What's Happening?

Prodigal

2009-10-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the parable of the prodigal son?

The younger son decides that he knows all about life, and takes his inheritance from his dad. He strikes out on his own, throwing away all his money on parties, flat screen t.v.s, drugs, expensive cars, and women. Well, maybe not flat screen t.v.s.

He ends up destitute, and is forced to take a job minding pigs. Remember - he's Jewish. Not many jobs could be worse.

As he sits watching the pigs eat garbage, and considers doing the same himself, he thinks, 'Why am I sitting here wishing I was eating garbage? My dad has lots of employees who are treated better than this. Maybe he will forgive me enough to hire me as the toilet cleaner at his office building...I should go back and apply for a menial job in his company. It would beat sitting here starving in the mud.'

He goes back to his dad's estate, and trudges up the long path. As he approaches the house, he sees a man standing, waiting, on the veranda. The man sees the son, and starts to run towards him, arms open, smile on his face. It is his dad.

The son is not hired back as a menial worker. Instead, he is welcomed back with a big celebration, new clothes, and full restoration to his place as son. Wow.

'Hah!', you say. 'Sounds pretty unrealistic to me! What father would react that way to a son who stole his money and ran off?'

Major Clay reminded us of our seventh doctrine on Sunday:

We believe that repentance towards God,
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,
and regneration by the Holy Spirit, are necessary to salvation.

When the prodigal son realized what a mess he had made of his life, he was sorry. Really sorry. (This is the repentance part). In the back of his mind, all along, was a small thought that his father wouldn't turn him away. ( Faith...you see where this is going?) When the son got home, the father helped erase the memory of those past actions, giving him fresh clothing, a warm welcome, and...(regeneration, right?).

The truth is that the story of the prodigal son really happens. Our heavenly Father is waiting on the veranda, hoping to see us walk down the path towards the house. He's even holding a new set of clothes just for us.

If you were at the meeting on Sunday, you would have heard the Band playing a beautiful arrangement of Stracathro, the Songsters singing a choral benediction, and best of all, our own Major Clay back in the pulpit teaching after a well-deserved vacation.

If you weren't there, you missed seeing pictures of the Majors' vacation! We hope to see you next week.

The Best Laid Schemes o' Mice and Men

2009-10-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy." -- Robert Burns, Scots Poet.

For non-Scots speakers out there, "Gang aft a-gley" is reasonably translated as "Often end up in a mess". And that's just the way things looked to be heading last weekend. A hallelujah mess! Our Majors are still away on their anniversary-celebration-vacation-cruise and they had tied up all the loose ends to ensure that their congregation would be properly shepherded in their absence. Jim was assigned to preach on the doctrine of justification by grace through faith, a subject he loves to talk about. And he was ready to go - except for the small detail that he ended up the emergency room for most of Saturday with a very inconvenient pain, and could not physically fulfill his assignment on Sunday.

In the non-Christian worship world this might be a drama of the first order, but to quote Charles Wesley: "Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done!" God still had plans to bless us on Sunday morning, He just had to change His mouthpiece!

Craig Arnold is a young man who is enthusiastic and articulate about the God-inspiration of our doctrines and is not afraid to let God use him on a moment's notice!

Those who were in attendance were abundantly blessed - in spite of our plans!

The doctrine speaks of "justification by grace", which is not something our "I-am-powerful-and-can-do-it-all-by-myself" generation likes to explore. Our court systems are set up so that you will launch a vigorous defence of your actions even although the facts tell a different story! Hmmm, let's just try and have those inconvenient facts labeled as "inadmissable"! Were you read your rights by God before this trial? Flimsy, but it's about the best hope we have! This kind of defense is called "justification by law", and the Scripture goes to great lengths to point out that it will always be a losing battle. After all, The Judge in this case already has all the facts at His disposal! Sorry folks! Legal Justification is going to lead to a death sentence, and you know it!

The Scripture says the only way to be declared "justified" (note - it doesn't say "not guilty" because you already know you are!) is to use the alternative path of grace. Throw yourself on the mercy of the court! A great portion of the New Testament is devoted to providing evidence that this technique works, every time! Enter the star witness for the accused - The Holy Spirit! This is the great "Justification by Grace through Faith" which leads to a full and complete pardon, the assumption of all the rights, privileges and appurtenances due to a child of God! It just gets better and better! And it's simple and easy to understand!

