I'm back!

Hello everyone,

Well before I knew it I had not posted for 5 months! But what a hectic and crazy 5 months it has been! I will fill you in on whats been happening and hopefully you will forgive me for my lack of posts.

Life has been crazily busy, at the end of June I had my weekend assessment conference at William Booth College in London. It was a very busy weekend and had lots of different styles of interviews and tests. I passed and was recommended to start training for officership.

I left the Royal Navy after 15 years. This was quite sad, as the job had been my life for so many years. However I knew that it was the right time for me to leave so it was not too painful.

I then moved to London where my Fiancee was posted to take over a Salvation Army Corps in South East London. This has been really interesting as London is the exact opposite to my native Cornwall! But I am sure there will be plenty of time to reflect on these differences through this blog at a later date.

Then on the 2nd August I married Clare. It was a truly amazing day, where everything was perfect. It really was a great celebration with family and friends.

I could not resist adding a photo. I officially left the Navy the day before the wedding, so I thought I could still wear my uniform. Plus I also thought the start of my new life would be a great time to wear my uniform for the very last time and mark the end of my life as a sailor.

My wife and I then disappeared off on honeymoon for a week to Disneyland Paris, which was a great fun filled week.

I then had a few weeks to sort out our house together before I started at William Booth College where I started on the 8th of September as a member of the Messengers of Light session.

The Territorial Commander and my fellow Messengers at our welcome meeting.

Already I have found College a challenge. In fact the past few weeks since I started have been some of the toughest in my life. To the point where last week I could have almost given up. It was all very strange and I can't really explain why I was so fed up and ready to leave College. I think it was all just a massive change and the massive change of routine (remember how much I love routine!) just got to me and started to get me down.

However this week has been totally different and I have really tried to embrace college and all I can learn. This is one of the reasons I have re started this blog. We are being taught so much at College and it is not all black and white. It may surprise some people, but we are not actually taught what we should believe. We are taught, encouraged and guided to come to our own thoughts and conclusions.

Now I am no theologian (well I guess I am now as was pointed out to my class the other day!). I often struggle to formulate in my head exactly what I think and believe. I am an aircraft engineer remember and work in facts, voltages and radio waves.

So I plan to write out some of my thoughts and ideas as I go through College in an attempt to reflect, process and work things out. Hopefully some of these thoughts might be interesting or useful to people reading this blog. Some people might totally disagree and I don't mind that. In fact I encourage that if I say or write something you don't agree with then comment and let me know. It will all be useful and helpful in aiding my growing theology and personal development.

That is why I have started blogging again. I did toy with the idea of changing the blog name, or starting a new one. However I came to the conclusion that I have been a Sailor for so many years, it is not just as simple as turning the Sailor off and turning the Salvation Army Officer on. If only there was such a switch!

Many of you read with interest as I put into words my thoughts as a Sailor and a Salvationist. Hopefully now you will be just as interested in the thoughts (no matter how random and sometimes unformed) Of a sailor in transformation.

Steve

Living below the line

People who know me will tell you I always think about my stomach! But today I really am hungry! 

Today is the last day of the live below the line challenge. Where I have had to live off just £1 a day for food and drink. (Tap water is free thankfully)

The reason behind this is a vast amount of the worlds population have to live on less money than this every day.

So I have been taking part in this challenge trying to get sponsorship to help raise some money. The money raised will enable The Salvation Army to help these people.

It has been an interesting week. Apart from a tin of cheap meatballs (which probably didn't have much meat in them) I have not had any meat all week. 

I have had plenty of food to eat. Problem is it has all been rice, poridge or noodles.

All totally carb heavy and not a balanced diet in the slightest.

But food wise it has been ok. Drinking nothing but the odd black tea (really horrible) and tap water has been hard as I missed my coffee fix.

But this challenge has really opened my eyes and made me aware of something totally different.

I have had a cold this week. But no matter how much medicine I got and took it just did not get better. In the end I admitted defeat and went to the doctors and got put on anti biotics; because my cold was actually sinusitis.

Although I have spent only £5 on food this week I have probably spent about £25 on medicine.

It really made me think, how blessed I am to be able to get medicine and have the money to be able to look after myself.

How many people in the world have to make the choice between medicine and food? 

This challenge has opened my eyes and made me see that to many in the world things we take for granted are things they can't ever afford or get hold of.

But charities like The Salvation Army are there trying to help these people.

