What now? (live from the I'll fight congress London)

I'm writing this from a box in the Royal Albert Hall.

The "I'll fight' congress has just begun.

As the ceremony and saluting begins my mind begins to wander.

It wanders to the outside of the Albert hall to the streets that stretch the plains of the globe.

Often desolate, dark, seedy places.

I see people slain down by the force of alcoholism. I see children and young people hurting by the experience of broken familyhood. I see older people dying, lonely and lifeless. I see drug addicts shooting up their lurid substances. I see so called rich people carrying their crazy debts around with them. I see the exploitations of conglomerates shattering lives through cool media presentations. I see the grey dull neon signs of the sex rooms that adorn our cities. The pictures go on and on. I see the destructive work of the evil one lurking at every turn.

It's a cold dark fearsome place.

It's the ground to which we exist to be sent.

I look around this amazing building. It looks particularly brilliant tonight. Fantastic lighting, a colourful stage with one big baby of a flag hanging on the back of the stage. The biggest flag I've ever seen in fact!

Just now they've played a recording of William Booth saying to Salvationists. I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves but don't forget those who are living in darkness on the streets." or words to that effect.

I look out at 5000 faces with eyes glued to the stage.

Enjoying ourselves.

5000 living-breathing parts of the Salvation Army in the UK.

I think Booths little message there, spoken in another era, to a previous generation of Salvationists, is ultra challenging. When 5000 people walk out of here tonight it brings a two-word question for us all to ponder.

What now?

These bright lights and big flags are somehow comforting to some annoying to others, familiar to many.

So if we are comforted, annoyed or feeling the familiarity of the Army tonight, the question still stands.

What now?

I am listening right now to massed youth chorus people singing.

Boy it sounds beautiful.

It's so full of hope and life.

Their faces are radiant and beautiful beyond belief. I see the life that they could bring to the broken, to the hurting, to the lost. We are so talented and gifted. We have so much in our armoury to march into the darkest of places and rescue the darkest of souls.

We can't stay in the bright lights though.

We can't live for moments like these.

We can't put all our salt in producing excellence in music, media and spoken word.

So what now?

The Generals going to be speaking shortly so I'm signing off in a second.

But before go I feel bold enough to speak this.

What now?

Get out of the comfort of the lights. Come out of that place. Find those who need us.

Desperately.

Don't settle for the bright lights, the concert hall, the cool worship service, as great as they are and so they should be, just don't settle for them that's all. Don't put all your efforts into that stuff. Take those talents and that sort of passion and direct it not to each other but firstly to God then to the lost.

Be an Army.

An Army with a massive flag.

But let that flag be the Spirit of God flying high in the deepest darkest battle grounds this world has. Your street, your family, your community, your city, your workplace, anywhere you find yourselves.

Offer a saving hand to those who are drowning in despair, listlessness and hopelessness.

Come on guys.

What's under the hood?

I am hooked on technology.

Particularly phones.

The choice in the marketplaces both physical and online is ever growing.

Right now we have quad core monster phones that bring the Internet world and the business communication world, as well as gaming and all the rest of it, to the screen at breathtaking speeds.

Once you get one phone though, another bigger, brighter, clearer, better one is released.

You just can't keep pace with advancement in technology these days.

But the thing is.

At the end of the day?

They all do the same things virtually.

Calls, texts, emails, browsing, apps and the list goes on.

Sitting in Starbucks with my own phone this morning, my mind went back to the days when we didn't even have a home phone. If anyone in our family wanted to make a call we had to trudge, rain or shine, to the phone box which was about quarter of a mile away from our house.

How the world has moved on in such a short time.

One of the choices we are faced with when deliberating over the choice of a new mobile phone is 1. the outer appearance and 2. what is under the hood.

Some phones look so futuristic while others are robust and functional. But the fact remains you can have the most eye pleasing outer appearance but with less than pleasing workings under the hood, yet the same can be said the other way, with clumpy functional phones that aren't so pleasing house super fast technology on the inside.

My phone looks pretty cool but has good, but not top of the range, functionality. But it gets the job done.

What is under the hood matters much more than the outer appearance because its the inside that gets the job done.

