Change of direction

Change of direction

We see that we cannot partake deeply of the life of God unless we change profoundly. It is therefore essential that we should go to God in order that he should transform and change us, and that is why, to begin with we should ask for conversion. Conversion in Latin means a turn, a change in the direction of things. The Greek word metanoia means a change of mind. Conversion means that instead of spending our lives in looking in all directions, we should follow one direction only. It is turning away from a great many things which we value solely because they were pleasant or expedient for us. The first impact of conversion is to modify our sense of values. God being at the centre of all, everything acquires a new position and a new depth. All that is God’s, all that belongs to him, is positive and real. Everything that is outside him has no value or meaning. But it is not a change of mind alone that we can call conversion. We can change our minds and go no farther; what must follow is an act of will and unless our will comes into motion and is redirected Godwards, there is no conversion; at most there is only an incipient, still dormant and inactive change in us.

From Living Prayer by Anthony Bloom

2008 Christmas Newsletter

2008 Christmas Newsletter















Greetings in the name of the Lord! It's Christmas once again and as we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, we pray that you will have a joyful and meaningful time with family and loved ones during this season.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Blessed New Year and happy holidays.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the govern-ment will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonder-ful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of-Peace”.

Read more...

Worldwide Territory Map

TSA Worldwide Territory Map











South Pacific and East Asia

South Asia

Europe

Americas and Caribbean

Africa

Blogs Connection

Blogs Connection











GHC Grassroot
Sacollectables Blog - Contain main TSA blog links
Canada Salvationist
TSA USA Community
SendTheFire
Burning in The Bones

Email us if you found any interesting Army Blog for us to add into the list.

Little things

Little things

Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts he has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good. Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious. We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from him the little things? If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith and difficulty; if, on the contrary we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.


From Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Descent and ascent

Descent and ascent

God descends to re-ascend. He comes down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity, down further still – if embryologists are right –to recapitulate in the womb ancient and prehuman phases of life. Down into the very roots and sea-bed of the nature he created. But he goes down to come up again and then brings the whole ruined world up with him. One may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in mid-air, then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down into green, warm water, into bleak and cold water, down into increasing pressure, into the depth of ooze and slime and old decay. Then up again, back into colour and light. His lungs almost bursting till suddenly he breaks surface, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing he went to recover. He and it are both coloured now, but they have come back into the light. Down below, where it lay colourless in the dark, he lost his colour, too.

From Miracles by C. S. Lewis

The absolute future

Pause for Thought: The absolute future

What kind of Kingdom will this be? It will be a Kingdom where, in accordance with Jesus’ prayer, Gods’ name is truly hallowed, his will is done on earth, human beings will have everything in abundance, all sin will be forgiven and all evil overcome. It will be a Kingdom where, in accordance with Jesus’ promises, the poor, the hungry, those who weep and those who are downtrodden will finally come into their own; where pain, suffering and death will have an end. It will be a Kingdom that cannot be described, but only made known in metaphors: as the new covenant, the seed springing up, the ripe harvest, the great banquet, the royal feast. It will therefore be a Kingdom – wholly as the prophets foretold – of absolute righteousness, of unsurpassable freedom, of dauntless love, of universal reconciliation, of everlasting peace. In this sense therefore it will be the time of salvation, of fulfilment, of consummation, of God’s presence: the absolute future.

From On Being a Christian by Hans Küng

2008 November NewsLetter

Brother Lenny (Yeoh Guan Beng)’s Story…

My parents divorced when I was 5. At that point, it was decided that my elder brother would remain with my mother while I was sent to live and work in a charcoal factory owned by my uncle. A few years later, when I was 10, my uncle decided to place me in the Penang Children’s Home. I stayed at the home for about 9 years, where I en-rolled as a senior soldier (~’63) and played in the brass band.

Read More....