1917 Cross cultural practice across religious borders

From FSAOF.blogspot.com

From the book; Return to Russia with Flag Unfurled

Возвращение в Россию с развеваю щимся флагом

Russia's conversion to Christianity 929 years earlier introduced icons as an important part of the liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church. And in our age (1917) were an important part of the domestic life of ordinary Russians as early as the 16th century. Throughout the turbulent centuries of repression in Russia icons offered comfort and support in the Russian psyche providing spiritual strength. Icons representing Christ were most popular and the veneration of his mother Mary was widespread.

(Ten Years in Russia pp. 67-68)

Colonel Larsson, recognizing the significance of the icon in the life of the Russian people, believed that their inclusion in some respectful form would serve as a valuable representation of the Army’s attitude to the Orthodox church. The Army had already adopted the Russian Orthodox cross into its crest as a symbol of this newly established Christian church’s predilection for the mother church of Russia. 

Icons, depicting a painting of Christ, were already displayed in some Army posts and a common display in the homes of converts and those joining as soldiers.

Larsson writes in detailing the decisions made by influential church members, and following exhaustive discussions, that the following guidelines would be adopted:

• An icon would be accepted for display in all SA halls. It must be a painting of Christ. It must to be mounted on a wall between the platform and the congregation in such manner that no one will ever have to have their back turned to it; seen as an injustice. 
• The sign of the cross. Although it’s sometimes abused  (used inappropriately) our Orthodox comrades are free to observe this practice. We also allowed our Salvationist to observe this practice in the opening moments of our meetings (worship service).
• We also introduced the Orthodox practice of singing the Lord’s Prayer in unison.
• Confession and attendance at mass once annually, during the Easter season, was a matter of personal choice.

One Salvationist explained that for her confession was the same as giving her personal testimony to the priest. Soon thereafter our soldiers, who always wore their SA uniforms, found that the priests no longer welcomed them. This caused them to separate in large part their interest in continuing this church practice.

Other questions remained open for discussion; marriage ceremony, infant baptism and funeral ceremonies, at which an Orthodox priest would officiate.

It soon became evident, something we'd counted on, that the newly converted orthodox believers remained faithful to their ceremonies, however, they saw after a time another 'light' and lost interest in them.

Translation: Sven Ljungholm

Sven Ljungholm

Stunning warning: War coming to Europe

- Prophesy News Watch - 
 
With millions of Muslim migrants pouring into Europe, some experts are warning the continent faces a future of revolution, civil war or surrender to Islamic rule.

Author, WND columnist and anti-Shariah campaigner Pamela Geller thinks it is already too late. Asked if she thought it would come to civil war in Europe, Geller told WND, "Yes, I do."

She's not alone.

"If the European political establishment maintains its stranglehold on power, it seems unavoidable that Islam will continue to build a political presence that will ultimately lead to Muslim uprisings and a European reaction outside of accepted political channels," said G.M. Davis.

Davis, a Stanford Ph.D. and the author of "House of War: Islam's Jihad Against the World," believes the only way the problem could be solved peacefully is through "an effective anti-Islamic political movement" taking shape in Europe "within a generation."

The situation in Europe already seems to be spiraling out of control. Austrians are stocking up on weapons, and intelligence analysts warn of an imminent terrorist attack in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, European governments are cracking down on their own populations, even as tens of thousands of Muslim men are marching through the countryside like an invading army.

Davis argues if mainstream political forces are not able to quell the continuous influx of Muslim migrants into Europe, "grassroots organizations" will take up the "defense of Europe."

Read more HERE.

This... Changes Everything!

- Captain Scott Strissel in JAC online -

“The divine breath evokes divine harmonies.” General Frederick Coutts

My Dear Salvationists,
Are there not days when you feel tired, worn and spent?
Are there not moments when circumstances and reality hit you square between the eyes and you can’t help but wonder about where you breaking point might be?
Are there not moments when you leave home long before the sun rises and finally enter your home once again well after the sun has gone to bed?

This fight is not a fight that we will win on our own.

What fight you ask?  It is the fight against sin.  It is the fight against injustice.  It is the fight against poverty; the fight we as Christ-followers engage in every day.   We will never be strong enough on our own, yet pride-fully we attempt such feats only to find discouragement and loss.  We cannot defeat the enemy, who is the father of lies and the bondages of sin -- on our own.  We are not the source of strength, we never were.  We were not created to be islands unto ourselves, self-sustaining and without need of help.

Our weapons of war are provided to us.
God the Father sent His Spirit to guide and to provide.
He alone has the power to equip us in these battles we fight.

The battles are far from over.  They are turbulent and many casualties within our ranks have occurred; yet, because of His great love and His love for those who are lost, we carry on.

You might be wondering, “So what changes everything?”
What is the tipping point within the war?
What is our secret weapon you ask?

Read more HERE.

It´s Thursday - Reflections on Genesis

'If you take this one (Benjamin) from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in misery,' Genesis 44:29. 

The reason that Jacob kept Benjamin back when his other sons went to Egypt to buy grain, was because he feared that harm might come to him, (42:4). Rachel, the wife he really loved, had given him two sons and Joseph the eldest had been his father's favourite. After the brothers sold Joseph into slavery, soaked his beautiful coat in goat's blood and asked their father if he recognised it, Jacob naturally assumed, 'Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces,' (37:33). The apparent death of Joseph tore Jacob apart. Thus Benjamin, Rachel's remaining son, became particularly dear to him,(44:20).

