Ravok joins the Army. :)

XMEN Ravok99 · Post by **XMEN Ravok99** » Fri May 28, 2004 8:54 pm

Hey all, I am working to volunteer at the local Salvation Army. I am beginning to attend their Sunday Services this weekend, and should know in about 2 weeks what they would like for me to do. It is very exciting, and I am really looking forward to it. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> "Death is not the end."-Ravok

Mavicator · Post by **Mavicator** » Sat May 29, 2004 9:21 am

Very admirable. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> <img src="http://www.camerasupport.com/oV/mavsigr ...

RedSirus · Post by **RedSirus** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:40 pm

Do you get to wield Holy Handgrenades?

Stang · Post by **Stang** » Sun May 30, 2004 4:32 pm

Thats my Ravok <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> <a href="http://www.thzclan.com/bbsradio"><img src="http://www.thzclan.com/avatars/stangav.gif" style="border:0;"/></a> <a href="http://www.thzclan.com/cam/index.php?zo ... <img src="http://www.thzclan.com/cam/stang/thb_ccam.jpg" style="border:0;"/></a>

XMEN Ravok99 · Post by **XMEN Ravok99** » Mon May 31, 2004 8:39 pm

They don't let me use the handgrenades... something about 4 not coming after 2... and then I get all confused. "Death is not the end."-Ravok

XMEN Ravok99 · Post by **XMEN Ravok99** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:41 pm

Hey Everyone! I just finished reading the Salvation Story and Battle Orders. Two books defining the architecture of the Army so that I can know for sure what it is I have certained to do. All I can say is that it, of course, will take a lot of work on my part to completely fulfill the life of a ranked officer. This is, of course, holding fast to obedience in the Word and continual prayer that my spirit is heart-to-heart with the Holy Spirit, and other such tests of faith. However, my own personal life as example can backslide - and in this, I hold the Army's Orders very well to heart. I may face personal defeats, but the Love of God has already attained a universal victory. I wanted to let you, my friends, celebrate this moment with me, as I am now completely committed to working with this organization so that I might spend my coming years wisely. May peace be with you! - Shane "Death is not the end."-Ravok

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 9:06 pm

You got it. w00tage! BTW, I've been curious about the precepts of the Salvation Army for a while. Could you elaborate on that a bit?

RedSirus · Post by **RedSirus** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:26 pm

I, too, am curious.

Spinning Hat · Post by **Spinning Hat** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:56 am

me 3. <hr /><div style="text-align:center"> "Never, Never, Never Quit" -Winston Churchill</div>

XMEN Ravok99 · Post by **XMEN Ravok99** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 10:33 pm

