95 Theses of Salvationism

Back on October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. What followed was the Reformation, that saw a shakeup of the church in the 16th Century onwards.

I don't expect the following words to have that sort of monumental impact, BUT, I'm hoping these words will stir you up, and call you forward. I pray they agitate just enough to keep your heart soft and eyes open to the mission we have in front of us.

As a Salvation Army leader, if I could nail these 95 statements to the wall of The Salvation Army IHQ in London I would:

1.       Our mission has not changed. The way we live out our mission must.

2.       We should still be deeply passionate about reaching the lost.

3.       The power of the gospel hasn’t diminished over the years. But our understanding of it has.

4.       We must preach the gospel of Jesus and run the risk of being labelled a right-wing fundamentalist.

5.       We must serve suffering humanity with deep compassion and run the risk of being labelled a left-wing socialist.

6.       We’re an evangelical branch of the Universal Christian Church. We’re not a country club.

7.       We need to get better at leading people to Jesus.

8.       Our social service is a pivotal outworking of our relationship with a loving God.

9.       The societal need for the professionalization of our social services has sometimes meant we have compromised who we are and what we stand for.

10.   We are afraid to publicly defend our mission to the world.

11.   Where are the visionaries? Rise up. God is calling you.

12.   Without vision the people perish. And some have perished in our movement. Forgive us, Lord.

13.   The call is to pull people out from drowning in their hurt and pain.

14.   Sometimes we have seen so much redemptive lift, and rebuilt our lives, we’ve forgotten what the front-line really looks like.

15.   Catherine Booth said The Salvation Army would help usher in the second coming of Jesus.

16.   Have we lost the big, bold visionary leaders in our movement? If you’re one of them, then it’s time to step up.

17.   The cry of our heart is to be a salvation people. I fear at times we’ve become a comfortable people.

18.   The early Army had such grandiose, Spirit-filled vision that people signed up to the cause. It was radical. The fire of God was moving. There was a revolution taking place.

19.   I wonder whether we have just become a bit boring. A bit predicable. A bit same-same. Where’s the vision my friends?

20.   We are not called to build ecclesiastical structures to please God. We’re called to be an army of salvation to a world who desperately needs Jesus.

21.   We value each and person. They are made in the image of God.

22.   We acknowledge that sin has caused that image to be tarnished.

23.   We believe Jesus is the one who comes to take away the sins of the world.

24.   We believe that sin is taken away and the slate is wiped clean when one chooses to have faith in what Christ has done for them on the cross.

25.   The deep value of compassion for others runs through our whole movement.

26.   Salvation is available for the whosoever; whatever their background, status or ideological viewpoint.

27.   Sometimes our values have been aspirational rather than lived out.

28.   We value the church universal. We’re not competing. We’re in this together. We follow Christ in unity.

29.   We value kingdom-building alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ.

30.   We don’t have to be experts at everything.

31.   We need to be open to learn from other believers.

32.   There are theological ideas that some now label as ‘controversial’ but are actually just theological ideas that have held the Army in good stead over many years.

33.   We believe there is only one proper object of religious worship: God Almighty.

34.   We still believe there is only one way to heaven. And that’s through Jesus Christ.

35.   We believe in the virgin birth. Jesus was born sinless, and lived a sinless life.

36.   Jesus took on our sins on the cross.

37.   We believe the whosoever can come. They are welcome. But the whosoever still need Jesus. We all do.

38.   We do believe in entire sanctification. That is, you can be fully holy this side of heaven.

39.   We believe in the resurrection of Jesus. He didn’t stay on the cross. On the third day he rose again.

40.   And yes, we are a holiness movement. We may not act like it all the time. We have our moments. But this is who we are called to be. And this is what we should aspire to be.

41.   We believe in the second blessing. You receive the Holy Spirit at salvation, but you can be filled with the Holy Spirit (again and again).