Having seen just how deeply their wickedness had affected Jacob, the brothers knew that if they did not return with Benjamin it would kill him. No doubt the misery that the apparent death of Joseph had caused their father left them with a permanent sense of guilt. They may well have regretted what they had done, but there was nothing they could do to reverse it. Are there things in our lives we regret and wish we could reverse? The last thing they wanted was to see their now aged father suffer like that again. Verses 18 to 34 contain Judah's desperate pleas on behalf of his brother, falsely accused of stealing Joseph's cup. Judah had promised his father, guaranteed in fact, that he would bring Benjamin safely home,(v 32 & 43:9), never dreaming of the scenario that he and his brothers were to find themselves in.

Jesus descended from Judah and something of Jesus can be seen here in Judah's pleas,

1. He was not ashamed to own or align himself to his brother (Hebrews 2:11).
2. He was willing to take his brother's place, (Isaiah 53:3, Galatians 3:13, Romans 4:25)
3. He made intercession for his brother, (Isaiah 53:12, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25).

One of the delights of studying the Old Testament is that of finding so many glimpses of Christ throughout its pages. God bless you all.

That Which Is Spiritual Cannot Be Duplicated

- David Wilkerson | April 10, 2000 -

Here on the streets of New York City, you can buy a Rolex watch for fifteen dollars. A salesman yells, "Get your Rolex here," and he flashes a shiny timepiece with the word "Rolex" on its face. As you examine the watch, everything about it looks like a Rolex. But, as every New Yorker knows, these watches aren't truly Rolexes. They're simply "knockoffs" - cheap copies of the original.

Thousands of visitors to New York City buy these Rolexes from street vendors and wear them back home. At first they're happy to show off their "expensive" watch. But they quickly learn not to let others examine it, because it only weighs about one-tenth of a genuine Rolex.

You can find other knockoffs of fancy items in New York as well. For example, at Saks Fifth Avenue you can pay $1,000 for a designer dress - or, you can buy a knockoff that looks just like the original on Orchard Street for $95. The knockoff dresses aren't made of the same material, but you can't tell that by their appearance.

Read more HERE.

The Call to War

- Book excerpt from 'Warfare Prayer' by Colonel Janet Munn - From JAC online

The authority God delegates to sincere followers is eminently practical.  It is not merely about sitting in heaven with the angels and saints and martyrs and 24 elders and four living beings.  It is about winning the war on earth right now.  And the devil struggles with all his energy to dissuade, discourage, distort so that we settle for our current level of obedience.  Our clear understanding and embrace of this thoroughly biblical authority will empower us to confidently and victoriously confront the enemy in every situation.

Read more HERE.

Refugees and Sweden: My perspective PART FIVE Conclusion

From FSAOF blogg

As the son of immigrants, I think I have some experience in this area. My siblings and I grew up with the Swedish language and traditions, even if we lived in Chicago. My nieces and nephew knew of their Swedish heritage and are proud of their heritage. My parent’s great grandchildren have less of a feeling of pride in their heritage, than my nieces and nephew. I suspect this is what will happen with all the refugees seeking a residence permit, and being granted one, and their children. 

The descendants of immigrants integrated into the new society. They accept the norms and tradition of the country in which they live, including the laws. She writes: “…the central train station in Sweden’s third largest city, Malmö, has been overrun with migrants; the volunteers that for the first few days showed up with food, water and clothes now seem to have lost interest.” This statement is incorrect. I have daily contact with a group of salvationists that are at the central train station in Malmö, almost every evening. Where she draws the conclusion that the volunteers in Malmö have lost interest in continuing to help the arriving refugees is – in my view – blowing in the wind. She has not factual basis on which to assert this, much less to present it as a fact.

The Future

The Swedish government, as well as the governments of other countries where refugees have landed, is going to have to build up quickly structures that will be capable of handling all of the refugees arriving on our door-step. As an example – Malmö during the crisis that happened during the collapse of the former Yugoslavia – had an (Invandrarförvaltning) Immigrant Department, which it no longer has. 

“Migrationsverket” started toward the end of the crisis to start a program called “Kontaktnätet” Contact Network. The idea was to pair an immigrant with a Swede, in the hope they would become friends. As friends do, they would help one another. The Swede would be a good resource for the immigrant, as to which agency of government helps with a particular problem. This program no longer exists. I think these foreshadow the likely course of action in Sweden, at least something like this, once again. 

There is going to, once again, be a need for para-legal counselling services directed to these refugees. All refugees in Sweden are entitled to have a barrister or solicitor that will represent them with their applications for asylum. I assume, things will be as they were in the 90s, that these barristers and solicitors do not invest in doing a lot of research to obtain documentation necessary to prove that they are refugees. During the 90s I built a contact network with attorneys and government ministers and agencies in the country of origin. I supplied attorneys throughout Sweden with new information. The new information resulted in new briefs being filed on behalf of their clients. It is only through volunteer para-legal to dig up.

These are some of the changes that I foresee happening in the near future.

Let me close by once again citing the words of the fourth General of The Salvation Army, General Evangeline Booth: “There is no reward equal to that of doing the most good to the most people in the most need”.

Leonard Johnson
FSAOF Sweden