Monday, December 31, 2007

2 Quotes from General Bramwell Booth

Hat Tip to ArmyBarmy (blog dated Friday, December 28, 2007)

"I think you ought to be very liberal in watching over your Cadets. The normal routine in the Training Garrison must not be unalterable. If a Cadet is 'enthused' about any particular work, is, e.g. moved to raid the drinking saloons, or to shout the claims of God in the cinemas or in the theatres between the acts, or to break out in some other 'disorderly' way in the right spirit, do not 'sit' on him. Say, rather, 'I would like to hear about this. Have you prayed about it? Take Smith with you next time, and see if you can infect him and then report back to me again'." - Bramwell Booth
--
"I know that here I am asking much. Some of you are dealing with cold, self-centred, democratic people, self-confident, acknowledging but few loyaltie. It is difficult to convince them that they should be submissive and humble. But the standards which God has set up cannot be changed because we find that the times have changed. It is still one of the conditions upon which His blessings are given that there shall be submissiveness, humility, tenderness... I say to you in all seriousness that it is the humble in spirit whom God delights to honour. When from his heart, without show, a man says, 'O God, I come and submit to Thee,' then God says, 'Very well, I will
make use of you.' That is what we want with the Cadets." - Bramwell Booth

Saturday, December 29, 2007

READ THRU THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

It is almost a new year.

Have you ever wanted to follow one of those read through the Bible in a year plans?

Are you on-line almost every day? Why not dedicate some of the cyber-time to worshiping through reading the Word of God?

We have a number of options for those who are interested...

1) Dr Was: We have been doing this for a number of years now and we believe that we were the first ever on-line daily Bible readings with accompanying comics! You are welcome to visit our web site ( http://www.sheepspeak.com/drwas.htm ) and spend some time reading the Word on-line.

2) E-Rations: This is an easy and popular way to read thru the life-journal readings by having them mailed directly to your e-mail inbox. These daily 'rations' will be accompanied by an original DR Was comic each time. you can subscribe my e-mailing us at erations@sheepspeak.com

3) The MacFarlane Plans. We introduced these plans last year. If you choose to read through this plan, you even get some days off - to catch up, read ahead, or study something else (http://www.havelock-viha.com/mcfarlane.htm).


Friday, December 28, 2007

Hi...Praise the LORD.

Sorry about the inconsistency lately...first Officer Christmas season in our two communities and all. I think that they are going well. We've had some new faces in the corps (plural) and in the ministry centre. On one Sunday in Tisdale we had close to triple the typical weekly Sunday attendance. May the Lord continue to bless what he began there many years ago. My family homesteaded around these parts. I have been reading the history around here. God has used the Army greatly here and we pray that He will continue to do so.

In Nipawin a new cell group started. This is exciting. We are all signed up for the 2008 cell talks. One or two new families come into the church for our Christmas meetings and performances. The Corps also hosted a big community meal on Christmas Day (in conjunction with Oasis) that saw 80 or so people and many first time attenders as well. The Thanksgiving meal previous was a great success and new people joined our ministry here through it. I anticipate the same from this celebration meal and our Easter one. A number of people expressed an interest in the corps and the Church from the hamper programme; this was a blessing for sure.

It is exciting to see how the Lord is blessing these communities and we are happy to be a part of it.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Christmas Concert in the Holy Land

"We are the last and only entirely Christian village in the Holy Land," proclaimed Father Raed Abusahlia, parish priest at Latin Patriarchal, speaking shortly before the concert began.

"We were evangelized by Jesus Christ Himself."

read about it in the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/288220

Churches come tumbling down...The death of Christian Canada

MICHAEL VALPY
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
December 22, 2007 at 12:00 AM EST

...It is a textbook crisis scenario for Canada's churches, beginning to fall like bowling pins in the aftershock of institutional Christianity's implosion in the 1960s, a cultural and spiritual derangement still not fully understood.

It has moved at least one scholar of religion, Stuart Macdonald at the University of Toronto's Presbyterian Knox College, to ask — in the journal of the Canadian Society of Church History — if Christian Canada is dying.

Prof. Macdonald and others, looking beyond the 40-year steep decline in regular worship attendance, cite the unprecedented growth in the census of those who identify themselves as having "no religion" — from 1 per cent in 1961 to 4 per cent a decade later, to 16 per cent in 2001 (and a whopping 35 per cent in B.C.) — as well as those self-identified as unaffiliated Christian, or "Christian not included elsewhere": now 700,000 Canadians, double the number in 1991.

read more from the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071222.wcoessay1222/BNStory/specialComment/home

Luke 2 (vv. 1-39)

 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you now dismiss your servant in peace.
 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
      and for glory to your people Israel."

  The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Matthew 2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:

 " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
      are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
   for out of you will come a ruler
      who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

 "A voice is heard in Ramah,
      weeping and great mourning,
   Rachel weeping for her children
      and refusing to be comforted,
   because they are no more."

 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

Friday, December 21, 2007

Matthew 1:17-25

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us."

 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Read more: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%201&version=31

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The King

James V, the King of Scotland used to go around the country dressed like everyone else: a common person. That is because he wanted to meet the everyday people of the country not just the rich and powerful. He wanted to see how the normal people lived.

One day he was dressed in very old clothes and was going by a place known as Cramond Brig, when he is attacked by robbers who don't know who he is. There is a fierce struggle and he is nearly overcome when, at just the right moment, a poor farm worker - Jock Howieson - hears the commotion comes to the disguised king's aid.