42.   I posit that the reason we don’t see more people saved, is because we don’t preach the gospel much anymore.

43.   I posit that we don’t see many people healed of sickness because we don’t really pray for the sick much anymore.

44.   I posit that we don’t see as many people stepping into the calling of Officership, because we haven’t given people a big enough vision to lay their life down for.

45.   I posit that if we had more Salvation Army officers absolutely filled with a deep, deep fire of the Holy Spirit then we’d see more spiritual breakthroughs.

46.   We don’t cast out the demonic much, because we’re not always spiritually discerning enough to even know when something is from the enemy realm.

47.   We then theologically justify the non-existence of the demonic realm to appease the guilt from our lack of discernment.

48.   Passionate, faith-filled, consistent prayer preceded any revival. When we don’t see revival, can we not question whether we’re actually praying with much passion, faith or consistency?

49.   The mercy seat needs to become part of our ministry regularly.

50.   I hope for the days to arrive where we remember who we are as The Salvation Army and the incredible rich heritage we have of being a mobilized people of God.

51.   We have spiritual amnesia. We have forgotten the bold, ambitious, risk-taking people that characterized this movement in years gone by.

52.   We are currently re-digging the wells that the enemy has covered over. Those wells contain our gutsy, spirit-led DNA, that underpins who we are.

53.   The very people we celebrate as heroes of the faith, from the past, in our movement, are possibly the same people who we would be very uncomfortable around today.  

54.   We were known for adaptation. Now we’re known for being a ‘nice group of people’.

55.   We were known for trying new things. Now we tend to say, “No.”

56.   When a great idea comes our way, let’s say, “Tell me more…” before we even consider knocking back an idea.

57.   Innovation needs to come back into our vocabulary. The issue is… we’re scared.

58.   We’re scared of changing the uniform, because there will be an outcry.

59.   We’re scared of updating the music, because someone loves the music that they ‘got saved’ to (and they still believe it’s the music most conducive for everyone to relate to).

60.   We’re scared of adapting our ecclesiastical structures because someone has strong opinions on how they perceive the ‘Army used to do it’. We’re scared of those soldiership transfers, and those late-night emails.

61.   Bold leaders call for new wine in new skins. Most of us are happy with new wine in old wineskins.

62.   Some of us want God to do a new thing, as long as it looks like it always used to look.

63.   We’re afraid of stepping into the new thing God wants to do, because we don’t want to lose the essence of who we are.

64.   To step into the river Jordan, you have to leave Egypt.

65.   Innovation isn’t always about incremental changes to our mission. Sometimes innovation takes the courage to try something completely new.

66.   What if we cheered on courageous Salvationists, rather than tell them to settle down and keep quiet?

67.   What if we were a little more critical at the things we do, and realise, some of what we do isn’t being all that effective?

68.   What if the apostolic among us felt free to pioneer new ministry?

69.   What if the prophetic among us felt empowered to speak a word in season?

70.   What if the evangelist felt courageous enough to preach the gospel and share their faith with many, many people?

71.   What if the teachers among us, felt compelled enough to open the Scriptures and really help us delve deep into truth?

72.   What if the pastors among us were able to raise up a whole new generation who lived and breathed the values of Jesus in the world?

73.   I wonder what The Salvation Army could be doing in the years ahead to bring freedom and hope to the world?

74.   Could we use our internationalism to free 100,000 young children from being trafficked illegally?

75.   Could we open hospitals and schools in hard-to-reach places?

76.   Could we translate the Scriptures into new languages?

77.   Could we learn how to plant corps in culturally-diverse areas?

78.   Could we further help alleviate extreme poverty around the world?

79.   Could we somehow mobilise a movement to ‘win the world for Jesus’?

80.   Do we care enough for the disadvantaged in our communities? Are we the Priest in the Good Samaritan story that walks on by and does nothing?

81.   Our bureaucratic structures, at times, hurt people.

82.   The structure is so big and complex we all just blame, ‘The Army’ and therefore no one is held accountable to the hurt one might experience.