But wait, there's more!

We've laid plans and dreamt up schemes to have a great time worshipping God next week. Why not join us. Be assured that God will be glorified even if our plans end up in a mess!

Webmaster

PS. Our sound engineers were also indisposed so we don't have any recordings from this weekend. Make sure you don't miss a word! Show up in person!

Thank goodness God is in control!

2009-10-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

If you were at church on Sunday, you would have enjoyed hearing the welcome and announcements from Mike, the Band selection ably led by Bram, the Songsters singing on their own accompanied by Susan, and the message skillfully taught by Craig.

Did you know that all of these leaders got a call on Saturday to fill in for Jim Black, our own CSM and Bandmaster, who was suffering at the emergency room? (By the way, keep praying for Jim. It looks like all that pain was caused by gall stones, which have to come out by surgery).

To top it off, our Pastors, Clay and Pam, are on vacation.

Houston, we had a problem!

It's a good thing we worship a God who has all the details under control. He was directing the service on Sunday, and his Spirit was there assuring us of the truth of our Doctrine: We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.

Thank goodness God is control!

Atonement means at-one-ment

2009-10-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

It is possible to be at one with God!

This week Major Clay continues his series of sermons based on the doctrines of The Salvation Army with a discussion of The Atonement. Is it really such a mystery, secret or conundrum? You can listen to Major Clay's answers here.

You can also listen to our band and congregation singing "How Great Thou Art", the songsters singing "Beautiful Savior", and the band playing "I surrender all".

Don't forget that although you can listen here we'd love to fellowship with you in person! Come and join us!

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!

2009-10-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

Tough Problems - Powerful Solution!

In his sermon this week, Major Clay has arrived at the 5th of the doctrines of The Salvation Army. This is the one which deals with Sin and our helplessness to avoid it. You'll want to listen to it here.
You can also listen to our songsters singing "All that I am" and the band playing "Jesus is all I need".

Webmaster's note: We are still trying new recording techniques. You may hear a difference in the recording of the sermon as we switch microphones. Write and tell us which sound you prefer!

Corps News

2009-10-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Nice Surprises!

You can probably tell from the eyes that the newest member of our church family is Liam David McKaigg who was born at 10:03pm September 30th.

Liam weighed in at 6.5 pounds and 19 inches long. Dad Mike says he is a "big, strong, healthy boy".

Mom and baby are doing fantastic! No mention of how dad Mike and sister Emily are faring!

Congratulations from all of us to Mike and Debbie!

Unless you check the Pastoral Team page on our website regularly, you may not have noticed that we have some new formal portraits of our pastors - Majors Clay and Pam Gardner.

These portraits were taken by Jennifer Fink who is the daughter of our Advisory Board Chairman Chuck Graham. If you are in the market for some family photograph work you might check out Jennifer's website here.

Local TV Highlights Food Shortage

2009-09-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

As seen on TV! (Our thanks to ABC7 News) - Our food pantry is running out of food! Demand is exceeding supply!
How can you help?

Our typical food box includes....

Canned Fruits, Canned Veggies, Tuna, Peanut Butter, Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce, Soup, Canned beans (pork & Beans, Refried, etc), Canned meals (ravioli, chili, beef stew, etc), Mac & Cheese, Cereal, Snacks, Baking items (cake mixes, pancake mixes, sugar, etc), Extras (condiments, spices, sauces/gravies), Dry soup (top ramen, Lipton onion soup), Packaged Sides (noodle roni, rice a roni, stuffing, etc), Dry pasta, Dry beans, rice, as well as meat, bread and fresh produce.

As you can see, we can take almost anything and make it part of our boxes. Donation of any of the items above would make a huge difference to us.

Things that are needed outside of those food items are diapers (size 3 and up...everyone donates the little sizes as their babies grow out of them), baby formula, baby food, laundry soap, dish soap, toilet paper, feminine products, shampoo, toothpaste & body soap.

Just drive by and drop off items during any of the hours we're open!

