Famous Last Words stream

The Student Council met on Monday, and were able to report that the following contributions were made to overseas Colleges; Read the full story

Also Published in the OnFire Magazine in April 2009.

Deny yourselves

I found that I often live to please myself. I can be selfish, working for my own personal achievements, pleasure and fulfilment. To deny ourselves we must live through Jesus, in Him, with Him and for Him only. We are called then to abandon all the things of this world so that we can possess God. Sacrificial living is not natural to me, but coming to college has helped me deal with my pride, selfishness and indulgence through a life of Prayer and communion with God.

Take up your cross daily

We know Jesus suffered and died. As members of Christ’s body we too are destined share this fate, it is part of our daily bread. I’ve found that the hard times- death, disease, destruction- are a necessary part of the training that we must undergo so that we might become more obedient and more willing to accept the Will of God.

By accepting my cross, I’m becoming more humble, able to be more patient, acknowledge my weaknesses and recognise the strength of God. Whatever He wills is perfect and will mould us to His liking. The cross is not a punishment; it is a gift of God to make us holy, a price for our reward and the Throne of our King.

Follow me

I know that as I follow the Lord, I must imitate his life of love and compassion, to God and our neighbour. I must be prepared to share with others my time, my love, my faith and my belongings if necessary.

In a way I’ve accepted the cross, I’m prepared to follow the Lord to Calvary, I’ve allowed my sinfulness, passions, pride, wickedness, and temptations from the world, the devil and the flesh, to be crucified. Hallelujah!

There is nothing that beats doing the thing God wants you to do. Is the Lord is calling you to deny yourself, to take up the cross and follow him? Respond today and talk to your CO about exploring your calling.

Every leadership book ever written talks about the need for vision – it’s nothing I haven’t heard before. I’m going through a devotional book about Leadership at the moment (aptly named Leadership by John C Maxwell), and earlier this week I read about that very need for vision.

Ever have that problem where something is so often repeated that is doesn’t even sink in anymore? I had a case of it bad!

But I started thinking about vision. If vision is so important for success, what is the vision for my time here at Training College? Obviously, to be trained into a Salvation Army Officer!

But what would ‘fullness’ look like during my time here? What would it look like to suck the marrow out of training? To get the absolute most out of this time?

That question has occupied my thoughts and prayers over the past week. I want to catch the vision. I want a glimpse of what could be. What would it look like?

Here’s some things that I have come up with – they are personal to me, but I share them in the hope that you, too, might find them helpful.

Here’s the vision:

I want to go deeper with God. I want to live up to what I’ve already attained in terms of intimacy with God, spiritual disciplines, study of the Word, prayer, worship, freedom, abiding, gifting, passion, fire, holiness, encouragement, sacrifice, selflessness, humility.

I want my placements to be times of meaningful and significant advance in the Salvation war. I want to exemplify the spirit of Salvationism. I want to get people saved and into discipling relationships. I want to be a blessing to my sessionmates, to the cadets in the sessions above and below mine, and to the staff and Officers at the College. I want to encounter God in the College community.

I want to start assignments more than a week before they’re due. I want to be organized and efficient. I want to be a good, faithful and disciplined steward of my time. I want to study hard. I want to read more around my subjects – not just for assignments, but to learn how to be the best Officer I can be.

That’s my vision for fullness during training. I’m not going to lie to you, for me that’s going to take application, determination and hard work. And it relies solely on God’s grace. Apart from Him I can do nothing.

So what about you? I believe God has fullness for you, whatever season you are in. Fellow Cadets, Candidates, Officers, Soldiers and anyone else reading this: how can you maximise the impact of this part of your life for God and His Kingdom? Certainly worth spending some time in prayer over.

I’ll leave you with this video – a presentation of a poem by Peter Greig called The Vision.

(The author stands to the left in the picture above.)

Also Published in the OnFire Magazine in March 2009.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT

I’m learning the more I look to God’s sure and faithful provision, I don’t worry as much. Since being accepted as a Cadet, the Lord has seen to increase his blessing for my husband and me. We may not have much money or material possessions, but we’re not hungry, thirsty or naked. Praise God!