If you would like to sponsor me or find out more about the challenge you can visit my page:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/stevecallister

I will leave you with two of my food disasters this week.

An exploding bowl of poridge and a sink full of rice. (Which I had to dig out, plate up and eat anyway!)

The Sailing Salvationist

Happy Birthday!

Hello. I am posting early this week as I am, off to visit a Salvation Army lifehouse tomorrow.

This Saturday will mark the year anniversary of my first post on this blog! I am not quite sure where the year has gone.

I am not sure what I thought or expected from this blog when I started it. I think really I wanted something to keep me thinking about spiritual things when I was away from home. I also wanted a way to keep friends and family at home updated about my adventures.

This blog has certainly recorded a transition in my life. When I started it I had no intention of leaving the Navy.

Now a year later my notice to leave the Navy has been put in and accepted and I am going through the Candidate process for Officership in The Salvation Army. Now that is a change!

It is amazing to look back over my thought processes and the journey I have been on over the past year through these blog posts. It truly is amazing the journey God has taken me on.

But now really my blog will have to change slightly. My time in the Navy is getting very sort indeed. So I can't really keep posting about my life as a Christian in the Forces; as soon I will no longer be in the Forces.

With that in mind over the next few months the overall theme of this blog will change from my life in the Navy to my life as a candidate; then hopefully as a cadet in training! Now there is an exciting thought!

One thing I have been amazed about over the past year is how many people read my blog. If I am honest I was not sure anyone would! But people certainly have. So here are some numbers for you.

In the past year this blog has been read 4022 times. With the average post being read by just under 100 people.

This blog has been read all around the world, which I think is amazing! It has been read by people in;

United Kingdom
United States
United Arab Emirates
Indonesia
Australia
Canada
Guernsey
Russia
Germany
Netherlands   No I think that is really cool. I hope that the people who have read this blog have enjoyed it; and pray that in some way it has helped them to become closer to Jesus.   So thank you to everyone who has read this blog.   On another note, I am doing the live below the line challenge next week. Where just like some of the poorest people in the word I have to live off £1 a day. (Although in reality many people live with a lot less money.)

This is all the food and drink I have to live off for a week. I think I am going to be very hungry!

If you would like to find out more about the challenge, or would like to sponsor me please visit the page below.

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/stevecallister

If everyone who reads this blog could donate just £1 then that would help me to reach my target of £200. All of the money will go to The Salvation Army helping them help some of the poorest people in the world.

Thanks for a great year!

The Sailing Salvationist

Beauty

Hello everyone. I hope you are all set to have a great Easter.

I had a few unexpected days off this week. One morning I went across to one of the Corps in my area which was having a prayer day.

It was a lovely sunny day, so after that I decided to make the most of it and have a nice walk along the north coast.

This is where I was walking. Amazing isn't it?

The north coast of Cornwall is beautiful. It is rugged and battered. The Atlantic Ocean pounds the rocks and cliffs. This creates some amazing scenery.

But the North Coast of Cornwall also lots of Minerals such copper and tin. So for hundreds of years man mined these cliffs. Some of the mines even streach miles out to sea.

Then problem is the mining seriously effected the land all around. The soil which was pulled up from under the ground was very acidic and killed off lots of the grass and plants. 

The mines also grew into massive complexes which covered much of the area.

As the Cornish mining industry declined many of these mines closed and left the landscape broken and scarred. 

But over the hundred of so years since these mines have closed nature has taken over. Plants which love acidic soil have grown. The weather has battered and softens the old mine ruins. 

Where before man had destroyed and made ugly God has transformed into beauty.

Now this week that made me think of Easter. 

God gave us his own Son Jesus. Who was brutally killed on the cross for our sins. He was literally killed by men for the sins of men.

Yet such a horrific event by man was transformed by God. This horrific death means that we can now be reunited with God. That through Jesus' death and resurrection, we can be forgiven for our sins and given eternal life.

Now I think that's amazing! God can turn something horrific into something beautiful. He did it with the Cornish Country side and he did it with Jesus' death on the cross. 

But if we ask him he can also do it with our lives. Now that's what I will be thinking about and asking him for this Easter this Easter.

The Sailing Salvationist

Refit

Hello again, another week and here is another post.

I spent last week visiting Clare, and it was great to spend some time together.

Last Saturday we went into Liverpool. I took Clare around to the back of the Albert Docks to look at the Mersey River.

