Revive (April 2014)

VOL 6 NO 2

APRIL-JUNE 2014

SEEING THE SIGNPOSTS HANNAH’S STORY

GUIDED

BY TRUTH BIBLE STUDY

ANAESTHETISED AGAINST IMMORALITY

NAVIGATING THE

Moral Minefield E Q U I P P I N G

W O M E N

F O R

M I N I S T R Y

+

M I S S I O N

reviews

Wilful Blindness –

Why we Ignore the Obvious at our Peril

by Margaret Heffernan In this book Margaret Heffernan writes of the undercurrent present in so many moral decisions made by people in circumstances and situations from around the world: known as wilful blindness. Studying the natural tendency of the brain to believe what it wants to be true, rather than truth based on evidence, the author leads us to a fascinating discovery.

Studies in the book range from the Holocaust to a husband’s illicit affair – demonstrating that corporate and personal wilful blindness lead to extremes of moral breakdown and often disaster, permitting horrible injustices and immoral decisions to go unchecked. The US banking mortgage collapse/scam and the Enron scandal are also studies within the book. What the book most powerfully suggests is that it only takes one or two people to stop conforming to the pattern of wilful blindness to make a real difference in the world.

What are the traits that need to change? Studying ‘whistle-blowers’ or people who did not accept wilful blindness as an option, the author compares their actions and realises that far from troublemakers or ‘pot stirrers’, whistle-blowers are usually those most committed to the mission – the most loyal supporters of the cause. They have an overriding desire for truth. They don’t want just to appear to be doing good – they really do want to do good, and this leads them to decide on a deep moral integrity that can literally change the world.

I recommend this book because, rather than just examining one moral issue, it gets to the behaviour beneath the moral decisions we make – what drives us to remain quiet and conforming to a pattern of deceit or delusion that needs to be changed. Let’s believe together that Romans 12:2 is a reality for us – and that by God’s Holy Spirit we can become the people who bring change on earth by choosing the truth.

The Salvation Army Year Book 2014 It is amazing that the publication of a book that takes the same format and contains similar features year after year is, nevertheless, eagerly anticipated. Such a book is The Salvation Army Year Book 2014.

This annual offering not only reports on the events of the year under review but also anticipates the direction in which The Salvation Army is moving in the year ahead. The Foreword by General André Cox serves to introduce the Army’s 20th General and outlines where he expects the Army to be moving in the future. While the General talks about transition, Jo Clark talks about moving with the times. This is a forward-looking book.

The 2014 Year Book does not give too much space to lengthy articles, but is a great depository of information. The reader can learn about leaders past and present, plus the significant events that have occurred in each territory, command or region. There are statistics – about membership, institutions or the extent to which other agencies have funded Salvation Army development projects or overseas service funds.

If you are invited to talk about The Salvation Army or just want a broader picture of its activities, reach no further than the current Year Book. It provides potted histories, the scope of work and – if you really need it – the name (in its local language) of every periodical published!

Major Christine Clement

Major Danielle Strickland

Available from: www.amazon.com

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Available at: www.amazon.co.uk www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/salvationbooks For enquiries telephone [44] (0)207 332 8087 or email IHQ-Editorial@salvationarmy.org

inside

feature

NAVIGATING THE MORAL MINEFIELD

17

10

05 Seeing the signposts 08 To live a pure life 11 Lost and found

APRIL-JUNE 2014

revive@salvationarmy.org

12 Guided by truth BIBLE STUDY 15 A transformed life MY STORY

21 Taking my stand

05

COLUMNS

IN EVERY ISSUE

10 Humble service and effective leadership LEADERSHIP

02 Book Reviews

17 Anaesthetised against immorality SPIRITUAL LIFE

18 The Prayer House

19 Pointing the way through a moral maze

04

Editorial

15

23 Coming events/iQuote

Front cover: Hannah Dale, photo by Joe Vericker Back cover: Romans 12:2 in English and Swahili design by Berni Georges All Bible quotations throughout this edition of Revive are from the New International Version 2011 unless stated otherwise TM - The Message, GW - God’s Word, NASB - New American Standard Bible, NKSV - New King James Version, KJV - King James Version, GNB - Good News Bible, NLT - New Living Translation, SASB - The Song Book of The Salvation Army

Articles on any subject of interest to women in ministry are welcomed by the editor. To send an article, write to revive@salvationarmy.org

A resource magazine for women in ministry and mission Publisher: Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries Editor: Commissioner Nancy Roberts Editorial Support: Paul Mortlock and Kevin Sims Design, illustration: Berni Georges, Jooles Tostevin © André Cox, General of The Salvation Army, 2014 Founders of The Salvation Army: William and Catherine Booth Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

Contact email address: revive@salvationarmy.org

The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH United Kingdom

Subscription details at: http://sar.my/revsubu (Revive subscription UK) http://sar.my/revsubo (Revive subscription overseas)

Revive 3

editorial

Clinging to God’s way through a moral minefield Commissioner Nancy Roberts EDITOR World Secretary for Women’s Ministries

O

ver the centuries erosion has changed the landscape of countries throughout the world. The Grand Canyon in the United States of America is just one example of what – given time – wind, water and sand (along with earthquakes!) can do. In many parts of our world volcanoes have not only disrupted life, but have annihilated it completely. Even today wars and genocide continue to change the world around us, and we have witnessed the erosion of morals and laws in one society after another.

