Why train soldiers, and in what?

Simple answer - to fight. What war? The one all Christians should be fighting. For Christ. For the lost. For the world. For Others.

I heard a sermon by Chick Yuill that the world "needs a Salvation Army" I'll have to disagree and say no the world doesn't need a Salvation Army - it needs Christian who will fight. And by the same token, if we are unwilling to fight then he will just pass us by - or may have already done so.

My initial reason for joining the Army was the I believe I was called. I still do. But I wonder for God's reasons. Jesus said there is only need for one teacher...I think the biggest mistake was making the Salvation Army into a church. I had an argument with one of my friends who got really upset that I said that her ex bf shouldn't even be a soldier. Admittedly that was wrong doing on my part...but I still stand by my beliefs. Anyone that is unwilling to fight shouldn't be a soldier. Let alone one that can't even keep their oath. Let alone one that does not even believe.

Truly we've become too soft. Truly we've fallen into the world without realizing it. Sometimes I go to church and see how they try...but I wonder if we'd be better of not being part of the army.

Rant over....I've probably sinned many times just then.

mac8 said:

Why should the army train its soldiers, and to do what?

Eleanor

Click to expand...

Firstly I will say that I see absolutely no reason whatsoever to become a soldier. I have done soldiership course which I said to the corps leader at the time was to find out what was involved. He was really excited because while he doesn't regret becoming a soldier himself he does regret that it wasn't really explained what he was agreeing to when he went from junior to senior soldier. It was just what happened and what was expected. That is when damage is done. You end up with people who aren't committed to what they are doing.

As for your actual question why should we train I think the answer is the same as why we should train any christian. To better equip them. We do need to be careful that we don't spend fifty years training to be better equipped and never going out there. You don't actually need any training to witness to people as evidenced by the story of a former alcoholic in Sydney who would write the word eternity on the footpath and ask people "If you were to die tonight where would you spend eternity?" No training or anything required to say that. Tony Campolo actually mentions this guy in on of his books where a minister he knew heard two different people (in the USA) several years apart give the same testimony. They had been asked that question and it haunted them untill they became christians. The minister when in Sydney for a conference actually started walking the streets of Sydney to try and find this guy. When he did he shared what the people at his church had and the guy for the first time knew his asking that question was doing something good.

Training is good still as it can better equip us. Courses like contagious Christianity which shows how we can naturally fit God into the conversation. Sometimes we don't realise it is as simple as saying I went to church when people ask what you did on the weekend. That way people know you are involved in church and if they have a question they can ask which has happened alot with me. Of course going to mission fields then training in the culture your going to is great as well as some language studies.

So to sum up training is not neccesary but it is helpful as long as we don't just stay in training and never go out. Training works best if while we are learning we get out there and witness as well.