"Me for General! I promise to fight for your right to partaaaaaay!"

Facebook hacked! Last week a friend updated MY facebook status saying “Me for General! I promise to fight for your right to paaaartaaaay!” I saw the humour in it, (hopefully learnt a lesson about leaving FB logged on) but it got me thinking. When we are really fulfilling our mission as a SALVATION Army, there really will be a whole lot more partying! If we take seriously the salvation of others, and the freedom that comes with it … why wouldn’t we party?

Every time we see someone saved, embracing the love, care and salvation of Jesus, choosing to become his disciple … it’s exciting, it’s amazing, it’s worth celebrating! Luke 15:4-7 says “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.”  PARTAAAAY!

Or the story Jesus told of the Father who had two sons. The youngest said to his Dad, ‘I want my inheritance now’ So the father divided the property between his boys. When he’d received his inheritance the youngest took off for a distant country, where he wasted all he had. He spent every last cent. His decisions left him homeless and hungry. He got a job tending pigs and couldn’t even eat food from the pigpen.

 “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’

He got right up and went home to his father.

 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him.

His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.

The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’

 “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time!

My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time. Luke 15:11-24 (Msg)

Partaaaaaay!

In a couple of weekends time, we’ll open up a new corps building in Upper Hutt … I’m starting to see it as a party venue. A place of people coming home to their Father in heaven and being embraced with love and celebrated with a party!

Imagine if we saw our corps/church buildings as party venues! Each day, children coming home and witnessing the Father running to them, embracing them, kissing them and throwing a party for them. HA! Love it!

An Army fighting for the salvation of the world and partying when each precious, beloved, valuable child comes home!

Yeah!

A General who likes to party! Sounds good to me!

Stalked by fear ... liberated by Love

Last night I woke to the sound of my four year old son screaming a blood curdling scream. I bolted out of bed to go to him, only to meet him in the hallway as he ran and leaped into my arms. I don't think I remember him ever holding me as tight as he did last night. He was holding on for dear life, crying and so I held him, tight. I took him into our bed and he settled in my arms, between Brenton and I. He told us that Monsters had been chasing him.So he'd ran, right into the arms of safety. We talked about it with him, talked about how there are no such thing as monsters and he calmed right down. After a visit to the toilet, he hopped back into his bed and went back to sleep. All I wanted to do was comfort him and allay his fears. I hated seeing him afraid and fearful.  

When I was 14 years old, my mum had taken a protection order out against her ex-partner. The living situation had been less than ideal for a long time, and she had built the courage to do what she needed to, to protect us. Unfortunately the protection order wasn't enough to deter him from 'harassing' us and the mental, emotional abuse and intimidation continued. He would sit down the road from our house and watch us, when we went out he followed, when we were visiting at a friends he would drive around and around the block. At one point he rented the house next door, I discovered it after finding holes in the fence, climbing a tree and seeing his car parked in the shed .

Fear marked my life. It was a continual state of being. One evening after arguing with Mum about something I left the house and started walking to a school event in the dark. As I walked he pulled up and drove his car alongside me. He drove off, and lapped the block I was walking. Terror took over. I have never been so petrified in all my life. I pulled out my cellphone and called mum (should have called the police, but fear clouded clarity and sense). She, in a panic and fluster, couldn't find her keys but contacted a friend to come and get me. By this stage he'd settled himself in a car park at a supermarket, watching as I walked.

Twice, a protection order breach was thrown out of court because of technicalities. The so called protection of the state really was no protection at all. For years after this event I was afraid of the dark. Right into my adult years. I struggled to walk outside by myself in the dark, I was hyper-vigilant of every noise and movement and avoided it as much as possible. Fear holds us captive. It stops us from living a full life. It has a way of chasing us down and cornering us, like a crazy stalking his prey. It wasn't until working through the 12 steps programme (highly recommend it!) during my training at Booth College of Mission that I found freedom from this fear. I remember the first time, walking from the main building to our little on campus unit, by myself, without fear. It was a celebratory moment. 