I think of the world flashing around me every minute every day. Advertisements, books, TV, magazines and the like aimed at the importance of the outer appearance of both humans and material things. It's almost like as long as we take responsibility for the outside of us we are truly part of society, no matter what's going on on the inside of us!

As I'm writing this I've got this weird picture of Mother Theresa coming into my mind? I've been reading some amazing books and articles about the ministry of Mother Theresa lately, and I have to say when you look at the pictures of Mother Theresa, God love her, I'm not sure at first glance she would have caught my eye at a party (when I was young and virile of course!) According to me, she ain't all that high in the good looks department!

But boy what she had under the hood!

She had a massive heart, a dogged faith, a strong mentality towards mission, she had an inner beauty that was magnetic and full of charm. She had strength courage beyond the natural.

She was beautiful! And in kingdom terms? She got the job done.

Wouldn't it be really refreshing to see adverts and the like, aimed at taking responsibility for the inside of us as opposed to the outside. Where we focus on what is under the hood in our lives.

God gives us a chance to take responsibility for everything inside our hearts and our lives. He knows what's under the hood. He should do, he made it. Whatever is going on right now on the inside of us God knows!

You have searched me O Lord and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down, you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand on me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the Heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me. If I say, "surely the darkness will hide me,and the night become light around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you. The night will shine like the day, and the darkness is light to you. For you created my inmost being ; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139: 1-14)

He knows what is under the hood alright!

For this psalmist, he was taking responsibility for the inside of him.

He could see inside his own life because he used spiritual eyes, he was in a deep relationship with God no matter what was going on on the outside.

Today guys you have a choice.

What the outer appearance looks like? 2. What's under the hood?

Holiness, is for me anyway, about taking responsibility for what is under the hood. To make sure we are continually moving on, making things better inside our lives and especially inside our hearts, improving things, not being afraid of the new in regards to making changes inside of ourselves. The bible calls it changing from glory to glory.

At the end of the day in Kingdom terms?

It means we will constantly get the job done.

Blessings on your life today.

Face to face

I'll fight to the very end.

Famous last words.

In this case the last words of an ultra potent prophetic statement wrapped into a profound sermon given by William Booth at the outset of the last century.

I'll fight to the very end.

He is talking about fighting for those in desperate need of a saviour.

It was a perennial call for people to join him in that fight.

So how are we doing on the fighting for the lost front?

I was deep in a highly frustrating conversation with a fellow leader a couple of weeks ago. He made this assessment of how we are doing with fighting. "We (The Salvation Army) fight smarter these days. With well planned campaigns national campaigns, technology and elaborate traditional programming. And we fight smarter because we have more academically efficient leadership in our Corps and centres."

Interesting statement.

I can tell you now that this statement doesn't really float my dinghy.

If that's how we are fighting? Then the last man standing please hand the keys in.

I mean academically efficient leadership? Is that a vital factor in the fight? Not that there is anything wrong with that of course. Nothing at all, and I'm all for bettering our knowledge etc. And as for elaborate traditional programming? What on earth is that?

Its just that I don't think it always sits alongside the fact that Jesus chose fishermen to be his right hand men guys who hadn't always done too well in the jewish academic arena. And I definitely don't agree with the view that it makes leadership more efficient. Sounds a bit exclusive to me really. And I don't think it is a absolutely critical factor in the fight for the lost either. But maybe that's just me.

Writing this today I am aware that following me getting this down on paper, I will be going to a meeting with a guy who has just been released from prison to help him try and get a roof over his head for tonight and the coming days. One of my team sat with him yesterday and talked to him directly about rebuilding his life from this point on and how God could help him to steer clear of another prison term, and how his life could change beyond understanding.

My team member was fighting, with all her might to save another lost person from possible destruction.

As I watched this amazing conversation conducted with love beyond measure, I thought about the statement that we "fight smarter these days."

I am up for innovation in the fighting for lost souls battle, but not at the expense of the one thing that I believe the Spirit of God is asking me to communicate today.

And that is?

Face to face fighting.

How are we doing on the fighting front?

I can't answer that really because that would involve me judging people , and I'm not up for that, so no sweeping statements here.

But?