83.   We need to deregulate our system. Why do something in 10 steps, when someone has figured out how to do it in 5?

84.   Our hierarchical structure can be the cause of very slow decision-making. We need to stop theologizing things away. Instead of saying, ‘Well, maybe God didn’t want that to happen.’ We should say, ‘Actually, maybe God did want that to happen, and our ridiculous system meant we missed a good opportunity.’

85.   Fix the system. Bureaucratic systems mixed with risk-averse middle managers can stifle effective mission and cause unnecessary burnout to many.

86.   We’re not doing enough to simplify complexity.

87.   We spend more time learning systems than we do learning to be a disciple, and then we question why we’re not seeing the results we want.

88.   We must be led by the Spirit, not by the opinions of man.

89.   Our systems should be like a skeleton. If you can see the skeleton and you’re always talking about the skeleton, you know you’re sick.

90.   We must raise up the next generation.

91.   We must let go of the religiosity that we hold on to, that is causing a younger generation to leave in droves, while we continue to prop up old ways of doing things, that no longer appeal to a new generation.

92.   We could become a young movement again. A movement where 18-year-olds are sold out to a worldwide mission. A movement where 30-year-olds become Commissioners. Where 13-year-olds are preaching the gospel.

93.   Let’s pass the baton on and give them a go. Raise them up. Pray for that young person. Empower them. Their favourite song doesn’t have to be, ‘Shine, Jesus, shine.’

94.   Remember, we must once again become deeply passionate about the lost.

95.   Our mission is still as relevant today as it has ever been. Let’s go!

The struggle for Emotional Intelligence

Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in, or you felt anxious, insecure or hurt? Back in 1995 Daniel Goleman popularised the idea of "Emotional Intelligence" (EQ), which is about being able to identify, manage and express one's emotions in the world around them. Jesus popularised the idea of loving God with your whole heart, well before books on EQ became common knowledge.

The struggle we have at times, is there's often a gap between how we want to express our emotions and what is actually happening deep in our heart. I'm calling it the EQ capacity gap. By God's help we can close that gap, so that we can step into every challenge that we come across.

Read more in my new book: Who am I to change the world?

Get your copy today. God bless.

- Major Peter Brookshaw.

10 Big Issues in the World Today

We need to stay informed on the defining issues in the world today. Before our very eyes political leaders are grasping for power, mobilising their constituents to get battle ready. The rise of populist political leaders, power-hungry autocrats and an ever-increasing divisiveness in the culture at large is playing havoc to any desire for unity, compassion and peace.   

I've taken the time to pack into this article, "10 Big Issues" in the world today (in no particular order). They're not the only issues, that's granted. I wonder, what issues concern you the most?  

1. Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Chinese foreign policy is to play the long game; a game of soft-power, wooing small island nations into partnering with Beijing. Take for instance China strengthening their security ties with the Solomon Islands. You also hear of the aggression from the Chinese military. Following the inauguration of the new pro-democracy Taiwanese President, Lai Ching-te, the Chinese have been flexing their muscles, intimidating Taiwan. Combined with the rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, that he may not defend Taiwan if the Chinese were to attack, you end up with a fragile region. Even Australia, who is a middle power, geopolitically, continually seeks to strengthen its ties with its allies (AUKUS for instance). While the Chinese friends I have seek peace, some of signs from the CCP in recent times are cause for concern. 

2. The destabilisation of democracy in the United States. Historically, many would point to the lead up to the 2016 Presidential Election, when Hillary Clinton went up against Donald Trump, as a moment when the United States become further fractured and divided. There have been other moments, of course, including the death of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. One might consider the abortion debate as well, as the far right and the far left dug their heels in and fought for their respective positions in the Roe V Wade debate. Democracy is fragile in the U.S. The flow-on effect is big: a declining economy, declining influence globally, fractured militaristic ties, ever-growing migration issues, and the list goes on. When will the United States of America actually be united? 