Click here to see our Social Services link.

Pendulum

2009-09-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

The Salvation Army's Doctrine #4 teaches us that Jesus was "...truly and properly God and truly and properly man...". For centuries mankind has tried to pigeon-hole Him as one or the other, but the revealed mystery is that He is both at the same time!

Major Clay tackles this subject in this week's sermon about God Incarnate which you can hear here.

Our audio bonuses this week include our songsters singing "A New Song" and our praise team leading the congregation in "There is a Redeemer".

Some of you may have noticed that we have used a different recording technique this week. This allows you to hear much more of the congregation's interaction during our worship. If you prefer this technique or the previous one, drop the webmaster an email note and express your opinion!

Congratulations!

2009-09-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

Angela and Mateo Martinez

Everyone loves a wedding and our own Angela Vargas married her longtime sweetheart today in our sanctuary.
Click here to see more photos.

Congratualtions Angela and Mateo!

3 In One

2009-09-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Trinity => Tri (three) + Unity(one)

This week Major Clay nearly caused an allergic reaction in the congregation by referring to "New Math"! But all turned out well. He was just illustrating how we get to our 3rd Doctrine which says that there are "...three persons in the Godhead...". Check out the sermon for yourself by clicking here.

We have some audio bonuses this week beginning with our Songsters singing a piece by Majors Ian and Isabel Robinson titled "You Are...". Our Band resurrected an oldie-but-goodie march "Duke Street" reminiscent of the first tune many a brass band member ever learned to play! The Band finishes with a postlude we've been using for several weeks - the lovely hymn tune "Repton" (named after a school in England).

We hope you enjoy our worship offerings this week.

The Second Doctrine

2009-09-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

What does The Salvation Army believe about God?

Our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th doctrines encapsulate our thinking:

2. We believe that there is only on God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.

3. We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.

4. We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that he is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.

Since Majors Clay and Pam were vacationing with their family this week, our sermon was brought to us by Craig Arnold.
Craig points out the biblical basis for all that we believe about God as laid out in the 2nd doctrine. You can listen to his sermon here.

[Webmaster's note: Much of Craig's sermon was visual.
To get the punchline of his opening story, extend your arms with the fists having one thumb pointing up and the other down!
"Satan's sweet spot" represents all those who say they believe, but never put that belief into practice by praying, reading the scriptures or worshipping with others.]

Our audio bonus this week is our band playing an arrangement of "St. Peter". Click here to listen.

Life is a Journey - Part 3

2009-09-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

This article is the last of a series written by Major Ian Robinson, from our sister website for Ayr Citadel. You can read the first article by clicking here and the second by clicking here.

Major Robinson and his wife Isobel are the Corps Officers at the Sheringham Corps in Norfolk, UK.

Ian and Isobel are well-known all over the Army world as pastors, missionaries, and an incredible music and song-writing team. While they were stationed in Singapore, Ian and Isobel wrote a series of email "epistles" to the rest of the world entitled "Survivor Island". Those letters were always filled with poignancy, hope, and a love for the people for whom they worked so diligently to bring the love of Christ.

We are delighted Ian has agreed to write these articles for us and we hope you enjoy and are inspired by his journey!

Major Ian Graduates to Trombone!

Life is a Journey – Part Three

Life’s journey takes many twists and turns. Over the years since I left Ayr God has taken me to some incredible places and introduced me to many delightful friends along the way. Here are just a few:

- Santa Barbara – We spent seven and a half years in this beautiful Mediterranean-style community about one hundred miles north of Los Angeles. It was our first Corps appointment and we grew to love this wonderful city with the Pacific Ocean breaking on its shore and the mountains standing tall behind. We grew from rookies to seasoned officers here. In January 1999 we were commissioned as “full” Captains in the Corps with the Regent Hall Band led by Stephen Hanover accompanying us – they were in California for the Rose Parade!

- Singapore – Part of our hearts will always be there. It is a magical, enchanting island with everything ancient and modern. In just a few square miles you can be in England, or China, or India, or Malaysia, or Indonesia, or even the USA! We loved the people, the food, the pulsating, driving lifestyle, the convenience for traveling throughout Asia, and the ministry that God gave us among the people.

