills in every honest mind cavilling about their words, their manners, and their defects."

- teaching converts to be holy

"The people have been taught to seek for that perfect love which casteth out fear an fits people for desperate warfare against sin, - for that consuming zeal which uses up in the Master's service every faculty and hour."

- teaching it's hearers to do their utmost towards meeting the expenses of the work

"We think it a vastly important test of the value of any work done amongst the poor, to what extent they themselves help to keep it up. "

happy 1st anniversary

2005-06-08T22:29:00.000+02:00

Today I'm celebrating my first anniversary that God called me to be a soldier of the Salvation Army.

Back in Hamburg/Germany some people vehemently tried to talk me into soldiership, which was actually not too far from my personal growing interest and love for the Army.

I made the mistake to ask God what would be his final answer if he wants me to be part of the Army or not, and discovered how quite a few people plainly said right in my face: "You should become a soldier! An officer!" - "You are going to be an officer, aren't you?" Until I finally realized, that this was supposed to be God's answer to my question.

Turning to my bible for guidance God hid this verse in my daily reading: Isaiah 42:20: "You see and understand what is right but refuse to act on it. " - Know I knew for sure that it's God speaking!

A few days later when I finally talked to my corps officer God gave me the ultimative confirmation when I checked my emails back home: I was accepted for the War College, where I am now!

Praise God that he has not given up on his Army but is still calling people into it's ranks to fight as soldiers for the salvation of souls!

We shall win!

entertainment

2005-06-03T01:20:00.000+02:00

I'm currently reading this book from Georg Scott Railton "Heathen England", it's telling me a great deal of how the Salvation Army used to look like when it started off. Powerfull, ey! More, Lord!

Listen to this:
"Army people want no "entertainments". They gave up all that sort of thing when they gave God all their heart. And, if any of them were to become so changed for the worse as to desire anything of the hand, we trust the Army will never sink so low as to provide it.
We have a higher calling!
The Army will have no meetings which do not naturally conclude with a prayer-meeting and an invitation to penitent sinners to come out and seek the Lord. - The Army exists to save souls, and by saving them and using them to save others." Amen!

Anyone complaining to our 60-hour-weekly schedule? That's how an Army Sunday at one of the smallest stations in these days looked like:

7:00 am - prayer meeting
10:00-11:00 am - open air
11:00 am -12:30 pm - indoor meeting
2:00-3:00 pm - open-air
3:00-4:30 pm - indoor meeting
tea
prayer meeting till
6:00-7:00 pm - open-air
7:00-10:00 pm - indoor meeting

Bring it on, Lord!