Induction
Christ's army is unique. All you have to do to join is accept Christ as your Savior. Everyone is welcome to join. Young or on your death bed, in fine health or in terrible condition, rich or poor, saint or criminal... no problem. All people of all nationalities are welcome to join Christ's army. All follow the same basic steps to join. All are required to repent of their sins, so criminals will have more work to do to conform. All have an opportunity to advance and receive God's ultimate rewards.
Since we're all different, it's likely that each will have their own area of specialization or area where they can make the most difference as a soldier for Christ. There are so many opportunities to make a difference for God on the earth. Some of those opportunities only you can fill. There's no other place where you can "be all you can be" like a Christian with God's support. There's no other army on earth like it.
Likewise, no other army on earth can stand against it and prevail. They may have limited success. There are certainly countries on the earth where it is very hard for the Gospel message to be preached or spread. But even in those places, there is progress and Satan isn't completely winning the battle. He certainly isn't winning the battle worldwide, nor will he. In the end, at Armageddon, the earth's armies who join with him will be defeated by a simple word from Christ (Revelation 19:11-21).
Satan will be bound during the 1,000 year millennial period before being let out for a season to root out all who still have an evil desire in them to stand against God (Revelation 20:1-3). Sadly, even after 1,000 years of Christ's rule, he'll find some followers. They'll be finally defeated and take their place in the lake of fire and brimstone for all eternity (Revelation 20:7-15).
Even in the tribulation period when Satan is at his post human creation peak in causing trouble, he won't achieve domination over everyone. The anti-Christ will rise up, with his own religion to try to force people away from Christ. I feel that scripture implies his reach will be limited to the old Holy Roman empire. And some of the countries the anti-Christ originally wins control of will break away. But even so, God's wrath will be poured out worldwide. Even if you live outside of the direct influence of the anti-Christ times will be awful.
God still wants everyone to choose Him, even during His period of judgment. He will send an angel throughout skies over the entire earth preaching the Gospel message to all nations in their own languages and another warning not to take the mark of the beast (Matthew 24:4-15;Revelation 14:6-11). Many who choose Christ after the rapture will be martyred by the anti-Christ for Christ's sake, but they will then live eternally with God. Clearly, it is better to make a decision to accept Christ as Savior now and sit out the tribulation with God.
Now, if you die as a Christian, you get to go straight to heaven. You don't have to sit things out in the paradise compartment of sheol like the righteous dead did before Christ paid the ultimate price to bridge the gap between man and God on Golgotha. A bonus is that if Christ comes back for His church during your lifetime, you'll go immediately in the rapture to be with God. Believe me, it is much better to go in the rapture than to try to survive God's wrath being poured out on those left behind and be martyred.
Be ready to go in the rapture or when you die. Even if you're young, something could happen and you could die today. Heart attacks happen. Strokes happen. Vehicle and other accidents happen. You could trip over your pet, fall down stairs or just fall down, and break your neck and die. Terrorism is real. People get killed accidentally or murdered in senseless violence. Don't put off your decision for Christ.
This may read like scare tactics. Living without accepting Christ as Savior should be scary. Many haven't heard the warnings or read the Bible to know truth. They haven't seen the power of God at work through believers to even begin to question whether or not God exists. Others have heard, but God didn't do something for them that they really wanted to happen so decided He must not be real.
You have your place in spreading God's word to the world. There are probably a few that only you will ever be able to directly reach. Join up in His army today. If you're already signed up, see what His orders are for you and follow them. The fields are ready for harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).
Logistics
Every army depends on logistics. When Christ first sent His disciples out, they were making short trips and coming back to him regularly. His instructions then were as follows from Luke 9:1-6
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
When He was due to be crucified and then to return to heaven, this was modified as their individual journeys would be longer and they wouldn't be returning to home base as often. They had to go at the Spirit's direction to any new area that God wanted to reach for Christ. They couldn't take time to go back daily to their home base. They would be operating from forward bases and had to supply themselves. From Luke 22:35-37
35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
It was one thing to go among their own people where they could expect hospitality. They were to be sent among all peoples in the world after the Holy Spirit was poured out on them, prophesied and then fulfilled in Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4 and other spots. They would have to depend more on themselves to survive. Clearly, there were many places where they weren't welcome even among their own people. The shaking off the dust from your feet is still a thing after all these centuries.
