My Covenants
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| Our Mercy Seat at Home |
In this last 16 - 18 months I haven't felt God's hand lift from my life at all, in fact he has led us into an abundance of blessing that I'd never have imagined. He has renewed our strenghth, our determination and multiplied our fruit. He has hidden us in the cleft of the rock and covered us with his hand. We've stood on the mountain and he has spoken to us with his still, small voice. We've seen his glory afresh.
The path isn't yet clear as to when it will be possible for us to move back into The Army and flesh out our covenants in full, and we trust the Lord for those timings, but our covenant commitments to the Lord are as true today as they ever were. As I said back in September
"This 'exile' may be permanent. The call might be to make my home 'out here' in the wider church. The call might be to come back and take my place on the field. What is certain though is that whatever the future holds, it is the Lord God who must be the one who gives the command. We are in no doubt that we are following where he is leading. He often reveals just glimpses of his sheer competency to work out his will in spite of the odds. We simply want to be at the centre of his will for us wherever that is and in whatever way he wants us to serve him"
And so at the top of 2012, I affirm again my previous covenants with the Lord, regardless of the response of the 'third party' mentioned in these covenants and inspite of the challenges of fulfilling the 'Salvation Army' related bits. I seek to live them 'during times of popularity or persecution' to the glory of God and for the salvation of the whole world.
My Soldier's Covenant
My Officer's Covenant
Finally, I resolve to carry/wear a visible sign of these covenants.
Former Officer
UKT
5 comments:
Lordy Andrew. Why don't you just cut out all of the spiritualizing rigamarole and get re-instated already? It's obvious that it's what you really want to do. I mean like how many formers have altars like that in front of their blocked out fireplaces??!!
It's sort of like divorce. When it's over, it's over. And when it's over nobody keeps an oil painting of their EX over the fireplace mantle. Btw, am I the only one who notices that the scope of your altar alone looks something like all of those pictures used in Army literature of the Mercy Seat at the William Booth Training College at Denmark Hill? Talk about a Freudian slip.
Blessings to you Andrew (and your wife and family) in the New Year!
Daryl Lach
USA Central
"You Must Go Home by the Way of the Cross, To Stand with Jesus in the Morning!"
Thanks for your message Daryl.
As with everyone's story, including yours, there are many facets to it and one blog post doesn't fill in the fuller picture of my own particular circumstances.
Oh...and we have a flag in the corner too.
every blessing
Andrew
Oh I just bet you do Andrew---and like myself (in my younger years) probably one laying over your bedspread too!
Wishing you the best....
Daryl Lach
USA Central
A great post Andrew. I find nowadays that I am more and more agreeing with what you have just said. I don't have a mercy seat like that in my place, or a flag, but as our Chief Secretary said to us when we were candidates - 'always carry with you a mercy seat in your heart'.
Yours in Christ,
Graeme Randall
Former Australian East.
Andrew
Good to see this is happening with you and Tracy and may it be a successful journey back into officership. God's ways are certainly mysterious!
I think this shows the importance of that when one leaves for pastures new you make sure you do not slam the door behind you with such a (angry?) force that it gets permanently jammed shut. When a door is left ajar then there is the possibility to return through it with grace and integrity.
ps you will know who I am;);)
Blessings to you and your family
ACTIVE UK
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