At the time of the incident I struggled to see Gods protection in the situation,  yet I look back now and I see it clearly. Recently during a time in prayer my thoughts took me back to that fear-filled night, and I had a picture of Jesus, standing between me and the car. A fierce look on his face, like only over his dead body would he let anyone get to me. Absolute determination, absolute protection, absolute security. 

Psalm 139 is one of my favourite psalms. Verse 10 says "your right hand will hold me fast." 

This speaks to me of ultimate security and protection. When I get in a car and fasten my seat-belt  I do it as a means of protection. If I have to stop suddenly, or find myself in a dangerous situation the seat-belt is there, fastened, to hold me in place, to protect me, and prevent harm.

Psalm 139:10 is a promise. In the right hand of God, we are held tight, we are secure, we are protected. Just as my son finds security, comfort and freedom from fear in my arms, we can find security, comfort and freedom from fear in Gods.

When we fail to trust Jesus, and choose to rely on other things like finances, relationships, status, others approval and affirmation we take a step out of His hand - we fail to rely on HIM to secure us. Trust and total dependence on him places us in the centre of His hand and assures us of His security and protection. 

"There is no room in love for fear." 1 John 4:18. God is love, it's his very nature. When we rest in God, abide in him, trust him and depend on him, fear dissipates and freedom reigns. Hallelujah!

Questions to consider:
Is there something I am fearful of?
In what or who do I depend on for ultimate security?
Am I embracing and living in the truth of the Word of God which says "Your right hand will hold me fast"?


Prayer: "Lord, thank you for the security, protection, comfort and freedom we have in you. Hold me fast in your right hand! In Jesus name, Amen." 

Aquitted

Their eyes pierce like swords
Staring me down
With judgement
Despising me, and all I've done.
Their whispers echo through the room,
I can't make out what they are saying
But I know
"Guilty"
They snicker, they mock, they ridicule
And they are right.
I've found myself here, on the stand
Not as a witness
But accused and condemned.

Innocent until proven guilty
What a joke.
I am guilty
I know it
They know it
He knows it
So I sit, waiting for my sentence
I'm without defence
What's the point?

I've sat in their seat
Judging
Mocking
Ridiculing
I'm guilty of murder, deceit, lust and hatred
I've hurt those who loved me
I've broken covenant
I've been two-faced, hidden behind masks
I'm guilty all the same
Swimming in shame
I know it
They know it
He knows it
So I sit and wait for my sentence

He rises from His seat
He approaches me
I don't anticipate what's coming
His eyes pierce like a sword with
                 Love
                         Grace
                                   Mercy
I don't hold His gaze
The shame is all consuming
He takes me by the hand
Leads me off the stand
Staring me down
With tears in His eyes
Immense in deep, deep love
Despite what I've done.
His whisper echos through the room
"Go in freedom and sin no more. They might condemn you, I don't."
"I love you with an everlasting love
 I know you
 I know your heart
You are forgiven, you are set free"
He removes the shackles binding me

Something starts to happen from within
It builds like fire
I welcome the discomfort
Guilt and shame ... dissolve

I lift my face to look him in the eyes
In the intimacy of that moment
It's like...
That's all he ever wanted.

The fire within continues to burn
Somehow he's infiltrated me,
Consuming me.
The joy
           hope
                   love is indescribable
Like nothing I've ever imagined
He anoints, appoints and affirms me
He shifts His gaze to the door
Indicating my time here is done
His whisper echos through the room
"Not guilty, Freedom"

I walk in it
As I walk in this new found freedom
In His truth
It's like His embrace is all encompassing
It gets stronger, firmer with each step
As I leave this place of judgement,
Acquitted,
I take one last look.

And there He is
On the Stand
In my place
Their eyes pierce Him like swords
Their whispers echo through the room
They snicker
They mock
They ridicule
But He's innocent
I know it
They know it
He knows it

From that place of guilt and shame
He nods to me
Affirming me as I walk in His freedom
This is love
               This is grace
                                 This is mercy
                                                    This is Jesus