A
Prophecy for the Western Territories of The Salvation Army and
for Individual Soldiers Within The Salvation Army
by Andrew Bale
Editor's Remarks: in January 2007, Major Janet Munn prophesied
that "The Salvation Army is coming into its finest hour." It
is in this context that we offer the prophecy from Andrew Bale
(also in January). Please consider Bale's offering as a
potential means of positioning ourselves so that God can
fulfill Munn's word.
The following came to me today in prayer and I share it in
humility – may God bless, redeem, sanctify and use the
Salvation Army – Hallelujah!
“The Salvation Army is one of my favoured children. In your
youth I gave you a multicoloured coat woven with a weft of
marvellous signs and wonders, but over the years you have
rebelled against me until you are no longer able to recognise
the sound of my voice. It is bad enough when a parent and
child refuse to speak but when one fails to recognise the
voice of the other the situation has become tragic. I am
speaking to you as much as I ever have done but you do not
recognise my voice.
• I am still calling you in the direction of the
disenfranchised and friendless but you cannot hear me.
• I will am still calling you to purity of living and holiness
but you cannot hear me.
• I am still calling you to stand between the oppressed and
the oppressor but you cannot hear me.
• I am still calling you to the mighty work of soul winning
but you cannot hear me.
• I am still calling you to poverty, persecution and victory
but you cannot hear me.
The once covenanted warriors of my Salvation Army have become
desensitised to my voice.
Like the early church you were born with a rush of Pentecostal
fire and your early years were accompanied by salvation war
and revival. You were persecuted because you made serious
inroads into the devil’s territory and the narrow way that led
to heaven was crowded with your converts. You found again the
pearl of holiness and sold all that you had to possess it.
Now you have become a “Sinful nation, a people loaded with
guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! You
have forsaken the LORD; you have spurned the Holy One of
Israel and turned your backs on him.” (Verse 4)
I have seen your suffering and I beg you to stop your wilful
self-harm.
“Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in
rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart
afflicted…” (Verses 5-7)
Your Corps are closing, your seats are empty, your halls are
falling into disrepair and you have no money to rebuild them.
Other denominations are trying to use the weapons I crafted
for you – they are trying – but they are not you and their
armour is ill-fitting and clumsy, they have not read the
manual, they have not been properly drilled, your methods –
the tactics designed for you are alien to them.
“Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your
fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid
waste as when overthrown by strangers.” (Verse 7)
Yet in spite of this breakdown in our relationship, in spite
of your rebellion and your self-harm and poverty you continue
with your religious ordinances. You march to deserted streets
and preach to nobody. You feed the slave and clothe him but
fail to break his chains. You polish your holiness tables but
deny the possibility of purity. You hold music festivals that
are nothing but concerts with an ‘amen’ at the end.
You parade your good works like phylacteries ensuring
that the world - along with your right hand - knows exactly
what your left hand is doing. This offends me, I find it
detestable, it is worse than the sin of
Sodom
and Gomorrah
- I never asked for this.
“Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is
detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I
cannot bear your evil assemblies.” (Verse 13)
You are praying and even fasting but I have blocked my ears –
Salvation Army I am not listening to you.
“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes
from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.”
Go and wash yourself, your hands are stained with blood for
the road to hell is now crowded with the shuffling
hopelessness of those I raised you up to save and their blood
is on your hands – you think it is enough to feed them and
clothe them and wash them but it is not enough. There is no
greater contradiction than yours for your arrogant self
obsession slaps a man on the back with a hearty ‘God bless
you’ and then turns away as he falls into the fiery fissures
of hell.
“Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn
to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.” (Verse
16-18)
Once you depended on me, you bought where you had no money,
you attacked where you had no chance of victory and you opened
fire on a wing and a prayer. Once heaven rang with the sound
of your volleys and the angels wept at the audaciousness of
your evangelism but now you have prostituted yourself. Now you
have taken what is Caesar’s and failed to give me what is
mine. You have taken
Babylon’s money and bedded the heathen
philanthropist. You have sacrificed your right to pray and
preach for the chance to buy a building. Once you shouted ‘no
compromise’ but now you are all compromise.
“See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was
full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now
murderers!” (Verse 21)
What is my judgement to be? How will I treat you? What is my
response to your individual and corporate sin?
“Come let us reason together…”
I am looking and waiting for you. Like the prodigal I can see
you now feeding on the scraps of this unclean world. It is in
this mess, that you have created, that you must come to your
senses. Dear Salvation Army come back to me for I have a robe
and a ring and a fattened calf all waiting for you. It is time
to come home!
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from
the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by
the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Verses
18-20)
I have left for myself a remnant and if they will humble
themselves and identify themselves in repentance and sorrow
then I will unblock my ears and clear my eyes and let the
‘revolution now begin’.
• The cost is repentance.
• The cost is a full renunciation of the values and standards
of this world.
• The cost is a new and brave exposure to total dependence
upon me.
• The cost is a full consecration of all you have and are to
me (all I have ever asked is that you love me with all your
heart, soul, body and mind – I am a jealous God and will not
share your love with another!)
“I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away
your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your
judges as in days of old, your counsellors as at the
beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of
Righteousness, the
Faithful City." Zion will be redeemed with justice,
her penitent ones with righteousness.”
The future of the Salvation Army will be settled in the next
10 years – it is a clear choice – repent and live or rebel and
die.”
Yours set apart by Christ for the lost, in the Army.
Andrew Bale
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