Now Jock, the poor labourer, who works on this portion of the King's land, known as Cramond Brig, now Jock unawares takes the undercover king home and gives him a dinner of broth and Jock - as the king is recouping – naturally asks the man who he is.

The King responds, 'Ach, I'm a good man of Edinburgh.'

'And where do you live in that city and where do you work?'

'Well,' says James, 'I live at the palace and I work there too.'

'The palace, is it? I'd like to see the palace; if I could see the King, I'd tell him a thing or two…'

'About what?' asks the man.

'I'd tell him that I should own this land that I am on. I work it every day and he never comes here & gets his hands dirty working this land'

'You're right enough', says the man. You come tomorrow to the palace at Holy Rood and I'll show you around. Come at two.'

So the next day at two o'clock, Jock Howieson, is washed, dressed and at the palace to meet his new friend at the back door. The good man, whom Jock had saved the day before, shows him around the kitchen, the dining room, the bedrooms – the whole place. Then, at last, the two of them come to the great rooms of the State.

'Do you want to see the King?' the man asks Jock.

'Oh yes indeed', says Jock, 'I do. I do want to see the King.'

So they enter the great hall and as they come in, men bow and ladies curtsey. It is really quite a thing to see.

So Jock whispers to his friend, 'How will I know who the king is?'

'He's the only one who keeps his hat on'

Jock says, 'But… there's only us two with our ...hats…on....' and Jock immediately takes off his hat as he realises that James is indeed the King of Scotland.

And so it is with us today. Jesus is King. He is walking around with each of us showing us his domain here on earth and just waiting for us to take off our hats as we realise that indeed Jesus is the one to come and he has arrived (and he's coming back too, soon!)

If there are any of us here today who have not taken off our hats and lain them before the Lord, I invite you to do just that – acknowledge, in prayer and action, the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

From the Nipawin Journal

Why do I turn to substances for help?

This is a question that I have actually heard quite a bit in my life. I was privileged to be invited to a birthday party at AA recently and at these celebrations one hears, among other things, the remarkable stories of success as the Lord delivers people from our addictions.

Prior to coming here we served in Winnipeg's North End, Stony Mountain Penitentiary, and Vancouver's downtown eastside with The Salvation Army. There are many stories. Some are of wonderful successes as the Lord transforms lives and some are of daily struggles that continue for a lifetime.

I think of friends from our time on Vancouver Island. The day she and her husband accepted the Lord she stood up sober and never turned back. He has fought almost everyday to defend his sobriety: It is a struggle.

To some of us, substances possess a Siren-like song: this song has such a powerful draw. In Greek mythology, the Sirens are creatures with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. They live on islands and with their irresistible song lure mariners to their destruction as they crash on the rocks near their island.

We have seen people as young as elementary school age who have been tempted by this Siren song to a slow (or quick) slide into 'skid row' and many of my friends from prison wound up there, in part, because they succumbed to substance's Siren song; for them the Siren's song ended in the song of sirens coming to take them away.

Myself even, I confess, there are days when a part of me would really like the temporary release that substances seem to offer but, with the Lord's help, I will continue to persevere and I will finish the race - clean.

I have a friend who continuously asks me if it ever gets easy; I have another friend who reminds me that it is just one day at a time. One thing that I have noticed about substances and other struggles in our lives is that the more we turn to the Lord, the easier it becomes to resist temptation and on the days when we lose the battle with temptation, it is very important that we don't surrender the war. With the Lord, our walk truly is one day at a time.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

from the General, Shaw Clifton

PASTORAL LETTER FIVE


HUMILITY


Dear Fellow Salvationists,

This fifth Pastoral Letter comes to you from my office at International Headquarters with special greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ for the holy season of Christmas and with my prayers for you as we enter together into a new year.

Humility marks the manner of our Lord's entry into the world as a tiny child and therefore is a natural theme for this Letter. It is good also if we can find grace to allow us each to enter 2008 with a spirit of Christ-like humility. We seek a humility that will govern our interactions with others, that will be the basis of all we plan for the year ahead, and that will spring from our humility toward the One who has given himself for us in dying at Calvary.

Through the prophet, the Lord has said, 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit' (Isaiah 57:15). I need his presence. I need him near, hour by hour. We share that humble need. As I write to you I am conscious of my own need and am identifying with you in my heart just where you are around the world.

Many of you will know that recently I have encountered new problems in my health. My sense of personal need is thus intensified. Grace becomes very, very real when this happens to us. God's people rise up in prayer for us. Their messages encourage and lift us. How grateful I am, with my wife and family, for the countless beautiful messages reaching us every day. All of this brings added humility for sometimes we are rendered simply helpless. Suddenly everything seems stripped away except for the grace of God, shown in the love offered by others. It is very humbling.

So this Letter reaches out to every Salvationist in the world, but especially on this occasion to those in circumstances that are hard and therefore humbling.

The English word, 'humility', comes from the Latin, humus meaning 'earth' or 'soil'. It refers to something lowly, something beneath our feet. It thus becomes an antidote to pride. Before Jesus was born, the Romans and Greeks were scornful of humility. It was something found only in slaves and in others of low station in life, so low that they could exercise no influence upon public affairs. Yet Jesus embraced it. Because he did so, humility was transformed from a mark of social degradation to an essential Christian virtue.

In the sixth century St. Benedict taught that to ascend the spiritual ladder is to descend into humility. What a wonderful, life-changing paradox this is. The great Reformer of the sixteenth century, Martin Luther, said that humility is the very foundation and fruit of faith.

