And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?
Jesus said to him, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.
From Soldier's Covenant: "I will be faithful to the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him, and in His name caring for the needy and the disadvantaged."
The comparable passage from Articles of War: "I do here declare that I will never treat any woman, child or other person, whose life, comfort or happiness may be placed within my power, in an oppressive, cruel or cowardly manner; but that I will protect such from evil and danger so far as I can, and promote, to the utmost of my ability, their present welfare and eternal Salvation."
From Soldier's Covenant: "I will be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work, worship and witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my income as possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work of the Army."
The comparable passage from Articles of War: "I do here declare that I will spend all the time, strength, money and influence I can in supporting and carrying on the Salvation war, and that I will endeavor to lead my family, friends, neighbors and all others whom I can influence to do the same, believing that the sure and only way to remedy all the evils in the world is by bringing men to submit themselves to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ."
From Soldier's Covenant: "I will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show the spirit of Salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution."
The comparable passage from Articles of War: "I do here declare that I will always obey the lawful orders of my officers, and that I will carry out to the utmost of my power all the orders and regulations of the Army; and, further, that I will be an example of faithfulness to its principles, advance to the utmost of my ability its operations, and never allow, where I can prevent it, any injury to its interest, or hindrance to its success."
We lose our connection to an important part of our cultural identity. We are still Christian but are we still Soldiers?
If there other Army units nearby it might be possible to continue your Army service in a social services center, residence, day care or youth center, or service extension unit.
Some of our service in the corps may be continued independently. For example, if you've been visiting people in nursing homes or hospitals, you could continue those personal ministries.
Maintain your Army connections with a combination of online activity and occasional visits to "nearby" corps.
If you know of other Salvationists in your community, participate in organized fellowship -- or even service -- activities together.
We can continue to serve and fulfill our calling, but may need to join in fellowship with another Christian congregation .
The full text is available at <http://jdcard.com/HowToBe.html>.