Guest Blogger Day

Today I have a guest blogger: Ashley Phillips. She's a Salvationist from the South, whom I met at The War College in Vancouver. Today she wrote the following on facebook and I was so impressed, I wanted to share it with you. Looks like our TSA future is in good hands, huh?


Blood and Fire Baby!
I got this new sense of pride today. But not pride in a sinful way. Pride like I have in my country. Almost like a patriotism. For The Salvation Army.

I don't know where it came from. But I am not complaining that it did come.

I was talking to Tammi last night about my preliminary testing this Thursday for training. And she asked me if i was nervous. And of course my first response was to say yeah, i hate tests . . . I have never been one of those people who can pass any test that is put in front of them. But i thought about her question...and i had this epiphany.

I am 100% sure in my heart that God wants me to be a Salvation Army Officer. So, why be nervous about some tests to become one? Sure, i may not be the most theologically smart person in the world...and I may not be psychiatrically sane all the time (who is really?) . . . and yeah, I get the doctrines confused sometimes (and I'm not the only one! . . . We believe that whosoever will may be saved!) But I love this army. I love the mission of this army. I love Jesus, and I know God has so much in store for this army that our generation will bring to life.

Guys . . . we are the future of this Army! That is some pretty exciting stuff! I mean . . . just think . . . We are going to see God do things in this army that will blow us away. All these things that burden us about this army, God wants to use us to change. And we are going to be his workers. His Servants. His Soldiers. God wants to use you! What an honor! If that doesn't excite you, then somethings wrong! The creator of this whole universe . . . the One who made every tree, mountain, river, ocean, and star beautiful and breathtaking . . . The guy who knitted you in your mothers womb to be exactly who you are today . . . He wants to use you! Will you let him? Will you let Him send you to places of darkness where the Love of God has never been preached? Whether that means in a far away country, or a few yards away to your neighbors door . . . will you go? Will you trust Him to guide you? We need to cast out this complacency that has hit this generation. This idea that as long as we are saved then that's all we need to do. Because that breaks God's heart. He wants to use us. Will you let Him?

In the words of our great founder: "We must wake ourselves up! Or somebody else will take our place, and bear our cross, and thereby rob us of our crown."

If I rise on the wings of the dawn
If I settle on the far side of the sea
Even there your hand will guide me
If I say, The darkness will hide me
And the light will become night around me
Even there your hand will guide me
Darkness will not be dark to you
It will shine like the day Darkness is as light to you
For even there your hand will guide me.
-Psalm 139:8-12

People are NOT Our Projects

Danielle Strickland once told me of an interaction with a "running friend" she had made. After developing a good relationship over time, and getting close to "winning" her new friend to Christ, out of the blue her friend asked her: "am I one of your 'projects?'" Danielle said it was a wake up call when she realized people are not "our projects."

What is it about us Christians that causes us to think we can make people our projects and not really care about them as friends (and/or people)? As if we can just toss them away once we use them (get them saved or whatever) and move on to the next project . . . when you begin to think about it that way, it feels really icky, doesn't it? I hope it feels icky, because if it doesn't, you're gonna need more help than this blog entry can provide!

I'm convinced we see ourselves as "better than" others. Especially those who aren't saved. In some "not-sure-how-we-get-there" thought process, we think it's okay to treat people like they're not people as long as it's in order to get them saved. Kinda like the end justifies the means.

Well, guess what?

Did you guess?

People are the most important priority we have. We will NEVER be justified using people to make us look good (to some imagined power over us), then tossing them aside and moving on to bigger and better things once we accomplish our "mission" on them.

Is that person your project? Take this test to find out:

1) Do you desire to hang out with the person and really get to know them?

2) Have you opened YOUR heart to them, as well as expect them to open up to you?

3) Do you really care about the person as a friend?

4) Do you still want to be their friend even if they don't "get saved?"

5) Do you see the person as more important than yourself (or your "ministry")?

6) Do you really listen to what the person has to say?

If you answered "NO" to any of these questions you might want to examine your intentions in this relationship.

People are our priority (as Jesus exemplified) and we should never climb over them to get even one rung higher on our way up the ladder.

Prayer: O God, please help me to see people as you do; to honor them and hold my relationship with them at the highest possible level. May I be a good witness to them, but may I just plain be a good friend- because I certainly won't be a good witness if I use them and drop them on my way by.

- - - - -

PS: Here are all the wrong answers to the above questions:

1) I just want to use the person so I look like I'm a good Christian to everyone who may be looking. Maybe God'll give me a better situation in life for my next test.

2) I'm not ABOUT to actually open my heart to the person. I don't need anyone, after all!

3) As long as the person THINKS I'm being a friend and it looks good, I'm okay.

4) Are you kidding? If the person doesn't accept Jesus by Tuesday, I'm outta here (If they do, I'm outta here by Wednesday anyway)!

5) Actually, God has made me better than the person (by virtue of my job or giftings), so I have a completely different set of standards to live up to.

6) Huh? What did you say?

Guidelines for Answered Prayer

Since we're praying unceasingly for God to provide $2.5 million to cover our local debt, I thought it would be good to post some guidelines for answered prayer. I'm not sure where I got these, but they've been proven in the testing field of life, so I recommend them for you.

1) Envision a Clear-cut Objective - Be Specific!

Too many people pray for "everything and everyone;" in generalities. You know, like "God bless everyone in the whole world!" So how do we know if God has answered that prayer? It would take quite awhile to ask everyone to find out!

