Daryl Lach tells the story of how John Donovan found salvation from his alcohol addiction through faith in Jesus. This article is re-blogged from “The War Cry”, October 2021.
Tag: Salvation Army
Lieutenant Macy Theriot Shares her Testimony
I was given the fortunate opportunity to become friends with Macy when she was serving in Fargo. She shared her wonderful testimony with the Salvation Army War Cry, which I am re-blogging here:
No Longer Neglected, Unwanted, Unloved by Lieutenant Macy Theriot
The Authority We Follow
by Jon Kauffman
Recently I attended a seminar. During the question and answer time, I asked 2 questions:
I said, John 20:21-23 says: 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Question one: if a Christian does not forgive a non-Christian, does that mean that the non-Christian cannot be forgiven?
Question two: Many Christians approved of the US military killing many more people in the Middle East in (revenge?) Can any of those people Middle East be forgiven?
In reference to the second question, one of the seminar leaders said that Christians had the responsibility to follow the authority of the state.
Who is the final authority for a Christian? Is it the state?
Do we have the authority to follow the leadership of the state when the leading of the state conflicts with the teachings of Jesus?
As Christians, I believe that our allegiance belongs to Jesus. Our responsibility to obey the state ends when their request conflicts with the teaching of Jesus. We must refuse to do anything that is in conflict with the teaching of Jesus.
Jesus, The Kingdom of God and the State.
Jesus began his ministry by rejecting government as a solution to build his Kingdom and ended his ministry rejecting government.
Jesus overcame the temptation of using the state to build the Kingdom of God when the devil tempted him in the desert.
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Matthew 4:8-10 NIV.
Jesus rejected using the state to build the Kingdom of God when he tells Pilate that his Kingdom is not of this world.
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18: 33-37 NIV
Refusing to Bow to the State.
Peter and the other apostles said we must obey God rather than men:
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:29 NIV
Weapons of the Kingdom of God
Paul tells us that the weapons of the Kingdom of God are not the same as the weapons of the world.
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5,6
Rebelling Against Government
In Romans 13, Paul says Christians are subject to the governing authorities. Nowhere does Romans mention that Christians should participate in violence. Quite the opposite. Many Jews, including some of Jesus’ disciples prior to the resurrection, wanted to violently overthrow Rome.
Paul says in Romans 13 that whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against God. Rome treated the Jews far more unjustly than England ever treated the American colonists. Paul told the Christians not to rebel and yet there are some Christians who use this passage to justify Christians participating in war. Some of these same Christians also believe the 13 colonies had God’s approval when they rebelled against the English!?
Salvation
Some use Romans 13 to suggest that we are required to give the state great authority. However leading up to Romans 13 is Romans 10:9.
Romans 10:9 says: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
If Jesus is Lord or (King) or (President) is it even possible to consider the worldly government (USA) (Great Britain) (Russian) etc. is in any way a higher authority than Jesus?
How Jesus Treated Enemies
In Matthew 8:5-13, Jesus showed us how to treat our enemies.
The centurion was an enemy soldier. It is quite possible the centurion was one of the soldiers involved in killing Jews on crosses. Romans used the cross to keep the rebels in line.
When Jesus healed the centurion’s servant, this is like an American Christian supplying Osama bin Laden with a dialysis machine in 2002. Or an American doctor helping a close adviser of Hitler using his medical healing powers during World War Two.
Position Of The Early Church On Violence
Even after Constantine came to power in 306 AD the 300 Bishops in the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) called Christians to leave the military and this was the official view of the Roman church at that time.
“Those who endured violence and were seen to have resisted, but who afterwards yielded to wickedness, and returned to the army, shall be excommunicated for ten years.” Excerpt from Cannon 12 of the Council of Nicaea.
Retraction: I was in error on the meaning of Cannon 12 of the Council of Nicaea. Constantine lead the Council of Nicaea and he desired a great military. It is unlikely he would have a Cannon which condemned military service. This council was actually likely directed against the followers of Constantine’s co-emperor, Licinius, who during the civil war required his soldiers to sacrifice to pagan gods. The soldiers mentioned in Cannon 12 are soldiers who followed Licinius’ orders to sacrifice to these gods. See “Christian History for Everyman.” 6/2/2022
Reasons Christians Give to Say Violence by Christians is Legitimate
Edited: 10/9/2021
Edited: 6/2/2022
Copyright © 2021 by Jon Kauffman. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted when used to further the Kingdom of God. Permission is gladly given to re-blog this post.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Sunday September 27th, 2020 is annual day of prayer for human trafficking.
1685 BC.
JOSEPH’S STORY
Joseph is sold by is 11 brothers into slavery in Egypt. Through miracles and blessing from God, Joseph saves his family and Egypt from starvation.
2020 AD
JENNY’S STORY
MY NAME IS JENNY and for most of my life I have been happy. I have been fortunate to have a good education to degree level and have worked for many years as a teacher. As a single parent though there never seemed to be enough money and I was really worried about the bills. I started to look for jobs in the capital then one day I noticed a job being advertised as a maid in a private home in the United Arab Emirates. The pay was a lot more than I was getting here so I was pleased when I got the job. But when I got there I realized very quickly that I had made a big mistake. My employer immediately took my passport and phone and said I could not call my family. I was forced to work long hours for very little money. I had to look after his two sons who saw how badly their parents treated me and thought they could do the same. The boys would fight and often used me as a punching bag. One day I found out that I had been sold to another family and life was even worse. I had to sleep on the floor in an outhouse and was always starving. Often, I would just be given leftovers and felt so weak and tired. I was so embarrassed that I had been such a fool but decided to call my aunty at home. She was so upset but called the embassy who arranged for the police to rescue me and take me to a safe place until they were able to get me home.
