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Advance!
by
Major Allen Satterlee
Southern Spirit – February 20, 2008
Never in its
history has The Salvation Army been more split between
greatness and failure, advance and retreat, zeal and coldness.
There are places in the world where the forward march is a
full gallop. In other places the withdrawal is just as
pronounced. In another the blur of battle makes it impossible
to report the full extent of the enemy’s rout. What’s
different where the Army surges?
First, there is an utter confidence in God’s Word. There is no
hint of doubt as to whether it is the true Word of God, any
misgiving that there might be mistakes contained in its pages,
any foolish speculation about how it compares to other holy
books in the world. Its words transform. Its counsel
enlightens. Its commands guide. But if you are dismissing the
things you don’t like, when the trumpet sounds you’ll miss the
advance.
Second, victory is expected. No doubt, there is sin in the
world and evil is afoot. No question that Satan devours all he
can with an insatiable hunger for more. But he shall not have
the last word; sin will not win the day. For the Lamb has come
not only to bleed but to conquer. There is no iniquity greater
than the blood of Christ. There is no soul beyond the reach of
the One who came to claim the wayward world. When a soul is
won there is no time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of
victory. There are more souls and more opportunities to push
the enemy closer to the abyss.
Thirdly, there is a stone-hard conviction that The Salvation
Army is God’s instrument in the world. Barefoot soldiers
proudly wear their wrinkled and stained uniform with no
concern as to how fashionable it is or worse yet, puzzle over
whether to wear that or a pair of jeans or a pretty dress. The
flag is not just something trotted out for ceremony but the
standard that proclaims the Army’s message and rallies the
troops when the enemy assails. Corps buildings are not known
for their architectural appeal but are judged by how effective
they are at being the maternity wards of the Kingdom.
The cost is counted and it is reckoned to be a bargain.
Nothing is owned that cannot be sacrificed. No place is home
that cannot be forsaken should the call come to go to the next
town or the next country. No limitation of ability or
education or talent stands in the way of rushing forward to
the war. Salvationists do not weigh their service in the Army
by how fulfilling it is or whether they can find the right fit
of their spiritual gifts with a comfortable ministry.
The question is never, “How can we be expected to do this?”
Rather, the belief is that is the challenge has been given,
then God by His grace and power will see to it that it can be
done. And if we fail, and failures are quite frequent, it will
mean that we regroup and attack again. If we cannot speak the
language, we will learn it. If we cannot stand in front of
people, we will continue to get up and do it until we can. The
work is too important to wring hands and whimper about the
conditions.
To not advance is to die. No war is ever won on the defensive,
no victory claimed when the call to arms is unheeded. We
cannot win by conducting the war as we have. We have been
infested with the culture of plenty when self-denial is
demanded, of seeking success instead of conquest, of playing
video games instead of fighting a war. God forgive us for
satisfying ourselves by watching from the grandstands the
victories happening somewhere else. Let’s advance as the Army
God raised us up to be.
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