Although I did have a motive! My ship is in refit in Birkenhead. I stood there around the back of Liverpool One and I could just see my ship. 

It's very hard to work out in this photo as I had to zoom in a long way, but trust me it's there! Just behind the yellow cranes.

It's hard to narrow down exactly how I felt standing there looking at my ship as it is being totally stripped down.

Some people will find this hard to understand, but when you spend so long on a ship it literally becomes part of you. 

For large periods of time the ship is everything, it's your home, work place, transport, bed and sometimes hated prison cell. You eat, sleep, work, play and bleed on the ship.

So I felt quite sad to see it in such a state. But this is not the end of the ships life. (Although I will never sail on her again).

She is being refitted. Stripped down and then totally rebuilt. She will come out of refit next year almost a new ship. 

She will be more comfortable, fitter for purpose and ready for any tasking she is ever given.

So apart from the fact I'm giving a bit too much away about how much I have become attached to a lump of metal, what's the point of this post?

Well it dawned on me this refit is much like the refit God has carried out in many of our lives.

God takes our batter old and worn life and transforms us into a new creation! 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

It's true. I know it's true; it's happened to me! 

It's not always easy to accept the refit God wants to make in out lives. But when we let him change and mould us we come out of Gods refit , fitter for purpose and ready for any tasking we are given.

So don't resist God, let him refit your life.

The Sailing Salvationist

Sacrifice

Hello, this post is slightly later than I planned to post, but its been a busy and hectic time. Today I lead a meeting and spoke on the theme of Sacrifice. So if you watch the video above from the film Saving Private Ryan and then you can have a read of my sermon below based on the clip.

The film Saving Private Ryan was released in 1998, at its time of release it was best known for its graphic depiction of the D Day landings in the 2nd world war.

That's certainly the reason I watched it initially all those years ago. Yet as I got a bit older and a bit less impressed with films being all about blood and gore I came to realise there is a much deeper story line. So for those who have not seen it here is a quick outline of the plot.

Just after the D-Day landings it is discovered that three siblings have all been killed, there is however one remaining brother still out fighting in Normandy. However due to the lack of communications at the time it is unsure if he is alive or not. It is decided that every attempt to get this man, Private Ryan back to his family should be made as a high priority.

So a team of soldiers is sent out into Normandy to try and reach him and bring him back to the safe area so he could return home.

This team is lead by an army Captain played by Tom Hanks. The team track down and find private Ryan in full health, however the town his unit is in is about to come under a major attack by the German army. Ryan is unwilling to leave his unit until this attack is over. So they all stay to defend the town from the attack.

Just at the end of the attack we see that the Captain played by Tom Hanks is mortally wounded and dies. Just before he dies he tells Ryan to "earn this" commissioning the young solider to earn the life that has just been given for him.

That is where our video started. As Private Ryan stared down at the man who had given his life so that he may be saved. The film then skips forward fifty years to show a now old Ryan visiting the grave of the Captain with his family.

For most of us it is hard to imagine how Ryan actually feels. Most of us can only imagine what it feels like to literally owe our lives to one man who gave up his own life so that we could continue to live.

It's clear that Ryan feels guilty, how come he was the one who was left to live. What did he do to deserve someone else dying for him? How come the captain died and has no family, when Ryan is able to stand there with his children and grand children?

It's also clear that Ryan feels he had a responsibility to live in a way that makes the captains sacrifice worthwhile. This guilty feeling must have weighed heavy on his heart and mind all of his adult life. as we can see by him begging his wife to tell him he has been a good man.

 

But what has all this got to do with us sitting here and now in an army meeting? Apart from perhaps letting you know I get a little bit too excited about war films?

Like Ryan we have had someone die for us. As we approach Easter we all know and realise Jesus did on the cross for our sins so we can be forgiven.

In our Bible reading earlier we read in verse 16 that

^" God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Literally by his sacrifice Jesus paved the way for us to have eternal life. His sacrifice on the cross means that we can be saved. It means that our sins can be forgiven no matter what we have done.

Now I think that's pretty amazing, that due to this sacrifice our sins can be forgiven even a someone who has done so many bad things like I have can have that all forgiven and still go to heaven.

This is further re enforced in verse 18

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

Through Jesus' sacrifice we can be re united with God and receive eternal life. This has massive effects and I told you earlier how accepting Jesus into my life has majorly changed it for the better.