When we pray, we should ask for exactly what we want God to do. "God, heal John of cancer," etc. In our case- $2.5 million dollars! Be specific in your prayer requests.

2) Develop a Burning Desire for the Objective - See it Accomplished!

Often, I've found we pray for things we don't really care about. And if we do care about them, we certainly don't act like it. Imagine a little kid asking his father for a new bike. He's going to ask his Dad once and leave it at that, right? HA! Yet we often ask God for something ONCE and then drop it. Sounds like we really care about the subject, don't ya think?

While we're developing a burning desire, we should envision our objective actually accomplished. See your prayer in your mind's eye having been answered. Believe it has already happened.

3) Pray for Assurance - The Rhema Word!

Once we see our objective accomplished in our mind's eye, we should then start asking God to give us the assurance that he WILL answer this specific prayer. In short, that's called the Rhema Word (Greek). Once we get that assurance, it's all over but the shouting . . . and that's the next point:

4) Claim and Speak the Word - Tell Others!

Start shouting it out. As if it has already happened, if you'd like, because it WILL happen- God has said so (remember step 3 above?) and you KNOW it deep in your spirit (Gotta LOVE that Rhema Word!).


There you have it- some nice proven guidelines for answered prayer. Try it- it works!

I Get by with a Little Help from my Friends

I'm looking for a couple of specific books. I've checked all my usual book sites and apparently, both these books are easily found, but for some reason, have become VERY expensive. And I am not currently willing to pay $50 or more for books that were originally only $11.

That's where all of YOU come in.

If anyone knows the whereabouts of either of these books (for a decent price), let me know. Thanks in advance!

If all else fails, I'm going to try the library when I get home.

The Omega Conspiracy
I.D.E. Thomas
Paperback
Publisher HSPI
Published September 1990 (an earlier pub is fine)






The Facade
Michael S. Heiser
Paperback
Publisher Xlibris Corp
Published September 2004

The Spiral of life

I just finished reading a three book series called "The Nephilim Series" by L. A. Marzulli. If you click on the Title above, it will link you to his website where you can learn about the books and their premise.

The first book is "Nephilim." The second is "The Unholy Deception." The final book is "The Revealing: The Time is Now." Click HERE to get prices and where you can buy them.

If you've ever wondered about the "Nephilim" mentioned in scripture, but couldn't find much on the subject- here's your chance to learn more.

I really enjoyed these books! So much so, I just ordered his latest book, which is not fiction, but looks at the end times (a subject that has always interested me) in a different way than his first series.

Some day I should blog about some things I've learned about the Nephilim. But for now, if you're interested- get the books and enjoy them. Then let me know you did.

The Cool Test

Okay, having had my last blog "quiz" kinda blown outta the water immediately (thanx Travis), I figure I should now drop this one on my unsuspecting readers.

This test is based on how cool you were in High School- how many friends you had, what crowd you ran with, etc. It's scientifically documented as very accurate. Once you take the test, you may want to have your friends take it as well to see if they've changed any.

So, to see if you are STILL a cool person:

Cooltest

So how did you score? Any change?

A Question for You

Okay, who knows this one?

What is the Musician's Theory of Relativity?

If no one answers correctly, I'll leave the answer in the comments in a few days, so check back.

Standing Strong

I'm trading my sorrows;
I'm trading my shame;
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord . . .
I'm pressed but not crushed
Persecuted but not abandoned;
Struck down but not destroyed.
I am blessed beyond the curse,
For his promise will endure
That his joy's gonna be my strength.
Though the sorrow may last for the night,
His joy comes with the Morning!

- - - - -

In this world you will have many troubles,
but take heart!
I have overcome the world!
- John 16:33

- - - - -

The One who rules in heaven laughs!
- Psalm 2:4

- - - - -

The quotes above and some others have come to me from various sources in the last few days (most directly from God). As I sit in the midst of many "troubles," God has made me aware that none of them will crush me. None of them will be my undoing. In fact, when I really dwell on it, it gets funny that The Enemy thinks he can discourage me through "issues," when I know Yahweh is the one in control!

I mean, come one! Things may look impossible to me, but to God? HA! What's a mere $2.5 million to God? What's a little personality struggle? What's a tough email? What's a United Way report deadline? What's a $2000 doorstop of a computer? As I delve deeper into these (and more), some of them may look increasingly impossible to me, but to God? HA! I say! Double HA even! {lol}

The "trick" is holding firm in faith, believing God will come through as he has promised. Bottom line: He's NEVER failed me before; He has ALWAYS come through. My history with Him proves that over and over again. I could tell you some incredible stories . . . (another blog).

So as I build myself up in faith by reviewing the many times God's saved me in the past, repeat God's promises to me, write these things down AND speak them out loud to others, I am strengthened and encouraged. I am emboldened to step up to the plate and swing away! And I can do it in perfect calm; His peace.

There will come a day (sooner than later) when I will be able to look BACK on these times and rejoice that God WAS there; that he came through AGAIN; that he kept me in the palm of his hand through it all.

The only question that remains is whether I was able to stay faithful in the midst of it all. Did I trust IN the storm or did I wilt at its imagined fierceness? Was I overwhelmed or did I stand strong?

Right now, I'm standing strong. I trust in my God and I will show that faith to anyone who comes near.

Just you wait!