3. The increasing divide between right and left ideologies. I can't cite the research, but anecdotally it feels that the left and the right are becoming more militant in their views. There seems to be less unity than there used to be. While we disagreed over many issues in the past, at least we used to be able to sit around a table and disagree politely. Social media has a lot to answer for, in its hyped-up, fake environments, where we all consume news and entertainment based on algorithms that put us in an ideological box. What would our culture be like, if we just took a chill-pill and sought after unity and peace, rather than anger, judgmentalism and arrogant finger-pointing, and cheap jokes at other people's expense?

4. The prospect of war in the Middle East. Since October 7th, 2023 (and arguably well before that), there has been increasing tension in the Middle East. Israel vs Hamas. Israel vs Hezbollah. Iran's nuclear ambitions. The fight of Sunnis vs Shiites. Recently we've witnessed it escalate, and no matter how many United Nations Security Council Resolutions get passed down, and no matter what the International Court of Justice seeks to impose, the threat of war is real. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Australia has been calling Australians in Lebanon to come home while they can. God help us. 

5. Growing income inequality around the world. The phrase is true: The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. I can't wait until trickle-down economics actually occurs; I wouldn't mind a little more in my pocket. Unfortunately, the "invisible hand", as Adam Smith would call it, doesn't always provide a free-market economy that helps every individual flourish. Governments enact economic policy so, to the best of their ability, there is "efficiency, fairness, and sustainability" embedded in the system (See Jeffrey Sachs' "The Price of Civilization"). I still can't stomach CEOs earning squillions of dollars, while their employees are just scrapping by on minimum wage. 

6. The fight for gender equality amid a stubborn culture of patriarchy. The Andrew Tate's of the world seem to get a following, for some unknown reason that boggles my mind. I'm a believer that men and women should be getting paid the same for the same work they do. Women should have the same opportunities men have to work in differing industries, and the same opportunities to be appointed to leadership positions around the board room. Some cultures are behind the eight-ball in this area. Afghanistan has gone back to the dark ages, since the United States pulled their troops out of Kabul. Girls aren't even allowed to go to school! Goal 5 of 17 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals aims to, "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls."

7. The rise of Artificial Intelligence. This rapid rise of new technology could see the biggest shift in the job economy the world has ever seen, at least since the Industrial Revolution. I see a few big issues with AI. Firstly, there will be ever-increasing judicial issues related to regulating the use of AI. I heard stories recently in Australia of school boys using AI to change photos of women and girls to create explicitly pornographic content. Secondly, authenticating a piece of art/music/writing, etc and knowing whether something was actually created by someone (and whether they will be remunerated accordingly). Thirdly, the loss of many, many jobs, that once seemed to have ongoing job security (driverless cars, APPs that take minutes in meetings, automated shopping purchases, etc).  

8. The rise of populism and a move away from centre-led political parties. We've seen this move away from the centre in the French elections. When Emmanuel Macron, who is a centrist called a snap election, we saw the rise of the far-right National Rally party, that almost swept into power. We've seen it in American politics, with the rise of Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, but popular among many in the States. Populism is defined as a political ideology that, "positions the people as a morally just, good group in society, in contrast with other people who are elitist and out of touch with society." The concern with the rise of populism is the destabilising of democracy across the globe, causing divisiveness, anger and disunity. The populist leader uses powerful rhetoric to sow division and thus create a following. It's less about policy and more about personality. 

9. Russia's fight for Eastern Europe. We don't hear enough about Russia's invasion on Ukraine anymore. It's like it's not as interesting as it used to be. The Russian government are probably happy about that. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced. Family units have been torn apart. The Ukrainians have been fighting to hold their land and live in peace. And we all know that the Russian government won't stop if they win in Ukraine. They'll keep coming. Vladamir Putin has a legacy he wants to create. He won't stop until he's got the whole USSR back together again. And for us, outside of Russia and Ukraine, we work to welcome refugees, and deal with inflationary pressures due to fragile supply chains. We hope for peace, but all we can see is war.