But in the film we saw how much guilt Ryan felt that someone had died so that he might live. And the captain left Ryan with no doubts that he had died for him and expected him to earn his sacrifice.

So do we need to feel guilt because Jesus died on the cross for us?

I would say no, Jesus chose to die so that we might live. He decided that we were worth dying for. He decided that you and me and everyone else in the world was worth dying for.

We need feel no guilt for this sacrifice because it's all part of God's grace. God wants us all to be reunited. And since sin first entered the world God has wanted to join back with us in unity and love.

And God did this through his Son Jesus.

But really if we do believe that we have been saved by this sacrifice it should change how we feel. We need not feel guilt, and we have no need to earn Gods forgiveness. It has already been freely given.

But I do think that when we know we have received this forgiveness it massively changes out outlook on life and how we act. We read In Pauls letter to the Ephesians.

^{Eph 4:1} As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

^{Eph 4:2} Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

We have been given this free gift and as a result we should act accordingly. We should reflect Christ's sacrifice in the way we live our life. The way we treat others should imitate the massive sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

When we realize that we are saved through Jesus' sacrifice and that it’s a free gift and we begin to act like saved people then the changes we can see in our lives and our relationships can be amazing.

Often in the forces you have to make the decision who you would fight with and fight for. Some people you fight alongside of, you know you would give your life for. It may sound harsh to say, but there are others you would not run out into oncoming fire to protect.  

But Jesus didn’t decide who he was willing to die for and who he was not. He died for everyone in the world. None of us are perfect and each of us have sinned, yet Jesus died for every single one of us so that we could all be forgiven.

Hope that gives you something to think about this week.

The sailing Salvationist.

 

 

Jonah (Again!)

Hi there,

Sorry this post is a few days late. Today I went to youth councils and gave my testimony about how God has called me to step out.

I know the other week I posted my testimony, and I don't want to repeat the same kind of posts all the time but I think this is worth sharing with everyone.

Hope it challenges you all :-)

The Sailing Salvationist.

 In the Old Testament we are told how God called Jonah to step out and follow him. Yet Jonah turned his back on this calling. He decided to run away from God. To head to sea and try and escape Gods reach.

Most of us know this story well. Jonahs plan to run from God's calling did not work out too well for him.

I can really relate to Jonah. I spent many years running from God. Ignoring his call in many different areas in my life.

Like Jonah my plan to run away from God and just hope he would forget me did not work out well.

I grew up in The Salvation Army, yet as soon as my parents let me; at the age of about 14 I left.

I didn't think I needed to stick to any kind of rules, or be told what to do by people who went to Church.

As soon as I left School At 16 I joined the Royal Navy and quickly fell into bad habits. Smoking, drinking and girls were the main things that interested me. And I spent almost all my time not at work perusing them.

I often felt God was calling me back but I just did not want to be told what to do. Just Like Jonah I wanted to go my own way.

Although I did not end up in the belly of a big fish like Jonah I did end up in a really dark and hard place. This made me start to doubt there even was a God.

I often asked myself "If God did exist why did everything seem to go wrong in my life?"

I went on a course in Portsmouth and when there I got into contact with a group of guys called the Naval Christian Fellowship, and I started to hang out with them a lot.

I went with them to Momentum in 2010 and one evening decided now was the time to make a decision. I could not be a Christian half heartedly anymore, I either fully gave my life to Christ or I stopped playing at being a Christian. So I went to the front and asked Christ to forgive my sins and fill me with the Holy Spirit to empower me to change my life in the ways that I needed to.

I began to realise all the things which had gone wrong in my life were not because of God, they were because I had ignored him and tried living how I wanted to.

I  continued to hang out with the NCF guys and to go to church with them, but I still did not feel at home in the churches we went to. When in Feb 2011 I got drafted to RNAS Culdrose I returned to Falmouth Corps.

I found that I fitted right back in and felt I was back at home and where God wanted me to be.

I became an Adherent member early in 2011, I wanted to be a Soldier, however I felt that my life in the RN was not compatible with Salvation Army Soldiership.

Again like Jonah I was not committing fully to Gods plan and continued to run from him.

Yet as the year went on I spent a lot of time in prayer and thought. I came to the decision that there was nothing stopping me becoming a Soldier in the SA except myself.

And in January 2012 I became a Soldier in The Salvation Army.