If we aren't getting face to face with the lost then we won't reach them.

Will we?

We won't reach them from our offices, or our citadels, or our church buildings or even the comfort of our own homes.

Can we?

It doesn't take academia to work that one out.

Does it?

God is calling us to be face to face with the world.

Here's Booths last few sentences of his amazing prophecy.

"While women weep as they do now I'll fight, while men go to prison in and out in and out, I'll fight. While there is a drunkard, while there is a little lost girl upon the street, while there is one dark soul without the light of Christ, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end."

This statement speaks of a fight for Justice, salvation and liberation. It speaks of seeking and saving the lost. It speaks of an Army fighting for the very lives of the needy with love, acceptance and compassion coursing through its veins.

So how are we doing on the fighting front?

The Spirit of God says, "I call the whosoever. Whoever you are you are, regardless of social standing or educational prowess you are essential to the fight. I call those who would come to be face to face with as many people as you can. Whatever plans you have, however efficient you are, if you are not face to face with those who need a saviour, then the fight is diminished. I call those who would be pioneers in the fight, those who would from the spiritual place go out in to the world and stop at nothing to transform it covered by my power. I call those to the fight who have lost the fighting Spirit. I breathe that fight in to your spirit this day. I call those who are dreaming and visioning, I call you out of the shadows, I call the prophetic to rise from the same shadows and into the fight because the fight will be lost without you. I call those who are passionately involved in focussing on the things that don't matter, I need you to focus on the fight to the very end. I call those who see justice as a product of the victory, I call you to step up. I charge you to embrace bravery and courage to be face to face with the darkest of souls and the most floundering of spirits. I call you to take up the fight and take it up to the very end of your days. I don't want smarter, I want real."

In the name of Jesus we say amen.

Just as you are!

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated high on throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were Serapis, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the door posts and the thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6: 1-8)

A mesmerising textual picture.

Isaiah, sitting in the temple, being in the presence of God drags up inner feelings of inadequacy in the presence of God. How can God possibly love or use me? He thinks.

Then he experiences the incredible mercy of God as God reminds him with an angel using a red hot live coal straight from the altar that his mercy is real and alive, and forgiveness is assured.

Isaiah accepts Gods incredible mercy immediately responds to Gods challenge to be sent out burning with the Spirit of God.

The thing I love about this most of all is the simple truth that even though Isaiah doesn't feel worthy of being in the presence of God, God accepts him into his presence just as Isaiah is.

God accepts us Just as we are!

Wow, that's massive!

Last Saturday I was invited to speak at a prayer breakfast as part of a number of speakers who people could choose to go and listen to. I got up at 7am, showered, and listlessly got into the car, tapped the post code into the satellite navigation, and pulled out of my driveway and out into the misty early morning. I have done a lot of travelling lately and feel like I need a break to recharge my batteries. I wasn't looking forward to the whole event that lay ahead of me and it was making me feel guilty.

Guilty, because here I was doing what I love to do, sharing the gospel, but wishing I wasn't that morning.

As I got up to speak in the first session after breakfast, I felt a bit unworthy.

Like I shouldn't be doing this.

Especially when I my heart didn't feel in it.

But my experience reminded me That at times like this there is only one thing to do.

Press into God!

So I just pictured God and said a prayer that said something like, "Please help me here Lord!"

And I believe God used me that morning to touch others with his presence.

He really moved!

That is because he accepts me just as I am at any given moment.

At Church on Sunday night the service started with that old worship song, come, now is the time to worship. Another line in that song is, "Come, just as you are to worship." The second song was called, Majesty (The delirious one!) that contained the line, "Your grace has found me just as I am!"

Isaiah sees that truth first hand.

Gods grace found him just as he was.

Whatever state he was in.

Maybe today you are feeling a bit inadequate or unworthy.

Maybe those feelings are preventing you from experiencing the wall-shaking, doorpost-rattling presence of God?

Today, remember that his grace will find you just as you are.

His acceptance is total.

So press into God, whatever you are feeling!

Humongous blessings today!

The Salvation Army: Spiritual life is its heartbeat!

I met two of the loveliest girls you could ever wish tomeet.  One of them hails from Brazil, theother from the USA.