10. A rising fundamentalist brand of Christianity. Followers of Jesus are called to live out the values of God's kingdom. We might define them as the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Let's be honest, some of us are having trouble living out those fruits, as we look at the big issues in the world today. Some of us are becoming angry, impatient, frustrated and a little bit sharp and judgmental. I guess I can see why, but that's not the way of Christ. Even in the days of Jesus, you saw him living courageously within the Father's will, within a culture of the oppressive Roman Empire and an antagonistic Jewish religious cohort. I don't think the rising of a bitter, fundamentalist branch of Christianity is what the Holy Spirit of God is calling us to. We're called to be citizens of heaven, and pray for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

And that my friends, is the key to these 10 big issues in the world today. We pray that God would be honoured, and that God's beautiful, life giving peace would envelop our world, and that people would know the joy, peace and comfort found through his son, Jesus Christ.

So what's your biggest concern? And what can we do about it?  

[There's more to say. Take for instance, environmental degradation, deforestation, divided views on human sexuality and abortion, rigid (even racist) views on first nations' peoples, the rising cost of living, health outcomes in developing countries and more...] Feel free to add your passion to the comments. God bless.

How to lose weight - The hard way

 

This is my story. And maybe you can relate. I'm calling this, how to lose weight - the hard way. Well, actually, I'm not sure there's an easy way.

A few years back I hit 150kgs (330 pounds) and I looked at myself in the mirror and said to myself, "I need to make a change." I felt embarrassed, disappointed and frustrated. Why did I not have the self-control or the will power to do something about this?

My parents visited from the other side of Australia, and we sat in a coffee shop sipping extra hot lattes. We spoke about leadership, and namely credibility and authenticity in leadership. It was a beautiful Godly moment where the question came up, "How can I possibly lead others, if I can't even lead myself?" Here I was, in my forties, with tears in my eyes (and not because the latte was weak), knowing I needed to change.

I made some immediate changes. And here's the key (I think), on how to lose weight. Make small changes. Substitute the toast for high fibre cereal. Walk to the shops instead of driving. Eat an apple instead of those incredibly addictive biscuits. Make a small change. Maybe once a week. I chose early on to start drinking sparkling water instead of soft drink. You don't make all these small changes at once, otherwise you can just fall in a heap when you don't succeed. 

Another thought on how to lose weight: Get an accountability partner. This might sound crazy to you, but I text my Dad every Monday morning with my weight. Not out of judgment. Not because I have to. But because I need the accountability. I tell you, I get to Friday morning and if I've had a tough week (of eating too much), I feel a bit of fear in me, to get moving and scale back my eating, because Monday morning I'm weighing in. You might have a friend who is healthier than you... Ask them if they can touch base via messenger once a week.

How to lose weight: point number 3. Get back up again. I fail all the time. Every third day, I eat something I shouldn't. Or I sleep in rather than go for a run. If you want to lose weight, just choose to get back up again. Go again. God helping you: stop the slippery slope and start again. No shame. No judgment, just start again. 

On December 26th, 2023, the day after Christmas, I felt God speak a little whisper into my heart... "I want you to complete a Half-Marathon." I said, "Lord, you sure that's you??" So that day, I got up and I jogged and walked 1km very slowly. I shared this word with a few guys from church. Now there's 4 of us booked in for a Half-Marathon on October 6th, 2024. I'm following the NIKE RUN app, and it's got a training regime. I call it a regime. It's a little brutal. I jogged 10km the other week. I still don't know how I can possibly complete a Half-Marathon (21.1km), but I'm getting there. This one goal has given me focus this year. The cut-off time is 3hrs 30mins: so I can't walk it!!

I want to say. I'm not where I want to be yet. BUT: I'm not where I used to be. That my friend, is a key thought. You may not be where you want to be. You may have not arrived yet at your ultimate goal, but two days of watching what you eat, and you're healthier than you were two days ago!

In my new book, "Who am I to change the world?", I speak about physical intelligence. Believe it or not, it's a section in a book from me, about getting healthy. Who would have thought? I don't come as an expert. No way. I am just offering some thoughts on one aspect we need to deal with if we're going to make a different in the world. 