But I knew being a Soldier in the Army was not all God wanted from me, as much as I felt called to be a Soldier I felt called to officership.

But again I still acted like Jonah, I put it off and thought to myself "I can finish my time in the Navy and then become an officer."

The more I kept on making excuses though the more I felt God calling me to Officership.

Finally I knew I could not keep on running from God and his plan for my life. I had to step out and live fully for him.

 So in the past year I have applied to leave the Royal Navy and started the process to try to become a Salvation Army Officer.

This has been a massive leap of faith, leaving a job I love and one which I thought I would do until I retired. Many people, especially friends at work think that I am crazy.

There have also been many difficulties in the candidate process. I have faced lots of opposition from the Navy. And the process certainly has not been helped by the fact I have had to do a large part of the part of it when at sea in the Middle East.

None of it has been easy, and there have been some very stressful times, but I have found that every time there has been an obstacle God has smashed it down. In reality I did not need to worry at all.

I have learned God has everything in hand, and when you are truly following his plan, you just need to trust him and he will make it happen.

Not everyone is called to Officership, but God does have a plan for every single person in this room today.

It might be Officership, it might be Soldiership, he might be calling you to live for him right where you are at work, college or school.

And really we all have a simple choice, we can run and ignore God, or we can step out, trust him and follow what we think is his plan for our lives.

Like Jonah I finally decided to follow Gods plan for my life. It took nearly 30 years of running before I did this. But I can honestly say that since I have God has certainly made my life exciting and interesting!

I ask you today to seriously consider what God is asking you to do.

Think about it, pray about it and talk to people about it. Don't run from God.

Because like me and Jonah found out, you can't run far enough away and God never gives up on us, no matter how much we may want him to.

 

 

 

 

Count your Blessings

Hello again, another week has been and gone and here is another blog post! Its been a busy week at work and at the Corps. Yet I have had no idea all week what to do this post on. No idea at all until a few moments ago.

I was sat here thinking about how hard it was to be away on the ship. How often I felt very isolated and alone. How most of the time I hated it and just wanted to be back with the people I care about and love.

Now that I am back it has not really taken that long for me to take it for granted. Its easy to forget all the good things God has done for use when its all here around us. Its easy not to notice all the things God has done for us when we are surrounded by these great things.

It is far to easy for us to get side tracked by all the small things in life that worry us and the things that takes our attention away from thanking God for all he has done for us.

Song 396 in the Salvation Army Song Book came to mind.

1.
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Chorus
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

2.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly.
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

3.
So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.


So today why not put aside the problems you have; just for a few moments.
Think of all the things God has blessed you with.
Just spend a few moments thinking what he has done for you and then thank him for it.

I bet when you sit down and really think about it, you really will be surprised by all the things God has done for you.

The Sailing Salvationist.

My testimony

Hello again.

Clare is down this week, so finally we are getting to spend some time together! So todays post is a bit of a cheat. Two weeks ago we had a divisional meeting (service) and I had to give my testimony.

That made me wonder if I had told my whole story on this blog. Which I don't think I have yet. So here is my testimony!

Some of you know me, and some of you don't, so I didn't know exactly what to include in my testimony, but for those of you who don't know me I decided to start from the beginning.

I grew up in Falmouth Corps, where all my family attended, Yet at around the age of 14 like many young people of my generation I left the Army.

At 16 I joined the Royal Navy and quickly fell into bad habits. Smoking, drinking and girls were the main things that interested me. And I spent almost all my time not at work perusing these things.

As is the culture in the Forces if I was not at work I could be found down one of the pubs in town with the lads.

At 19 I got a girl pregnant and decided I should do the right thing as I thought and marry her. Getting married for all these wrong reasons ended in disaster and a nasty and painful divorce.

This all left me very bitter, twisted and angry. Now all I wanted to do was go out get drunk.

I was loaned to the Royal Marines and then the Army and ended up spending a lot of time out in Iraq.

I found that when I got home I struggled to cope with all the things I had seen and all that had happened. I struggled to sleep without nightmares so to sleep I would drink every night until I basically passed out drunk.

But this was a vicious destructive cycle and the more I drank the worse I felt and so the more I drank.

I went on a course in Portsmouth and when there I got into contact with a group of guys called the Naval Christian Fellowship.

It turned out that they would meet up once a week at the house of a guy called Steve, who lived just up the road from my camp. So I started hanging out with these guys every week and at weekends. I even started going to Church with them.