- Asfirrudin – He was a fourteen year old Malay Muslim boy with a brain tumor who was admitted to Peacehaven, the nursing home we ran in Singapore. When he came in he was not expected to live more than a few weeks. He could not move or do anything for himself – he was literally in a vegetative state. But the constant care and love that was showered on him by our staff saw him begin to respond, first with slight movements of his eyes, then with his hands. Soon he was sitting up and quite aware of his surroundings. I visited him often and was always surprised at the progress he was making. Our chaplain, Jimi, also visited him and kept telling him about the love of Jesus. One day, more than a year after his arrival, Jimi asked him in Malay if he wanted to accept Jesus into his heart. He told him to squeeze his hand once for “Yes” and twice for “No.” Asfirrudin squeezed his hand once and accepted Christ as his Saviour while Jimi prayed. He went to heaven a few weeks later. His doctors said that the quality of life he enjoyed was far greater than anything they expected. He was my special friend and I still miss him.

- Mui Lang – She was the cause of some of our greatest headaches in Singapore, but became one of our best friends! As the Assistant Executive Director for Nursing in Peacehaven she really ran the place. We called her “the matron” since that was her role. It was also her attitude. But we recognized her leadership and potential to help us achieve our goal of making Peacehaven truly a Salvation Army ministry. Over the years we saw her move from adversary to friend. She began attending the Corps, then became a soldier, and finally we commissioned her as our Corps Sergeant-Major! What a woman! A five foot nothing bundle of nuclear energy, she kept us running from morning till night. When we left Singapore, we proudly and confidently handed over the reins of Peacehaven to her, and she still calls us every week with an update!

- Kolok – Captain Tan Guat Hai, or Kolok as he is known, is the Corps Officer in Bintulu, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. I visited Kolok several times and was always impressed by his energy and compassion. One day, while conducting the Corps Review we were interrupted by a phone call. A longhouse belonging to an Iban family had burned to the ground. Kolok told me we needed to deal with this so the review was put on hold and we loaded his van with food, clothing and other supplies. Then we set off on a two-hour trip into the jungle where we found the family living in a makeshift tent alongside the ashes of their former home. We gave them the supplies and spent some time listening to their story. It was only later that I discovered that the Iban people used to be headhunters! Many still have the little shrunken heads hanging on their doorposts to ward away evil spirits. But this young officer and his CineseHong Kong wife bravely and regularly carry the compassion of his Christian faith into the heart of Borneo, because they love Jesus.

- Myles and Debbie – These two are among our newest friends. While we were attending our “home” Corps in California (Tustin Ranch), we met Myles and Debbie after a Sunday morning service. Myles was going through a very difficult work-related trial and although he was a Buddhist, he was looking anywhere to find some peace and help. They were Japanese-Americans from Hawaii who both worked as pharmacists. Isobel talked to them and quickly realized they needed Jesus in their lives. Led by the Holy Spirit, she asked if they wanted a relationship with Christ and to know His peace. They blurted out, “Yes!” and we led them into a small room where they both invited Jesus Christ into their hearts. We only had a few weeks with them before we left for the UK, but saw tremendous growth in their faith, and great joy and peace come into their lives. They now attend the Corps regularly, and we look forward to seeing them in a few weeks.

Throughout this journey Isobel has been my constant companion. She is my best friend, my inspiration, and my soul-mate. Without her I would have been lost. Of course, the same is true of Jesus Christ, who brought us together and has kept us in His love. Together we travel through all the twists and turns and eventually will be united for all eternity. What a wonderful hope! Jesus says, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). And so we journey on singing the words of Fanny Crosby:

I must have the Saviour with me,

For I dare not walk alone;

I must feel his presence near me,

And his arm around me thrown.

Then my soul shall fear no ill;

Let him lead me where he will,

I will go without a murmur,

And his footsteps follow still.

Major Ian Robinson

Don't Miss Him

2009-09-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mt.Diablo

Don’t Miss Him

I jumped in the car this morning to come to the office.

