God's call to full time ministry in the Salvation Army

GOD'S CALL TO FULL TIME MINISTRY  IN THE SALVATION ARMY

Give me a child until he is 7 and he is mine for life may well be a misquote of the Jesuit Francis Xavir.   I don’t know how true that is but I was a member of the Salvation Army for 25 years from spiritual birth then both Julie and I worked for them for several years and despite no longer being a Salvationist I still feel deep down I am part of the Salvation Army.    You may therefore ask why I am still not a member of the Salvation Army.     I don’t know,   you may need to ask God about that.   I would though ask “how do you know what’s God’s plan for your life.     How do you know where God wants you to be.    Of the 70 or so churches in the area,  which church does He want me to serve in.    This is the purpose of this blog.    Since returning to Plymouth I have tried to serve Him in 3 churches believing that was what God required of me.   On each occasion I gave it a good 12 months or more,  except the Engage church in Whitleigh  which closed down after only 5 or 6 months.    But to continue with my early life in His Kingdom.

After my “baptism” of the Holy Spirit I was keen to go and talk to someone about it.     I therefore sought out Salvation Army office in Worksop but was given a brush off with “Umm Let put it down to a second blessing”   There were no more talk of the Holy Spirit or an infilling and nothing changed.   I was a 14 year old boy who knew nothing about God or His Kingdom.    Seems nothing has changed I may now be 68 but I am still seen as the 14 year old boy who knows little about God or His Kingdom.    In February 1961,  I was now old enough to become a ”Senior” soldier,   signed the Articles of War and became a Salvationist.    A few months later God called me to become a full time Salvation Army officer.     You could not become a candidate and enter the Salvation Army Training College until you were 18,  so I became a Junior candidate.    From now I put all my efforts on preparing for College and doing “candidate” lessons.    Studying the bible,  the Army’s history, doctrines and beliefs ete., etc.     I also lead more “Open Airs”.    Took meetings and preached at the local Salvation Army halls in the area.    Despite all this I lacked confidence in my calling and continually cried out to God for reassurance and asking that He would give me someone to go with me.     I reminded Him of  Moses and the burning bush.    How Moses asked God to provide someone to speak  Ex 3v 11 “But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?....... Ex 4 v 10 "Moses said to the Lord, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue....." v14 “ Then the Lord 's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you”    Ignoring the bit about Lord being angry with Moses I kept pressing for an Aaron to go with me.    Sadly nothing has changed I am still seeking someone to go with me.      A year or so later I had the mad cap idea of joining the Royal Navy and get some experience of life before going to College.    There I would have to learn how to stand on my own two feet.    To witness alone and just as importantly save the money needed to pay my way through College.   So in 1965 I joined the Royal Navy,  not realising at the time much as His call remains with me until this day God would not allow me to fulfill that call,  although there as been 4 or 5 occasions when I tried.