‘Today ... Christian values and morals are being eroded, exploding before our eyes’

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Just as gigantic waves have beaten the coast of England in the past few months and flooding has taken over large portions of the land, so our morals and Christian values are being beaten down and engulfed by what seem to be violent waves of immoral behaviour. Today, in all areas of our lives and in the media Christian values and morals are being eroded, exploding before our eyes. We are living in a moral minefield.

Our writers in this issue of Revive have taken a look at how this erosion of Christian laws and values has created the moral minefield through which we walk today. In their articles they challenge us with ways to become ever more aware of what is happening around us and of how we should cling to that which we know to be God’s way.

It has been my privilege to fill in as editor of this and the previous issue of Revive. From the next edition we welcome a new Editor – Major Deslea Maxwell – and look with anticipation to her making her mark on this influential publication.

We also want to thank Major Sandra Welch for the time she spent as Editor.

feature atingl Navig ora The M ld f e Min ie

Seeing the

by Hannah Dale

A

s a young child I remember watching Princess Diana delicately navigate her way through Bosnian minefields. Asking my parents to explain this to me, I was horrified that the poor, war-focused decisions of a person in the past could result in the death or maiming of a harmless child so many years later. To make it through these areas of danger, a person would have to know that

‘Sometimes the injuries and scars of our experiences can leave us vulnerable to wandering again into danger’

the danger was there. They would have to take every step with the utmost caution, and be equipped with the tools necessary to alert them if they were about to be seriously injured by a landmine. But these brave people, who have gone through the field before us, can show the safe path through.

The last three generations of women in my family have been both victims and victors when navigating the moral minefield of their worlds. My grandmother, an integral part of my upbringing, was herself once deeply entrenched in a minefield of poverty and prostitution. My mother grew up being passed around by various relatives and spending nights at the bar in the company of strange men. She was sexually abused and neglected, but then The Salvation Army reached out and took her under its wing.

Eventually my grandmother came to see her daughter’s various choir and instrumental performances at the church. Through Revive 5

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‘The last three generations of women in my family have been both victims and victors when navigating the moral minefield of their worlds’

God’s boundless grace, she was able to see that the life she was living was a destructive war zone of sin. When she accepted Christ as her personal saviour, the safe path became clear for the first time in countless years.

Rarely is there only one period of trial and temptation in life.

Sometimes the injuries and scars of our experiences can leave us vulnerable to wandering again into danger. My mother fell prey to some of the same poor choices as my grandmother, and was pregnant at the age of 19 after years of cocaine use and wild partying. She struggled with these life choices and stayed in an unhappy marriage for 26 years before leaving to go back to what she wanted out of life, rather than seeking God’s will. My sister too found herself unexpectedly becoming a mother and in an unhappy marriage. The cycle had repeated three times over.

With all of these abused women around me, struggling to escape their minefields of regret, hurt and various vices, I wish I could say that my early love for the Lord saved me some of the same scars, but sadly I too was in a minefield for three years of my young adult life. Battling to escape a relationship full of severe sexual and physical abuse by the supposedly Christian man I was dating, everything I knew about right and wrong was lost. The more I was abused by him and his male family and friends, the more the devil convinced me that an escape from the damage being inflicted on my heart would simply be impossible.

With so many people around me in bondage, how was I supposed to escape? I wasn’t better or smarter than the bright, beautiful women in my family, and felt that I didn’t deserve God’s saving grace. I had seen the signposts of danger ahead and foolishly stepped forward, ignoring all that I knew about how temptation could destroy a person so mercilessly.

I was frozen in a cycle of sin and shame with no end in sight, utterly immobilised by the vast consequences of my decisions.

Just as I felt I would never be out of the minefield, I found myself reading some verses from the first Book of Peter: ‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen’ (1 Peter 5:6-11 ESV).

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In the middle of my personal war zone, this passage was my clear and shining path to safety and freedom. God still cared for me and my trials were shared by many. My grandmother, mother and sister stood where I was, but it was my grandmother who was able to walk away from the ‘mines’ of temptation and spiritual death – not in her own strength but because God personally lifted her out of the mud and mire and set her on a firm foundation of righteousness. Her intentional decision to give God dominion over her life forever is what kept her from returning to a life of sorrow.

She found peace, irrevocable joy and wisdom in the lush pastures of her gentle Shepherd. The moral landmines were still there, but because she knew where they lay she could step around them with a calm certainty that comes with being completely centred in Christ.

To navigate my way out of the darkness I had worked my way into, I had firstly to close my eyes and grasp the sturdy, nailpierced hand of Christ. It can be difficult to shut off our senses and follow the gentle pull of his will but, although at great cost, he had already navigated the ‘minefield’ on my behalf so he could show me the way to go. The moment Christ freed me from the chains of sin and destruction was the moment I realised that there was only one path and one person who knew it perfectly. Some 50 years earlier, my grandmother had found that same path and, like her, I found for the first time that my steps became light and I could walk without fear.

Sometimes the landmines in our lives appear because of our own mistakes and shortcomings. At other times they are ‘planted’ by people or events that hurt us – doubt, temptation, guilt or anger – carefully arranged by the knowing hands of the enemy. But even the most desperate situation cannot shut out the freedom to be found in safely following the steps of Christ. We might be able to take a few steps in our own strength, even perhaps to the edge of the danger zone before we eventually falter and fall, injured, back into the middle of it all. But in the full surrender of our heart – thoughts, words and deeds – to Christ’s omniscient love we will, as 1 Peter 5:10 promises, be restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established in the blessed safety of our heavenly Father’s arms.