But a lack of hospitality is nothing compared to the opposition the Gospel would receive from the world. Almost all the original disciples gave their lives in the cause of preaching the Gospel message. And yet they preached, even knowing what was going to happen to them. Consider Paul's decision to continue to Jerusalem in Acts 21:10-14
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Because he was willing to die for Christ, he went bound to Rome after his sojourn in Jerusalem. He was able to work there for a time before he gave his life for the cause of Christ. How many were saved or strengthened because of his faithfulness. The letters he wrote are still being read today and strengthen and challenge the church centuries later.
What of logistics today? Paul said in Hebrews 10:12-25 that drawing near to Christ is critical in our life's path. He also says we must hold fast our profession of faith without wavering, provoke each other to do good works, gather together periodically for strength and exhort each other more and more as we see the end approaching. That end can be many things. Perhaps it is an end of life that is expected due to illness or old age. Perhaps it is a general end of a body of people due to impending calamity or being overrun by a literal army. Perhaps, and most likely, it is the end of everything when the rapture occurs and God begins His judgment on the earth for a seven year period before the millennium.
Regardless, part of logistics is gaining new strength by joining together. Different groups of Christians have faced all these issues save the actual rapture in the past. Since no one knows the timing of the rapture, every Christian still faces it today as these words are written. Only God knows its timing. And each of us still faces death at some point if God tarries.
Associated with gathering together is the study of God's word, whether individually or in a group. Today, there are many books available to help Christians. There are many websites dedicated to Christianity like this one that may help you in your walk. But don't forsake studying God's word itself. You need to read His Holy Bible in order to ensure that what people are telling you lines up with what His word says. There's a reason why of all the parts of the armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:11-20, the offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Remember that Christ Himself fought Satan with correctly quoted Scripture when tempted.
Christ and others warned that there would be prophets and teachers trying to corrupt Christianity and draw people away from God. Christ warned that the way to heaven was narrow and the gate was strait that leads to eternal life. He said that there would be few who would find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Broad is the way and wide the gate that leads to eternal destruction. This hasn't changed.
Paul warned in Galatians 1:6-9 that the gospel would be perverted. He said that even if an angel from heaven came and preached something different than what he had preached to ignore it. At least one denomination should have listened to what he warned. But today, all denominations are dealing with Satanic influences which try to paint sin as okay. There is no grey with God, and trying to pander to the world to get people in the door or keep them there is a sure way to eternally fail in God's eyes. The way is still narrow and the gate is still strait. That isn't going to change. And the only way to know His truth is to go to the source.
That isn't to say that there can't be new words given. The Holy Spirit works through Spirit filled believers to impart wisdom, knowledge, prophetical words to the church today, just as was done in New Testament times. But the key thing to check whenever you hear someone speaking on God's behalf is whether or not what they are saying lines up with what the Bible says. If it doesn't, ignore them. False Christs and prophets will try to deceive the very elect in the end times. They have been having their way in the church for centuries.
Certain parts of the Christian church on earth need to turn back fully to Him, repent of their evil ways, and receive His forgiveness. All denominations and branches have issues to deal with. We can't undo history and the wrongs that people who claimed to be Christian (and were not) committed. It would be nice if it was possible to do so. All we can do is straighten out our own lives, try to use our influence to straighten out what we can of His church today, and pray.
Praying is another aspect of logistics that needs to happen more. And listening to what God says when we pray seems to be a lost art for most of us. Paul and the early church met in prayer often seeking God's will about how they should carry out their business, where they should go, and when. We need to listen better.