They are both part of the Centre for spiritual lifedevelopment (CSLD), covering all sixty two territories that make up theInternational Salvation Army.

I want to say what a fantastic department that is.

God has been pouring prophetic juices into my speaking for awhile now essentially with the message that the Salvation Army has to get backto the spiritual.

So I was really taken and deeply blessed by what these amazing girls had toshare with me.

Not that the Salvation Army is not spiritual, or there areno spiritual people.

That’s a bit daft really, and definitely untrue.

But what I am talking about is where the spiritual becomesthe big thing.

The biggest thing.

The only reliable source of power the Salvation Army willever have is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

No programme, no mission plan, no evangelistic campaign, nostrategy will ever succeed unless it flows from the heart of God.

So this centre, this small group of people led by Lieut- ColJanet Munn, Is like a heart.

I remember when I worked in open heart surgery in myprevious working life before becoming a full time minister, every day seeingfirst hand actual human hearts, and studying the intricacies of the anatomyattached to them.

When the heart doesn’t work the body is useless.

Spiritual life can be likened to that scenario quite easily.

On the front of the leaflet that the CSLD there is aprophetic statement from the SAs current General, Linda Bond, it says, “I see aGod-raised, Spirit filled Army of the 21^st century.”

I see it too.

I really do.

When the heart is beating.

When prayer becomes the focal point of the whole Army. When weare not afraid to lay down the sacred cows of bland religion. When from thesacredness of being on our knees we rise and run towards the lost. When ourhunger is for God alone and what he is doing in the world today. When we turnour eyes from the material side of the Salvation Army and turn our eyes uponJesus. When holiness becomes more than a doctrinal concept and becomes ourwhole being. When the word of God is our only mandate.

Then the heart is beating.

It is spiritual life.

And spiritual life is the lifeblood to the future of theSalvation Army and the lifeline to the millions who desperately need a saviour.

I guess the crux of spiritual life is taking responsibilityfor the inside of ourselves, for our personal spiritual life. And I guess thisis what the Centre for spiritual life development is keen to encourage.

It seems to me that we could do with spiritual life centres everywhere, we need them so much.

More than that we need to take responsibility for the inside of us!

spiritual life is everything.

Otherwise the body can’t live.

It will always be our heartbeat.

And the Salvation Army will not live unless the heart isbeating.

The spiritual heart.

Bless you big time today guys.

Storm

Looking out of my hotel room window, I am mesmerised by the view.

I am in a hotel right on the edge of the eastern coast of the UK; I am at a Salvation Army Officers retreat. It’s a compulsory event for me.

I’ll let you into a secret.

I really don’t like these types of gatherings. 

Don’t like them at all.'

But the hotel is absolutely amazing.

I’ve dipped out of a couple of teaching sessions (Amazingly the guest speaker, who is a really good guy, gave us permission to be absent if we felt like just being peaceful on your own).

I’ve taken him up on the offer.

So im looking out to sea.

From my hotel room window.

I’m captivated by the waves rolling in; the sky is an ominous green- black colour and there is a storm heading towards the coast preceded by mist that’s thick and swirling. Fine rain is starting to lace the air, wetting the ground. Heavy rain is imminent.

It is natural awesomeness at work.

Lately I have been really frantic with work. I’ve travelled for miles by Land and air, speaking at events, lecturing, praying, ministering, pastoring. I’ve hardly had a moment to think. Life has been consumed with busyness and the stresses and strains that it inevitably brings.

It’s felt at times like I’m in the middle of a storm.

Like I am being tossed about and blown every which way by the winds of work, responsibility and mission.

Yet right now?

I’m sitting in almost total silence, except for the distant boom of the sea and the gentle patter of rain.

I have nothing to do right now.

But sit and stare at the gathering storm.

It’s nice to stop.

It feels like I have found a shelter out of the life-storm that has seemed to be a bit on the relentless side lately.

And shelter from life storm is never easy to find.

But it is necessary.

There are times when we have to stop.

Really stop.

It’s funny, this officers retreat I am on, isn’t really a retreat at all. These so called retreats are really conferences. It’s as if people have to fill space in with teaching and other stuff otherwise it’s not worth gathering. So really we fill the space with even more busyness. Most people in ministry i guess are really desperate for a break.

