Date: July 1992

Location: West Chester, PA

Article for The Daily Local News

These are days of “rumors of peace” throughout the world, many are waiting with great anticipation for a mighty move of peace and tranquility. Although this may seem to be a panacea and an impossibility, I would like to proclaim to you that it will be a fact! But only through the direct leadership of the King of Kings Jesus Christ who will return in the same manner in which he left (ACTS 1) to rule the earth as the Prince of Peace. Until then there will be warfare! There will be wars between nations, and the war against the Kingdom of Darkness.

The warfare I mention today is not the one with bullets and atom bombs, or foreign policy treaties that are held together by threats and fear, but a warfare that God has called every Christian to be committed too. A warfare against the Kingdom of Darkness. In II Timothy 2:3-4; the Apostle Paul writes: “Endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.”  The Word of God compares the life of a Christian to that of a soldier; a soldier who is not distracted from anything that is not his responsibility.

A good soldier knows to follow his commanding officer. The Christian’s commanding officer is the Lord Jesus Christ. Dedication to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as commander and chief is unfortunately an unpopular subject and tony an option. Many say as Wilber Reese did in his satirical poem:

“I’d like to by about $3.00 worth of God, Not enough to disturb my soul or sleep, but just enough to make me feel good and meet my simple needs. Not enough to make me love those I hate or that I am prejudice against; But enough to give me ecstasy- Not transformation! The warmth of a womb – not new birth!”

Does this sound like you? You can’t get a limited “measure of God” you either receive all of Him or none!  One of the reasons we have trouble following God is that we are looking for what we can get rather that what God wants us to do! An effective soldier always looks for the orders of his commander. If you join an Army for what you can get out of it, you will quickly find a way out!  A Christian automatically becomes a soldier of the Lord. A number of months ago in one of our prayer meetings a word of exhortation was spoken prophetically to the church.

The message from the Lord was: “I am raising up a new generation. A generation of believers who are not stained by the tradition, the religion, or the doctrines of men from former generations, but a new generation that will rise up like a mighty army, committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The previous generation will no longer hinder my work, for this new generation will greatly outnumber them, for many are waiting in homes, in schools, and in universities around us to hear the gospel so that they may respond to my word in faith and be born into my kingdom as a new generation. Therefore, I am calling you to prepare for harvest.  You must be ready! It is not the right time to prepare for births when the babies begin to come, but before they arrive.

You my people will serve as a mid-wife to this new generation and will teach them by my Spirit. This new generation will exceed beyond the churches, the fellowships, the denominations; their number will be much greater.  And I will send them out into the world with my word and they will reach nations that do not know me. They will reach cultures that do not know me.  They will be my army.”

My question to you today is are you ready to serve?  Are you ready to enlist in the army of God? Are you willing to totally abandon yourself into the arms of a holy, powerful, just, and merciful God?  Anything short of that is treason in God’s Army!

If you are not a member of the new generation of reformers made bold by the power of the Holy Spirit; today is your day of enlistment. Go before the Lord and repent of your sins, ask for His forgiveness, confess Him as your Lord and as your Savior, acknowledge His resurrection and you will be Born Again – redeemed – enlisted in the army of God!

You may already be a Christian but serving God for what you can get for yourself, therefore your commitment is on a shaky foundation (Matt.2:7) Or you may have considered your relationship with God as a personal private matter.  God is calling His Church to be militant against the Kingdom of Darkness, false doctrines, the ego of man and the idolatry of our age. This day God is calling you out to serve without compromise. Choose this day whom you will serve; life or death? Blessing or Cursing?  Choose life!

Submitted and Published in the Daily Local News, West Chester, PA

July 1992