OzThoughts – Thursday 2nd July, 2009

OzThoughts – Thursday 2nd July, 2009

It was on this day, 2nd July 1865 that the organisation that the world knows as The Salvation Army came into being. In July, last year on a cool and sometimes very wet day, I wandered the streets around the Blind Beggar Public House in the East End of London. As many have done, I paused and took a lot of photos, and offered a prayer of thanksgiving for all those since that day in 1865 who have followed Jesus because of and following the example of William Booth.

William Booth found his destiny among the poor of the streets and lanes of the East End. However God’s plan was not for him to stay there. He and his Army soon moved on, and although the poor are still in the East End, the Army reaches to the poor and needy in every corner of the world. The Army has always and I must say still believes that the greatest need of the people of the world is their eternal salvation and this can only be met through Jesus, God’s crucified yet living son.

My mind went back the twelve months to far away London when I read today’s portion from Acts Chapter 15. It is in this Chapter that Luke records the meeting in Jerusalem that decided that it was not necessary for men to be circumcised before they could become Christians.

The Chapter begins: “It wasn't long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: ‘If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't be saved.’ Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest.”

So Paul and Barnabas are sent to Jerusalem to meet with the church leaders to sort this out. In the meeting there were those who were for circumcision but Peterspoke up:

"Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.”

When Peter finished speaking :

“There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop.”

James then gave his decision:

"So here is my decision: We're not going to unnecessarily burden non-Jewish people who turn to the Master. We'll write them a letter and tell them, 'Be careful to not get involved in activities connected with idols, to guard the morality of sex and marriage, to not serve food offensive to Jewish Christians—blood, for instance.' This is basic wisdom from Moses, preached and honoured for centuries now in city after city as we have met and kept the Sabbath."

So the way was cleared in the mind of the Church for the Gospel to be taken to the world. The Salvation Army is one part of the Church that does just that.

Yet on this anniversary day, while our mission and prayers are that the world might be saved through Jesus, our song is not “Soldier, rouse thee” or “ In the Army of Jesus we have taken our stand” or similar evangelical war songs. Our song and our prayer is one of our personal faith and holiness that is worked in us by God alone when we come in submission to him.

[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1143.mp3 ]

O boundless salvation! deep ocean of love,
O fulness of mercy, Christ brought from above.
The whole world redeeming, so rich and so free,
Now flowing for all men, come, roll over me!

My sins they are many, their stains are so deep.
And bitter the tears of remorse that I weep;
But useless is weeping; thou great crimson sea,
Thy waters can cleanse me, come, roll over me I

My tempers are fitful, my passions are strong,
They bind my poor soul and they force me to wrong;
Beneath thy blest billows deliverance I see,
O come, mighty ocean, and roll over me!

Now tossed with temptation, then haunted with fears,
My life has been joyless and useless for years;
I feel something better most surely would be
If once thy pure waters would roll over me.

O ocean of mercy, oft longing I've stood
On the brink of thy wonderful, life-giving flood!
Once more I have reached this soul-cleansing sea,
I will not go back till it rolls over me.

The tide is now flowing, I'm touching the wave,
I hear the loud call of the mighty to save;
My faith's growing bolder, delivered I'll be;
I plunge 'neath the waters, they roll over me.

And now, hallelujah! the rest of my days
Shall gladly be spent in promoting his praise
Who opened his bosom to pour out this sea
Of boundless salvation for you and for me.
Author: William Booth (1829-1912)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 298

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