Salvation Army International Facts

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Having provided you with some details on Tuesday this week about the Salvation Army and it's work in the UK (Salvation Army Facts), I thought today I'd share with you some more information about the Salvation Army's work internationally:

• The Salvation Army is currently working in 115 countries workldwide
• There are 175 languages used in SA work, including some tribal languages
• There are 15,175 corps, outposts, societies, new plants and recovery churches
• 1,155 goodwill centres exist
• There are 25,974 officers/ministers of which 16,945 are active and 9,029 are retired
• 107,902 people are employed by the Salvation Army
• There are 1,082,166 senior soldiers
• 190,215 adherents of the Salvation Army
• 360,222 commissioned junior soldiers
• There are 25,653 senior band musicians and 94,921 senior songsters
• In addition there are 45,753 other senior musical group members
• There are 128,854 senior and young people’s local officers (leaders)
• 564,566 people are members of women’s ministries (all groups)
• 359,230 people attend the Over-60 clubs
• There are 74,072 men’s fellowships members
• There are 10,652 poung people’s band members and 79,665 young people’s singing company members
• In addition there are 55,776 other young people’s music groups members
• 612,533 Sunday schools members
• Junior youth groups (scouts, guides, etc, and clubs) have 236,067 members
• Senior youth groups have 79,912 members
• There are 23,035 corps-based community development programmes
• 1,603 thrift stores/charity shops
• 26 recycling centres

Statistics included in this post have been taken from the Salvation Army's International Headquarters website.

Who Is He?

Who Is He
Who is He in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?

Chorus
'Tis the Lord! oh wondrous story!
'Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!

Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

Who is He the people bless
For His words of gentleness?

Who is He to whom they bring
All the sick and sorrowing?

Who is He that stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?

Who is He the gathering throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?

Lo! at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?

Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in grief and agony?

Who is He who from the grave
Comes to succor, help, and save?

Who is He who from His throne
Rules through all the worlds alone?

When Jesus was just twelve he knew his identity as the Son of God:
“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” - Luke 2:49 (New Living Translation)

But how did Jesus know he was the Son of God? Jesus was both fully God and fully man and as such is a tenet of our Christian faith. Only God could effect the redemption of the human race.

Jesus was a human baby with a human nature, yet perfect in God with God's nature. The mystery of Jesus' divine and human nature is impossible for us to fully understand, so we must simply accept it by faith.

Have you recognised who Jesus is? We might not be able to understand everything about Jesus but we can accept the truth of who is is, by faith. God intends us to read the bible and trust the information we find there. Jesus was not just a good man who came to an untimely end, he was was God, and he was also human.

Peter recognised Jesus was God and publicised his big moment by saying to Jesus "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16 NLT). When we believe Jesus is the Son of God, it will be your "big moment" because it will change your life for the good!

I thank Jesus Christ for becoming human so he could bring me to God. Make that statement yours today.

Focus

Do you ever get frustrated with people, and then get frustrated with yourself for getting frustrated? Well don't worry, you're in good company, when Jesus was here on earth he got frustrated too...
Jesus asked his disciples, "How long must I put up with you?" (Matthew 17:17 NIV)

Have you ever been to a service or group meeting when you've had that "mountaintop" experience? You're inspired by the wonderful music and great fellowship as well as by the message given by the preacher. But then it's over and you have to return to everyday life, to our valley, and it's far more difficult then to feel inspired isn't it?

Why is that? Well I guess it's probably because when we're back in our day to day lives there's so many things going on round about us that are God focused, that it's easy for us to be distracted from God and thus lose that inspiration we felt during our "mountaintop" experience.

We get frustrated at time by others, just think how frustrated God gets at us when we don't put Him at the centre of all we do, when we stop focusing on Him! We must pray to God focusing on Christ.

Let God change you for the better. He will get you though your valleys and back to your mountaintop.

Focus!

Checkout the Twila Paris website: http://www.twilaparis.com/

Forgive Me

"Be good" - how many times to we say that to our children or hear others saying that to their children?

Put those words into a different scenario...God telling you to "Be good". God wants us to be like Jesus and that means we must be good and we must do good.

Do you consider yourself to be a "good" person?

If you've answered "yes" to that question, I'd urge you to reconsider your answer! Even if we are nice, law abiding people who do our best in all we do, we are not good enough to get into heaven unless we ask God to forgive us of all our sins.

