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We
make promises every day. So
does God. With the rising of
the Sun He promises His grace, provision and deepest love for each of us. In "Praise The Lord For Covenants," Captain Michael
Ramsay convinces us that the covenants we consider are a holy obligation
and fully strengthened by God's resolve to love us. The undeniable bond of our covenants with Him are relational.
Read to be affirmed and aligned in your covenanted commitment in
God.
COVENANTS
offers a properly high view of God and of a Salvationist's relationship
with Him through the Soldier's Covenant. Readers may be provoked by some
of the author's applications of Old Testament teaching to contemporary
Christian living; if so, all to the good! The book is rigorous and
accessible and will be valuable for group and personal Bible study.
Michael
Ramsay has provided us with an easy-to-read explanation of the
meaning
of 'Covenant' in the Old Testament, and linked it strongly with the
saving
life and work of Jesus while applying biblical covenantal principles
to
the life and experience of Christian today. Salvationists everywhere will
benefit
from his years of study and the insights he has drawn from scripture
and
personal experience.
It
is simply impossible to fully grasp what it is to be a Salvationist
without a
solid understanding of what a covenant is and what the expectations
and obligations are of those whose lives are bound by one. The
terms, conditions, and behaviours a Salvationist willingly binds
himself to as they sign any of the Army’s covenants form the night-and-day
difference between the person who is a mere “member” of a
congregation and a “blood and fire” Salvation Soldier. In ‘Praise
The Lord
For Covenants’, Michael Ramsay offers solid, basic instruction,
along with helpful, relevant insights on the subject that should be
read and embraced by all Salvationists.
Michael
Ramsay gives some practical reflections on Covenant, which nails
down things
that otherwise tend to slip out of line. It’s
helpful that there is so much discussion going on about things pertaining
to our Wesleyan (and Biblical) roots.
I
was grateful to have been provided with a draft of a Salvation
Army
approved book on “COVENANTS” written by Captain Michael Ramsay,
with a
request that I write a short endorsement of the book before its publication,
to help increase the profile of the release. My gratitude
was related to learning that Captain Ramsay had spent several
years in research and prayer and re-writing on the important topic of
“covenants”, and my wanting to be aware of the foundation of knowledge
he had established on the subject, which I hoped would lead to my own
greater understanding of its biblical and historical background.
I
trust that some of the thoughts that I gained in reading the
draft
will be helpful encouragements for others to study the book as well
for their own further development in their understanding of the Old
Testament covenants to which Captain Ramsay refers, and the specific
covenants that he focuses on, having to do with marriage and Salvation
Army soldiership and Salvation Army officership. Here are just a few
quotations from the book that were especially helpful for my own
thoughts about covenants and their importance to me as a Salvationist
follower of the Lord: God
is faithful to His covenants even when we are faithless; If we
remain faithful to our covenant and allow our Heavenly Father to
put his arm around us we will find it easier to walk in step with our
Lord; If
we tie ourselves to God in a sacred vow and do not follow him closely,
it’s impossible to even finish, let alone win, the race and experience
victory with Christ; God
is more important than anyone else in the holy person’s life. And
then, linked with that last thought, but a thought that sums up
everything else Captain Ramsay says in his book, is this – God comes
first!
Click HERE to read a review by Scott Anderson in the Booster
Click HERE to read a review by Capt. Mark Braye in the Rubicon
Click HERE to read comments by Maj. Stephen Court in JAC On-line
Click HERE to read a review in the Salvationist
General Eva Burrows (Rtd)
The
only Salvationist book on Covenant I have read previously is the
inspiring volume by the late esteemed Commissioner Ed Read entitled Keepers
of the Covenant . This was published in 1995, so it is time for a
further look at the subject so important to Salvationists who, above all
else, are people of Covenant.
The writer of this
slimmer volume, Captain Michael Ramsay, has been a passionate student both
of Biblical covenants and Salvationist covenants, and we should be
grateful to him for bringing us a 21st century view with
thought-provoking insights.
He
does a wide-ranging study of significant
covenants in Scripture, not only the well-known covenants with
Abraham, Moses, Samson and others, but also lesser known examples
such as the Nazirite vows, and the various covenants in the book of
Judges. He draws out the significant elements or attributes that identify
all covenants God makes with his servants, not only in the Old Testament
but also with us today. Such
elements as:
-
A covenant has no expiry date;
· To keep covenant on our side is costly, demanding obedience and sacrifice;
-
The Lord is faithful even if we are faithless;
-
If a covenant is broken by man, God never renegs on his commitment of love;
-
Our disobedience does not render the covenant void;
But thanks be to God, a
broken covenant can be renewed;
-
Covenants may seem impossible to keep, but our magnanimous God , on his side, promises his presence, and his power to keep us true to covenant;
-
The breaking of binding vows of covenant is no trivial matter, often leading to devastating consequences, not merely for ourselves but for future generations.
In dealing with
Salvationist covenants such as the Officer’s Covenant, Soldier’s
Covenant and the Marriage Vows today, Ramsay reminds us of the privilege
we have of entering into deep and rich covenant relationships with God
which should never be taken lightly, or superficially.
This is in contrast to the ‘present age’ when we live in a
world where promises are easily broken, where contractual agreements are
often disregarded, where divorce is common and vows ignored with a shrug
of the shoulders. As soldiers
we promise ‘to make the values of the Kingdom of God and not
the values of the world’ the standard for our lives.