 I went with them to Momentum in 2010 and one evening decided now was the time to make a decision. I could not be a Christian half heartedly anymore, I either fully gave my life to Christ or I stopped playing at being a Christian. So I went to the front and asked Christ to forgive my sins and fill me with the Holy Spirit to empower me to change my life in the ways that I needed to.

There was no massive flash of light, no road to Damascus moment. And there was no instant change in my life, I didn't instantly become perfect, and I am still far from it now. But what did change was my desire to change, and the effort I put in to being a better follower of Jesus.

I  continued to hang out with the NCF guys and to go to church with them, but I still did not feel at home in the churches we went to. When in Feb 2011 I got drafted to RNAS Culdrose I returned to Falmouth Corps again. I found that I fitted right back in and felt I was back at home and where God wanted me to be.

I became an Adherent member early in 2011, I wanted to be a Soldier, however I felt that my life in the RN was not compatible with Salvation Army Soldiership. As the year went on I spent a lot of time in prayer and thought. I came to the decision that there was nothing stopping me becoming a Soldier in the SA except myself.

Yes there would be major aspects of my work and social life that I would have to change but that would not be impossible, just hard! In January 2012 I became a Soldier in The Salvation Army.

But I knew being a Soldier in the Army was not all God wanted from me, as much as I felt called to be a Soldier I felt called to officership. So in the past year I have applied to leave the Royal Navy and started the process to try to become a Salvation Army Officer.

This has been a massive leap of faith, leaving a job I love and one which I thought I would do until I retired. Many people, especially friends at work think that I am crazy.

And I have to admit there have been a few occasions when I have thought that about myself! But over the past few years no matter how much I have tried to ignore God and his calling or make excuses or put it off it has just not gone away.

There have been many challenges in the candidates process already, most of which have come from the Navy. However every time there has been a problem and I have been worried God has found a way around it or a solution to the problem.

I stand here today as proof of how God can change our lives. How when we trust in him and accept him into our hearts he can change everything in our lives.  

How when you put aside your fears and stop making excuses and follow his plan for you he will move all obstacles in your way.

It's not a guarantee of an easy life, in fact it's a lot harder. But if it is God's plan he will find a way and make it happen.

So to end my testimony today I would like to challenge you and ask;

what is God telling you he wants you to do today?

 

The Sailing Salvationist

What are you selling?

Hello again, I hope you have all had a great week. Things here have been busy as ever. 

As many of you know I am leaving the Navy very soon. So this week I was sent on a career transition workshop. Basically it was a course aimed to help me write my CV, get an interview and ultimatly get a job.

The main thing that came across over the course was the fact we need to sell ourselves. On the CV, in the interview, everywhere; when you are looking for a job its all about selling yourself to the employer.

In the forces in general, we are not to good at this. We do what we do and just get on with it, it seems to be a trend across the forces that we don't really apreciate the transferrable skills we have.

It seems in the civilian world people are a lot better at selling themselves and findingways of telling employers about the skills they have which the employer wants.

This all got me thinking. How much do we as Christians sell Jesus? Do we sell him at all?

I know there are times and situations when I struggle to tell people about Jesus. Times when I really struggle, and if I am honest I am afraid to; so don't. But I know this isn't right. I know there are times whenI should have told people about my faith, or times when people have even asked me about it and I have backed out.

So I guess i'm not always that great about telling people about Jesus. But then, I know that, have realised it and so can work on it.

But I also don't think "selling Jesus" is the correct term. We don't need to sell Jesus. What we need to do is show people Jesus and the changes he can make in our lives. Thats the biggest advertisment ever! Showing the light of Jesus through our actions and what we say and do, is in my eyes the best way to show people about Jesus. However we do need to back this up with telling people why we act the way we do and tell people the Changes the Holy Spirit has helped us to make.

The Sailing Salvationist. 

Who is in charge?

Hello everyone, Sorry I didn't post last week. I was planning to, but sometimes things just don't go to plan do they!

Do you ever have those weeks? I know I certainly do! When things go from bad to worse. Well that's the kind of week I have had.

I had train tickets booked to go up and see Clare, however as you can tell from the news Cornwall is cut off by rail. Not fancying having to change between lots of busses and trains I decided to drive.

Only problem with that is the fact my car is on its last legs. So I made sure I had some good roadside recovery cover before I left!