Jesus said, "I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18:3). Once we are willing to change our ways, Jesus said a childlike trust and humility will help us become great people on earth and wonderful citizens of heaven.

Don't think you're good enough, or too good to have to ask God to forgive you. It's easy, just ask God to forgive you, He is waiting and willing you to do so.

Forgive Me
Written by Scott Dyer and Rebecca St. James
For all the times I’ve failed You, Lord
Forgive me
For all the ways I’ve fallen short
Lord, forgive me now
God, I’m so in need of grace
I fall upon my face
Forgive me

You see the tears fall down my face
Forgive me
Take my fear, Lord, take my shame
Lord, forgive me now
Purify me, make me new
Like only You can do
Forgive me now

Lord, we come to honor You
We are forgiven
We bring our love and thanks to You
We are forgiven now

God we praise You for Your grace
Before You we are raised
Forgiven
God we praise You for Your grace
Before You we are raised
Forgiven
Forgiven

Centre Of It All

Do you plan your future?

I think most of us do to some extent and would agree that it is good idea to plan ahead.

But how far ahead should we plan?

Many business/management courses talk about planning for 5 or 10 years ahead, but is it really realistic to plan where/what you want to be doing that far ahead? What you plan just now for five or ten years from now may turn out to be something that you’ll have no desire for ten years in the future. So realistically is there any point in worrying about being in a specific place ten years from now when at some point, you might want to be somewhere else instead?

I certainly have planned things for my future which when it has actually got to that time, I find they are not what I want or is even is right for me then. As we go through life our circumstances change and often our perspective of things change. This in turn means that things which were important to us at one time, may not be as important to us later on.

So what does all this mean?

Well I think it just means we need to take life in small steps, not in huge leaps. In other words, don't rush through life not paying attention to the world, the people or situations around you, but take the time to experience each day for what it is - after all it is a day in YOUR life so make the most of it.

So how do we live each day to the full?

We must prepare for each day by praying to God and asking God to be with us, supporting us through the day. Living each day with God at the heart of all we do, is the best possible way plan our life. There will come a point in time when we will stand before the throne of God and give an account for the life that they have lived. Therefore, put God at the centre of all you do, and let Him take care of the future. After all, God knows what’s best for us and He will not fail us.

Matthew 6:25-33 (New King James Version)
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Checkout Tim Hughes' website: http://www.timhughesmusic.com/

Last Day On Earth

Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

If today was the last day you spent on this earth, would you be confident that when you come face to face with Jesus He will say "Well done"?

Last Day on Earth - Steven Curtin Chapman

I pull over the side of the road and I
Watch the cars pass me by
The headlights and the black limousines tell me
Someone is saying goodbye
I bow my head and I whisper a prayer, "Father,
Comfort their broken hearts"
And as I drive away there's a thought that I
I cannot escape, no I, I cannot escape this thought
I can't get away

Oh, if this should be my last day on this earth
How then shall I live
Oh, if this should be the last day that I have
Before I breathe the air of Heaven
Let me live it with abandon to
The only thing that remains
After my last day here on earth

If this should be my last day here on earth
If this should be my last day here on earth
If this should be my last, last day here on earth

And if tomorrow comes to find me
Looking in the face of Jesus
Will I hear Him say the words "well done" ?

If this should be my last day here on earth
If this should be my last, my last day here on earth
'Cause this could be my last, this could be my last
This could be my last day

Live everyday as it it were your last day on earth. Don't put of until tomorrow what you could do today, as you may not have a tomorrow. A bit of a morbid thought I know, but like my post yesterday ("His Provision"), I just want you to consider your life, how you are leading your life and whether it is acceptable and pleasing to God.

If God is asking you to do something, say "Yes" today - If He didn't want you to do it until tomorrow He would have asked you today!

Treat everyone as if it's the last time you'll see/speak to them, tell your friends and family how much you love them, you may not get another chance.

James 4:14 (NIV)

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Final Destination Heaven?

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

How deep is your love for Christ go? Is it just an acknowledgement that God exists and that Christ is Lord, or do you have a genuine relationship with God where you do all you can to do God's will?

For those who do not live their lives fully for Christ these words from Matthew's gospel must be frightening. God knows whether our lives are centered around Him and doing His will, and because of that knows whether we are worthy of entering into Heaven.


These words of Jesus should be calling out to us and touching our heart. He calls us to reality, away from all the superficiality of religion. True salvation and spiritual life are not just about saying those words or our religious performance. It it all about whether we do the will of God!