In the celebration of the birth of Jesus, will you focus with me on the humility of it all? Read again the words of Paul in Philippians 2:5-11. Our perfect Saviour refused to cling to divine status. He was silent when falsely accused. He was forgiving. I long to be like him. He cared about the poor and washed the feet of others. I long to be like him. He has shown us that true life comes forth from death, that the humble will be exalted, that the first will be last, and that to find your life you must first of all lose it. I long to go deeper and deeper into these truths.

I know that this same longing is shared by fellow Salvationists everywhere. Our hunger will be satisfied: 'Blessed are those who (in humility) hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled' (Matthew 5:6). He will teach us as humbly we sit at his feet: 'Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls' (Matthew 11:29).

The secret of a humble heart is to be close to Jesus. We see his perfection to know we are flawed. We see his obedience to know we are rebellious. We see his love to know we are hard of heart. We see his patience to know we are intolerant.

I am asking him in prayer to humble me, whatever it costs. I am asking him in prayer to keep his Army humble, whatever it costs. That cost may be a high one. General Bramwell Booth wrote: 'Do you expect to understand all God's ways with you? Do you want a reason and explanation for every mystery before you can trust him? It is the darkness which makes humble faith a reality. It is the ignorance of the future which proves the committal of the soul.'

I commit you to the perfect love of Christ.

I offer you my lasting gratitude and constant encouragement.


Shaw Clifton
General
December 2007

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Economic restructuring schemes must consider rights of poor, says UN expert

25 October 2007 - International financial institutions and wealthy States imposing structural reform programmes on poor countries or executing debt repayments should ensure that when doing so they do not undermine basic cultural, social and economic rights, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.

read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24426&Cr=financing&Cr1=

Friday, December 07, 2007

Christmas Message from the General

From http://www.salvationist.org/

The General's Christmas Message 2007

Christmas Memories


CHRISTMAS is a time for memories. Thoughts of Christmases past take me to my childhood. It was in Glasgow, aged nine, that I first played a brass instrument in a Salvation Army young people’s band. December meant evening carolling in the streets. Out we would go, in our Army caps, wrapped up warmly against those icy chills and the snow that seemed then to come every year. There was the prospect of hot drinks and delicious snacks at the end of the night, our fingers thawing out painfully once inside again.We would make our cheery sounds and folk would gather at their doors to listen. Coins rattled into the collecting boxes and shouts of ‘Happy Christmas!’, ‘Merry Christmas!’ would echo through the streets and the Glasgow tenement buildings.


Thursday, December 06, 2007

Prolepsis in Romans 13


How can our salvation be both now and still to come? How can it be both near and here already. This is an important concept to understand (theologians refer to this concept as a 'prolepsis') because our Salvation, as it is, has indeed already been achieved. It was achieved when Jesus died and then won the victory through rising from the dead. Paul himself acknowledges this in other places in the scriptures: 2 Corinthians 6:2, 1 Corinthians 15:2, Ephesians 2:8 and the Apostle Peter talks about just this sort of thing in 1 Peter 1. So then Christ has already won the victory but the final reward of Salvation is yet to come.

It is very much like our Roughriders game here. The other weekend the Riders won the Grey Cup. I don't know if you remember but in the last couple of minutes of the football game, right after that interception near the end, you could see the anticipation as the cameramen zoomed in on the players' faces. They knew the game had won already but it wasn't over yet. The game had been won, they wanted to celebrate but it wasn't over yet. The game had been won already and it took everything for the coach to keep the players on the sideline and staff off the field because the game wasn't over yet. They knew that it had been won but the game wasn't over yet. The anticipation was written on the Riders' faces as they knew that the game had been won but it wasn't over yet.When the player went down on one knee to run out the clock at the end there was no way that they could be defeated. The Rider nation, as it were, the Roughrider fans were already victors with the team, just like we are already victors with Christ.The Game is won but the final whistle has not been sounded yet and the great cup is still be presented.

When Christ died on the cross and then rose from the grave, Death was dealt its deathblow, so to speak: Christ intercepted the pass and ran for the final touchdown to put the game out of reach. There is no way now that sin and death can ever come back and win the game but the thing is that that final whistle hasn't gone yet and this is exactly what Paul is speaking about in our text here today.

In Romans 13:11-14, Paul is speaking about salvation as if it were that final whistle. Sure the Riders had won the game with 20 seconds left to go but they did not get to hold the Grey Cup until after the final whistle had sounded.

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/12/victory-final-whistle-romans-1311-14.html
reas more sermons by Captain Michael Ramsay: http://www.sheepspeak.com/sermons.htm

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

JAC is BACK

The new issue of JAC is out - have a read: http://armybarmy.com/jac.html

Make Poverty History (or buy a new chair)

Sask. MLAs getting $1,700 chairs
Last Updated: Monday, December 3, 2007 | 5:47 PM CT
CBC News

They've already won their seats, but now Saskatchewan MLAs are getting new ones - about $125,000 worth.

The Saskatchewan government will be spending that much to outfit the legislative assembly with 70 new chairs.

read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/12/03/chairs-legislature.html

Be an Environmentalist - Keep Your Covenant


Divorce is Bad for the Environment, Researchers say

Married households use resources more efficiently than divorced households: author
Last Updated: Monday, December 3, 2007 | 6:22 PM ET
CBC News

Soaring divorce rates around the globe are taking a toll on the environment, American researchers suggested in a study released Monday.

read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/12/03/divorce-environment.html

Monday, December 03, 2007

Friday, November 30, 2007

Happy St Andrew's Day

Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.

