Another important stop on our first ever Alaska excursion was at the Anchorage Corps. Under the leadership of Lieutenants Marjorie and Ryan Miller, it is a refreshing fellowship with beautiful diversity and and a core value of the practical.

The meeting was a blessing and again, the altar was in full use as it was at the ARP just hours before. God wants to meet with us regularly and is pleased when we seek Him in this way.

Thank you, friends for this God glorifying experience in this wonderful place. Hallelujah!

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”- Matthew 16:15-16

There is a deep spiritual hunger amongst Salvos. We are acutely aware of our need to find balance for ourselves and for those with whom we journey. Our tendency is to see ourselves as Christian activists over and above our own personal spiritual wholeness. We want to be better at developing our own spiritual lives, deepening our relationship with God, and journeying with others spiritually, in the holistic context of our everyday lives.

We don’t want to lose our activism, but we desire to bring to our activism a sense of balance. We cannot journey with others towards wholeness if we are not growing and becoming complete ourselves. We need to be willing to receive from God and from others, as well as being willing to give of ourselves.

We affirm our belief that Christian action and growing in wholeness/becoming complete in God are two sides of one coin, we need both. We cannot reach wider for God if we don’t go deeper into God.

We are conscious that the Australian spiritual climate is conducive to the growth of our mission in meeting people’s spiritual openness and hunger, so we are optimistic about the need and relevance of our holistic mission in this country at this time. We recognise that non-Salvationist ‘Salvos’ as well as others with whom we journey, bring varied life experiences and belief systems to their interactions with us, and that they too are seeking to satisfy their own need for spiritual things. Our conviction is that spiritual hunger is about people’s seeking for wholeness, and our experience is that introducing people to a relationship with Jesus begins the process for this need for completeness.

We are a long-term, relational people. As we move forward we are committed to journeying ourselves towards completeness in God, and journeying with others towards wholeness. We intend to encourage, teach people and focus on:

• Prayer
• Listening and being obedient to God
• Bible Study and going deeper into The Word
• Worship

Psalm 42:2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

While faithfulness may precede holiness, it undoubtedly follows holiness. One cannot be holy and not be faithful.

Interested in measuring your holiness? Use the yardstick of faithfulness.

I am speaking of faithfulness to God and others.

God has never been unfaithful. he is altogether holy.

1 Chronicles 16:35
Cry out, “Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise.”

The Eastern Victoria Division organised a meeting that had just about everything. Let me list in order in the meeting:

1. Welcome to new officers in the division.
2. Installation of Divisional Youth Leaders
3. Installation of new corps planting officers
   1. Glenferrie
   2. Mornington Peninsula
4. Farewell of four Cadets to training
5. Commissioning of a reaccepted officer
6. Warranting of two Auxiliary Captains
7. Recognition of new Corps Status
   1. Noble Park
   2. Mitcham
8. Recognition of Long Service of Officers
9. Selected Testimonies

Before you conclude that it was an overload, just know that the altar was lined with new commitments for service, spiritual renewals and more. Thank you., Lord.

Can I get an Amen?!!!

Isaiah 43:19
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

This is the name of the most recent book published by Salvo Publishing: Holiness Incorporated – Living and Working Beyond Corporate Integrity. I’m grateful to God for these three authors of this work, Major Geoff Webb, Captain Rowan Castle and Major Stephen Court.

We want the ‘Army’ to be a holy movement that starts with holy people and is seen in every aspect of our movement. This especially includes how we deal with people as well as administrative structures within. I believe the book to be a starting point for dialogue. In a day or so you can get it from our trade store and hopefully a few others as well.

Deuteronomy 28:9

The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.

General Eva Burrows (Rtd.) met with the Tri-Territorial Conference today in spiritual retreat. A regular part of the 3T meetings has been this type of day. It’s essential. The business discussions can wait and be impacted by the shared spiritual refreshment.

The General continues to inspire with intellectual, theological and spiritual prowess, enabled by God. We are the better for this experience and thank God for her. Please continue to pray for us in these meetings.

Isaiah 28:5

At that time, God-of-the-Angel-Armies will be the beautiful crown on the head of what’s left of his people: Energy and insights of justice to those who guide and decide, strength and prowess to those who guard and protect.