Cadet Hannah Dale

is training to be a Salvation Army officer in the USA Eastern Territory Revive 7

feature

e v i To L

inodya

by Pa

hiridz mela S

(Ps

alm

51

:10

KJ

V)

‘Cr cle eate and an h in m spi ren eart, e a rit w ew O G ithin a ri od me ght , ’

a

e f i L e e r r u u P P

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L

iving a pure life that pleases God is not easy, yet we are commanded to do so. Being an officer or soldier does not keep us separated from the world and sin still tempts men and women who have committed their lives to God. Consider David, who was known as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ yet who went through times of disappointing God. In Psalm 51:10 we read that David cried out to God, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me’ (KJV).

We can also pray this prayer when we have failed God and need to be cleansed from sin; God can give us a pure heart and renew our spirit.

The terms ‘heart’ and ‘spirit’ are used in the Bible in various ways. Heart often denotes the will – the voluntary attitude or state of the will. Sometimes it is opposed to flesh, and is synonymous with mind as distinct from body. In Psalm 51 both heart and spirit seem to be used in the widest sense to include conscious actions and feelings but also those that are involuntary, that spring from the deepest ground of our being.

David did not regard his will as being opposed to God. His surrendered will is expressed in this earnest and most sincere prayer – that his whole being might be made pure. He prays for something that he calls a clean heart and a right spirit, which is more than merely a right state of the will. This may be wisely sought in prayer after one’s will is subdued, humbled, yielded to God and submissive.

A clean heart and a right spirit imply a thorough cleansing or sanctification of the whole mind. This involves the cleansing of the imagination, thoughts, desires, feelings – every part of human sensibility including habitual thoughts and feelings – that may often trouble the Christian and ensnare the soul. David prayed that God

feature ‘No matter how sin is shrouded in secrecy, the haunting fear of discovery is always present’

would do for him all that was needful to cleanse and keep him pure from sin. He prays to be made right throughout every part of his being.

A fervent offering of this prayer implies sincere repentance – a real turning of the will from all sin – for without this there cannot be sincere prayer for a clean heart. David cries aloud to God to give him a pure heart, as we have seen. He also asked God to: ‘Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin’ (v 2).

It is impossible to be clean and pure without experiencing God’s cleansing power. Once cleansed, it is important to cultivate the habit of clean living by choosing friends with Christian standards. Above all, followers of Jesus must stay away from those who would lead them into immorality.

One can fail to keep oneself pure in two ways – in motive and in action. We know that a sinful act can defile us, but Jesus also said that a man who ‘looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart’ (Matthew 5:28).

After seducing Uriah’s wife, King David cried out in anguish: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me’ (Psalm 51:1-3). As David offered this great prayer of confession perhaps he was thinking of his former relationship with God, one that had enabled him to write the sweet words of Psalm 23:1: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’

No matter how sin is shrouded in secrecy, the haunting fear of discovery is always present. As Solomon said, ‘The wicked flee when no man pursueth’ (Proverbs 28:1). To live in fear and guilt is a wretched way to live. To live with a condemned heart is to walk in ‘the valley of the shadow of death’. But God never intended for us to walk there. He calls all his people to purity and holiness.

The Master accompanies his followers over all of life’s troubled seas, calming their hearts and speaking peace to their spirits. God’s saving strength will preserve through any trial every soul who loves him. His saving power has proved to be sufficient for any occasion. Joseph, for example, when enslaved in Egypt in Potiphar’s house, came face to face with circumstances that made impurity easy and purity difficult, for ‘his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and she said, Lie with me’ (Genesis 39:7).

Standing true to his God, young Joseph refused. His heartfelt answer to that perverse woman stood as a mighty wall against her sin: ‘How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ (v 9).

Joseph suffered because of that decision, but it was one he never regretted, and he was greatly rewarded later in life. God

will reward us if we do as Joseph did, for no one who has dared to pay the price of living a holy consecrated life has ever been disappointed in Jesus. He exhorted his followers, ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48).

If we keep ourselves pure before God, our hearts may proclaim with David: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower’ (Psalm 18:2).

After he was spiritually restored David offered this splendid challenge to the Lord: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts’ (Psalm 139:23). By attaining to such confidence, one stands to receive God’s greatest blessings. So, let us strive to keep ourselves pure, despising every impure passion of the flesh. This may not make us popular with other people, but it will win God’s approval and give us a clear conscience.

But suppose you have failed, and many have, to keep yourself pure. What if you cannot testify to a true and blameless life since you came to Christ? Let me assure you that no failure need be final, except the failure to repent and start anew. To the woman taken in adultery, Jesus said: ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more’ (John 8:11). How could any woman sin again after experiencing mercy such as this? We are told nothing else about her yet surely we can feel confident that she did not return to her former unclean way of life May God help us to live a pure and clean life that will always please him. Words found in the first verse of song 426 in The Song Book of The Salvation Army can encourage us in this.

Why not read these as your prayer?

I want, dear Lord, a heart that’s true and clean, A sunlit heart, with not a cloud between; A heart like thine, a heart divine, A heart as white as snow; On me, dear Lord, a heart like this bestow.

Captain Pamela Shiridzinodya Editorial Assistant, Programme Resources Department, International Headquarters

Revive 9

leadership

Humble Service

&

Effective Leadership

L

iving in the 21st century, an era dominated by information technology, people can waver between fantasy and reality, being indecisive about what they should or should not do. Moral boundaries in the world are no longer clear and this has affected many people who become trapped in an unwholesome lifestyle from which it is hard to free themselves.