First I loaded it full of stuff. I spent part of Labor Day helping Pam clean our closet. Yuck. (I also spent part of it playing golf with her and Jason—but that’s another story.) Anyway, I jumped into the car, Pam was driving so I have no excuse—but I missed the incredible scenery of Mount Diablo. I have no recollection of seeing it at all. I don’t know how I missed it. Perhaps my mind was preoccupied, perhaps I was looking down, perhaps Pam was driving erratically, yeah, that was probably it.

It is hard to miss. I come down the hill every day and there is a completely unobstructed view of God’s marvelous creation!! It is truly a marvel I simply don’t tire of and I try hard not to take for granted. There is a certain majesty in a mountain, a majesty not found easily in many other visible objects.

Speaking of God—well I was getting around to it—people often ask me, “What are you preaching on this week.” and I reply, “God.” Well this week it truly is God, Himself, the Almighty, the Wonderful, who is the subject of the morning sermon, though it won’t be me preaching. Craig Arnold is filling in for me while Pam and I spend some time with Jason before he heads back to Korea and hopefully Joy too before she moves to New York.

As we work our way through our wonderful theology, this week you have the opportunity to sit in the passenger seat as Craig takes you down a path with an unobstructed view of God.

Oh, don’t miss Him!!

See you Soon, Major Clay

The Gospel of God

2009-09-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

"We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice."
(The 1st doctrine of The Salvation Army)

In looking at our fundamental Christian beliefs Major Clay Gardner starts at the beginning! He looks at the very foundations of all our beliefs in this sermon entitled "The Gospel of God". You'll hear the Major ask you to follow along with his passage of scripture which is found in 2 Timothy 3:10-17. You can listen to the sermon here.

Our audio bonus this week is our band playing a very old selection - My Soul's Longing - by Kenneth Ketteringham. Click here to hear the band.

We Believe!

2009-08-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Starting August 30th 2009, Major Clay began a new series of sermons which examine what it is we believe. As he points out in this introductory sermon, what's important is not so much what believe about, as what we believe in! Click here to listen to the sermon.

We have two audio bonuses this week - our band plays the hymn tune arrangement "Troyte" and the songsters present "Because we believe."

Surprise!!

2009-08-26T21:23:00.001-07:00

Surprise!!

It was like a dream… There I was on the 18th green, getting ready to putt. I’ve seen it on TV hundreds of times. A crowd had gathered around to watch—complete with photographers (one from a local paper). I lined up my putt—it was a long one. My daughter Joy (one of the photographers) says, “Hold on Dad.” I paused for a couple more seconds and then I putted. What a lousy putt.

But I’m the only one who groaned, and then as I look up from my putt, there in full uniform was my son.

I tell people I’ve felt like crying on the golf course many times—but this time I actually did. It took a bit to compose myself. Jason and the crowd were all pleased that I was taken by surprise. Turns out Pam had had her turn an hour or so earlier.

It was hard to believe—Jason had tried to arrange leave a couple of times earlier in the summer without success—but he is here. Seeing is believing!!

Jesus once told Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:29

“Whosoever believes…” two of the prominent words in the most prominent verse of the Bible. But a slight pause here might make us wonder “believe what?”

Yeah, we believe, most people do. But what do we believe? Starting Sunday we’re beginning a sermon series designed to answer that very question. The Series is entitled simply, “We Believe”. Hope you’ll join us.

See you Sunday, Major Clay

Social Services

2009-08-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Social Services

For many people the face of The Salvation Army is not our excellent church activities, but our Social Services. For many years one of the mottos of the "Army" was, "with heart to God, and hand to man". Our Founder, William Booth, famously remarked, "you can't preach to a man on an empty stomach!" We seek to serve our community in Jesus' name too and that's where our Social Services Department comes in. Lauri Vint and Karen Shreve are assisted by volunteers who donate time and resources to help those in our community who find themselves in need. You can find the following summary of our services here.

FOOD PANTRY

Our Food Pantry is open for walk-in clients on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. Thursday hours are from 2:00 pm until 7:00 pm. It is open for residents of Central Contra Costa County. We offer non-perishable food, along with fresh items, like meat, milk and produce when available.

Eligible clients can come every 30 days.

All you need is an ID for you and your family members, a piece of mail with your name and address, and verification of any income you receive.