The "Order of Saint Andrew" or the "Most Ancient Order of the Thistle" is an order of Knighthood which is restricted to the King or Queen and sixteen others. It was established by James VII of Scotland in 1687.

Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion.

St. Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

read more:
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/Scotland/standrew.html

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The Salvation Army Commences Work in Burundi and Greece

The Salvation Army's International Headquarters in London, England has announced that The Salvation Army is now at work in new countries in Africa and Europe. Work has begun quietly in Burundi and Greece with the appointing of officers to these countries for the first time.

The work in Burundi, which began officially in Bujumbura on August 5 2007, is attached to the Rwanda Command while the work in Greece, which began October 1 2007, is attached to the nearby Italy Command.

The total number of countries in which The Salvation Army is officially present is now 113.

Quote

'He who wants to change the world should already begin by cleaning the
dishes.' - Carvel Paul

Commissioning

from armybarmy:

Great CONNECTIONS 07 story: A guy was aiming to attend a dodgy new age body/mind/spirit conference in the same enormous exhibition centre holding Commissioning this past weekend. Instead he wandered into Commissioning 'by mistake', was hooked by a Colonel, sat through the meeting, and got saved. Hallelujah! sec

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Paul's letter to the Romans: Introductory Issues

“Romans is neither a systematic theology nor a summary of Paul’s lifework, but it is by common consent his masterpiece” – N.T. Wright.

Paul’s letter to the Romans was written in the mid-to-late 50s and is addressed to a Gentile dominated church. In the mid-to-late 50s, Rome was by far the Mediterranean world’s dominant power and Nero was the Roman Emperor (54-68 AD, Proconsul since 51AD). Immediately prior to this time, in 49 AD, Nero’s predecessor, Claudius had banished the Jews from Rome. The remaining Christians then would be predominantly non-Jews. When Nero officially ascended the throne in 54, many of the Jewish Christians returned. Things had changed and this was the historical context of Paul’s letter.


Pertaining to the theme of Romans and not wanting to devote an excessive amount of space to introductory issues, I have to acknowledge that as Douglas Moo states, “we must be careful not to impose on Romans a single theme when Paul may never have thought in those terms…a theme that fits 1:16-11:36 may not fit the whole.” In contrast to this difficulty, the easiest thing to determine about Romans is its basic shape. Its four sections emerge clearly: chaps. 1-4, 5-8, 9-11, and 12-16.


For those who want to do some pre-reading and establish some background knowledge for our advent readings in Paul's letter to the Romans you are welcome to read some papers on the first two chapters of the letters from sheepspeak.com: http://sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm

In the next election, vote to make poverty hisotry

Poverty in Canada National Report Card:

" 1 in 8 children in Canada - 788,000 - live in poverty when income is measured after income taxes. Before income taxes, 1 in 6 or 1.13 million children live in poverty.

41% of children living in poverty live in families with at least one income earner working full-time all year."

read the report: http://www.campaign2000.ca/media/rc07/2007_C2000_NationalReportCard.pdf

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Tories drop candidates citing their "speaking out about education, affordable housing and HIV/AIDS issues."  It seems to me that these are rather important issues.

read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/31/dropped-candidates.html?ref=rss

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"We have to decide as a country what comes first - is it corporate tax cuts or is it defeating child poverty? You can't do both," she said, adding that in the past six years, corporate tax cuts have cost $56.5 billion in revenue." - Olivia Chow

When the next election is called vote to make poverty history...

Monday, November 26, 2007

It's your choice Feds: save 1% or save a child...

Child poverty rates unchanged in nearly 2 decades: report
Last Updated: Monday, November 26, 2007 10:58 AM ET
CBC News

The rate of child poverty in Canada is the same as it was in 1989, despite numerous attempts by the federal government to tackle the issue, an advocacy group reported Monday.

As Campaign 2000 released the results of its annual report card on child poverty at a news conference in Ottawa, it called for the federal government to cancel the next one percentage point GST cut and use the money instead for efforts to eliminate child poverty.

The report says that, in 1989, the House of Commons unanimously voted to end child poverty. Eighteen years later, despite a 50 per cent increase in the size of the economy, the child poverty rate remains unchanged at 11.7 per cent, according to the report.

read more from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/11/26/child-poverty.html

DR Was

November 27


Elisha (scriptural reference: 2 Kings 2:23-25 )

Psalm 125 and Matthew 26-27

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Friday, November 23, 2007

Divided House



In our corps there has been a division all season long. One of the families in our corps is a die hard BC Lions fan. The others, of course, are Riders fans. Being from BC were somewhat torn and did not publicly pick a favourite team until Saskatchewan eliminated BC from the play-offs last Sunday.
a
Now after BC (the land of my birth) had been eliminated from the playoffs, I didn't think that I needed to have divided loyalties heading into the big game, so I joined with the community in 'going green'. I even put green on my uniform in honour of Saskatchewan's Roughriders.
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My 5 year-old sees the green and says, "What's that!?!" in a very loud voice - disapproving that I would wear green on my uniform. I explain to her that it is in honour of the big game this weekend.
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'Do you know about the game?' I ask.
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From the other room, my six year-old yells out, "Go Winnipeg!" Then both girls start chanting "Go Winnipeg!" loudly and without stopping for quite a while.
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Winnipeg is the land that hosts most of their memories - sigh. I guess, even with BC eliminated, there is still a divided house...