Sure - my own questions dealt with sacraments, and the like. Basically - the Salvation Army doesn't do things like baptism or communion and such within the confines of church ceremony. This can be seen as odd to many who are used to this type of commitment. Basically, communion was avoided because it used to be given with wine, and as the Army was dealing with alcoholism - it became a stumbling block. That was one angle that was wrong with it. Also, communion was interpreted by the Army as any time we eat food together, that we should remember Jesus' life and talk about it together. Of course, the Jewish Passover Meal and Communion are closely tied in my way of thinking, but even so, I don't mind their use of what Jesus was saying. I think it would even add to it if the passover was brought into discussion during those times. Okay - other oddities is baptism. Baptism by water is very important to many people, but the Salvation Army shies away from the practice, believing in the New Testament idea that being baptized by the Holy Spirit is enough. I think the common theme is to stay away from focusing on ceremony in and of itself - which is empty if the spirit of the remembrance is in any way distorted through misinterpretation. As the Salvation Army fights down in the lower trenches, where confusion over many points like this could seperate members in the church who are trying to get out of poverty, etc... I see that this is a good thing. The Salvation Army view towards other churches, such as the Catholic Church, Protestants, etc - is that we are one body as believers in Christ. However, we view that only the Old and New Testaments can be the canon to which Christians can turn to for guidance, and so churches like the Mormon Church are not specifically within that view. The Salvation Army believes it was called by God to serve those that other churches weren't actively approaching. Those cast out. It called itself an Army, and used ranks to keep the growing church organized and effective. I hope this gives you answers to some of your questions. There's a lot of material going over these issues, so that the Army can take a firm stance as a whole. If you have more questions, I can do some research and see what comes. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Personally, my ministry is simple. In my own life, I have no means whatsoever of helping anybody, my work-life has no purpose for me, and the only thing I know with any kind of surety is my Christian faith. I want to feed somebody who is hungry. I want to reach out my hand and say, "What can I do for you?" when some body is just about burned out. I know that I can serve a number of different Christian bodies and do this, but I also know that I want to make sure there are no distractions between me and this purpose. The Salvation Army holds a position that I can take up, and my daily cross is on my back. There is a truth that is within all of us, for I truly do believe we were created in the image of God Himself - His spirit *is* within us, so when we see it and can recognize it . . . it moves us. Yet there are times I know I have become distracted by everything that goes on in the world today; so I need to join into a body of Christians so that we can support each other, and look again at what the Truth of things are. Many of you all have your own opinions on these matters, and I know your convictions are rooted in a searching for the Truth, or Reality, of things. I also have worked very hard to know what I believe. I could memorize the entire Bible, know every word in my head - but these kinds of things take more than such thinking. I had to live it out, test it, use it as a model for my approach to living, and see if the results matched my theories. This is sweating out the details, IMHO. Yet after all of that, I also learned something. Every man and woman in the Bible - all those heroes - were faulted save one. There is only one hero in all that work of years and lives that is shown as such. And these are the kind of folks if I met one, I would say something along the lines of, "Wow." I knew before I started to test out the words in this book, that I would not be able to complete the entire test. I was going to fail. I mean, its the odds! There's no way I can meet up to this stuff 100% of the time, or even near to it. But I can do my best, and thank the Lord that He is forgiving me the rest, and teaching me through my failures how to do even better and *gasp* warn folks "Uhh, doing that? Is no good." I mean, it seems pretty "DUH" to say, "If you are batting, use both hands on the bat." --- Yet there are days, I am so frustrated or something, I just start swinging that thing around like some caveman with a club. So I strike out, and its pretty obvious to everybody, "Uhh, doing that? Is no good." Heh - so, I had to join something, where me and some folks could get together and powow and setup a gameplan for helping each other out, and empowering each other to reach out even to those who don't know why we are knocking on the door, or talking to them, or selling them stuff from a thrift store, etc... Face it, I am under an impossible task. That is why I just put on the armor, wield the sword of the spirit, and let God handle the tough part. I pray all the time that my spirit is the right one, the one that God wants me to have. That is the key to the whole shebang, no matter what steeple is over our heads. Boy I start yacking!! LOL "Death is not the end."-Ravok

XMEN Ashaman DTM · Post by **XMEN Ashaman DTM** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:56 pm

Sweet! I too was curious about the same thing! <blockquote>Quote:<hr>I think the common theme is to stay away from focusing on ceremony in and of itself - which is empty if the spirit of the remembrance is in any way distorted through misinterpretation.<hr></blockquote> This is my main beef with Catholicism. (I was raised Catholic. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> ) Just wanted to state this. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> The other is that I just can't believe how/what someone else tells me to believe. I still believe in God. But that's a topic for some other time (and a different thread). <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D">

XMEN Ravok99 · Post by **XMEN Ravok99** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 2:11 pm

I appreciate the Candor Asha, and your ability to refrain from engaging an argument unnecessarily. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Perhaps we all should sometime get a powow and see what we all think about these things. Perhaps it would be to the glory of God in all our lives. Who can say? All I will say for certain is that for all that Catholicism seems to mean to folks these days - it was a vital instrument in delivering what the Bible is in the world today, and continues to challenge all of us to carry our daily cross and pray. After all, there is this little snake everywhere that dumps illusions and distractions and all sorts of things into our hearts and minds in order so that he can win our allegiance and move towards his own causes even without our knowing. Against such a wiley opponent, I can maintain no victory, for I am a blind man if I trust my eyes, a deaf man if I trust my ears, a weak man if I trust my strength, and a fool if I trust my reasonings against this type of adversary. And even in victory I might yet lose something greater. As ambassadors, then, I can only proclaim the Truths as I know them, keep my spirit in a spirit of brotherly love as often as I can, and keep my faith that the day that Christ returns the church will be ready as foretold. For me, it comes down to a simple prayer, "God, let it be said I was a good and faithful servant on that last day when I stand accounted." This is the very heart of why I am joining the Army. "Death is not the end."-Ravok

Ravok joins the Army. :)

Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)

Re: Ravok joins the Army. :)