In the War
Well I have to admit it was a bit demoralising to be asked by a 7 year old lad at Jam Club, "Carol were you in the World War?"

Now I know I have grey hair but really! Of course everyone age 20 and above is old to him. Well that's what I am telling myself anyway. I laughed and told him that I was born a long time after World War 2.

Of course the reality is that I am engaged in a World-wide spiritual war all the time. It is interesting that his comment should come when it did because earlier in the week we had a few hand to hand combat situations with the devil to deal with.

I was also encouraged by my daily reading by FB Meyer where he comments on the disciples return to Jesus from their mission and expressing their delight to him that "Lord, even the submit to us in your name." (Luke 10:18)

FB Meyer writes:

"The Christ nature within you becomes the dominant, triumphant power to which all power must ultimately yield. Dare to use it. Be sure to rely not on numbers or organisation but on the name of Jesus , used not as a charm but as representing his living and ascended might."

In the scheme of things Pill is a small out of the way village that most people have never heard of so I was really encouraged by his final paragraph. I hope you will be too, wherever you are.

"The success of these disciples over a few demons in the villages and towns of Israel reacted on the balance of power in the heavenlies, so there is no victory won anywhere by any lonely disciple or handful of disciples that does not react on the entire battle field."

The fight where you are matters.

The fight where you are can be won because heaven's authority is just as real where you are as it is for those who stand on the world's stage.

Keep fighting.

God bless

Carol

Singing Salvation Songs

It's been a day of singing today. This afternoon a number of us from Pill attended the funeral/celebration for Captain Muriel Sims. There is nothing quite like O boundless salvation to make your heart soar and something faith building about watching the coffin of a faithful servant of Christ exit the hall to the strains of "Sweeping through the gates of the new Jerusalem, washed in the blood of the Lamb."

Later members of my cell group were leading some worship songs at a divisional meeting, singing of a desire that Jesus be the centre of their lives and then telling him directly in song, "You are my strength when I am weak, you are the treasure that I seek, you are my all in all."

More songs were to follow, "Knowing you Jesus, knowing you there is no greater thing and All that once I thought most worthy, all of which I once did boast, in thy light seems poor and passing tis thyself I covet most and finally a song we sang at our Commissioning, "Unto thee O Saviour king.

Phew I need a cup of tea!

But don't you just love Salvation Songs in whatever style they come? They have built me up in my faith and in my spirit today.

Thank you Lord


God bless

Carol

More from FB Meyer

"The Lord Jesus became like us in his low estate that we should become like him in his glory. There must ever be the limitation of the creature as compared with him by whom all things were made. But in our measure there shall be the same perfect beauty - his beauty upon us for a mountain lake may as perfectly reflect the wide blue heaven an ocean."

God bless

Carol

Rejoice and have faith for greater things

We had a lovely Sunday yesterday. We had cause to rejoice over a number of things.

It was great to enrol Tyler Gibbons as a Junior Soldier.

There were also some unchurched people in the meeting whom we have been praying for.

Brian was thanking God that his health has been good during the winter, a time when he is particulalry vulnerable to infection.

Praise the Lord!

We ended the meeting with the song Greater Things, singing with passion, tambourines playing and flags waving. Alan led us in worship in the evening and talked about how we must take steps to create an atmosphere of faith.

I spent a couple of hours in prayer last night. The Sunday before this I had asked our evening congregation to seek the Lord about what season we are in as a corps. During my prayer time I kept coming back to the thoughts about faith during the day. This is a time to exercise active faith. By that I mean not just a vague belief that things might get a bit better if we pray a bit more but faith to step out, take a few risks and enter some new territory.

Are we up for it?

Greater things

Give us faith, O Lord we pray

Faith for greater things

God bless

Carol

Moving

We are moving..............

No not our appointment. Don't be silly!

We are moving in the power of God

Hope you are too!