I believe that through sincere and concerted prayer it is possible to break the fetters of a sinful life, restore morality and revive a personal relationship with God, even though the world itself may be on the verge of apocalypse.

I am a strong advocate for the annual World Day of Prayer, which takes place internationally. If Christian women in every

‘Women members of The Salvation Army are engaged in various community services worldwide’ location, regardless of their family situation and living conditions, gather together to pray earnestly for their communities, the power generated will be enormous. Here is my experience.

I live in Puli Township, Nantou County, in Taiwan. In the year 2000 there were about 20 Christian churches in Puli Township and The Salvation Army was the newest and smallest one. I visited the pastors of other churches to explain the origin and purpose of the World Day of Prayer (held on the first Friday in March every year) and encourage them to hold united services. The other Salvationists and I were surprised to discover that neither the 10 Revive

Members of the Women’s Ministries of Puli Corps, Taiwan, follow the Army flag as they enter the venue for the World Day of Prayer

pastors nor their congregations had heard of it!

For two years all the churches we visited just waited. It was not until 2005 that the first church accepted my invitation to join in. I never stopped encouraging them to join us, and by 2013 many of them had responded to the invitation from the Women’s Ministries members of Puli Corps (church). Other churches – including Quakers, holiness, Catholic, Aboriginal and independent congregations – took turns to host the event and staff from Christian hospitals and social and welfare organisations also participated. I praise God that Women’s Ministries members are now the primary organisers of the World Day of Prayer in Puli.

Women members of The Salvation Army are engaged in various community services worldwide. Sometimes they must face the judgement and challenge of people with different viewpoints and values. We read in Mark’s Gospel that a woman from Bethany poured an alabaster jar of extremely precious ointment onto the head of Jesus, bringing judgement and indignation from others who were present. This scene illustrates the world’s opinion, that Jesus was NOT worthy of the expensive perfumed oil. However the Lord appreciated her full-hearted commitment and said, ‘Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her’ (14:9).

I believe that real Christian leadership is achieved through humble service, based on the gospel message of Jesus Christ and Christian values in life. The Salvation Army in Puli may have been the newest and smallest congregation, but God used it to encourage many larger churches to unite for the World Day of Prayer. In Puli Township we firmly believe that ‘The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’ (James 5:16).

Columnist for 2014 Captain Jenny Chen Corps Officer, Puli Corps Taiwan Region

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M

y name is Maria and I am 48 years old. I don’t know where I was born, but I was brought up in Benimarfull, near Alicante in Spain. I belonged to a Catholic group called Vincentian Marian Youth, where we studied the Word of God and I obtained some spiritual understanding.

My childhood was happy, but not my youth. That was a very difficult stage, because of the marginalisation I felt from society when I discovered that I was adopted. Even now I don’t know where I came from, who my parents are or whether I have any brothers or sisters. I try to imagine what my parents might look like and why they abandoned me. My adoptive parents died 10 years ago, taking that information with them, but despite this I have hope that I will find my birth parents one day.

‘Even now I don’t know where I came from, who my parents are’

by Maria Consuelo Blasco

I married when I was 34 – a marriage that lasted for 12 years and I had a daughter – but I was unhappy all the time.

In the last few years I tried to save the marriage by going to counselling, and this gave me my first contact with The Salvation Army in Alicante. My marriage left me feeling as though I was living in darkness and it dragged me down into a desperate situation, but it’s now two years since it ended, during which time I have experienced the mercy of God. The corps officers (ministers) spoke to me about God and gave me Christian literature to read. They invited me to Sunday meetings where I heard them speak about Jesus. In fact, I more than heard about him – I was able to experience a

personal relationship with him as well. Then I did voluntary work at the corps, helping to serve breakfast to the homeless, and while doing so I began to feel a desire to follow God, recognising that he had more in store for me.

After some time I decided to take the preparation course to become a soldier of The Salvation Army and to serve God in that way. I repeated the course, formalised my commitment to serve God and was enrolled as a soldier in September 2013.

Today I want to serve my Saviour and to know more of the one who gave his life for me. I am a new woman now, full of hope, and I am happy because I have Jesus in my heart. I know I have a long journey ahead, but it’s wonderful to know that I am not journeying on my own but that I am supported by a Christian family and the hand of the Lord Jesus.

Maria Consuelo Blasco Alicante Corps, Spain and Portugal Command

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bible study

h t u Tr h t u r T y b d Gu i d e

atingl Navig ra M The efoield Min

by Rhondda Durston

In

a world of growing complexity we can often find ourselves facing issues where there seems no clear resolution. These may involve business, political, personal, sexual or family matters. If such a situation escalates into a moral dilemma we may hear strongly competing voices on opposing sides of the argument. What resources are available to inform followers of Christ as they face moral minefields today, when there is no simple answer?

Jesus Christ, the perfect revelation of God, is our supreme example and authoritative teacher who places before us the ideal expression of Christian moral behaviour.

• Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to ‘guide you

into all the truth’ (John 16:13).

• We have Scripture which contains the record of that revelation, but how is that to be understood today?

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• We are aware that it took centuries

before the implications of freedom for slaves and equality of women were understood and applied.

• Both Word and Spirit are needed to guide us to interpret Scripture in these challenging days.

We turn to John’s Gospel – 7:53-8:11 – where there is a dramatic account of Jesus in a potentially explosive situation as he is forced into a corner. Note how he used the Old Testament – his Scripture.