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If you can't beat them...



Go Riders Go!



Solomon
q
We have been having some wonderful Bible studies here in NE Saskatchewan! We have been studying covenant lately. This past week we were looking at the Davidic covenant as it was re-interpreted with Solomon (1 Kings 4-9).
q
There was a certain irony that was pointed out. God entered into the Mosaic covenant as He delivered the Israelites from slave labour for Pharoah. As God entered into a covenant with King Solomon, Solomon used Israelite slave labour to build a house for Pharoah's daughter.
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It seems things have come full circle in some regard...

q


Just in Time For Christmas



You can buy your Warrior's Song Cafe mug. Order today: http://www.sheepspeak.com/cup.htm

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Good quote

Good quote from Aaron at www.armybarmy.com:

Friday, November 23, 2007
Napolean...

Napolean Bonaparte was inspecting his Revolutionary Army in Paris when he came upon a soldier whose name was also Napolean. This soldier was actually well known among the ranks for his cowardice. Napolean Bonaparte stopped in front of the cowering soldier, looked him straight in the eyes, and said:

"Soldier, either live up to your name, or change it!"

We are The Salvation Army. We should either live up to our name, or change it.

Grace,

Aaron

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Q: What's this?



A Christmas Kettle...



Here's another Christmas Kettle or two.


The girl in the picture below is Shirley Temple. It's that time of year again. Please support the ministry of The Salvation Army in your area.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Names...

1) The new name for this division of TSA in Canada is the Prairie and Northern Territories Division.

2) Susan ran across a name on one of our rolls in Tisdale from the 1970's - Brent Butt.

Bio from http://www.brentbutt.com/ : Brent Butt was born in Tisdale, Saskatchewan (pop. 3000) on August 3, 1966- the very same day that legendary comedian Lenny Bruce died. The youngest of seven children, Brent discovered that making people laugh was the quickest way to get their attention. In an environment where sharp wits triumphed over pull-my-finger gags, Brent learned to 'work clean' at a very early age. However, you can only build a comedy career so far in Tisdale- (see also: http://www.cornergas.com/)

Youth Group

We had our first Joint NE Saskatchewan Youth Group meeting the other day. Fifteen people joined from the two communities to play in the Tisdale youth drop-in centre and watch the Bee Movie. The kids from Nipawin - of course - had their pictures taken on the Tisdale Bee afterwards....











Two New Sermons....


Two new sermons for your perusal. Neither of these sermons were scheduled and each were composed when I happily accepted to opportunity to fill in at the last moment. Click the Picts to read the sermons.



Saturday, November 17, 2007

Letter to the Editor of The Recorder

Re: Not Attending Ceremonies
Dear Editor,

It is too bad that one of the readers of this paper has decided not to attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies because their religious beliefs will not be given pre-eminence. The reader who had the compulsion to write, while still lacking the conviction to sign their name, did raise an interesting point. The writer claimed that less than 15%, or even less than 10%, of 'those that served' did not believe in the 'Judeo-Christian' God. It seems to follow then, that those who are religious Atheists make up an even smaller number of that population (accounting for other religious beliefs) - perhaps even less than 3 or 4%. 

My questions then is this: why wouldn't you mention God? Why should the 96% of the population that are Theists be subjected to the Atheistic religious point of view in a public ceremony? If the bulk of the population in a democratic society recognises the sovereignty of God, then certainly this is the point of view that should be acknowledged in the public arena.

In recent public events the small vocal religious minority Atheists have been dominating ceremonies. In the ceremonies marking the SwissAir tragedy, the Christian clergy were banned from mentioning Christ in the ceremony. In the official Canadian 9/11 ceremonies, only the non-theistic viewpoint was recognized. Why, in a predominantly Theistic society, should the public be subjected only to Atheistic prejudices in our public ceremonies? This does not make sense.

While I am sorry that the writer will not attend the ceremony, I think it would be much worse to honour only the religion of a vast minority (possibly 4% or less are Atheists) at the expense of all others and in the process to possibly even insult the memory of all those who actually did lay down their lives for God, King, and country. 

God bless,

Michael Ramsay

Friday, November 16, 2007

Nipawin Journal Article - Reconciliation

"Acknowledgement of the horror of war - and the shining light of hopes for peace - were key elements in the message delivered at Nipawin's Remembrance Day service at the Evergreen Centre Nov. 11."

read more:
http://www.nipawinjournal.com/News/354539.html

the sermon: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/11/greater-love-has-no-man-than-to-lay.html

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Worth a visit...JustSalvos.com

Related to the recent pornography stats we posted yesterday, JustSalvos has some information about prostituted persons at http://justsalvos.com/index.php?page=news&id=21 .

Also pertaining to social justice. Aaron at www.armybarmy.com has recently blogged the following:

And what better way to celebrate the birth of Our Lord than to purchase a diamond-encrusted Christmas tree?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071113/od_afp/lifestylejapanchristmasjewels

Go to Just Salvos instead and buy a goat.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

November 11

November 11, as well as Remembrance Day, was the international day of prayer for the persecuted church (http://www.persecutedchurch.org/).

There is a certain sad irony to this fact here on a couple of fronts. In a local Tisdale newspaper, a writer who refused to gove their name argued in favour of Atheist rather than Christian services at the community events in Saskatchewan. This has caused no shortage of a stir amongst the vetrans to whom I have spoken. It is the vetrans, of course, who put on the services and invite the clergy to speak here. I have been reminded over and over again that indeed they did leave Canada willing to die for "God, King, and country" and that saying anything less would be an insult to their memory.