Japhet Ncube writes these words in the endorsements of my book, "Change has never been easy. People always find an excuse to resist change that is being suggested, either because of ego or fear of the unknown. Over the years, Pete and I have walked this journey and talked about healthy living. We have even done some activities like box fit, walking and running together to achieve this goal. However, it takes more than walking and talking about it. It takes the implementation of some very challenging goals like changing your eating habits, getting some accountability partners and putting in the hard work."

Here's some action points for you. Firstly, go and get my new book and have a read. Click here: Who Am I To Change The World? (salvationarmysupplies.com.au)

Secondly, if you want an accountability partner - someone to reach out once a week or so and see how you're travelling, let me know. I can help a handful of people. I want to cheer you on. (And you can cheer me on, because I'm still chipping away). 

Thirdly, set a goal (even if it's small), and go for it!! Let us know what you decide in the comments, or via email or facebook. God bless you.

You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength! Let's go friends!!

A word of challenge for your church...

I love what God is doing these days through his people. I read stories of new initiatives, new welcoming communities, new cafes, intercultural communities of faith growing from the ground up... There's a lot to be thankful for!  

Though, if I might be so bold, I want to offer a warning/challenge. And I write this not just for pragmatic Salvationists who will read this, but any follower of Jesus who will listen.

But before I get to my main point, I think about the beautiful opportunity we have to live out the gospel through "Word and Deed". We speak about the transformative power of Jesus found through his death and resurrection. And we live lives of compassion and grace to a world that is torn between light and darkness. The mission of reconciling the world back to its creator, is a grand, incredible mission. We seek that lives be transformed by Jesus and whole communities are radically altered because of a new life found in Christ.

What the people of God are doing in these days, is creative and ambitious. I cheer you on. We celebrate the fruitfulness we are beginning to see.

Though, if I might be so bold... I want to share something. 

Here we go, are you ready for this?

Do we love the mission more than the God of the mission? Do we spend more time talking about what we do, rather than the Jesus we serve? Do we point people to our new ministries, more than we point them to Christ? 

I want to caution us. [And caution myself just as much as you]. We are not called to worship the mission. We are called to worship God, out of whom all mission flows. We do missional things, because the love of Christ compels us. 

I wonder whether we are in danger of getting it all a little upside down. 

I want to suggest something that is possibly a little provocative. And remember, I don't speak authoritatively on behalf of my denomination or anyone else for that matter. 

I think it's easier to share stories of doing things, rather than actually sharing the gospel. I think at times we lack courage to share about Jesus Christ, and so we fill our communication channels with stories of busyness and mission. 

And so I wonder whether we are in danger of getting it all a little upside down. To use theological language, our Missiology is informed by our Christology. In all that we do and all that we envisage and all that we pioneer, we must make Jesus central. He is the one who heals the blind. He is the one who raises the dead. He is the one who takes a poor lost soul upon the streets and gives them hope. He is the one who graciously offers salvation to the least of these. Without Christ, we don't have mission.

It's not about us. It's about him.

God, forgive us when we've made it about us, when it all needs to be about Christ. You deserve the glory. You deserve all the praise. Anything we get to partner with you in, is an absolute privilege and we're so thankful.

Jesus, you are Lord. And we put YOU as the focus of all we do and acknowledge you are the reason for our very existence. 

Salvation Army: Stop Holding On!

There's a stirring of God's spirit upon The Salvation Army in these days. There's rumblings of change and a Godly, holy discontent rising up among many, who want the best of all God wants for this movement. 

Though, there's a warning in all this. We need to stop holding on. Let me write that again: We need to stop holding on. Let me explain:

This Easter I gave the microphone to a 28-year old young man to preach about Jesus on Good Friday. He spoke eloquently about the death of Jesus, the freedom that is found in his name. He spoke of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), and that because of his response to Christ, today he would be in paradise with the Lord. 

