Salvation Army Officer's Blog - Cedar Rapids

Renewal

2010-06-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

God is pretty awesome! Well, that seems like such an understatement. But He is and so much more. I have just been contemplating how God's grace is so sufficient for each new day. If it wasn't for God's grace, where would I be? I know that I would be lost and without hope.

But God has given hope, He's given eternal hope through His Son; Jesus Christ! And when we recieve Christ as Lord of our lives, we become New Creations in Him. Praise God!

This has been a beautiful Spring. Now Fall is actually my favorite time of year, but I have really enjoyed this Spring. God's nature has been so prevelant this year and it has proven to lift my spiritual head up in new ways.

This Spring has also reminded me over and over again that God seeks to renew us daily. Not just when we are initially saved, but God continues to save! We all need that desperately and depending fully on God's grace is the only way in which to live.

I pray that you have experienced this renewal in life as well. It's nothing I have done, but everything God has done.

Bless You!

You Are Invited

2010-04-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Beginning Thursday, April 29, the Corps will be offering teachings on the "gifts of grace" or better known as Spiritual Gifts. I invite you to come and attend this exciting time with our guests Captains John and Johanna Pook from Chicago.

Also, we will have the Bill Booth Theatre Company (also from Chicago) ministering to us over the weekend. Here are the dates and times that we would love to see you!

Thursday, April 29 at 6:30 PM (Workshop on Spiritual Gifts)
Friday, April 30 at 6:30 PM (Continued Workshop on Spiritual Gifts)
Saturday, May 1 at 6:00 PM (Praise Service featuring the Bill Booth Theatre Company)
Sunday, May 2 at 11:00 AM (Worship Service with our guests)

Hope to see you here!

God Really Does Care!

2010-04-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Through this Lenten season, one thing that stood out to me was the proof in the person of Jesus Christ that God really does care about our situations and our hurts. Sometimes, or many times, when we are going through a personal "valley"; we question if God really cares. Many times we don't feel His comfort or His presence.

There are even times that our faith wavers considerably. The Psalms are an amazing reality to this and are very relevant to our present day lives as well.

Yet, I believe that God truly does care that we hurt and that we struggle with life sometimes. And my reasoning for this is that He became man and suffered many things; suffering that even we will never have to endure.

Through Jesus Christ, I pray we all can see that God does care and hurts with us. He still bears the nail prints and "by His wounds we are healed."

Thank you God for truly caring!!!!

I serve a RISEN Savior

2010-03-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

There is a great song in our Salvation Army Song Book that says,
“I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say:
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
You ask me how I know He lives,
He lives within my heart”.

There is no doubt that the cross has become the symbol of Christianity over the many years. The cross has changed from a symbol of defeat and terrible death to the representation of victory and ultimate love.

Yet the cross would not represent victory if Jesus Christ were still dead. In other words, the resurrection of Jesus is the staple of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, death would still have the stronghold over us.

Yet Jesus defeated death on that beautiful Easter Sunday morning so many years ago and as a result Jesus IS the LIFE.
The apostle Paul reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ had not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith”.
But Christ was raised and because of that our faith can claim with the song above, “He Lives within my Heart”.
Have you accepted God’s gift of forgiveness and received new LIFE in Him?
I pray you have! Jesus is LORD!

Living on the Mountain Top

2010-03-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't been on too many mountain tops in my life. I did have the chance to experience the summit of Pike's Peak a few times in my life. Each time the thin air took some time for my body to adjust but the beauty of the surroundings was awesome. It's certainly a spiritual experience as well seeing God's creation in a new perspective.

Spiritually I have had a few "mountain top" experiences as well and each time God seemed so close and I wanted to remain in that moment forever. I think this is why the transfiguration found in Mark 9 is such an awesome portion of scripture that speaks to me. Peter thought the same thing when he said on that mountain, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters", Mark 9:5. Peter too wanted to stay in that moment forever.

But as we all experience in life, the mountain top is not where we live or I have even come to conclude are we even supposed to live. The transfiguration experience for Jesus and the three disciples was what they needed to continue on in their life journey but they also had to "go back down the mountain" and live out life.

I think that God uses mountain top experiences to encourage and prepare us for the everyday life lived on "ground level" so to speak. Yet as we enter into this Palm Sunday I also think of the followers that praised Jesus as Messiah on the mountain entering into Jerusalem only to abandom Him only a few days later.

