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Salvationists encouraged to sign up to receive letter via email.
The first of General Shaw Clifton’s pastoral letters to Salvationists throughout the world has arrived via email to all who subscribed to receive it.
Entitled, “Victory,” the General writes in his first letter:
It is natural for each follower of the Lord Jesus Christ to have a deep longing for a life of spiritual victory. I share this longing with you. It has been planted within us by the Holy Spirit. He has rooted that holy desire deep down in our souls. It is a good desire. It gives us a feeling of holy contentedness in order to drive us on to better things in our walk with God.
In his sacred heart, God also has a longing for each of us to be victorious. He offers us a life of victory over temptation, over sin, and over self. This becomes possible when we are living under the feet of Christ, in submission to the Savior (Ephesians 1:22). To be victorious we must submit to Christ.
None of this would be possible without the dying and rising of our Lord.
The General continues asking provocative questions and citing scriptural examples of victory.
Let us think together of all that has been won for us by Jesus. “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Jesus has done this for us…Let the Army give thanks together to God for he “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:57).
Periodically, the General will write on themes as revealed by God to encourage and inspire all Salvationists, with the goal of reaching soldiers and Salvationist friends everywhere. To this end, the letters will be translated into as many languages as possible. For those who do not have Internet or email access, paper copies of the letter will be provided. Corps officers will be active in delivering the letter to their congregation, either during public worship or pastoral visitation.
To personally receive the General’s pastoral letters, sign up at the General’s website, www.salvationarmy.org/thegeneral. Links are also available at other Salvation Army websites. Or send your request and email address to IHQ-Website@salvationarmy.org or by mail to Communications Section, The Salvation Army IHQ, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4P 4EP, United Kingdom. Your corps officer can also provide you with a copy of the pastoral letter.