Context

The story has been placed at the end of chapter 7, which records:

• Opposing reactions to Jesus by the crowds and divergent opinions as to who he is;

• Escalating conflict with religious leaders

plotting to kill him, and a thwarted arrest plan; • The theme of judgement

John 8:3, 4

Scribes and Pharisees drag a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and the witnesses accuse her.

vv 5, 6

The moral and legal minefield: • If Jesus agrees with ‘stone her’, he would breach Roman law which did not condemn adulterers to death. Only Rome had the legal authority to carry out that sentence.

• If Jesus argued she should not be stoned, the Jews would claim he spoke against God’s law and must be brought to justice (Leviticus 20:10).

• There is no suggestion of a trial – only death by stoning.

• Jesus was aware that this incident was a trap for him.

• The scribes and Pharisees had noted that he associated with sinners, accepting and restoring them. This was considered deviant behaviour. They expected his

bible study

‘What resources are available to inform followers of Christ as they face moral minefields today?’

response would be forgiving and allow them to charge him.

• Jesus must have noticed the absence of the participating male sinner in the vindictive public shaming of the woman, even though the law said both should die (Leviticus 20:10).

• Why was this? Had the man escaped or been allowed to go uncensored?

• Was the woman engaging in sin to enjoy its forbidden, fleeting pleasure?

• Or could this be the attempt of an unscrupulous husband to frame his wife?

If divorced, a wife retains her property. If she dies, the husband keeps it.

(These are some possible first-century scenarios.)

v 6b • Jesus deliberately pauses – a delaying action that takes the attention off the woman.

• He allows time to reflect and be led

by the Spirit as he considers the implications of this complex situation.

• The Spirit sheds light on the Word and helps him discern how the law of Scripture is to be understood and applied.

• He bends down to write with his finger.

We may wonder, but we will never know exactly what he wrote on the ground that day.

v7 • Impatient for his answer, the accusers keep firing questions as he writes.

• When he was ready, Jesus stood and

carefully invited anyone who was ‘without sin’ to throw the first stone.

• Jesus thus upholds the Law of Moses, but insists that the witnesses who accused her should themselves be innocent and thus competent to throw the first stone.

• At that time some Jewish men allowed

a double standard for themselves in sexual ethics, without comment or censure from other men.

vv 8, 9a • Again Jesus bends down and writes on the ground.

• Rather than denounce the authorities, he • • • • •

leaves them alone to face their sins.

Those zealous for the law are now silent.

Their lack of morality and justice is laid bare.

They fear the divine Judge may one day similarly judge them.

Awareness of their vengeful motive and disgraceful behaviour increases.

Now understanding his word and acknowledging their failure, they creep away in shame.

Revive 13

bible study

h c u S love

‘The Word and Spirit will continue to guide and sustain us as we navigate our moral minefields’

• Some of his final words were that we

• He perceived that many sinners stood before him, not just one.

• He turned a tragic situation into a vv 9b-11 • Jesus stands and finds himself alone • • • •

•

with the woman.

‘Where are they?’ he asks, as if he was not aware of their departure.

‘Has no one condemned you?’

‘No one, sir,’ are her only words in the story, as she stands painfully aware of her sinfulness.

‘Neither do I condemn you.’ Jesus extends the love and mercy of God and opens up a new way of forgiveness for her.

He sends her on her way in peace and freedom, but not without ‘Go and sin no more’ (NLT) – the only possible expression of gratitude for such grace.

When forced to respond to this moral and legal minefield, what do we learn from the experience of Jesus in the first century as he used Scripture written many centuries before?

• Jesus did not amend the law – adultery was taken seriously.

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redemptive moment through his mercy and grace.

• With the help of the Spirit, Jesus revealed the intended purpose of the law within the Word – that he came to redeem, not condemn, and by his offered life this is accomplished.

From the ministry of Jesus, which further pertinent principles guide us?

• Jesus redefined the law and declared the first commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and the second to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:30, 31).

• In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:20-48), Jesus sets us a more demanding standard for ethical behaviour and we see that these additional demands go beyond the law as expressions of our love for God and our neighbour.

• He concludes this teaching by guiding us to a high ideal of love by calling us to be perfect (v 48).

should ‘love each other’, and the quality of our love is to be ‘as I have loved you’ (John 15:12). Such love!

In the 21st century, following Christ’s example, obeying his inspiring teaching, observing and practising his high demands of love, will make us women of strong moral character. We can be reassured that the Word and Spirit will continue to guide and sustain us as we navigate our moral minefields, often unknown or unimagined in the first century. We can be confident in him and trust him to reveal his way.

Reflect on the minefields you may be facing. It may be helpful to share or discuss this, and in doing so pray that the Spirit and Word may guide you to God’s will for you.

Lieut-Colonel Rhondda Durston lives in retirement in Sydney, Australia Eastern Territory

my story atingl Navig ora The M ld f Mine ie

A transformed life

Swedish Salvationist Marie Pettersson tells Major Karin Larsson about her journey from darkness to light

S

he grew up in the best possible conditions in a Christian home where the family belonged to The Salvation Army. During her teenage years she began to live a ‘double life’, partying and drinking with friends whilst at the same time being engaged in the activities at the corps (church) in her home town of Kristinehamn. When she had finished school she moved away from home and lived – or so she thought – far away from God. Today she is saved by faith in Jesus Christ and has been drug-free for 18 years.

This is Marie Pettersson’s story.

‘As a young adult I enjoyed my work, drank alcohol under so-called “controlled

conditions” and felt free,’ says Marie.

After separating from her boyfriend, she began to abuse more intensely as her selfconfidence decreased. She met a man who introduced her to a ‘little soft drug’.