Anyway I left Home at 5am and got up to Clare's around lunch time. Sat down for a brew and had not been there more than an hour when I had a phone call from my parents telling me work had called.

So I called work only to be told my leave was cancelled I had to be back after the weekend to take over on a flood relief team which would be on standby.

That really annoyed me, I had seen Clare for one day since then Christmas holiday and we had both been looking forward to our week together so much.

But I had no choice I had to head back five days early. It was really hard and I was not a very happy person.

There is a saying in the Navy. "That's life in a blue suit" which basically means that's forces life for you! There is also another saying (changed from Navy speak to English) "A moaning Sailor is a happy Sailor!" And there was certainly a lot of moaning going on by everyone recalled. Especially as we were on an hours standby which severely limited what we could do. however we were never used.

Its been a long week knowing I was supposed to be on holiday and now I have to wait until march to see Clare. It made me think a lot about how much control the Navy has on my life. Its never been a problem before and never bothered me. But I guess now I am leaving and the end is in sight I just don't want to have my life controlled to such an extent.

It did make me think about how for nearly 15 years when ever I have been told to do something by the Navy or asked to go somewhere, I have just done it. Without thinking, without questioning, just doing it because I am told to and because people in authority over me have told me to.

I have never really had a problem with it. But I started to think and wonder how often God had told me or wanted me to do things and I had ignored him. Or how often I knew I was breaking Gods rules and knowingly did it anyway.

How can I totally submit myself to something Earthly like the Navy and yet continue to argue or just ignore God at times. The Navy is just run by humans, surely then I should submit to the will of God without arguing even more so than the Navy.

So I had a look in the Bible; James 4:7-8 says this.

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

So today why not have a think;

What areas of your life are you failing to submit fully to God in?
What rules over your life? Is it God or something else?

The Sailing Salvationist

Self Denial

Good morning, sorry this post is a few days late, things have been hectic! Last night I lead my Corps evening meeting and I decided I would post my sermon as this weeks post. I hope you enjoy it and it makes you think a bit about self denial.

Here are the Bible readings which I had people read out before the sermon.

 

^{Luke 6:38}

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

 

^{Luke 21:1-4}

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.

He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.

 “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

 

^{Luke 14:12}

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

 

^{Luke 12:33-24}

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

 

As I have been thinking about self denial this week I wondered where and when did it all start.

 

So I started looking through some of my old Salvation Army books and this is what I found.

 

General Booth came up with the concept of self denial after Major John Carleton said he would ‘go without his pudding’ for a time and donate the money he saved to the Army’s mission work.

 

‘Why not have an annual effort,’ said Booth, ‘in which everyone shall be invited to perform some act of self-denial?’

He announced the establishment of the ‘Self-Denial Fund’ in the 14 August 1886 edition of The War Cry:

 

Which stated

‘We propose that a week be set apart in which every soldier and friend should deny himself some article of food or clothing, or some indulgence which can be done without, and that the price gained by the self-denial shall be sent to help us in this emergency.’

 

The Self-Denial Appeal was expanded internationally in 1888 and many innovative projects and methods were used to raise funds.

 

Over the years, the way the appeal is conducted has become standardized and formalised to use the now recognised forms of envelopes and altar services.

But Christian giving goes further back than this, we can read in the book of Acts and in Pauls letters how the early Church members used to give money to other towns or cites churches when they were in need.

In fact just after Jesus' death we are told his first followers shared their possessions and sold their personal items to financially support each other.

But we are set examples of giving even further back than that. Our four Bible readings this evening all came from the book of Luke. Each one is a comment Jesus gave on giving.

Our first reading came from Luke 6 and tells us if we give our own things more will be given to us. This Bible verse is often misinterpreted, often for financial gain.

The other day I was flicking through the religious channels and I came across one which was focused on this verse. However I believe what they were saying was totally wrong.

According to this TV channel, this verse meant if you sent them $300, God would bless your giving and you would receive at least $3000 back in return!

This really annoyed me. I wondered how many poor people in a last attempt to keep their heads financially above water sent in $300 to these people. I really do think they took this verse totally out of context and used it for their own financial gain.

Where in the Bible does God say this is the easy way to make money? Where does Jesus say follow me and I will make everything easy?

He does not. Jesus clearly says in Luke 9 verse 23

 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

In our second Bible reading from Luke Jesus tells the story of the Widow who gave her last coins as an offering in the temple.