They also had a mountain top experience but they weren't grounded in their understanding of who Jesus truly is. So I think we all can learn from these experiences and realize the spiritual highlights in our lives are good but we cannot depend on them to sustain our faith journey only. Also, we need to be grounded in our understanding of the Messiah and His true purpose.

Be open to God's continued revelations in your life and depend on Him. God Bless

God is SO Good

2010-03-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday morning our congregation returned to the below blog's portion of scripture and ideas. We expanded a bit on what it means to truly follow Christ. The intimate relationship of disciple to their master was discussed and we had a chance to reflect on some of Peter's mistakes found in Mark 14 that led to sin.

In all the main idea we discovered was that a life in Christ demands full surrender; it demands self-denial and the bearing of our own cross. It is when this takes place that we find the fulness of life.

The best part of our worship yesterday came during a time of reflection in which each of us took the opportunity of writing down a burden or personal roadblock that has kept us from fully following Christ. What a blessed time this was and the Holy Spirit was speaking very clearly and personally.

We all took our burden, wrote it down, and placed it on the cross - literally. God really broke through yesterday and I pray that as a congregation we will continue to reflect on these things throughout the week and my prayer is that we truly left the burdens at the cross and have found victory in Jesus.

2010-03-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about our identity as humans this week and how important it is for each of us to have an individualuality; to make a name for ourselves so to speak; and our name is certainly a way in which we claim our identity.

This week our congregation will have the opportunity to consider the importance of not only our individual identity but our identity "in Christ". We will be looking at Matthew 16 where Jesus asks his disciples "who others say that he is" as opposed to "who they say Jesus is". This is a very key part of the scriptures but certainly the gospel of Matthew. This particular gospel is written to the Jewish nation and particularly the new Jewish converts.

This long-awaited Messiah that has been promised to the Jewish nation HAS come and thank God that the disciples and particularly Peter recognized this. Unlike the "others" who recognized Jesus as John the Baptist, or Elijah, or even Jeremiah; Jesus is the Christ (Messiah); not the forerunner but God incarnate.

And I just love Peter's boldness! I think he truly did speak for most if not all the disciples but here Peter is the only one to claim Jesus as Christ. I pray that my identity of Christ can be just as bold as Peter's.

Yet we see that Peter is rebuked only a few verses later and this is due to Peter's lack of true understanding in God's purpose; of His will. Peter could not accept that Jesus' purpose was to suffer and be killed in order that death may be fully defeated through resurrection and new life be made available for everyone.

This was not Peter's perspective of what the Messiah should do (Why should God suffer and die?). But that point has spoken so clear to me this week and I pray will also speak to our congregation this week. We must get on God's agenda not expect God to be on our agenda. It's all about truly identifying ourselves with Christ which verse 24 and 25 in this chapter tells us demands true self-denial, acceptance of our cross, and full obedience.

I am so thankful that God loves me so much that I can be identified with Him. I feel so blessed to be called a Christian and it is truly who I am by God's grace. Who do you say that Jesus is?

Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Salvation Army Welcomes New Officers

2010-02-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hello Cedar Rapids! This is my first blog. I thought I would use this as an opportunity to introduce myself and my family. My wife Kristina and I moved here as Corps Officers in July of 2009. Our first Christmas season here was amazing. Our kettle campaign set a new record raising over $680,000 and we were able to assist about 1,500 families in need. This is such a wonderful and giving community - thank you!

Kristina and I are newly commissioned (ordained) Salvation Army Officers. Prior to taking this post, we attended The Army's two-year seminary program in Chicago, Illinois. We are not new to The Army though. My parents are Salvation Army Officers and The Salvation Army has been both of our home Church since childhood.

Kristina and I met through The Salvation Army in Rockford, Illinois, her hometown. Prior to becoming an officer, I worked in social services for over ten years with The Salvation Army in Rockford, Illinois. My wife's pre-seminary work history includes over 12 years in teaching. She is a graduate of Augustana College and also has a master's degree in education from St. Xavier. I received a bachelor's degree in social work from Northern Illinois University. We are both currently working toward a master's degree in ministry from Olivet Nazarene University.

We have two beautiful daughters Rachael (10) and Eden (8). We all feel very blessed to be here. We are happy to call Cedar Rapids our home for as long as The Army calls us to serve here. There is such exciting momentum in this Corps and community. God is doing great work in Cedar Rapids.

We have so many opportunities for you to learn more about The Salvation Army and to get involved. Consider joining us for worship on Sundays at 11 am. Be sure to also check out our website at tsacedarrapids.org. And of course, follow my blog - much more to come!

God Bless!