God bless

Carol

Expectations and Listening

We have just got back from Corps Council and my head is buzzing with what seems like hundreds of date and details. I do believe that we have an exciting year ahead and that we have a good balance of events that support mission, discipleship and prayer.

Coming up quite soon is our Holiness week-end led by Major Samuel Edgar. (7th/8th March if you are near enoughto come.) We recently emailed the Major with our aims for the event. We said that "The idea of the week-end is to re-enforce our holiness tradition, be challenged and inspired by holiness preaching and above all to encourage all who come to embrace the experience and practice holiness."

So not much really!!

I know that we are expecting a lot. We long for people to come not just to hear good teaching and be blessed but that their lives might be impacted forever by putting into practice what they hear. That's Ok isn't it? Our God is big enough!

The other thing is that I am aware of at the moment is the danger of just hearing the word of God but not listening on the level that I need to in order to really tune in to what he is saying to me and to the Corps.

I was conscious the other day of sitting before the computer about to prepare for something and my immediate thought was, " I have nothing to say."
Now those people that know me, know that that is rubbish. I always have something to say and I can come up with some kind of message because I have been an officer for a long time. I can churn it out. But I can't settle for that. What I really meant was that I had nothing fresh, nothing that I felt was being prompted by the Spirit. That scared me. I went on immediate red alert and made time to be still and wait. God spoke.

God bless

Carol

Faith

I am still reading FB Meyer each day. Here is what he has to say on faith.

"Let us not worry about the greatness or smallness of our faith; the main point is as whether it is directed towards the living Saviour. There are many issues to which these words may apply.
(You say):
"If Jesus can save me from the power of sin!"
(I say)
If you can believe, he can.
(You say)
"If Jesus can deliver out of a mesh of temptation and perplexity."
(I say)
If you can believe , he will.
(You say)
"If Jesus can revive his work mightily to the upbuilding of his Church and the ingathering of the lost."
(I say)
No, Jesus can revive his work if you can believe for it.

Do you want that faith? It may be had this way. Look away from difficulty and temptation to Jesus; consider him; feed your faith on its native food of promise; familiarise yourself with fellowship with the promises; study what he has done for others: thus you will believe. For every thought of your little faith take ten thoughts of his faithfulness.


God bless

Carol

Steps to Holiness

Andrew Bale has downloaded William Booth's "Ladder to Holiness" and it is on his blog at
http://beyondthebrook.blogspot.com/

It reminded me of something I have written out at the back of my Bible. I'm not sure where it originated.

7 Steps to Holiness

Aspire John 7:37

Acknowledge Psalm 51:3 Romans 7:24

Abandon Psalm 66:18

Abdicate Romans 12:1

Ask Luke 11:3

Appropriate 1 John 5:14-15

Act John 14:17-18

We have been shown the way. Let's do it!

God bless

Carol

Children
Make way for them -Become like them -Welcome them - Bless them
(Jam Club Kids in the Prayer Room)

Jesus said: "Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me."

God bless

Carol

The Blessing of Fellowship

We're back home after a week away, into which we packed an amazing variety of things and received so many blessings. We might not be the wealthiest people in the world financially but in terms of friendship and fellowship Alan and I must be billionaires.

In the last week we have been able to meet up with colleague officers and share fellowship at Retreat. We don't always agree with one another, sometimes we frustrate one another but as well as debate and discussion there was time to share one another's burdens and encourage each other.

We have been able to spend precious time with Katie and Chris in London and Hayley in Colchester. I am biased but our girls are great and we love being with them. We were leading meetings at Colchester Mount Zion and it was a real privilege to join in their worship, preach the word and instantly connect with the officers John and Pauline O'Driscoll, whose love for the Lord and their people is so transparent. And now we're back and the blessings continue as we re-join our own community here in Pill. It's good to go away and its good to come home.

People who say that they can be a Christian and not go to Church must be mad. They are missing so much. I know that relationships in the Church and in Corps can drive you loopy but the benefits far outway the hassle. Today I am thankful to God for the richness of being a member of God's family.

God bless

Carol