This offering was much smaller than the offerings given by the rich around her. However Jesus tells us that this small offering of hers means more, because she did not give what she could afford. She gave God her last, all the money she had to live on.

She gave from the heart, trusting that God would provide for her. Not expecting to put in her two coins and gain two hundred back by some miracle. But she gave knowing and trusting that God would look after her physical needs.

I can hardly imagine how much trust this woman put in God, to give the last of her money to him and just trust that he will provide.

At the moment most of you know I have my notice in to leave the Royal Navy and hope to enter the training College for Army Officership. This basically means I will have to live and support myself unwaged for about two years.

So right now I am busy trying to save what wages I can to help me with this. At times I almost want to panic thinking I will not have enough money, yet really I should look at the widow and her giving and realize if it is God's plan, then he will help and support me.

 We should also see from this widow and her giving that giving should be a sacrifice. If we are giving so little that we can give easily and without care then we should really think and pray long and hard about what we are giving.

Our third reading from Luke sees Jesus talking about giving aid to the poor. He tells us that we should not be giving just so we are given in return.

Although he is talking about hosting a banquet the example he uses can be used for just about every part of our lives.

How often do we give to those around us, who, to be honest don’t actually need anything, yet we neglect those who are poor and really in need? How often do we buy people gifts which in honesty will probably be used once or twice but will then be discarded?

There are many charities including the Salvation Army who allow you to buy certain things on other people’s behalf. For example with the Armies Just gifts scheme, I could get mum a Cow for her birthday and Dad a goat.

Yet they would not actually be given these items, someone around the world who really needs them would be given them. This seems like a much better way to spend some money. Rather than buying something which will probably not be used. Although I might just have given away my parents Birthday presents!

But there are many other ways we can help and give to the poor and the needy. We can help just by buying someone homeless in the street we see something to eat or drink.

I often wonder in horrible weather like we are having at the moment how on earth homeless people out on the street survive? Surely buying someone you see on the streets a tea or a coffee will not hurt your pocket that much.

You will not get anything physical in return, but what you will do is make someone's life better, even if just for a few minutes.

But another thing we can give to God and others is our time. There are many ways we can use or time to help and make life better for others. Whether it's helping at something here at the Corps, out on the streets at night with street pastors or just visiting a neighbour; in an age where time is a precious commodity for many, a gift of your time can be just as needed as any monetary gift and also just as much an act of self denial as you may have to deny doing something for yourself to help someone else.

Our fourth Bible reading came from Luke 4 and here Jesus really sums up all he says about giving in a few simple sentences.

He tells us to sell our possessions and give to the poor. Ouch! that’s a tough one! In a time where having this and that seems to be the most important thing, Jesus is telling us we do not need all of that.

Today many people actually make themselves poor, driving themselves further and further into debt to buy things they do not actually need to survive, but things the world tells us we need to survive.

Jesus tells us we do not need to do this. He tells us that the things we buy and store here on earth are no good for us. In the long run they do nothing for us.

The popular says is "You might as well spend it as you can't take it when you are gone"

But in reality Jesus is saying "You might as well give it, as you can’t take it when you are gone, but you will be rewarded for your giving when you are gone."

Jesus also tells us that where our treasure is, our heat will be also. Surely then out treasure should not be in monetary things but in the acts we do serving the Lord?

In conclusion we can see Jesus talked a fair bit about giving. The four examples we have looked into tonight are four of many things Jesus said about the subject.

But it is quite clear how he felt about the act of giving and how he expected us to act and feel.

We need to trust God, when we give to him we need to trust that he will provide for our needs and will not see us starve because we have given to him.

We should give what we feel we can and then probably give a bit more. Giving should not be easy, it should be hard and should be done a sacrifice or form of self denial.

We should give joyfully, but not boastfully. What we give is between God and ourselves. It is not anyone else's business but we certainly should not give to try to make ourselves look good or wealthy.

We need to give not just monetary gifts as self denial but also our time and effort.

We need to ensure we don’t become victims to consumerism and spend all our money just trying to keep up with what the world tells us we should own or buy.

All of these things might seem hard, they might seem impossible in fact. And to many in the world they would be impossible to do. But these acts of self denial are all things we are called to do.

Not because of anything we will receive or be given here in this life, but because our rewards will be in heaven.

I will try to post again on Friday, hope you all have a good week.

The Sailing Salvationist