‘At first it made me feel good, my confidence grew and I could still manage my job,’ she continues. But soon her life started to go downhill and she could not keep her job when she began to use drugs more frequently. However, she managed to hide the abuse when it came to Christmas, keeping up appearances and celebrating with her family.

Marie continues the dark part of her story: ‘One Christmas I was so high that I simply forgot to go home. My family was

waiting for me but I never arrived; I still feel terribly ashamed about it.’ Only then did her parents realise how bad things had become. Together with many other people they prayed for Marie constantly, so much so that she now describes herself as a ‘prayer child’.

Obtaining drugs was expensive and soon led her into criminality as she began selling drugs to fund her addiction. Marie forged cheques and received a prison sentence. Her parents visited her in jail as often as they could – Marie recalls that she was one of the few who actually had visitors. ‘Many prisoners had little or no contact with their families,’ says Marie, ‘but my parents were always there for me.

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my story

‘The hardest part was to forgive her son’s father, as so much bitterness and hatred remained’ I was extremely grateful for that and so glad I could tell them before they died.’

Marie describes how difficult it was to adjust to life after her release. She continued to live as before and ended up on a treadmill of addiction which became increasingly difficult to escape from. She was imprisoned on three occasions for serious fraud and drug offences and then lived in an abusive relationship, unable to 16 Revive

break free, even though she was physically abused. Marie became pregnant and that prompted her finally to seek help and leave her partner. ‘When my son was born, we lived in a treatment centre for a whole year before we were able to move into our own apartment. All the time my parents were a great support,’ she recalls with heartfelt gratitude.

Eventually Marie began to sing in a gospel choir, and as the words of the songs started to have meaning for her she realised how much she missed what the

songs depicted. Now the light in her story becomes brighter!

‘On one special occasion, while we were singing, I started to cry. God met me and I was saved! So great is God’s love! Jesus forgave my sins and all the evil I had done in my life. I would not be where I am today if it was not for all the people who prayed for me,’ she says with a smile.

The hardest part was to forgive her son’s father, as so much bitterness and hatred remained, but after a while she found she could forgive and move on – another big victory. ‘I am convinced that God used my son so that I would wake up,’ she concludes.

Today Marie is an active Salvationist in Västerås Corps. Last spring, along with five other members of the Army, she participated in ‘Second Chance’ – a musical event associated with the Eurovision Song Contest – where Marie sang ‘Amazing Grace’. Her son Adam, then 17 years old, encouraged her to use the opportunity to tell her story and give her testimony. Marie’s story is of a life transformed from darkness to light, and she recognises that she has been forgiven.

Now she is really free!

spiritual life Lieutenant Valentina Capuano Corps Officer, Milan Italy and Greece Command

atingl Navig ra M The efoield Min

Columnist for 2014

Anaesthetised against

immorality

‘W

hat has the power to disturb us?’ This was the question I threw like a bomb at the young people during a youth weekend in Milan!

Working with young people means having to keep up with the times – knowing the latest fashion, who the popular singers are and what is happening on social media. I try to look at the same things the young people look at so as to help them filter the thousands of pieces of information they receive daily from the world around them.

The question I asked came about during an afternoon break.

It was supposed to be ‘free time’ – a period for relaxation and informal chat – but somehow it became one of those precious times when discussion and questions came straight from the young people. A time when insecurity, curiosity and doubt get a voice, and it is then that we as leaders encourage these young believers to come to know themselves, the world and – above anything else – to know God! Chatting after lunch our attention was caught by a television advert in which there were a couple of scantily clad models – in an advert for a child’s snack! From there the discussion developed about how an advert uses models such as these to sell, and as we talked the adverts made way for a well-known music video.

Everyone knew it, not so much for the music but rather for the images of the singer in revealing attire.

The young people sang along without being taken aback by the video at all! So I asked my question… the answer was a deafening silence! There was not a single mention of anything that had truly upset or disturbed them.

These are the moments in which I more fully understand the words of Jesus as recorded in John’s Gospel: ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of it’ (John 17:16). It is increasingly difficult to live in the world without becoming part of the world!

We are constantly bombarded by things around, and although the progression of technology has brought countless benefits, with it come so many new challenges. The media stretches our

‘The media stretches our tolerance threshold.

What was scandalous 10 years ago is standard today’ tolerance threshold. What was scandalous 10 years ago is standard today, and what our parents then called right and just is now oldfashioned and obsolete!

The result is that our moral judgement becomes anaesthetised.

We grow numb to all that should be challenged – after all, ‘that’s just the way things are’. But this is not our calling. God wants us to be light in this world, looking to him so that we can carry his light where there are shadows and darkness. Doing so requires us to raise our awareness of those things that unsettle us so that we can help new generations to do the same, fighting for a better world in the knowledge that everyone has the power to make a difference!

This will mean clashing with those who think that anything is permissible, such as those who hide behind ‘freedom of expression’ to cover up a world of exploitation, resulting in the erosion of human dignity. But Jesus’ words of exhortation are still true, today more than ever: ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others…’ (Matthew 5:14-16).

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THE

prayer

HOUSE

in prayer

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he was tiny and gracious, and I was a proud grandma. Julia was just a year old when she taught me the first lesson about prayer. One of the first words she learned was ‘Jesus’. She would say ‘Jesus’ and ‘amen’ while praying with mum and dad at bedtime, before a meal or at Sunday services.

But ‘Jesus’ was always followed by a smile, which intrigued me. Julia was happy, almost laughing, when she prayed.

I thought ‘she’s just a baby’ and that she didn’t know what she was doing, what prayer meant or who she was praying to.

