Temple Ministry in Christ: Glorifying God in Living Practice and Holy Spirit Power

Posted in June 14th, 2013

The following was written for a Salvation Army publication – May we share it with you today!

My experience with a Salvation Army team out of New Bedford, MA, serving a two week deployment in Hempstead, New York in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in November of 2012, was one of a kind and one never to be forgotten. Beyond our personal involvement of feeding people, delivering needed items, being present to hug, comfort, and pray with folks on site, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share the following Long Beach, NY scenes and what was written in my journal on Monday, November 12, 2012:

I’ve never seen anything like today. Street after street of trash-once belongings of home owners-was confounding and hard to process. The thoughts of people with no power, losing their jobs, transportation, and all their earthly belongings… It seems like too much to endure. To literally start over is not a stretch for many of these people.

As expected, today was more impactful on a personal level. Observing piles of “stuff” and home supplies strewn along sidewalks is one thing, realizing the vulnerability of us all is another, but the heart cry of a mother rummaging through rubble looking for pictures of her children made me cry and struck home how tragic this whole mess is for so many people. The touch of human despair shed light on how critical family is even if it’s in the form of a memory in photos. Lord, please touch those in these situations and send others to help, in Jesus’ name – Amen.

Back home and since then, one of my favorite songs has become Jesus at The Center, by Israel Houghton. To me, the lyrics capture so much, including what was needed to rely upon during the restoration and relief efforts of Hurricane Sandy. In my heart, they also reflect the core value of the God ordained ministry of the Salvation Army. Please study the following lyrics of the first two stanzas of this song and let the Spirit of God reveal to you His uplifting truth:

Jesus at the center of it all

From beginning to the end

It will always be-it’s always been You

Jesus Jesus

Nothing else matters

Nothing in this world will do

Jesus You’re the center

Everything revolves around You

Jesus You

The center of it all/The center of it all

Friends, whether it be in the tragic tumult of Hurricane Sandy or in our own personal struggles, the ministry of Christ and that of His Salvation Army will be there to remind us that whatever is good, whatever is wholesome, and whatever is hopeful is found in the One most powerful in restoring us and our families. He is one of a kind, He was with our team in New York, and He’s never to be forgotten… His name is Jesus-the center of it all.

Steven J. Bouley, Salvation Army Volunteer

Absolute Relative-ity

Posted in May 31st, 2013

In your personal family tree, who reigns as your ultimate parent?

Oxymorons are fun. How can you say “jumbo shrimp,” “taped live,” “tax return,” “cold sweat,” or “alone together” and not snicker, at least a little? These words have an inherent contrast in them that we use regularly in our modern manner of speech. Today’s Message of Hope focuses on another apparent wording contrast. In a day when cultural influence is aggressively “hell-bent” to abandon absolute for relative truth, it is our intention that eyes and hearts be opened with God’s notion of “Absolute Relative-ity.”

Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth is the topic in question. When He declared that He was the truth, all approaches to define “truth” either absolutely ended or He wasn’t who He said He was. When He taught the disciples to pray with “Our Father” as the opening words, He was either ushering in a heavenly family unit or He was absolutely delusional. Either Jesus was the Son Father God sent to save us from our sinful characteristics or He absolutely was not.

Since man’s fall from the Garden of Eden, God’s agenda has been to restore and reconcile mankind back to Him. In that purposeful context, we are either with Him or not. Being the sovereign and absolute ruler of all, it follows that to be with Him or related to Him is to be absolutely related; no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

As a matter of literary interest, the prefix “oxy” can refer to the presence of oxygen in a compound or denotes a relationship to acid. The dictionary definition of the word “moron” describes a dimwitted or stupid person. As a matter of Biblical revelation, our willing and repentant heart brings the presence of the Holy Spirit or the oxygen required for divine life. A true relationship with the One who heals and brings wholeness invades our corroding soul and begins restoration. Finally, in God’s absolute loving dictionary or Bible, there are no dimwitted or stupid person characterizations-just opportunities for all of us to become the “Absolute Relative” He so desires!

Family and friends, let’s thank God for being our most amazing and cherished connection. After all, it’s not everyday that the fun in an “oxymoron” can trigger a celebration of our heavenly family heritage!

John Chapter 3