I also heard a federal MP make an interesting speach about Nov 11th. He was extolling some strange made-up reasons for the war (WWII). He argued that we were fighting to be free from helping out the poor and the needy through social programmes (medical help, free schooling). He argued that our soldiers died to prevent everyone from having access to these things. This, if you look at what programmes were instituted in Canada in the pre- and post-war years, is absolutely untrue. It is also scary though. It seems that some people want to make this society into a very different one than our veterans died for and they abuse the word 'freedom' to do it.

These days there seems to be a perverse concept of freedom indeed. For instance, Canada (and the US) refuses to block access to pornographic sites. We instead believe in what is being called 'freedom of expression.'

Here are some stats from http://www.armybarmy.com/ (blog):

2006 Internet Pornography Statistics
Pornographic websites 4.2 million (12% of total websites)
Pornographic pages 420 million Daily pornographic search engine requests 68 million (25% of total search engine requests)
Daily pornographic emails 2.5 billion (8% of total emails)
Internet users who view porn 42.7%
Received unwanted exposure to sexual material 34%
Average daily pornographic emails/user 4.5 per Internet user Monthly Pornographic downloads (Peer-to-peer) 1.5 billion (35% of all downloads)
Daily Gnutella "child pornography" requests 116,000 Websites offering illegal child pornography 100,000 Sexual solicitations of youth made in chat rooms 89%
Youths who received sexual solicitation 1 in 7 (down from 2003 stat of 1 in 3)
Worldwide visitors to pornographic web sites 72 million visitors to pornography:
Monthly Internet Pornography Sales $4.9 billion

Monday, November 12, 2007

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13.

Presented to the community of Nipawin at the Remembrance Day Ceremony, November 11, 2007,

by Captain Michael Ramsay




Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13.

On November 11, 1918, the armistice was signed to end the Great War, the war to end all wars – the First World War. Canadians, our friends and our family, in service to God, King, and country, marched overseas to lay down their lives for our friends

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

read more:
http://www.sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 09, 2007

Canada's 100 Days

Canada's Hundred Days

Canada's Hundred Days refers to the last 100 days of World War I, from 4 August to November 11, 1918. During this time period, the Canadian Corps of four divisions fought several battles against approximately one quarter of the Imperial German Army on the Western Front, all with decisive victories.

Along with the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, Canada's Hundred Days cemented the reputation of the Canadian Corps as a tough and professional fighting force amongst its allies and foes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada

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JUST WAR - FROM ARMYBARMY

Read Aaron Whites blog of Saturday, November 10, 2007 - In Time for Remembrance Day... It is a very good look at the question of 'is war ever just?' www.armybarmy.com/blog.html
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THE SALVATION ARMY, A PRESENTATION BY THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM

"It would be easier to forget one's name than fail to remember the times without number when the Salvation Army was, in truth, our comforter and friend."

- General Harry Crerar (Former Commander of the First Canadian Army, Second World War)

Read more: http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/index_e.html

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On another note...

Also congratulations Shledon and Jessica! Their wedding reception is today (Saturday) in Tisdale...

November 9, Let us not forget

The day Canada honours the sacrifices of the First and Second World War and Korea is also the anniversary of a battle that saved the country from an American invasion during the War of 1812. And as the First World War slips from living memory into pure history, how Canadians have marked the other Nov. 11 from our military heritage -- the 1813 Battle of Crysler's Farm -- offers a sobering glimpse of the future of remembrance.

read more: http://www.havelock-viha.com/FPNov11AmericanInvasion.html

(On another note, we had the first snow fall yesterday...we're not in Victoria anymore, Toto...)

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

November 8th - The Great War

Ephesians 6:11-13

11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Read whole chapter: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=56&chapter=6&version=9

A TOUCH OF HOME: The War Services of The Salvation Army

During the First World War (1914-18), the Canadian Salvation Army's overseas activities were part of the much larger effort organized by British Salvationists. The latter established over 200 recreational huts (often no more than tents), 40 rest homes, and 96 hostels, all staffed by more than 1200 volunteers. The Canadian SA sent five military chaplains to the front and helped operate well-equipped huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels...

Read more (PDF): http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/sallyanneng.pdf

Is War Ever Just?

Article from the Nipawin Journal
 
This article from the Nipawin Journal was supposed to be published today. They ran it one week early: http://www.sheepspeak.com/is_war_ever_just.htm
 
Winston Churchill on The Salvation Army
 
Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, "Where there's a need, there's The Salvation Army".

Is it as true in the 2000's as it was in the 1940's? I believe so. Let's keep it that way - and more! - mr

Canadian TSA in the World Wars (Part 1).

In 1914 the Army shared in the national tragedy of the sinking of The Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence. On board were more than 120 Salvationists, bound for an international congress in London. Most of them, including the national commander and members of the Canadian Staff Band, were drowned. The Staff Band was not re-formed until 1969.

Canada's involvement in the Great War of 1914-1918 saw the appointment of the first Salvation Officer as a chaplain in the Canadian armed forces, and the donation of five motor ambulances to forces serving overseas. At the end of the war, military hostels were opened in Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Toronto, and other cities, for returning soldiers.