We have many other programs for those seeking help such as:-

* Assistance with Past Due PG&E Bills

* Back to School Clothing & Backpacks

* Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Food Baskets & Toys

* Reasonably Priced Summer and After-School Programs

* Dog & Cat Food and Cat Litter

* Baby Items (clothing, furnishings, diapers, etc. when available)

…..and lots more!

If we don’t do it, we might be able to help you find a place that does!

For more information
Call us at 925-676-6180 ext 10 or 11

Golf Tournament and Big Surprise!

2009-08-19T19:14:00.001-07:00

Golf Tournament is Huge Success!

Due to the sustained efforts of members of our Advisory Board - especially David Cantando and Scott Singley, aided by Susan Pierce - our first annual Pro-Am golf tournament turned out to be a resounding success! The Contra Costa Country Club hosted the event in spectacular fashion. With the help of sponsors and professional golfers from around the area we were almost at capacity for this first of its kind event in our county. Members of the Corps including young people from our basketball teams showed up to help with the myriad of logistical chores which go on behind the main golfing scene. Many individuals and corporate sponsors donated items for the silent auction. Advisory Board Chair Chuck Graham took photographs of every group which were presented at the awards dinner at the end of the day (You can view Chuck's handiwork here).

Big Surprise!

Those in the know were having a hard time containing the secret of the day. Major Clay and Pam's son Jason - currently serving with the U.S. Army in S. Korea - was arriving home without their knowledge for a month's leave! Since Major Clay was participating in the golf tournament he did not find out until Jason walked out to greet him on the 18th green. The pictures tell the story better than any words!

Overall it was a marvelous day which will help us reach our goal of building a gymnasium for the young people of our neighborhood!

The Second Touch

2009-08-16T18:17:00.001-07:00

The Second Touch

The Salvation Army belongs to a tradition of evangelical christianity known as the "Holiness Movement". In the UK and Americas this movement was spread by the radical (for its time) preaching of John and Charles Wesley and their "methodist" forms of worship.

In this sermon entitled "The Second Touch", Major Clay Gardner gives as clear an exposition of this teaching as you will hear, based on Mark 8 where Jesus touches a blind man not once, but twice to restore complete sight. You can hear Major Clay's sermon here.

As an audio bonus, here is our (much depleted) band playing an arrangement of the hymn tune "Stella" and the postlude "Repton".

What's your excuse?

2009-08-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

What's your excuse?

Do you feel inadequate? Un- eloquent? Inelegant? Not experienced enough? Not measuring up to your full potential?

Well don't beat yourself up too badly! As Major Clay points out in this week's sermon, you are in good company with some famous characters in Scripture! What you will be by the Grace of God may be inconceivable, but is not impossible and may be inevitable!

Check out the sermon here.

[Webmaster's note: We had a bit of an audio glitch this week, so if Clay's transition from Paul's advice to Timothy to Moses' word skills seems a little abrupt, that's because of how we had to edit things! We apologize for any inconvenience this caused! (and that's our excuse!)]

Summer Fun!

2009-07-31T01:48:00.000-07:00

This is a guest article by Capt. Wendy Parkhill who is the Corps Officer (Pastor) at the Ayr Citadel Corps in Scotland. [Webmaster]

Summer Fun!

Summer Fun – Jesus

A few years ago now we bought a tent on impulse. It was a bargain and we decided that we would give camping a go. Some folk thought we were mad to try camping with a young family but nothing could curb our enthusiasm!!! We went away that first summer and it rained the whole week! Everything was damp, but we loved it! The kids enjoyed the novelty of the tent, and it was just a great experience.

These days we still try to get away in the tent, and even if we’re not going away somewhere we will still put the tent up in the back garden and sleep out a few nights.
The tent has been up in the garden for about a week now and we’ve had two nights out in the tent. BBQ, campfire, the lot! I just love sitting round the campfire, for one when you’re near the fire the midges [gnats] don’t come near you, and secondly it’s nice and warm. We never got as far as singing round the camp fire, but we did toast a bag or two of marshmallows.

It was wonderful…11 o’clock at night, darkness had fallen, but we sat there, toasting marshmallows, still able to see because of the light from the fire, enjoying the warmth that it was giving. I could see everyone round the fire was smiling, as the light reflected of their faces.