What is God's will? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." "He that believeth the Son has everlasting life." Such faith in Jesus our Saviour produces a genuine relationship with God, and new life.

I pray today that your relationship with God is based on doing God's will, not just acknowledging His existence.

Plant a Seed

Jesus told the parable of the farmer planting his seed across his field. he told how the seed that fell on a footpath, shallow soil and amongst thorns, all failed to thrive. However the seed that fell on fertile soil produced a great crop. (Matthew 13:3-9)

Jesus explained how "The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11 NKJV). When we accept God into our lives he gives us "seeds", which he expects us to then go out into the world and scatter. He wants us to go outside of our Christian circles and our churches, and find some unplanted land, where we can then spread His message.

Many of the seeds the farmer scattered failed to grow or thrive, but that didn't prevent him from continuing to scatter his seed. God knows that as we scatter the seed of God's word in the field of the world, some will inevitably fall on those who will ignore His call, however he also know that some will fall on fertile souls and will take root, grow and bring glory to God!

So scatter God's word generously, no matter whether you see any results of your labour, as some people will respond to God's message, so keep planting!

Visit the Hillsong website: http://www.hillsong.com/

God-Focused

Even if we try not to overload ourselves, chances are we still end up carrying a heavy load. Troubles, burdens and stresses are after all, part of everyday life these days.

When you are feeling overloaded and struggling to cope with the pressures of life, how do you cope?

Well for many of us, we try to withdraw to a private place, a place of quietness, where we can be alone with our thoughts. But how would you feel if you tried to have some "alone" time, but someone interrupted your plans, seeking your help?

Well this is exactly what happened to Jesus after He received the news of John the Baptist's murder (Matthew 14:1-12).

Matthew 14:13-14 - The Message
When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.

Jesus was certainly God-focused during this time when He really wanted to have some time by himself. He could so easily have focused purely on himself, but He didn't, He was selfless. That must have been so difficult for Jesus to find the strength and motivation to help others rather than focus on himself.

Jesus accomplished this simply by turning to God for His strength and motivation, as He knew God would give Him the power to do all He needed him to do.

Take heart from this, allow you daily stresses and strains to make you more like Jesus: God-focused. This is how Jesus coped, so if it worked for Him it will definitely work for you and me!

God will help you get through, even when things seem impossible!

God Help Me by Rebecca St James

Live The Word

Matthew 23:1-3 - The Message
Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer.

I don't know about you, but those I meet who profess to be Christians I expect them to live/act as a Christian should. In the above passage from St. Matthew's gospel Jesus seems to say that some people talk a good talk, but they haven't really got those feelings/beliefs in their hearts. i.e. They know all the right words, but their actions do not mirror what they say.

If we profess to be a Christian but our actions do not reflect this, how can we ever expect others to follow Christ because of us - we are far more likely to convince people to turn away from God entirely!

Don't become someone who "talks the talk but doesn't live The Word". Whenever you tell folk you're a Christian, you'll they immediately (often subconsciously)start examining your words and actions in microscopic detail, just to try and find fault. So make sure your words and actions are as a Christians should be, that way it'll be much easier for others to see Christ living in your life - Making them far more likely to want to find out more about Christ because of your good example.

Talk the talk and live The Word!

Photograph

Have you accepted God into your life?

If so, can you remember when you found God, and where you were?

I must admit that I don't really remember where I was when as a youngster of about 6 I decided to follow Jesus - I think it was during the Sunday school one week, although I think I was coerced into "making" my decision, by the friend sitting beside me.

Having said that, I definitely do remember where and what I was doing when at the age of 17, I felt compelled to make a public commitment to follow/serve God - It was on Sunday morning in the old Salvation Army hall at Rutherglen, before our Sunday morning service began...yes I did say before the meeting started! I'd been having a conversation with someone who was (and still is) a great support and encouragement to me, and it was during that time that I really felt God's presence and His will for my life.

I will never forget that particular morning. It's almost as if I've taken a photograph of that morning and stored it away in my personal photo album, in my mind.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Don't deny letting God into your life just because you think now is not the right time. God does not care what time of the day or night it is, where you are, what you are doing or who you're with. God is with us every minute of every day so whenever that moment is right for you, take it. Memorise that moment, as it should a one of the most special moments in your life, so take a mental photo of it.

You can find another version of "Lord I Give You My Heart" on yesterday's blog.