All of this demonstrates the unique ability of The Salvation Army to respond to urgent needs...It also reflects the ingenuity, efficient use of resources and a genius for improvisation, which the organization's quasi-military structure fostered. It showed government that in most things the Army could get the job done with greater efficiency and at less cost than almost any other agency, and at the same time it forged a bond of trust between the people of Canada and the 'Sally Ann', a trust that continues to this day...

The onset of World War II found the Army accompanying Canada's armed forces overseas not only as chaplains but as the operators of Maple Leaf Clubs, providing rest and relaxation for the troops. By the end of the war there were clubs in Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and India. They were mostly staffed by Salvation Army Auxiliaries, some of them as young as twenty years old. They provided a taste of home, with Canadian cooking, mail forwarding and social activities, including dances and short term accommodation. On the home front at the end of the war, Salvationists at Canadian ports welcomed the 'war brides' of Canadian servicemen.
 


Tuesday, November 06, 2007

The Salvation Army - From the Canadian Department of National Defence website:

The Salvation Army and the Propagation of the Faith:

The central mission of the Salvation Army is evangelism. The Army exists to spread the Word of God through its distinctive methods of outreach to the world. The Church and its members do not hesitate to reach out to the poor and the abandoned, to help all toward salvation.

Read more:
http://www.dnd.ca/hr/religions/engraph/religions29_e.asp

 
Soldiers of the Cross (TSA WWI & WWII Australia and New Zealand

In April 1915, at a little-known beach in Turkey named Gallipoli, two legends were created. The first was the courage of the Australian soldier: the second was the wartime service of the Salvation Army.

Read more: http://www.anzacday.org.au/spirit/cross/index.html



THE HISTORY OF THE SALVATION ARMY (USA) IN WORLD WAR I

The Salvationist stands ready, trained in all necessary qualifications in every phase of humanitarian work, and the the last man will stand by the President for execution of his orders.
-Evangeline Booth, National Commander, April 1918

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/salvhist.htm

In the Lead up to Nov 11 - The Salvation Army Position on World Peace

The Salvation Army believes that the plan for creation is that all people shall live in a harmonious relationship with God. It acknowledges that only within this relationship can perfect peace be fully known, and that this peace transcends the circumstances of this life. Greed, selfishness and injustice, however, have entered human lives and often result in conflict and, at times, armed aggression.

Therefore, in the light of the Gospel and in obedience to the one who declared, "Blessed are the peacemakers," The Salvation Army through its ministry around the world confronts the poverty, injustice and the inequalities that so often give rise to disharmony and unrest, and seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding between peoples of all races, ethnic origins, socio-economic backgrounds, religions and cultures.

Recognizing the appalling character of modern warfare, The Salvation Army urges nations to eliminate all weapons of mass or indiscriminate destruction and divert those expenditures into measures that will benefit society, and especially into providing services that promote the welfare of the poor, suffering or disadvantaged, and bring about a more just society.

The Salvation Army is ready to work, alone or in partnership with others of goodwill, to bring about an end to armed conflict and to promote reconciliation between opposing factions. It also undertakes to extend in Christian love its practical care to those who suffer because of war, civil unrest or other forms of violence, without discrimination except on the basis of the need being met and its capacity to meet it.

The Salvation Army calls upon all within its influence - members, friends and fellow Christians - to pray for peace, to love their enemies and to work for the betterment of society, witnessing to God as the source of lasting peace and to a right relationship with God as the only path to perfect peace.

More position Statements:

Abortion Artificial Insemination & In Vitro Fertilization Capital Punishment Environment Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide & Advance Health Care Directives Family Gambling Gay & Lesbian Sexuality Human Diversity Marriage Pornography Poverty & Economic Justice Sabbath Substance Abuse Sunday Observance World Peace

Please Pray for General Shaw Clifton
Salvation Army General Faces Health Concerns As a result of recent medical tests, General Shaw Clifton has been diagnosed with cancer. The doctors... (Read more)

Monday, November 05, 2007

The Salvation Army Christmas Food Hamper Registration

The Salvation Army Nipawin
Christmas Hamper Registration
At the Food bank

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Covenant: two papers

Two papers previously presented to WCBC pertaining to covenant responsibilities:

1) Pertaining to responsibilties to the land:
Leviticus 25 1-23 in the Context of the Holiness Code: The Land Shall Observe a Sabbath, http://www.sheepspeak.com/OT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Leviticus%2025%201-23

2) Pertaining to the concept of election: Amos 3:1-2: …therefore I will punish you
http://www.sheepspeak.com/OT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#therefore%20I%20will%20punish%20you

Sunday, November 04, 2007

They died for us

Remembrance Day

They didn't die for freedom of speech

They didn't die for freedom of expression

They didn't die for the right to vote

They didn't die for democracy

They didn't die for capitalism

They didn't die for human ideologies

They died for us


Vancouver's DTES

Dan Rather's take on our old stomping ground. Hat Tip to Aaron White and Army Barmy:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071102/dan_rather_071102/20071102/

Why poverty threatens us all

This is a very good reason to be wary of any politician offering tax cuts. A tax cut really is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Taxes are the primary means by which we provide for the most needy in society...

Why Poverty Threatens Us All
Oct 20, 2007 04:30 AM
David Olive
Toronto Star

The gap between rich in poor in this country has reached Third World levels. Will it take widespread unrest to convince people they have a stake in this?