As I sat, I was reminded that Jesus is the light of the world, but also that we should be the light of the world too, reflecting His light into this dark world. Jesus said: ‘my light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so that the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.’ (John 12:35-36)

I remember listening to a sermon some time ago where the preacher was talking about a bonfire and all the people gathered round. He said that he imagined that it was Jesus in the centre of the circle of people. He observed that those who were closest to the fire, had a light shining from their face, the faces that were a bit further from the fire were not illuminated so brightly. He concluded that if we want to be reflectors of the light of Christ then we need to be close to him.

Stay close to the light of Christ and feel the warmth of his love, repel the midges or the attacks of the devil, and reflect his light to this world. Live as children of light!

Shine, Jesus shine. Fill this land with the Fathers Glory
Blaze, Spirit blaze, set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word, Lord and let there be light!

Diligent Initiative

2009-07-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

Diligent Initiative

Majors Clay and Pam are having some well-deserved vacation. We were privileged to have Captain Moy Hernandez be our guest preacher this last Sunday. You can listen to his sermon titled "Diligent Initiative" here.

Thrill Ride...

2009-07-24T03:17:00.000-07:00

Weee!
by Major Clay Gardner

When Pam was pregnant with our daughter Joy, we flew from San Francisco to Orlando, to visit her parents. Pam was still in the morning sickness phase of her pregnancy. We were concerned with the flight and for good reason. We flew all the way across country in a Boeing 737, one of the smaller airliners. On the way home we had a layover in Dallas.

Approaching Dallas it got real bumpy. I began to get concerned for Pam. I would have been more concerned except that I was afraid if I concentrated too hard on any one thing, I might get sick. Pam on the other hand (who gets carsick driving across town) was fine.

I read a story recently by a man who was on a really bumpy flight. The plane was getting tossed about pretty good. Next to him was a young boy who was obviously terrified of the whole ordeal.

The man gripped his armrests, looked over at the young traveler and said "Weeeee!!!" Then he said to the boy, "Are you scared?" the boy nodded. "But this is fun!" Suddenly the boy's expression changed and the man and the boy spent the rest of the flight enjoying the ride.

I daresay that you won't find too many people enjoying the ride on an airplane being tossed about by a windy day. Overall it really isn't a pleasant experience!” and most of us have a hard time enjoying unpleasant experiences. It takes a person of deep, inner joy to find a reason to be happy when life isn't.

Now the Apostle Paul and his disciple, Silas had plenty of reason to be happy. When they visited Philippi they had started a small Bible Study and more and more people were coming to know God through it. People were being delivered from idol worship, from sickness, from all sorts of problems; they even cast a demon out of a slave girl.

Of course the slave girl's owner had used her and her demon to tell the future for a price and he wasn't too happy about the loss of income. Likewise the idol makers were losing business. So these businessmen gave Paul and Silas the business by concocting some lies that got Paul and Silas beaten and thrown in jail.

Personally, right about here I would have gotten a bit perplexed, perhaps even discouraged. To think, the reward for all the good they were doing was a back ripped raw with a whip and being thrown in jail. I think that most of us believe that good deeds are rewarded with goodness. But what happens when it's rewarded with evil? That's when we get grumpy!

Except Paul and Silas didn't get grumpy, they got happy! The inner joy - the joy that lived deep within them - surfaced in that jail. They realized that they were being punished for doing the work of God and that if they weren't doing it very well, no one - including Satan would have cared. So they rejoiced!

1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Rejoice always," and John 11:35, "Jesus wept." are the two shortest verses in the Bible. Jesus wept has fewer letters and so technically it is the shorter verse. Except, in the original Greek, the verse Jesus wept consisted of three words while rejoice always only had two - making it the shortest verse in the Bible.

As short as these verses are, they speak to a huge truth. You see, it is when we realize that it was His great love for us that caused Jesus to weep, that we really have something to rejoice about.

Now, perhaps you're thinking, "Boy, I wish I had that kind of inner joy." Well my friend, I have good news for you: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We don't need to work on being more joyful or happier people - we just need to work on being more like Christ - and the joy will come.