On Easter Sunday, my oldest daughter, who is 15 years old, joined Major Jo Brookshaw on the stage and helped paint an incredible painting of freedom found in Jesus. She was bubbling inside, because of the thought of being used by God in ministry, to impact many lives.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "Okay, what's your point?"

My point is, that as a leader, I made a conscious choice to not hold on. To give the next generation a go. To pass on the baton and have someone younger step up and use their gifts for Jesus. 

We need to raise up the next generation. We need to empower, equip and release the next generation to reach people with the powerful, life transformative gospel of Jesus Christ. 

But I fear, that some of us are still holding on.

We're holding on to fear of the future. 

We're holding on to the 'ways things have been'.

We're holding on to naïve hope that the glory days will come back and it will look like it used to look.

We're holding on in vain that the Army will sound like it used to sound.

We're holding on to the form and not the faith.

We're holding on tightly to the orders and regulations that made the Army what it became.

But, friends, I feel like I'm preaching to someone right now. If there's one thing you and I need to hold on to... If there's one thing that is most important and most critical, to hold on to and not let go of... it's Jesus Christ.

In Jesus we find our way as a people of God. In Jesus we find our purpose, our calling and our mission. The work of God will always look different in the next generation. I mean, we know that right? We don't worship like they did in the 1st Century synagogue in Ephesus. The style of our gatherings don't look like the desert fathers of the 3rd Century. Our service to God doesn't look like Calvin or Luther in the days of the reformation some 500 years ago. 

I believe so strongly, that God is raising up a spirit-filled, innovative, holy people once again, who seek to lead people to Jesus, make disciples and reform the very fabric of society that they work in.

So by all means. Hold on...

But make sure it's to Jesus Christ.  

If you are bold enough to pray with me... Let's pray:

Dear Jesus, 
We want to hold on to you. We want to fix our eyes on the author and perfector of our faith. Nothing else satisfies our soul. No outward expression of faith, can compare to the inward power of your grace and mercy upon our lives. Our hearts are set upon you Lord. Change us. Empower us. Give us wisdom in these days, as we navigate being a Jesus-people in an ever-changing world. We love you Lord, and we pray fill us afresh with the presence of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

The People's General - A New Tribute to General Eva Burrows

I was sitting around a table on the tenth floor overlooking the city of Melbourne. I was privileged enough, as a cadet in those days, to be sitting next to General Eva Burrows. There was always something special about that hand of hers that would reach out and touch your arm. You felt cared for, supported, uplifted and inspired all in one simple gesture.

Other Salvationists have their memories. For me, it's the treasured email my wife Jo and I received after the birth of one of our children. From General Eva Burrow's perspective, it would've taken a couple of minutes; a few lines of text. But for me, it was a retired world leader, taking a few moments to congratulate us, and offer a prayer of blessing. Once again a simple gesture that brought joy to my heart.

I remember the times I would see her at large Salvation Army gatherings, and she would not miss a beat; she'd look over and mention one of my children's names and ask how they were. She'd remember what corps we were serving at and ask, 'How's Craigieburn going?' A simple gesture.

The date was May 2nd, 1986, when the first Australian-born woman was elected General of The Salvation Army. During the next few years General Eva met with Presidents, including President Ronald Reagan, President Fidel Castro in the Caribbean and President Daniel T. arap Moi of Kenya. She preached about Jesus right across the nations, from Canada to India, and South Africa to the Pacific Islands, in her homeland Australia, and of course, across the countries of Africa that she loved so dearly.

There are many aspects of the life of General Eva Burrows that are worthy of a mention.

Firstly, her resilience. Commissioner John Clinch said of her, 'I have seen her on more than one occasion sitting at her desk following a heavy and demanding period away, grey-faced, bone-weary, head in hands, completely drained. Most people would need a week or two to recover. But one good night's sleep and she is back on the job, full of vitality...'  

