Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/358103
prayer & praisE >> Called to be God's word MAJOR LAUREN HODGSON book review >> Bible–Believing Christians MAJOR YOUNG SUNG KIM We call Salvationists worldwide to a renewed and relevant proclamation of and close attention to the word of God, and to a quick and steady obedience to the radical demands of the word upon Salvationists personally, and upon our Movement corporately. —Based on the Army's first doctrine T he Bible is the written word of God. And we affirm that when that same word is opened, read, proclaimed, and explained through preaching—God speaks. Even in our human weakness and foolishness, if we still faithfully proclaim and explain the word, the world may hear and see a new thing. God speaks and God acts. To respond in obedient faith results in a decisive encounter with God. We affirm that He speaks profound truth in simple words, common language, and potent metaphors. And we confess that, at times, our words, which are all too often shal- low, obscure, archaic, or irrelevant, have veiled rather than revealed our God. "It isn't by accident that the Salvation Army's first doctrine centers on the word of God," writes Commissioner Robert Street in Called to Be God's People. "'We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- ments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.'" This tenet of our faith tradition stresses that God's word is foundational to who we are and to what we do. Our very be- ing and service must always be viewed through the lens of the word of God. The answer to every question and concern of life is found in the Holy Scriptures. They give "correction, challenge, command, hope, explanation, and foundation for living." At times, the Bible must be viewed as a textbook and as a roadmap for life. And at other times, it must read as an intimate love letter. A heart hungry for the word will never come away from earnest reading and meditation on its pages without renewed comfort or new revelation to meet the day ahead. Writes Street, "In Marching On! Ted Palmer writes: 'The Salvation Army has served God with authority and success over the years because it is motivated by the word of God ….' Neglect of the word of God cannot help but diminish authority and success. If the Bible is not at the heart of all that the Army is and does, the Army will undoubtedly fail in its mission." The word of God must be embedded in our hearts, preached from our pulpits, and witnessed in our lives. Would you like to read more? Go to www.armyonitsknees.org for the com- plete article "Called to Be God's Word." You will also find there the territory's list of prayer requests. —Major Lauren Hodgson is the Assistant Secretary for Spiritual Life Development "Phil Layton in this useful book brings to us a timely reminder of the impor- tance of the Bible for all Christians." —General André Cox s our territory continues to pro- mote its "No Bible, No Breakfast! No Bible, No Bed!" Bible reading campaign, I have the same desire and conviction of Captain Phil Layton, who concludes his book by writing, "I hope and pray that this book will encourage us all to be Bible–believing Christians!" Based on exhaustive research, Layton's Bible–Believing Christians provides a useful and informative study of important doctrinal issues having to do with the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. "The inspiration for writing this book," he writes, "came as a result of talking with folk I love who were genuine skeptics of the Bible, and with others who had difficulty in reconciling their traditional Christian beliefs with their own experience and knowledge of history and science." Layton, a biblical scholar who holds a BA and a MTh degree, continues, "My hope is that, through the various ques- tions raised, difficulties acknowledged, and method of resolution proposed, the reader of this book will be encouraged to conclude that the Bible can indeed be trusted whenever a difficulty arises." In writing the book, Layton plays the devil's advocate by asking what he calls "The Common Question"—"How can we trust the Bible when there appear to be so many contradictions?" Then he carefully disputes this argument with this premise: "We can trust the Bible, but that is not the same thing as trust- 4 August 2014