Because "...the fruit of the Spirit is...joy!" (Gal 5:22) So enjoy the ride!

Is God Enough?

2009-07-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Is God Enough for You?

Major Clay tackled this subject in this sermon on Sunday July 19th.
If you were traveling or just want to hear it again, just click here.

Don't forget, you can hear the full Christian Discipline Sermon Series here.

Life is a Journey - Part 2

2009-07-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

This article is the second of a series written by Major Ian Robinson, from our sister website for Ayr Citadel. You can read the first article by clicking here.

Major Robinson and his wife Isobel are moving back to the UK to take up an appointment at the Sheringham Corps.

Ian and Isobel are well-known all over the Army world as pastors, missionaries, and an incredible music and song-writing team. While they were stationed in Singapore, Ian and Isobel wrote a series of email "epistles" to the rest of the world entitled "Survivor Island". Those letters were always filled with poignancy, hope, and a love for the people for whom they worked so diligently to bring the love of Christ.

We are delighted Ian has agreed to write these articles for us and we hope you enjoy his journey as we publish it!

Major Ian Robinson

Life is a Journey – Part Two

The letter 'S' has played a critical role in our journey. We left Ayr in 1977 to live in Surrey, and five years later immigrated to the USA with our two girls. We had a simple plan – open an English pub to sell British drinks and food to Americans at extortionate prices, then retire to a Greek Island where we would write books in the Mediterranean sun! But as Burns once wrote, "The best laid plans of mice and men …"

After eighteen months in our California paradise our relationship was in trouble and our Catholic faith was failing to meet our spiritual needs. The dream was crumbling until one of Isobel's nursing friends suggested we read the Bible. Trial and error led us to the Living Bible and when she read the Gospel of John she was utterly convicted by the Holy Spirit and surrendered her will to God. Seeing a dramatic change in her I did the same. We then knew that we needed to find a church where we could develop this new relationship with God, so I made a list of churches in the area and suggested we visit one each week until we found one we liked. Isobel, ever the pragmatist, looked over the list and, seeing The Salvation Army at the bottom, said, "We'll just go there!" So I returned to the Army and we went to the Santa Ana Corps. Within six weeks I was in uniform and playing in the band. The girls loved Sunday school and we made many new and lasting friendships. Most importantly, we grew spiritually and our family bond was strengthened because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our journey was very pleasant and comfortable. We had a wonderful church home, a nice house, good jobs and a growing family. I played piano at the Corps and began writing music. We taught an adult Sunday school class, started a home Bible study and were increasing our understanding of God's will and purpose for our lives. Then I was made redundant and spent several months trying unsuccessfully to find a new job. I was told by more than one company president that I was the one they wanted then never heard from them again! It didn't make any sense until one day Isobel came down to breakfast and asked if I had been talking to God about Salvation Army officership.

"Don't be so absurd!" I said, utterly shocked.

"Well," she said, "I've just been arguing with God upstairs and He told me I was stopping you from becoming an officer!"

She had been praying and asking God why her talented and intelligent husband – her words, not mine – could not find a job. God answered that it was because she was stopping me. At first she was confused, and then she realized what He was saying. "You don't mean THAT job?" she asked incredulously. And God said, "Yes, that job!"

Isobel never wanted to be an officer so that avenue of service appeared closed. Now it suddenly opened up and within a few months we were appointed as Auxiliary Captains to Santa Barbara on the Pacific coast about ninety miles north of Los Angeles. After seven and a half years we were moved to Santa Rosa, forty-five minutes north of San Francisco in the Northern Californian wine country. Then in 2004, two and a half years later, the Army sent us to Singapore where we served for four and a half wonderful years before reluctantly returning to California. Now, following a few months at THQ we are ready to leave for Sheringham, the sixth 'S' in our journey.

We never achieved our dream but received something infinitely greater and more valuable. Instead of serving alcoholic drinks we have helped people overcome their addiction to alcohol. Instead of serving British food we have given out the bread of life to those who need it most. Instead of making a lot of money we have stored up for ourselves treasures in heaven. And instead of retiring to a Greek island we will spend eternity in heaven with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We have riches beyond our wildest imagination and the journey's not over yet!