But one thing I learnt was that we are free to laugh in God’s presence. He blesses us in so many ways that automatically we should be happy and grateful, expressed with a smile. Laughter is acceptable too!

I am sure that God’s heart is pleased with our demonstrations of love, respect and honour. As the psalmist says: ‘I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws’ (119:7).

Julia was two when, during holidays, I was able to stay longer – and learned my second lesson. She prayed and laughed before God with a better vocabulary, saying: ‘Dear Jesus, thank you for my gifts, my sister, my bed and my dog.

You are cool, Jesus. I love you. Amen.’

But another kind of expression came with this beautiful gratitude. We were in the living room at Julia’s bedtime. Mother and daughter read a Bible story and prayed, but as mum was leaving the bedroom Julia asked to stay in the living room a while longer.

The answer was ‘no’ – it was already late and next morning they would travel. Dad explained how important it was to rest well before travelling. Julia thought that

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asking grandma would work, but I tried to convince her to sleep. After closing the bedroom door we saw Julia on the monitor as she knelt and prayed: ‘Dear Jesus, help mummy, daddy and grandma let me stay in the living room. Pleeeeeease. You can do that because you can do everything. Amen.’

My granddaughter knew that she could laugh and cry in God’s presence, because he hears our prayers, even when offered with tears. The psalmist had many experiences and surely prayed with tears: ‘I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord, and I will obey your decrees’ (119:145).

Julia is now a three-year-old toddler.

Her prayers are longer and include more things. Now when she prays – sometimes with laughter, sometimes with tears – she leaves a favourite toy under her pillow, saying: ‘Dear Jesus, I have left my favourite toy under my pillow. If you come when I am sleeping you can have my heart – and the toy. I love you. You can call me if you want. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’ (She changes her favourite toy from time to time, just in case Jesus would prefer a different one!)

Julia is giving her best to Jesus as a way of saying that he is more important than her favourite things. She is prepared to please Jesus and expresses it with words and actions. What a wonderful lesson – the third I have learnt! Can you imagine how many more I have to learn before she is 18?

‘They all joined together constantly in prayer’ (Acts 1:14)

Children’s prayers ‘Dear God, thank you for my baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.’

‘Dear God, it must be super hard to love all the people in the world, especially my brother. I don’t know how you do it!’

‘Dear God, are you actually invisible or is that just a trick?’ as ‘Dear God, I love Christm ase and Easter. Could you ple put another holiday in the good middle? There’s nothing in there now.’

‘Dear God, my grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy.

How far back do you go?’

Commissioner Deise Eliasen Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Americas and Caribbean Zone International Headquarters

social issues atingl Navig ora The M ield f e in M

by Julie Forrest to create a climate for change and growth. When the counsellor is able to offer the client total acceptance – a cherishing and a non-judgemental spirit – therapeutic movement is much more likely. The client is more able to feel safe to explore negative feelings and move into the core of their anxiety or depression, also facing him- or herself with honesty and without present fear of rejection or condemnation.

• Empathy – combined with the first two elements, empathy enables the therapist to communicate a desire to understand and appreciate the client’s perspective.

I am reminded of Jesus walking the road to Emmaus with his disciples (Luke 24:13-49). Grief-stricken, confused and disappointed, Jesus drew near to the disciples and walked their road of pain. He asked them open questions and allowed them freedom to express their sorrow. He explored their story and the events that had led to their heartbreak. The disciples trusted him, feeling heard and understood.

Sometimes God calls us to walk with those in pain. We too can offer the comfort that comes from understanding, the acceptance and trust that allows others to express their deepest emotions and have that sense of being valued and their feelings being important.

Following counselling sessions I process the therapeutic conversation.

On one occasion I had an overwhelming sense that the way forward for the client was to forgive the perpetrator who had inflicted horrendous acts of cruelty and abuse. My personal dilemma was that,

through a moral maze

I

quickly assured my youngest son that we were going to make it! ‘We will be there before your brother and dad!’ Our day trip had taken us to a grand country house – in the garden was one of the most challenging mazes ever! Our boys were too young to navigate it themselves, so we did it in teams. My son and I were elated when we thought we’d arrived at the centre first – only to discover the other ‘team’ was already there! I was pleased we hadn’t sent our boys in alone though, as it was a tough maze to negotiate.

It is a privilege to work as a counsellor for the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland’s Counselling Service one day each week. It has been rewarding to blend this with my regular appointment.

I count it an honour to work with people who have experienced situations which lead them into therapy and there are times when I walk with people who are making moral decisions, and my role is to empower them to choose the right path.

The counselling space allows them time and reflection to decide their way forward.

My initial training drew me towards Person-Centred Therapy, but from a sense of a calling from God I trained as a relationship therapist. I find that I use these skills as I work with couples and individuals and consider myself a therapist who is also a Christian. In counselling sessions I try to create an environment in which the client feels safe to explore their own feelings – helping them discover what their options are and empowering them to make their own choices. When I work with couples I affirm that they are the experts and that I am there to walk with them through the changes that will, I hope, improve their relationship.

The early lessons I learned in counselling training are constantly with me. The core conditions of Congruent, Unconditional Positive Regard and Empathy are important for growth to occur.

• Congruence – not appearing superior to the client or leaving them guessing what I am like in real life.

• Unconditional Positive Regard – vital

Pointing the way

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social issues ‘It is beautiful to observe when someone has reached a level of personal understanding that allows them to move forward’ while I could see that forgiveness was crucial to healing for the client, in my heart I questioned if I could forgive such acts.