Should some readers
have taken up this book thinking that ‘covenant’ is an out-dated word
belonging to the Bible and the past, they will quickly be made aware of
its contemporary relevance for Christians, and for
Salvationists in particular.
Read this book with
your Bible in hand, and make some inspiring and challenging discoveries.
Eva
Burrows
General
(Rtd)
Melbourne
August
2010
ABOUT THIS BOOK
BACKGROUND
This short book has been a few years in the making. My first article on this topic was published in the December 2005 issue of the Journal of Aggressive Christianity (more commonly referred to as JAC). When I was encouraged by the editorial staff of JAC to consider writing a book, my initial thought was to simply produce a compilation of previously published articles on this topic. Others encouraged me to do further work in order to reduce the redundancy that is often evident when articles are published over time on the same topic. What follows is the result of much prayer, research, collecting, revising and updating previously published articles pertaining to various Old Testament covenants. Each chapter in this short book is based upon works previously published in Salvation Army periodicals. I have greatly appreciated the insights of the many people who have reviewed my work on this topic over the years. Thank you.
PURPOSE
This book isn’t meant to be an overwhelming discourse on covenantal theology. There are multitudes of voluminous works that have been published on this important topic over the years. I would particularly recommend Commissioner Edward Read’s comments on this topic in 'Keepers of the Covenant': that book is both insightful and easy to read. ‘Praise The Lord For Covenants’ is meant to briefly examine some of the attributes of covenants made with or before the Lord. It is meant as a practical help for those of us considering entering into a covenant. It is my hope that this book will provide us with some real food for thought from various Old Testament covenants that still have a great deal of value for those of us living our lives as new creations on this side of the cross.
CONTROVERSY
I have not shied away from controversy over the years;
neither have I necessarily sought it. Covenants: this is a topic that can
be a lightning rod for disagreement. There has been much controversy
surrounding especially the marriage covenant in recent years. Politicians, clergy, media and others have had much to say
about whether or not the State (or even the churches) should marry two
people of the same gender: this topic has certainly contributed to some
significant divisions in our society. In much of the western world about
half of all marriage covenants end in divorce. In parts of Canada it is
even more common for a person never to marry the other parent of one’s
children, even if the couple does continue to live together ‘until death
do they part’. These days it is not uncommon for various churches and
Christian organizations to have as a part of their leadership team people
who have been married twice or even thrice. Polygamy has even grabbed
headlines relating to various Muslim groups abroad and Mormon groups at
home. This book does not explicitly weigh in on any of these
controversies. This book does not intend to offer the final word on the
topic of covenants but rather it is meant to further the discussion. It is
meant as a resource for those who are considering entering into a covenant
with or before the Lord. This book is meant to look at a few interesting
passages about covenants in the Old Testament; examine what God, the
author and/or the redactor may have meant by them and consider what
applications these stories may have for the 21st Century and
beyond.
THEME
In examining the pericopes contained in this book, we
have noted a couple themes that are common to the selected Old Testament
passages:
1) It is very important for us to respect our covenants: be they marriage, Soldiership (Salvation Army membership) or other covenants that are made with or before the Lord.
2)
God is faithful to His covenants even when we are faithless.
If
you are convinced of these two things from reading these humble
reflections and are able to apply them to the covenants in your own life
then I believe that this short book has served its purpose.
AUTHOR’S
NOTE
Over the years I have revisited and revised a number of the articles contained in this book. Out of respect for the office of the International Literary Secretary and The Officer Magazine, I have mostly left the articles that first appeared in that publication in their original form. These articles form the first 3 chapters of this book. The editorial staff of the Journal of Aggressive Christianity (JAC) has been kind enough to give me a free hand to update the articles that were first published in their journal. Thank you.
I have always believed that one should draw one’s opinions from Scripture examined in context. This often poses a challenge for those of us who feel directed by the Lord to write on a particular topic or theme. The way that I have attempted to address this problem is through a contextual-exegetical examination of a number of pericopes that address the topic at hand. In doing so I seek to learn what God has to say to us through these passages.
This book is not meant to be an exhaustive study. It is my hope that as I continue to research the beautiful topic of covenants that I will continue to be able to share my offerings with you in the years to come.
It is my prayer that the Lord will bless the reader of this book.
PREFACE
TO AN EARLIER ANTHOLOGY OF ARTICLES
The
Journal of Aggressive Christianity addresses many important issues
for Salvationists in today’s world. JAC, drawing upon the rich tradition
of our primitive Salvation Army, examines eternal truths within the
context of the contemporary Salvation Army world. Contained in the
following pages are a few of the insights on various covenants that have
been included in its pages as well as a couple of introductory articles
from The Officer Magazine.
I hope that the information included here will be of
use to anyone considering entering into a covenant relationship be it as a
Salvation Army soldier, officer, as a spouse, or any other contractual
relationship.
Sincerely,
Captain Michael Ramsay
The Salvation Army
To purchase on-line click HERE.
To order a copy simply e-mail covenant@sheepspeak.com or mail a cheque or money order for $10.00 to PO Box 2061, Swift Current, SK, S9H 4M7 (don't forget to include your mailing address with your order!)
For those who cannot afford the $10.00, please click here for a free pdf copy.