Once home I was welcomed into a project run by The Salvation Army. I stayed with a host family whilst I got back on my feet. They didn’t judge me but made me feel valued and like a normal person again. When I left them I was given money to start my own business. I am so grateful The Salvation Army helped to give me my life back.
Quoted from “Fight for Freedom” Part 1 The Salvation Army Guide to Fighting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
MICHAEL’S STORY
I HAD A GOOD LIFE. NOT GREAT BUT GOOD. It was a shock when my wife left me. I started drinking too much and lost my job then my house. Living on the streets I sometimes felt invisible. I thought things couldn’t get worse. Little did I know… Some Salvation Army people used to give out free hot food in the churchyard. I was at the end of a long queue when two men came up and offered me work. They said it would be long hours but I didn’t care, it was good money and a chance to turn my life around. After I’d eaten, three of us got into their van. They took us to a kind of camp where we stayed in an old shed. I couldn’t believe it. We had to sleep on stinking mattresses. There were no toilets and nowhere to wash. You wouldn’t keep a dog in a place like that. Every day we left the camp very early and then knocked on people’s doors asking if they wanted any work doing, mending roofs, and digging gardens. We were picked up when it got dark. We were always hungry and afraid. Some got beaten up, punched in the head, or kicked. We worked six days a week and were given money for cigarettes and beer. Someone tried to escape but was beaten with a spanner. It was like they had a hold over us.
One Sunday the police raided the camp. Someone must have told them about us. When I looked around, I saw how ill everyone looked; skinny and unwell. I went back to The Salvation Army and told them what had happened, and they have been helping me since. I am still nervous about going out alone but at least I’m free.
Quoted from “Fight for Freedom” Part 1 The Salvation Army Guide to Fighting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
WHAT HAVE OTHERS DONE?
A variety of awareness activities and materials have been used in The Salvation Army in the past. Here are a few examples:
• Awareness-raising at major sports events or festivals, knowing that the number of victims trafficked increases at such venues often for sexual and labor exploitation.
• Awareness-raising targeting young people in schools, after-school clubs, mentoring programs and youth and children events.
• Campaigns to ensure taxi drivers know that they might be transporting victims of human trafficking.
• An online campaign to challenge manufacturers regarding fair and just working conditions.
• Raising awareness with farmers and rural community leaders to ensure that they know that they might inadvertently have workers on their land who are under the control of traffickers.
• Setting up information stands at job centers and university fairs to raise awareness about risky job offers when migrating.
• Providing training sessions on how to spot signs of modern slavery and human trafficking to healthcare and police enforcement professionals who may otherwise come into contact with victims without identifying them.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
What can your church do about human trafficking? Join in the fight for freedom. See the Salvation Army Website. Fight For Freedom.
The Salvation Army workers in one city are befriending and witnessing the love of Jesus to pimps. When a pimp becomes a follower of Jesus often 10 to 12 girls also receive their freedom.
We can support the Salvation Army as volunteers or financially.
We can support “The Wellhouse.”
The Wellhouse – I-20: The Sex Trafficking Superhighway
Please pray for victims and perpetrators of human trafficking.
Revised 11/22/2021
Silly Joke #1
A Catholic priest, a Salvation Army colonel and a Mennonite bishop were friends who lived in the same city. They were friends because they belonged to the city ecumenical club.
They decided to attend an ecumenical conference and to demonstrate their ecumenicism they rode together for the four hour drive. After the conference they discovered the keys in the ignition and the doors locked.
The Catholic priest said, “Let’s break the window and fix it when we get home.”
The Mennonite bishop said, “No it’s my car, we can’t do that. I’ll call my wife and she’ll bring the extra keys.”
The Salvation Army Colonel disagreed, “We’d wait four hours for the keys and then it would still be a four hour drive home. Let’s call a locksmith.”
They began to argue spiritedly holding tight to their positions. After an half hour of arguing, with the same success convincing each other as they had when they argued theology, they seemed to be getting nowhere.
Suddenly the Catholic priest said, “We must resolve this quickly! Look at those storm clouds. In 5 minute it will begin pouring down rain and the inside of the car will get all wet if we don’t get that top up.
Borrowed from Christian Nonviolence and the Desire to Know the Truth by Rev. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy.
This joke was also told by Ronald Reagan.
Three fellows came out of a building and discovered the keys were locked in the car. One of them said, “Get me a coat hanger and I’ll straighten it out and unlock the door.” The second one said, “No you can’t do that, someone will think you’re stealing the car.” The third one said, “Well we better do something because it’s starting to rain and the top’s down.”
Compilation of Ronald Reagan’s Humor from Selected Speeches, 1981-89.
Reasons to Kill
All My Posts (Links)
Edited: 10/23/2021
NONVIOLENT CHRISTIANS 