She was passionate about renewal. In Henry Gariepy's biography, General of God's Army: The Authorized Biography of General Eva Burrows, she says, 'God has shown me that I must emphasize our need for renewal in The Salvation Army. God seems to have said, 'You've tackled several administrative challenges, you've done quite a lot of clearing away of the organizational problem; now it's time to center down and focus on the great issue of renewal within The Salvation Army and on the mission for which I called it into being.'' She had a deep passion for Christ, and always sought to raise up leaders, care for the vulnerable and make disciples for the sake of the Kingdom of God. 

Thirdly, there was a deep passion for relationships. When General Eva walked in the room, there was something about her demeanor, her smile, her way of connecting that made you feel at ease. You felt cared for. You felt like it was ok for you to be in the room. You didn't feel power-plays happening. You were welcome. Even with thousands of relational connections across the globe, General Eva Burrows remembered your name, she genuinely cared and the love of God was present when she was there!

General Eva Burrows was intently focused on reforming organisational structures and the brokenness of society. Whether it be standing in the queue with black South Africans at the local South African Post Office as a silent protest against apartheid, speaking up about unity at a conference in Melbourne (I was in the room and everyone went silent when she spoke), or standing up for the sanctity of life by writing to the Prime Minister of England, or sitting with the poor and vulnerable on the streets of Melbourne in her retirement years. She believed The Salvation Army had a rich heritage and a clear mission to care for the most broken across our societies. 

The People's General lead by example, and on this International Women's Day 2024, I want to pay tribute. One thing I've realised, just by writing these few paragraphs, is the power of one particular thing...

All it takes is one small gesture to impact someone's life. 

How do you Trust in God?

How do you trust in God when life is difficult? How do you trust in God, when everything always feels a little pear-shaped? How do you trust in God when your prayers seem like they aren't being answered? 

Micah (our surprise fourth child - pictured here), was born with a cleft palate; that is the the roof of his mouth wasn't formed properly. The first few weeks of his life he was in intensive care, and struggling to breathe. The days were long. The tears were flowing. We said, 'Why Lord?' They were not easy days. 

This photo was taken a few days after his cleft palate surgery (at 11 months of age). We found a moment in between the pain relief when he was smiling! God has been faithful to us over these months. And we're so thankful for so many who have prayed and believed for God's healing upon Micah.

I'm all for praying for God to do a big miracle. Let me say that here and now. I mean God has done big miracles in the past; parting the red sea, letting a donkey talk, bringing the walls of Jericho down, using Elijah to raise someone from the dead. Jesus did big miracles too. It says in Matthew 8:17, that the ministry of Jesus had fulfilled what was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, who said, 'He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.' People wanted to get close to Jesus, because they knew he could do something significant in their life.

I pray for big miracles, but I want to say something. It can be difficult to trust in God when you don't see the fulfilment of a gut-wrenching prayer that you've prayed about for a long period of time. It can be tough to trust in God, when your prayers have seemingly gone unanswered. 

My faith has been strengthened in recent days, because of a shift in my thinking. God is at work, and stories of transformation are happening around me. Jesus is transforming lives. The issue I have, is I'm always looking for the big miracle. But God is transforming lives, and I trust that God is at work. This last fortnight, we've seen the Lord opening doors of opportunity for people in our church to serve in unlikely places. We saw one young person commit their life to Christ recently. A member of our church preached for the first time on Sunday. God is good!

So, here's my thought. I think we hold two things in tension. Firstly we should pray for the big miracles. All things are possible in the name of Jesus. So lets pray big and believe big. We should also look closely for where God is at work in the small things. It's a 'both/and' scenario. That is, we don't just look for God at work in the small things, and settle in our minds that God can't and won't do the big thing. But we should also look for God in the small matters and be thankful every day.

So then, how do you trust in God? 

You settle in your heart and mind, that Jesus hears your prayers, and that God is with you through the difficult times and the good times. You choose to believe that what Jesus did on the cross, and his resurrection, was so that you could have a relationship with God Almighty. You trust God for the big miracle. And you trust God in the small matters of your life.

As Proverbs 3:5 simply says, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.'

God bless you today.