People need to stop.

Get shelter from the storm.

As I sit here this afternoon, since I’ve stopped doing stuff, I have touched the very presence of God. I’ve felt his nearness, been soothed by his voice. I’ve been able to put some perspective on things that are going on in my life.

Maybe it’s time you stopped for a while too.  Got out of the life storm for a while. Maybe this is word for you today.

The Spirit of God says, drop the busyness. Get out of the storm. It’s time to recharge the batteries, to just stop. Come to me and rest. I am your shelter, you safe place, your home. I am your replenishment and your storehouse. I am your restoration, your peace, your hope giver. I am your fixer, your healer, your life giver. I am your garrison, your fortress, your castle. I am your comfort, you embrace, your protector.

I am your God.

Silent Witness

Above all TV series? Silent witness is the top of the pile for me.

I love it.

the suspense, the incredible story lines, the technological aspects of pathology.

I love it.

I know a silent witness.

Personally.

He isn't a pathologist.

He isn't a crime expert.

He is an ordinary guy who has had his life flipped over by Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

He is an amazing addition to our church and to the church in general.

Even though he is a fairly new Christian, he gets the whole breathing in-breathing out thing. In short, his intensive relationship with Jesus compels him to operate in the world in terms of action.

He heard  about St Francis of Assisi, and was fascinated by his little famous dictum, "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words."

He really gets that!

He is a living, breathing silent witness.

That's how he lives and no-one has really taught him that, he just does it and it is a real challenge.

Everyday he travels to work in his car. He travels the same route, day in day out. he was telling me the other week that every day he saw a guy who was struggling to walk up a hill. he walks with a stick and he looked to be in pain as he walked. So This guy i'm talking about says to me, "I knew God would stop and offer him a lift. So Everytime he sees this guy, he picks him up and takes him to where he is going.

Simple action.

With extravagant Kingdom connotations.

Fueled by lavishly beautiful love.

Preaching without words.

The church bands about a lot of words.

I know I do sometimes.

More action is needed.

Lavish, simple, out-giving action.

Enough said?

A visionary Army

I said a quick Amen and sat down.

The host took over and told the crowded auditorium that following the final worship song, a prayer team would be available at the front to the left immediately after the session.

And on a whim he added, “O and maybe Gary will hang around the front too?

I had just finished speaking in the evening session of a conference in Wales.

 If I’m really honest?

I was looking forward to getting to bed.

The worship band finished leading the last song. The session came to a vibrant end.

The prayer team had gathered in the allotted place and people started coming forward to be prayed with.

I trudged across and stood with them.

I stood alone for what seemed like a long time.

After a while I started thinking about sneaking off and getting a cup of tea in the foyer.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a very old guy heading slowly and gingerly, with the aid of a walking stick, towards me. As my eye caught him he kind of half raised his walking stick in a gesture that said, "Wait I am heading for you." So I waited, feeling a bit frustrated inside that I probably wasn't getting a cup of tea or a bed anytime soon. He seemed to take an age to reach the raise area at the front where I was standing.

He was helped on to the slightly raised area by two helpful guys standing near by and finally came slowly face to face with me. He was so close to me I could almost see my face in his shining bald head. He raised his eyes slowly but purposefully and his gaze interconnected with my own gaze.

The guy turned out to be in his 90s and a veteran of a previous Welsh revival that had happened early in the twentieth century.

He was rippling with anointing.

So much so I could hardly stand up.

He looked me straight in the eye and said he had a word for me.

"God says through his Spirit that you are going to come against some brick walls. the vision he has laid on your shoulders will not find an easy path. But God wants you to know he will get you over every wall."

With that he dropped his electric gaze, turned and began the slow journey to the foyer.

I was left pole-axed by the Spirit. My body filled with feeling. A feeling I cant even begin to describe, so I won't. Dawn, my wife, had to drive me home because the whole of my being was a kind of spiritual jelly.

That was over six years ago.

He had said, "The vision God had laid on our shoulders wouldn't have an easy path."

Yeah.

God had laid a vision on dawn and I.