God’s provision in my life has nothing to do status, looks, ability or intellect. It’s when I seek.

It has been said, ‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.’ The main thing is God and His Kingdom. To seek it is to pursue it, to crave it, to go after it with all your might. When we seek, we think about it, talk about it and willing to pay the price to have it.

We must not seek in order to get. We must seek God’s face and not His hand. In must seek his “presence” not his “presents.” Seek him for who he is, not what he can do. There is nothing wrong with have nice things, but He wants first place in our lives.

When I put Him first, keep Him in top priority and set about doing things his way, I’m showing that I delight in Him. Then He will give us the desire of our heart. Ps37:4

If the Lord is calling you to Officership, do not let the pursuit of money or material possessions keep you from pursuing the treasures of God’s Kingdom, which have far greater worth and eternal value than anything on earth.

People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:33 MSG

Also Published in the OnFire Magazine in February 2009.

Why would anybody in their right mind give up a great job and sell nearly every earthly possession, so they can wear the same clothes everyday and have no money?

Actually I love my job as a primary school teacher, I love my church, I like my cat Hamlet (much to my husband’s horror) and until it was recently sold, I really liked my house.

These, and much more, I’m willing to forsake for Jesus.

The Founder said ‘if you are called to be an officer then an officer you must be, an officer you will be, or it will be so much the worse for you both here and hereafter’.

I’m not going to college because I’ve run out of options. I’m going because I cannot think of anything else I’d rather do. I’m going because Jesus has called me.

I am aware that the road I’m travelling is not a path of ease, and that following the Lord requires sacrifice and denial; trials and tribulations; unpopularity; simplicity of life; patience; self control; righteousness; holiness and godliness.

For me, heading to college and becoming an Officer is not a one time action, but a way of life. And this has taken a lot of faith in God!

God has allowed my husband and me, to go through a rough few years of trial to lead us to the point where we can think of no greater thing than to serve the Lord, together and forever!

I’m in love with a king who became a slave
I’m in love with a God who is humble
You gotta go down if you wanna go up
And You’ve gotta go lower if you wanna go higher and higher
Well you’ve gotta hide and do it in secret if you wanna be seen by God

Cause it’s the inside outside upside down kingdom
Where you lose to gain and you die to live

©Misty Edwards, David Brymer and Cassandra Campbell/Forerunner Music (ASCAP)

Also Published in the OnFire Magazine in July 2009.

For me one of the highlights of college so far has been spending a week learning about holiness. It’s been a beautiful and powerful time.

I have often perceived holiness to be an unobtainable attribute of God, which we as Christians should be striving for. For me, holy living in the 21st Century has been about what I do and don’t do. Truly no holy Salvationist would go to a wild party or play card games or even look at a beer add.

In seeking wholeheartedly to be a holy salvo, I’ve rid my house of pagan images, substituted my coffee brand for a fair trade alternative and not conformed to the commercialism surrounding Christmas and Easter. I’ve even become a Cadet!

However, I have been reminded once again that holiness is an attitude not just behaviour- what I am, not just what I do. Our holiness is a state of being, which naturally exhibits out of our character when we allow God’s spirit to reside in every nook and cranny of our lives.

To be like Jesus
O that the world should see all that I am
See something different
See Christ in me
The holy God.

When I think over Jesus’ life- who He was and is, what He did and what He said- He ate with sinners and sat with the sick. According to the law He was unclean, and yet He was holy. Be holy as Christ is Holy. If that is the case, then for me to Christlike I should have dirty hands but a clean heart. To be holy I need to spend time with the lost, lonely and lest. Not because they need me- it’s Christ’s love and compassion they need. I’m but a willing earthly vessel going about the Father’s work.

I will never be perfect, but I’m going to try. God doesn’t ask me to be perfect; he wants my best that comes from a loving heart. How do I get a loving heart… stay close to Jesus, stay humble and stay at the foot of the cross.

The evidence of the Holy Spirit residing in me is a changed life. Purity not just power. Daily I pray that I may receive from Christ the power to be holy.