I have learned so much about the human condition, for I recall a very poignant moment when this client concluded that the way to leave the hurt behind would only come if they could forgive. As I observed this process and witnessed the incredible healing of heart and soul, I learned more about God’s grace and I believe this result came as the client drew on their Christian experience.

When clients need help to negotiate their way through a moral maze, I believe they come with a framework that will help them find their way forward. We all have a moral framework which we have learned from the experiences of life. As infants we start to create our sense of right and wrong.

For those who have a Christian life, their understanding of God and Scripture also

20 Revive

impacts their moral values. As a counsellor, pastor or friend, it would only be my role to walk with them, allowing them to express their story and the situation that causes them to be in emotional turmoil.

I seek to draw from them what they feel are their choices in the situation and then suggest they search out which option could bring them peace of mind. What sits best with them? What can they live with for years to come? When they make that decision they have come to their own conclusion.

In those tender moments it is beautiful to observe when someone has reached a level of personal understanding that allows them to move forward and negotiate their way through their moral maze.

A maze has many paths – mostly with dead ends – but if you persevere the right way can be found that leads to the centre. Sometimes we make mistakes and

have to retrace our steps, but with perseverance we eventually find the right way. Some people don’t get it right straight away, but if we continue to give them acceptance and remain non-judgemental, they will eventually find their way.

Not every decision I witness would be one that I would choose for my own life, because they wouldn’t always sit with my moral values.

But a part of the walk means I don’t question that, but believe they act in the light of what they have received.

It is what is right for them, and if they have a sense of peace I embrace their change and stand back as they move on.

Major Julie Forrest MSc Personal Assistant to the World President of Women’s Ministries, International Headquarters, and Relationship Therapist

social issues atingl Navig ora The M ld f e Min ie

Taking my stand

by Marieke Venter

O

n our evening walks, my husband and I encounter many sights, sounds and, yes, smells! Food being prepared, stagnant water in the small roadside stream and the smell of garbage, to mention a few. We have become accustomed to these odours – they are part of living in the Bangladeshi city of Dhaka.

With a population estimated to be in excess of 15 million people it is an overpopulated place, the results of which are evident even in our pleasant suburb.

However, when we reach a certain corner on our walk, we always slow down a little. Just on that corner is a tree that exudes the most exquisite fragrance into the evening air. We pause at that corner to take a deep breath of pure enjoyment before moving on to complete our walk.

The ‘odour’ of moral decay seems to spread everywhere around the world. It is seen in human relationships, where greed and selfishness appear to take precedence over love and concern for others. It is seen

‘Sadly, moral corruption is indeed a natural process in all human beings’

globally, when nations rise up against each other, often with doubtful agendas. It is seen in the environment, where global warming and climate change – the results of careless human behaviour over many decades – are already reducing crops and causing food shortages in some of the most vulnerable parts of the world. Romans 8:22 describes the situation well: ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.’

Decay is an interesting word. According to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary it means ‘to be slowly destroyed by natural processes: to be slowly broken down by the natural processes that destroy a dead plant or body’. I particularly noticed the word ‘slowly’ in the definition and wondered if it is not the gradual approach of moral corruption that makes it so dangerous. It tends to creep slowly into our lives and society, sneaking up on us, taking root before we even realise it. I also noticed the reference to the ‘natural Revive 21

social issues

‘Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society’

processes’ of decay. Sadly, moral corruption is indeed a natural process in all human beings. Romans 3:23 presents it clearly: ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ Ever since the fall of man it has been our natural tendency to take care of ourselves at any cost.

How can I take a stand in a world where moral decay seems to be everywhere? I only have to look at the example of Jesus.

He was tempted to accept a less than righteous way on several

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occasions, especially in the event recorded in Luke 4:1-13. Satan – true to himself – approached Jesus surreptitiously, cleverly, and tempted him to compromise both his faith and actions, as if it were natural and normal to do so. But to each suggestion Jesus’ reply began with the words: ‘It is written…’ The Word of God was clearly his defence and point of reference.

Sometimes people think that the world has changed since the days of Jesus and that the Bible has become old-fashioned and irrelevant. However, I believe that the Bible still has something to say about every important aspect of life. By remaining close to Jesus and by searching what ‘is written…’ in his Word and applying those truths to my daily life and choices, I believe it is possible to resist the moral decay that seems to surround me.

I particularly like the words of Philippians 2:14-16 as paraphrased in The Message: ‘Do everything readily and cheerfully – no bickering, no secondguessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.’

It is my prayer that I will be like the tree on our evening walk: spreading a pleasant fragrance and displaying a glimpse of goodness wherever I go, so that the pure goodness of Jesus seen in me might cause people to stop for a moment, take a deep breath and find courage for the rest of their journey.

Lieut-Colonel Marieke Venter Command President OF Women’s MINISTRIES Bangladesh Command

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Preach to the nations the boundless riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8)

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.

As for Jesus of Nazareth ... I think the system of morals and religion as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

MOTHER TERESA

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere.

For children to take morality seriously they must be in the presence of adults who take morality seriously. And with their own eyes they must see adults take morality seriously.

G. K. Chesterton

WILLIAM BENNETT (Former USA Education Secretary)

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ala msiifuatishe namna ya dunia hii; bali mgeuzwe kwa kufanywa upya nia zenu, mpate kujua hakika mapenzi ya Mungu yaliyo mema, ya kumpendeza, na ukamilifu. =========

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think ... learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)

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Warumi 12:2