A vision to see prayer and justice transforms lives in Cities throughout the world.

And there have been walls.

Denominational leadership structures and systems can undoubtedly place walls in the way of vision while pretending to do just the opposite.

But some walls if I am honest are built expertly by myself.

Walls of doubt, frustration, sometimes apathy, sometimes a kind of resignation that things aren't going to happen.

But whatever the wall, whoever builds it, however it is built, God can get us over them.

This is vital to grasp when carrying and pursuing a vision given by God.

I was in a business meeting recently, when somebody talking about vision said, "It would be good if people were prepared to die for the vision."

I get bored in business meetings but this statement would not let go of me. and it is still resonating with me now.

Are we prepared to die for the vision?

There is a lot talked about vision.

Everyone has to have a vision!

I cringed recently when someone showed me a letter from a more senior minister saying, "You need to come up with a vision by next Friday's meeting!" 

Come up with a vision? 

Get real.

Vision in the Christian context comes from God alone.

The day any of us are forced to create a vision just for the sake of having one is the day the game is over.

But?

When God speaks a vision into our lives, which will always mean transformation of lives, then get ready.

The path will never be an easy one.

There will be walls to scale.

But he will get you over or round or through them.

Everytime.

Lately, in regards to the vision God has given Dawn and I as a part of the whole of God's vision for the Church, I am standing on the wrong side of one of those walls. A wall partly built by daft religion but mostly built by me.

Its a big wall.

I stand knowing we have driven this vision now for over ten years and we are at a point where we really need more senior decision makers to catch this vision, embrace it and then release us to drive it further. 

And it appears at first glance right now that we have reached the end, it almost feels we cant take it any further.

But every time I put another brick in the wall I hear the words "are you prepared to die for the vision?"

When I deepen that thought I find a whole host of things I need to die to. Die to self, die to doubt, die to feelings of inadequacy die to all kinds of things.

If i don't die to these things as well as being prepared to actually die for the vision to see lives transformed by the power of God then the vision dies.

God says, prophetically, I will get you over the walls.

why?

Because God needs a visionary Army. An Army prepared to die for the vision. the vision of transformation of the lost and the broken. God needs an Army that stops building its own brick walls. God needs soldiers who every waking hour dream of transformation and all the possibilities that it brings. God needs an Army willing to be saturated by the Spirit of God. God needs an army that chooses the spiritual over the worldly. God needs an Army that puts Salvation before self.

God needs you.

He needs us.

Maybe you are tired of hitting brick walls. It is tiring.

Listen.

There is no leader, no system, no denomination, no self built belief, no enemy who will ever override God.

So I pray today that we will receive strength to have a faith so strong that we believe God will get us over any wall.

Believe the vision he has laid on you. Test it, pray for it, carry it.

Be prepared to die for it. 

So this world will be saved. 

A Call to the Salvation Army (Re-Run)

Over the last three weeks I have had a few thousand requests from all over the world to re-publish this blog post.

Thank you for all the texts and emails regarding this post especially those from USA, Canada and Australia who this word particularly seems to resonate with.

Much grace and blessing

So here it is.


So it's one of those mad days.

Tensions were running high
.
Mindsets,  damaged by the virulent chargedness of alcohol,  heroin,  and other dark elixers seemed to be in overdrive.

Two guys were arguing over some insignificant issue.

They were about to wade into each other with a menace in their eyes and a venom in their veins until I managed to step in between them.

Another guy was struggling not to vomit after downing three litres of cider before 9am.  Eventually a technicolour yawn did occur!

Then another lady who has just one tooth was crying loudly because she said she had to go to the dentist for a tooth out,  you do the maths!

I don't know.

There is something in the air today.

Mind you it went quiet for half an hour while the City beat police came in for some soup.
As soon as they left?

Back to Ravingmad Salvation Army Corps.

Later on, in walks Ruth, a young girl heavily addicted to drugs.  We hadn't seen her for a while as she's been in Jail.  Her arm was badly injured from a fall.  We cleaned her up and bandaged her wound.  She started to cry,  she was crying for her mum,  who has long lost touch with her. She cried herself to sleep and spent the rest of the day sleeping on one of our couches.
Watching her sleep,  she looks like an angel.