How many times do we pray essentially the same prayer and then go about our business? For some parts of the Christian faith, formula prayers are the main form of prayer. Our Father, Hail Mary, and others are repeated over and over. But even if there isn't a set formula that we pray, how many times do we just repeat the same requests and that's it? I know I get stuck in that trap all to often. We can't change the burdens on our hearts for those we care about or for problems in our life. But we also need to have faith that God is in control and has heard us (Luke 12:22-31,14:8).
There are other aspects to logistics that are still real as well. Matthew 17:14-21 records an instance where a man came to Christ and said that he had brought his son to Christ's disciples to be cured of his lunatick spirit. Christ rebuked the devil that was in the child and he was made right from that time forward. Christ had a few hard words for those present when He heard the disciples had failed. He commented on the faithless and perverse nature of the crowd and told them He wouldn't be around forever. When the disciples asked why they couldn't cast out the spirit, Christ said plainly
Because of your unbelief.
followed by
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
So in these passages, we see that faith, prayer, and fasting, are needed to be prepared to do Christ's work. Christ, of course, had the fullness of the Spirit like He wants to impart to Christians today. A gift of the Spirit is faith. It's also a fruit of the Spirit, which shows how important it is. But Christ Himself took time to pray often and fast. He indicated that His disciples would fast more often after He had left them. So all these things are important.
Satan hasn't changed, so Christ's words still ring true today. To be successful, these things are needed. And we need to make them part of our lives. They shouldn't be something we just work up to if we know we are going to try to do something for Him. Christ chastened them that if they had faith like a mustard seed, they could tell a mountain to move and it would. Nothing would be impossible. We need to accept this as true.
Clearly, it wouldn't be us moving the mountain or actually doing any of the works. It is God doing the work, just as it was God doing the work when Christ was on the earth. Christ was successful in everything He did because He was following the will of the Father and was full of the Holy Spirit in order to both be in tune with God and be God's agent on earth. Christ had the power of God before coming to earth, and has taken up His power again now that He died. He had a hand in all creation after all (John 1:1-3). But while He was living on earth, He emptied Himself of His divine attributes and limited Himself to human capabilities.
We just need to be baptized in the Spirit as He told the disciples to be and to live in tune with the will of the Father like He was in order to do the things that Christ did, and more. It was Christ who declared that we would do greater things than He did because He returned to the Father. Have faith in His promises.
It doesn't even have to be some huge miraculous thing. Just having Bibles printed and available at very low cost around the world in most languages, or being able to witness and provide encouragement and training through the web and social media would have astounded the disciples. Being able to send a letter to someone else via e-mail or phone encouragement or do a video call would have seemed miraculous. Being able to fly a missionary around the world to begin a new work in a country in a day was something that would have boggled the minds of the disciples. Sometimes greater can be something we take for granted today.
But don't discount that God is still doing miracles for and healing of individuals today just as He has always done. It is that work that will get people's attention and make them consider that God really might exist when currently their hearts are hardened. Since they have free will, they may remain like Pharaoh was, with a hard heart until death. But being filled with the Spirit gives each of us a chance to show the world that God is and is still working in people's lives today.
Of all the logistics that go along with being a part of the Christian army, being filled with the Spirit is the most important. It is that oneness with God through the Holy Spirit that keeps the church in unity and keeps His work moving forward. The church needs to get back to the realization that God is the boss and that there is one church. The splintering only helps Satan's cause. Work together, pool resources, win the logistics battle.
Going on the Offense
The Christian Army is a unique creation of God. It is unlike any army the world has ever known. On the one hand, we have a permanent command to go and engage the world for God at the end of the Gospels. For example in Matthew 28:18-20 we read:
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
A similar command is given before the empowering Holy Spirit is poured out initially giving the Spirit in fullness that was before only present outside of Christ in part as seen in Acts 1:4-8 :
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Letting the Holy Spirit be our guide in what, when, where, and how to do something is one of the hardest lessons the Christian church needs to learn. Too many denominations have not let God be in charge over the years. They've elected leaders who were out for their own profit or for that of the church instead of putting God's work first.