According to the latest statistics from the World Bank, the widening gap between rich and poor in Canada is now roughly on par with that of Indonesia. Indeed, in the matter of income equality, Canada trails not only the Scandinavian countries, but Egypt and Pakistan, as well.

read more:
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/268662

Friday, November 02, 2007

Memorial Service

We had a memorial service here yesterday for Ross Edwards. That he is missed is testified too by how many people came from out of province to pay their respects.

a thought: ....Our time here is like being selected for a member of a provincial sports team. You play in the tournament. Christ, of course, scored the goal that won the victory for your team. When our time here, the tournament, is over we go home and when we meet again it will be in glory.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Just War in Nipawin


So the Nipawin Journal was supposed to run an article on Just War on November 7. I wrote it intending to accompany it with more in depth research and comments on http://www.sheepspeak.com/ at the appropriate time. They ran it a week early. This is too bad. They have been having difficulty running articles from the Religion section at the correct time recently. A copy of the article is on the sheepspeak.com along with references. Further thoughts and discussion will appear on this page over the next week as well as a link to our Remembrance Day address...
John 15:13 reminds us that Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Happy Reformation Day (Oct 31)

Happy Reformation Day!


October 31st is tha anniversary of Martin Luther nailing up his 95 Thesis. Here they are if you would like to read them in Latin or in English: Amore et studio elucidande veritas hec subscripta disputabuntur Wittenberge, Presidente R.P. Martino Lutter, Artium et S. Theologie Magistro eiusdemque ibidem lectore Ordinario. Quare petit, ut qui non possunt verbis presentes nobiscum disceptare agant id literis absentes. In nomine domini nostri Hiesu Christi. Amen.

Read more: http://www.luther.de/en/95th-lat.html

Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Read more: http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html

The Salvation Army and Elections

I was just visiting Danielle Strickland's (Australia TSA Social Justice Director) blog (http://www.armybarmyremix.blogspot.com/).

We already pointed out some resources they had for the upcoming election down under. This website is a great idea: http://www.australiavotes.org/ - it includes BOTH what the parties think AND how your individual MPs voted. This is great. Every democracy needs a resource like this and every Christian should use it! - in my humble opinion. - mr

Monday, October 29, 2007

The most dangerous religion...

"Isn't it brilliant that they have persuaded Christian moms and dads to finance the destruction of their own beliefs and values? Who said atheists aren't clever?" - Dinesh D'Souza

(Hat tip to Army barmy)

read about the atheist indoctrination project: http://townhall.com/columnists/DineshDSouza/2007/10/22/the_atheist_indoctrination_project

If there is a less open-minded religion than atheism, I don't know what it is. It should send up red flags that this is the only religion in our country (and not only in our country - the above article is not from Canada) claiming that it should have exclusive access to the publicly funded school system. Why do they use these tactics? My only guess is that deep down most religiously active atheists know that they are wrong - otherwise they would not try to exclude other religion expression from discussion, debate, public schools, public office, and public ceremonies. (remember Swiss Air? Remember the Atheist-led witch hunts in Ontario city council meetings, remember the reports of their persecution of Christians in the BC school system - if there was any merit to atheism, they wouldn't try to silence their opponents in this way, would they?)

This is the first time I have been exposed to this author. I think his detractors (if you read some of the responses to this article and others by D'Souza) help to prove the intolerance and close-mindedness of many of the adherents to the atheist religion...

If you (dis)agree, let me know?

Sunday, October 28, 2007

The Reformation: Ulrich Zwingli

Ulrich Zwingli was the leader of the fledgling reformation in Zurich. In 1519 he became the people's priest at the Great Minster Church in Zurich. Helaunched the reformation not by posting theses, as Luther did, but by preaching biblical sermons from the pulpit. While Luther allowed what the Bible did not prohibit, Zwingli prohibited what the Bible did not specifically prescribe. He stressed the ability of common people to interpret the Bible for themselves and taught the memorial view of the Lord's Supper. Called for a return to the Apostolic Church described in the New Testament.

Read more: http://www.educ.msu.edu/homepages/laurence/reformation/Zwingli/Zwingli.Htm

Vacation

We have been visiting some friends here leading up to Reformation Day. I trust that everything went great in Nipawin and Tisdale. Both Susan and I have had quite bad colds. We have all had a good time seeing old friends. Rebecca, well enjoying meeting all kinds of new friends in Saskatchewan, has definitely missed some of her Winnipeg friends too - so have we. As far as a vacation is concerned, of course, I have been wrestling with 2 texts: John 15 for Nov 11 and now 1 Cor 15 for a memorial of one of our friends who was promoted to glory in Nipawin. Here are some pictures of our vacation:








The funeral will be on the afternoon we return. PTL, I could stay here with the girls until then. Any insights on 1 Cor 15 would be greatly appreciated too...

Thursday, October 25, 2007

On our own...

Pertaining to Abner and Joab and the temptation for us to take matters into our own hands, for a NT reference to this theme, remember what Jesus said to Peter when he tried to do things on his own?

"Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mark 8:33)

Does this rebuke apply us at times?

Verse in context:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%208:25-35;&version=31;

A good idea from JUSTsalvos.com
(http://justsalvos.com/)

WWJV - hoW Would Jesus Vote?

As the Australian election day is drawing nearer (like our own Saskatchewan one) TSA Australia has developed a series of key election statements that it maintains will contribute to achieving a fair and just society for all Australians...

Check out the Army Federal Election Guides for Australia - a lot of the issues will apply to us as well. This is a good idea. It is probably one we should do here as well...

Make sure you register an informed vote:
Click here. (it's a PDF file)