A question rises upon  my mind.

Why do these people get drawn to the Salvation Army?

When we planted Sanctuary 21, we didn't have much of strategy.  We cleaned the building up,  opened the door one day and prayed like mad. We agreed with God we would deal with the whatsoever and the whosoever.

Not much of a plan eh?

But here's the thing.

I honestly believe that in our DNA,  the lifeblood of the Salvation Army is that we are house of justice.

A star in the East.

A champion of the whosoever and the whatsoever.

A warm breast where the poor and the needy,  the outcasts an the forgotten can lay their heads.

The Spirit of God then layed this word on my lips and my heart, and I felt an incredible urge to share this on my Blog.

The Spirit of God says,  get ready for an influx of the broken.  Ready yourselves to do whatever it takes to embrace the poor, the sick,  the Fatherless and the homeless. This is the heart I gave you.  Open your hearts,  open your doors, break open your Citadels.  Make them houses of justice. Make ready for the whatsoever, do not sing and shout about the whosoever and then pick and choose who fits in.  My Salvation is for everyone says the Lord. The Spirit of God says I put out a call to the visionaries who have been re-routed,  you are down but not out.  Return to the ranks, return to where it began.  The march is back on. Listen up! The last will be first.  The tables are set.  They are coming from literally anywhere and everywhere.  Get ready,  return to the track, draw a line on the past,  freshen the now, grasp the future.  I set the Salvation Army through the vision seekers of the past. The track is set. Go immediately to the track I set. You are one with the Church,  you have to be one with each other in order to fight. The Spirit of God says you are my open heart,  my tears, my comfort to the needy.  Get ready.  They are coming.  Go and rescue them in the streets,  the back alleys,  the low places,  the ruins of a world in turmoil.  Stand up and fight not with strategies and programmes,  and even that which is business,  but with open lives,  massive hearts,  brave hearts. I will give you a heart of flesh.  Hearts burning,  bodies willing to die to save the lost.  Get ready.  A wave of favour is coming. The fight is on. You will be justice fighters. An Army of freedom.

Ruth has awoke and is crying for her mum again.

I watch as Dawn and one of our volunteers cradle her.

It's the Salvation Army,  fighting for the lives of the broken.

And fighting for these very lives?

It's the only way.

Eye Level

Supermarkets.

I really don’t like supermarkets.

Supermarkets mean one thing to me.

I have to go shopping.

With my wife Dawn.

I hate shopping.

I noticed something the other day when I was shopping.

I noticed that all the best items in a supermarket are stacked at eye-level.

It’s set like that so the best stuff can be easily seen.

After a quick burst of research, (Search engines to be precise) I read that big corporations hire experts to work those things out.

Eye level is apparently what makes the consumer market tick.

So eye level is pretty important.

John 1: 14 says, “The word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like father, like son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (The Message)

Here is God making himself eye level to the world.

Not distant and languishing on some insignificant high back shelf.

No, putting himself right in front of our eyes.

I had to laugh at newspaper and internet reports in the UK over Easter claiming that a vicar advised people in an Easter message to celebrate Easter by staying in bed, eating chocolate and having sex.

His congregation, according to the papers, increased by 100 the next week.

Here’s what I want to say to that.

Back shelf Christianity is a cheap option.

And the world loves a bargain.

So we rush to buy it.

The real stuff at eye level is a bit expensive.

And costs more.

And times are hard.

A lie in, chocolate and sex!

Wow!

Sounds great on the face of it.

But none of these things last long!

Especially Chocolate!

I mean, listen, Jesus suffered a horrendous death, in order to bring eternal spiritual opportunity to the world.

Eye level stuff.

It came at great cost to him.

He paid with his human life.

I am sitting writing this in Sanctuary 21 Salvation Army in Durham this morning at one of the tables in the café. There is a guy with a criminal past, a dangerous guy, who comes every day for a bowl of soup. He’s just come over to my table where I am working, and asked can he sit with me. He has been away on holiday and wants to give me the low-down on it. I initially feel frustrated that I am being disturbed, as I am in the writing flow-zone. The two words I am writing about, “eye level” come firing at my heart like an exocet. This guy needs my total attention. So I drop my pen.  I need to make myself eye level, sack the writing, and make my whole being available. Because this guy desperately needs a saviour.

