SUNDAY 21ST JUNE 2020
HIS KINGDOM COME Firstly, a very happy Father’s Day to you all. I hope that on this special family day that you all manage to share with your family in some way, be it by phone or in person if able. We are grateful to all the men in the corps who are great role models for Christian living to all the children who come through our doors. May you be blessed and continue to be a blessing in that way. After a great deal of very careful planning, THQ have been able to announce their plans for a ‘livestreamed’ commissioning on Saturday 11th July at 2pm. This will of course give us all the chance to attend this very special ceremony which is made all the more significant for us by it being the commissioning of Stornoway’s new officers Christopher and Faith Thompson. I do very strongly encourage you to make an effort to watch the service on the link as advertised on the poster here (left). It will be special to the Thompsons that you have been part of that journey with them and have lent them your prayerful support. The commissioning will of course be led by our Territorial Leadership in cooperation with William Booth College, School for Officer Training. Just to update you that the numbers continue to be high at the Golf Club, in the 60s and 70s again this week, and we expect the numbers to remain at this level for some time. We have had great support and thanks from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar who have appreciated the work we are doing and are not only seeing the benefits of what we are doing but are also hearing from grateful service users. Thank you for all your ongoing prayers for the project and for me and the volunteers to still have the energy to keep going! We are recognising that we could be leaving Stornoway very shortly in an bit of an odd way, and certainly in a manner that we weren’t expecting. Rest assured that we are keeping a close eye on all the guidelines and safe practices to hopefully work out a way to make sure we get as much opportunity to say goodbye to you all before we go. We also recognise that we will be arriving at Aberdeen in similarly unusual circumstances and the Thompsons will be arriving here in a way none of us expected, no farewell or welcome meeting and no usual programmes occurring. Please remember to take the time to introduce yourselves to them by phone and then in person when we can meet together again. We all remain committed to seeing God’s Kingdom come and His will being done on Earth. I hope you’ll join us in that effort.
The Salvation Army Stornoway Corps 59 Bayhead Stornoway HS1 2DZ
“We exist to worship God, to support each other and to serve our community. ” REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 214779 AND IN SCOTLAND: SC009359
Corps Officers Lts. Callum & Emma Newton Callum.newton@salvationarmy.org.uk
Telephone: 01851 703875 Mobile: 07493 880058
@stornowaysalvationarmy
Something to listen to...
Sunday meetings at 11:00am and 6:00pm. Music broadcast all week. Listen online at www.fortressradio.online
For those of you who might be missing listening to the band here is a lively and uplifting album from the Melbourne Staff Band. It also includes some nice reflective pieces too such as the beautiful hymn tune Martyn which I always enjoy hearing. Listen here: https://www.regalzonophone .com/Albums/A-Kaleidoscope-
James 4: ‘6But he gives 7us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and 9he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.’ I always find Song 30 (next page) in our Songbook to be a refreshing reminder of the boundless blessings of God when I’m tired, fed up, sad, exhausted or just feeling under the attacks of the Devil. The joy in knowing that when I am completely done in, he’s only just begun, is so powerful. His love is limitless, His grace is measureless, His power is unconfinable, His riches are infinite and he gives them to you and me over and over again. This is the God of love we serve. He gives us grace upon grace, not by means of reward for we could never earn it, but out of his infinite love when we approach him humbly. It’s no good to think we could tell God we deserve his grace, that we have done enough good things to earn it, our works will never match that of the cross. All he asks is that we approach him as sinners, wounded by the world as we are, to humbly say ‘Lord, I need you’. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” How often in scripture we hear the advice ‘Come near to God and he will come near to you’. It’s the Bible equivalent of ‘If you need some help, ask for it!’ and we all know deep down that we need some help every day. God is willing and waiting to help you through anything, he has the resources and capacity to help you to the best situation, but you need to be willing. You need to be able to submit that control of your life to him. You need to need to abandon the foolishness of pride and actually just ask for some help with humility. ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find’ (Matthew 7:7). But with that will need to come a bit of resistance to the Devil’s snares and temptations. The enemy will tell you that you can do it alone and gladly watch as you burn out. The enemy will tell you that different thrills, purchases, substances and other temporary soothers will see you through when they won’t, they’ll just mask the pain. But these will only trouble you by submission, resist them and submit only to God and you will delight in his glory and grace. James gives his readers some familiar advice in verse 8; ‘Wash your hands’. It is advise that we have heard time and time again of late, and with good reason. It is the most effective thing, we’re told, in keeping the virus at bay. James tells his readers to wash their hands of their sins that they may keep the devil at bay. He reminds Christians that we should be people with clean hands and pure hearts, trustworthy and true, untarnished by any wrong. The wonderful thing is that, because of Jesus, when we do get our hands dirty with sin, we have the ability to wash them clean again in His name. It’s an act that we call repentance, but it is simply recognising our wrongdoing, being sorry towards God and making the genuine effort not to repeat it. Repentance often comes with a time of feeling low. Feeling bad because of the situation we have got ourselves in to. There will be times where you have to grieve the consequences of your sin and that is what James talks about in verse 9. It is ok to go through a time of feeling sad sometimes. Whether that is in grief, mourning or just generally feeling low. Sadness is as much a part of life as happiness, and denying yourself time to grieve any loss or mourn any heartache is not healthy. But one must always remember James’ advice in verse 10, to allow the Lord to lift you up again. While it is true that sadness is part of life, it isn’t the only part of life. Always allow the Lord room to fill you with his joy and peace as you trust in Him. Perhaps when you are taking those Government advised 20 seconds to wash your hands, you could take 20 seconds to pray. If there are some sins you want to wash out of your life then present them to the Lord in repentance, as you bring your hands together under the water and pray. When you feel you have prayed what you need to pray for yourself, the next time you bring your hands together under the water pray for someone else. As we are advised to be washing our hands frequently, you should be able to pray frequently and take the 20 seconds to keep praying for someone else until you can’t think of anyone else to pray for, by then you’ll need to pray for yourself again for sure. Remember through all your prayers, all your good times and bad times and all the in between times this week; His love is limitless, His grace is measureless, His power is unconfinable, His riches are infinite and he gives them to you and me over and over again. When you are completely exhausted and can do no more, He’s only just got started. Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Prayer Focus O Christ Jesus, When all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, Give us the sense of Your presence, Your love and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and power, So that nothing may frighten or worry us, but, in living close to You, We shall see Your hand, Your purpose and Your will in all things. Amen. Please remember in your prayers… • Cadets and families of the ‘Messengers of the Kingdom’ session. • CNeS, NHS Western Isles and other key decision makers on the pathway beyond local lockdown for the islands. • Our fellowship and that we may soon be reunited.
Announcement Cadets (soon to be Lieutenants) Faith and Christopher Thompson will be arriving on the island mid-July ready to take up the leadership of our Corps from the end of July. They are really looking forward to being part of our community. They continue to pray for all of you so please continue to pray for them in their transition. Please also pray for their friends and family as they adjust to them living on the island, something we remember well ourselves!
S.A. Songbook 30 1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labours increase, To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials He multiplies peace. 2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed
ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources Our Father's full giving is only begun. 3. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sJeqeqGwMo
Something to watch... I commend to you three short presentations from the late General John Gowans from a series entitled ‘Restoring the Passion’ while he was still the Territorial Commander of the UK territory. They are an encouraging reminder of who we as Salvationist should strive to be. The three presentations last for half an hour in total and give some great spiritual teaching in a way only General Gowans could. Take some time to be challenged and blessed by his teaching. The video can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxCV9Fl8kOE