This has caused the church to splinter and break apart into many denominations over its history. We are generally still tied together in most basic Christian beliefs. But there are definitely differences and chasms created by history that will take Christ to bridge. Each splinter group gives Satan an opportunity to put doubt in someone's mind as to which Christian church or denomination to go to. We don't need to give Satan any more help in keeping people from coming to know Christ.
We need to put aside our differences, listen to the Holy Spirit and reunite to the greatest extent possible. There should be one boss - God. We should listen to the Holy Spirit to make sure we are following what He wants done. We might as well get used to it as when Christ sets up rule, there's just going to be one boss and I'll bet one of His first commands will be to read that "Love your neighbor as yourself" passage and realize that every Christian is your neighbor regardless of what church they attended.
We need to help the fruit of the Spirit to grow in each of our lives. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are all things that should be continually manifested in our own lives. And they all need to grow equally larger. It's not enough to do really well with 7 out of 9 and call it good. You need to work really hard on having a 9 out of 9 lifestyle.
We need to realize who our true enemy is as well. Ephesians 6:12 declares that our battle is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Our battle isn't against our fellow humans. It explicitly tells us the battle isn't against flesh and blood. All to often, we make the battle personal and the fights personal. Too many try to rain down hellfire on practices we feel are wrong. It is good to speak the truth, but going to war against someone will never succeed in converting them to Christ.
It is the job of the Holy Spirit to do the convicting work in people's hearts to lead them from sin and to Christ. It is only up to us to speak the truth and let God work. Our battle is against the Satanic forces of the world which are trying to destroy God's ability to win people to Christ by undermining the church and bringing down Christians. Pray primarily against the true enemy and not against those the enemy is using. Trust God to fight our battles.
To help new believers, we need to do the best we can to provide a welcoming environment where people can come and worship and learn about God. This can be in a corporate setting or in our homes. We need all who come to feel comfortable. What that means to you, as a leader, is something you'll have to figure out. Personally, I'd like to see more variety in worship services. We tend to cater to one age group of people (and I can say that without saying what age group I'm referring to) and ignore the rest. We need to try really hard to help everyone be comfortable in our services. But it goes beyond just worship service formats.
We need to be welcoming of everyone. We must act if someone comes in who is just trying to disrupt and tear the church apart or preach false doctrines or start other problems the Bible mentions. But we need to welcome sinners and realize that not everyone is at the same place in their walk with God as we are. Love your neighbor. Realize that God may have to deal with hearts for what seems to us a long time to get people to turn from sin. As long as they are trying, do the best you can to support them in their walk with God without judging, even if they seem very different from you. The way is narrow and the gate is strait, but if a fellow congregant is at least trying to stay on the road or get back on the road, love, and help them get there.
Also realize that not everyone may have the same understanding of the Bible from cover to cover as you do. This may be due to the denomination they came from, the studies they or others have done, or just simple lack of knowledge of everything the Bible says. I think that most Christians will be surprised by something when they get to heaven. I think the number who are surprised by nothing will be a very, very small number. Even the disciples needed a lot of direct instruction to comprehend Christ. Even then, many expected Him to set up His kingdom very quickly.
If a person's opinions about what a particular passage of scripture means differs from yours, relax. One of you is right, and one is wrong, but you may be the one who is wrong. There's a lot that might be taken different ways, particularly where large time periods are covered swiftly - creation and post rapture - being two time periods that get relatively few verses for the number of years they cover. If a difference isn't something that matters for salvation, discuss, enjoy the discussion, and move on. There is too much disunity in the body of Christ already without making things worse. But also pay attention to Paul's warning. If someone is trying to alter what it takes to be saved, then that is a problem.
But more than just having a good church environment, we need to realize that our offense is not meant to be located in a church. It's good to come to church to get your batteries recharged from time to time, or to learn more to help out in your day to day life or work as a Christian army grunt. But the battlefield is not really the church. It is wherever you find yourself on a day to day basis. Maybe it's online, like me. Maybe it's witnessing at school or at work or in your neighborhood. Or maybe God is calling you to step up and become a church leader, evangelist, or missionary. Wherever He places you, it is where you need to be.