And right now I’m his only hope as Jesus displays himself through me.

How true it is when people say, “The Church is the hope of the world.”

Bed, chocolate and sex, as great as all three are in their proper contexts, are not the hope of the world.

Jesus is operating at eye-level.

That’s where we need to be operating.

So today guys let’s get ourselves off the back shelf.

Let’s not hide behind the worldly.

That’s the cheap option.

Let’s make sure we are operating at eye level.

So that the world can see the real Jesus in us.

Die to Live (Good Friday)

There are people all over the hall space.

Some are praying, some are reflecting, some drinking steaming cups of coffee straight from the percolator. A succession of tracks from a carefully selected playlist, flow smooth from the PA system. The soft colours of the stage lights project reds, greens and sodium yellow into every corner of the room.

The atmosphere is spiritually electrifying.

It’s Good Friday.

People have gathered for a two-hour reflection.

A kind of “just you and God” space.

I am sitting at the multi-media work station at the back of the hall, and I just feel ready and indeed spiritually compelled to just write this blog post.

Because I feel astonished.

I feel overwhelmed.

Astonished that Jesus Christ died for us.

So we can live.

Overwhelmed that he would do that so that the world has eternal consequences.

I am thinking about what the death of Jesus means to me as a soldier of Jesus?

And surprise surprise a question hits me hard.

How prepared am I to die in order to live?

My imagination antennas kick in.

Imagine if I was prepared to die for the vision God has laid on my heart.

Imagine if I was prepared to die to everything I consider my own?

Imagine if I was prepared to die so that others may live?

Imagine if I was prepared to die so that the amazing news that Jesus is a living reality could reach millions?

It’s Good Friday.

Great Friday.

Astonishing Friday.

My gaze catches an image of Jesus nailed to the cross.

I think I am more astonished than ever.

I’m actually overwhelmed.

And feel ready and able.

Ready and able to die to self.

Ready to die for the vision, the vision is Jesus.

Last week a Dennis a guy who comes to S21 for a coffee and myself were called out into a street in the City to help a guy who comes to our soup run every day.

He was so drunk that he couldn’t stand up and was in grave danger of losing his life.

We picked him up off the floor and sat him upright on the kerb, thousands were walking past oblivious.

Dennis and I deliberated over the best course of action. Shall we call an ambulance? Shall I get my own car and take him to hospital?

In the end we just sat with him. I ran back to S21 and got him a black coffee, not that that would really help, but it’s what we decided to do.

We eventually managed, with the help of a passer-by to get him down to S21.

As I sat with him on a step outside our building, he looked at me and said with barely audible slurred words, “Gary will you help me? I hate this.”

Right then I felt a sense of hopelessness on my part.

This guy is trapped in the grip of alcoholism and that’s a seemingly hopeless situation.

I couldn’t see how he would ever overcome it.

But?

It’s Good Friday.

Overcoming is the business of the cross.

Jesus overcame death and sin.

Which means?

In the backflow of that glorious happening, we can overcome anything.

I prayed right then and there out loud that an overcoming would happen in this guys life.

Truly nothing is impossible for a God who overcame death and sin.

Hope flooded into my heart at breakneck speed.

Suddenly it felt like I was sitting at the foot of the cross with this guy.

And I knew I can die for the vision.

I knew in the power of the Spirit of God I will fight for the lives of those of whom overcoming is impossibility.

Jesus died a horrendous death full of humiliation and extreme pain.

It’s astonishing to think that the death we focus on today ultimately brings life to every situation.

God always wins!

So then guys, what seemingly is an impossibility to overcome in your life today?

Hey?

A negative spirit?

An illness?

An addiction?

A relationship problem?

A work issue?

An attitude issue?

A financial issue?

What is it?

Sitting in the seat of hopelessness is getting you nowhere?

Is it?

Die to hopelessness.

Grasp a hold of the hope of the cross right now.

Live to die.

For Christ.

Die for the lost.

That is where the life will always be.