Connections 07

Please join in giving praise to God for a very special weekend held in Melbourne, Australia. Our Territorial Commander was given a vision from God of a very special set of commissioning/congress meetings which he termed Connections 07.Part of this weekend were two days of conference meetings which were attended by many people, including non-salvationist employees from our social centres. People from all over our territory gathered to learn and share together.Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs led God inspired and anointed Officers Councils. Most public meetings were marked by crowded Mercy Seats as people were saved and sactified. The Sunday afternoon meeting was marked by a sense of joy and excitement as 29 new captains received their first commissioned appointments. Included in this number were a significant number of Lieutenants along with the Cadets.Long term readers of the Forum will remember my Praise Reports from our days soldiering at the Ringwood Corps. Many of them contained comments about the Candidates within the corps. On Sunday 4 of these were commissioned. Sometimes I think that those years when Jennifer was the Recruiting Sergeant and I helped the Candidates prepare for the Training College were the most fruitful of our officership to date.On Saturday there was a giant march/parade/procession throughout the city followed by a Social Justice Rally in a public square, followed by both children's rallies and youth rallies. The people in the streets of Melbourne stopped to watch, listen and be involved in what the 3000 Salvos were doing. It was amazing to see children on the streets being given mini Army flags to wave and enjoying doing so. Salvo children ran from the parade to give these flags to their peers and then returned to join their parents in an act of witness. The streets of Melbourne have not seen this sort of thing from the Salvos for many years.Many bloggers from our territory have testified to their belief that God has started a significant work that will change our territory for the better.Here's the TC's blog for his view of Connections 07. http://tcspeak.blogspot.com
Praise God!

Peter

Sacrificial giving or is that living

I've been thinking about the concept of sacrifice lately. I guess that's not so surprising when you think that we've had the Self Denial Appeal, Easter, Anzac Day and a Planned Giving Program all within a month.

I've preached on Sacrificial giving and the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus for our salvation. I participated in a local Anzac Day service where we reflected on the sacrifice of young Australians that has seen then unborn generations living in freedom in this great country.

Emotion flows readily from me at most times, but I find it hard to hold in when I think of the sacrifices that people make for me and even more for the Kingdom of God. Many of the people of the corps have pledged sacrificially so that the mission of their corps might be enhanced. By doing so they are investing in the Kingdom of God.

I think of my parents and others who made sacrifices for me to be educated and in my parents' case the daily sacrifice they make by having their only child and only grandchildren living over 700 kilometres away. Family occasions see empty chairs for them. But we have been released to serve where God requires.

Then there is the verse from Romans 12 which reminds me of my responsibility for daily sacrificial living. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship." (NIV)

What about living sacrificially for the Kingdom of God?

Conversations that lead to conversions

Today it was my turn to lead Home League. It was to be the spiritual meeting for Easter. I chose to focus on the Resurrection appearances recorded in John 20-21. The ladies were asked to think about what Jesus might have said to them. One chose to identify with Thomas and another began a lovely conversation about her own service.
After the meeting was over this lovely salvationist chose to tell me of her conversion some years before. She had been on the staff of the Senior Citizen's Residence in which she now resides. One of the officers had led her to Jesus and she had committed herself fully to the corps she had been attending. It is quite amazing what stories will be told when people are conversing. This lady had been greatly influenced by the officers she had worked with.
Conversations about almost any topic can be turned to talking about faith by people who are astute listeners and are willing to be led by The Holy Spirit. Indeed I often find that non-Christians are the ones who turn the conversation to matters of faith and this can allow me to talk about Jesus.

May God help us to grasp the opportunities He provides to talk about Him.

Follow me

In the Australia Southern Territory our Self Denial Appeal DVD has the words follow me on it. These simple words are just so profound when spoken by Jesus. On Sunday I felt led to use these words as the basis for the message. This started with the Macedonian call to Paul described in Acts 16. In this area we are based in there are many different nationalities. In our corps there are now a few different nationalities represented. God may call us to leave home and follow him but He has also bought a multi-racial fishing pond almost at our door.
I then moved on to talk about the call of the Lord to follow Him and be a fisher of men right where we are. I concluded with a simple talk about salvation in case God The Holy Spirit was moving in someone's heart and the need for growth. It was at this stage that people seemed to be listening the most and the words were flowing. That's a sure sign of God working! There was no visible response but the prayer of one of the soldiers showed me that God was working.

Now I have the opportunity to teach discipleship for the next few months. Does anyone have any ideas about what following Jesus really means, particularly for the long established Christian? I'll be happy for you to share them.