The Christian's work isn't normally going to be done as a team effort. When it can be, that's nice, as more than one gives strength. But all to often, your work will be done all alone, one-on-one with another individual. God has said He will be with you and the Holy Spirit baptism is meant to ensure this for you. But your work as a Christian soldier will still mean getting out there in some fashion and putting whatever God has given you to say out there for people to hear (or read, or see).
It is much easier to attack and destroy a group of believers gathered together than to go out and deal with each one, one at a time. Christ's command to the disciples was to <em>Go</em>. It wasn't to stay huddled together in that upper room forever after the Spirit was poured out.
And don't for a minute neglect the baptism of the Spirit and the internal changes that this one act brings to a believer's life. It isn't something that is required to make it to heaven. But to be effective in God's work, it's a necessity. Look at the difference in Peter's life between his denying Christ after Christ was arrested and his preaching to the crowds after the baptism of the Spirit. Look at the difference it made in his work (Acts 2:14-41,5:12-15). I'm pretty sure we'd be ecstatic if our sermons caused 3,000 to come to Christ in a single day!
Christ has work for you to do. Whether you've been a Christian for decades or are just starting out, He has something for you to do. Don't take offense at the gospel (Luke 9:23-27,14:16-35). When He judges our works in heaven, let us all strive to be like the man given ten talents to work with and not like the man who was given one talent to work with and hid it in the ground (Luke 19:12-27).
Sure, it might seem easier for the great evangelists and missionaries of the world to add to the kingdom, and their numbers like Peter above might be higher. But God has something for each of His soldiers to do. That one talent is just as important to God as the then. And God wants a return on the one talent, just as He wants a return on the ten. Maybe what you do won't seem to you important or something that is making a difference in the world. But until you get to heaven, you won't know the true impact of even the smallest thing you have done in Christ's name. He will ensure that it makes the difference that He needs if it is done according to His will.
Going on Defense
What is most unique about Christ's army is that we aren't told to react when attacked like a normal army would react. In fact, just about everything we are told seems at direct odds to what is natural. I've covered many of these topics in other recent postings, and I don't want to duplicate a lot of that content here. But I'd suggest that you read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:27). Pay attention to the blessed statements at the first.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
That doesn't sound much like what a defensive posture would be in this day and age, does it?
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Also not what we think of as defensive. If someone hurts you, let them hurt you again and don't try to defend yourself? A Christian's army is to be passive when being attacked because in Romans 12:19 it says
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Finally, an interesting note about the armor each follower of Christ is to wear from Ephesians 6:10-19 .
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
When it is all put on, what does Paul instruct us to do? Stand and pray. Don't go out fighting. Stand. It's hard to accept that the battle is not ours but the Lord's. We have great tasks to perform on the offense, but when it comes to defense, it's pretty limited. Even the disciples were told that when they were brought to trial to trust that the Holy Spirit would tell them what to say (Matthew 10:17-20). Many had the opportunity, whether before the Jewish leaders or Gentile leaders. And they were pretty eloquent in their defenses. For examples, look at Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:2), Peter (Acts 4), or Paul (Acts 17:17-34) and others.
Their defenses didn't always protect them. Many were martyred (Matthew 16:25). Yet their deaths ensured the foundation of the church would last for all time. Sometimes the foundation looks shaky as people get in control of things instead of God. But when we put Him back in charge things go better. In that, we are no different than the Jewish people in the Old Testament as they would return to and fall away from God.
To put our trust in Him when we need defended instead of trying to fight it out ourselves may not be natural. But nobody can say it isn't scriptural. To not say the wrong thing at the most tempting moment is something we all struggle with - or at least I do at times. But every little thing that we turn over to God to deal with makes us better witnesses of Christ.
The disciples gave thanks, and Christ said we would be blessed when we were attacked for His sake. Trust that He knows best and is powerful enough to deal with any situation in which you find yourself. If you end up losing your life, heaven awaits. Earth doesn't have anything to compare to it.