Training The Liberation Army of Christ

Training The Liberation Army of Christ

Christianity is locked in a deadly battle with the devil and his army. As soldiers of Christ, our mission is to liberate those souls held in the darkness of error, sin and superstition (Lk. 4: 17-21). In Revelation 19: 11-16 we see the conquering Christ riding forth on the white horse of victory, with the armies of heaven following. In the good fight of faith as in carnal wars, no soldier will be battle-worthy who is not adequately trained. When contemplating the liberation army of Jesus, one is reminded of the Special Services Forces of the US Army (Green Berets) that were renowned for their skills and bravery during the Viet Nam War.

THE KIND OF MEN NEEDED

Christ wants valiant men, who are afraid of no foe and who are courageous in the face of any obstacle or odds. They must be faithful men who are completely loyal to their Master and his instructions, men that can be depended on in every circumstance. Intelligent men are needed, men whose mentality is such that they can understand their instructions and their enemies machinations and not only survive, but win the battle. Men of diligence are needed, hardworking men, with strong wills and endurance. Yet, these men must be compassionate for they deal with the most fragile of all commodities, the eternal souls of men. As we saw pictures of rugged, fearless warriors gently carrying little children to safety, so must the gospel preacher be gentle and compassionate with the victims of Satan's oppression.

THE KIND OF TRAINING NEEDED

Our soldiers need ideological training. Preachers must be nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine..." (I Tim. 4:6). Failure in this area left us weaken in the Viet Nam war, as many US soldiers had no understanding of why they were there or why they should defend democracy and oppose communism. There are soldiers in the Lord's army today who are weak on Christian ideology. We see it in compromising attitudes toward sectarianism and sin. If very many men are left weak in this area, our cause will suffer as did the nation's.

Good soldiers must have weapons training. Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Every man must study to show himself approved unto God (II Tim. 2:15). What is more pathetic than a man who knows not how to handle his weapon when facing a deadly enemy?

There must be training that thoroughly acquaints the recruit with the enemy, and his tactics. Here again, our military failed to do this in Southeast Asia. Thousands of good men died, not knowing just who the enemy was or completely surprised by his attack. So today, Satan attacks in a thousand different garbs with subtle devices intended for our destruction (II Cor. 2:11). Our warriors must know the many faces of false religion, worldliness and apostasy confronting them and the church. A preacher, ignorant in this vital area, is in no position to fight the good fight of faith.

A man must have communications training in this army. The success of a modern army largely depends upon the effectiveness of the communications between the many different regiments and groups attacking the enemy. A breakdown in this area can lead to confusion, even defeat. Men in the Lord's army must be able to communicate the good news of the gospel to dying sinners and to properly teach the saints. A preacher who cannot communicate effectively is like a dead battery! Preach the Word (II Tim. 4:2). Speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Do not speak with an uncertain sound (I Cor. 14:8).

Our men must be trained in life-saving. In carnal wars the purpose is to kill and destroy. Life-saving is the specialized work of medics, who mainly tend their own fellow troops. Our fighting is not with then weapons of men. Our purpose is not to kill and destroy men, rather we do battle to seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10). It takes training to be a winner of men's immortal souls. Pulpit eloquence, without soul-winning ability, is like clanging symbols.

The Lord's troops must have logistical training. We must have men trained in "how to get it done." Many wonderful works and projects have died from lack of follow-through. Untold talent lies rotting in congregations because of inadequate logistical leadership. We have the man-power and economic power to evangelize every creature this year, but our problem is organization and getting the men and materials to the right places at the right time. The work of the ministry includes logistical training.

The army of God needs "cross-trained" men. This expression, borrowed from the US Special Forces, refers to men trained in several areas, so that they are fully prepared to meet any and every situation. The world's educational formulae is so specialized that many geniuses are helpless outside their narrow field. Christian soldiers must be more versatile.

A CALL FOR THE KING'S BEST MEN

To win the victory over our infamous enemy, the King calls for volunteers. The recruits must be a rare breed, as outlined below. Thy must be absolutely loyal to King Immanuel. Their will must be surrendered totally to his. They must become His bond-servants (Rom. 1:1).

They must pledge their unswerving commitment to his ideology. The words of Jesus are the only power to save (Rom. 1:16). He alone has the answers to the world's needs (John 6:68).

They must be willing to undertake the rigors of training in the camp of the Kingdom, under the guidance of veteran warriors (II Tim. 2:2; Matt. 28:20).

They must be willing to deny themselves (Matt. 16:24), and dedicate their life wholly to this holy war, not becoming entangled in the affairs of the world (II Tim. 2:3-5).

These men cannot be mercenaries. They must be personally committed to the cause (I Tim. 6:5).

All recruits must be prepared to accept front-line duty. No soft, behind the lines, posts are available. Literally, thousands of beachhead invasions must be mounted (Rom. 15:20).

Volunteers must be ready to spend and be spent for the King and His kingdom (II Cor. 12:15).

They must be willing to die at their post of duty, if called upon to do so (II Tim. 4:6-7).

Duty assignments may be anywhere in he habitable world. Only those who are committed to this world wide mission are acceptable (Rom. 1:14-15).

Other Qualifications

They must be Bible believing, Bible respecting men.

They must be Bible knowing, Bible preaching men (II Tim. 4:1-2).

They must be set for the defense of the gospel (Phil. 1:16).

They must be men who will never think of abandoning their post of duty (Rev. 2:10).

They must preach with power, but be willing to go out to the highways and hedges to bring in the lost by twos and threes (Lk. 14:23).

They must be men whose goals are more than a comfortable pulpit behind the lines.

They must be men of courage and zeal who will challenge the devil in his own lair and set the captives free.

All men who feel they can meet these high requirements are encouraged to enlist today. There is no time to waste, the battle is raging throughout this earth. King Jesus needs you now.

Sincerely,

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