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Living Church of God: Training Women Christian Soldiers

All women who have been called to know God’s Truth 

have also been called to be Christian soldiers 

in this elite army of firstfruits. 

To be a Christian soldier requires us to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first, 

building holy righteous character as we win each victory over our enemies.

An LCG member sent me the link to an article posted on the Living Church of God site, Woman to Woman - Women as Christian Soldiers.  In the article, Faye League compares women in the military today with women in the LCG.

She starts off with this:

In the physical military (armed forces) in times past, it was usually the males who were drafted, recruited, or who volunteered to fight in wars. The women were to stay home and “keep the home fires burning,” so to speak. However, while most of us ladies (being the gentle souls that we are) cannot even imagine ourselves in full battle gear on the front lines fighting in wars in mortal combat, it has become more popular and appealing to some women outside of the Church to be in full service in the military. Some are even deployed to dangerous war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

So, with that introduction in mind, let us compare two types of soldiers—the military soldier and the Christian soldier—and learn what we can as women. We’ll find that the spiritual role that the Christian soldier represents involves much more ongoing responsibility and is far more future-oriented.

The LCG member commented that with so few men in the LCG who are masculine enough to actually fight a battle, women will most certainly have to step up to the plate.  They have survived years of abuse by ministers like McNair, Meredith, and Weston who have browbeat them down to keep them in their place, where they have learned survival skills.

Then the fun begins (have a barf bag ready):

Both types of soldiers have two main areas of common ground, but with crucial differences in purpose.

1) They both must go through a certain period of basic training.

Both soldiers are taught by seasoned officers, who have been through this training themselves and are very capable of teaching them to be fit soldiers, ready for service.

As we know, the basic training of a military soldier (male or female) consists of marching drills, long hikes in full military gear, fording streams and rivers with weapons held high, trench-digging, military maneuvers, vigorous exercise, mental conditioning and much, much more. At the completion of this training, it is evident to all that a definite change has taken place and that the soldier is qualified for the tasks ahead.

This is where you will actually need military boots on to wade through the crap...

The Christian soldiers’ basic training is taught by God’s true ministers. They teach us how to live by God’s word—His law, with all of its precepts, concepts, and principles—as well as how to overcome our enemies—the Satanic evil forces of this world and our own human natures. They begin with the milk of the word. “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:13–14). And as we grow toward maturity, we are taking on the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). By taking on the mind of Christ, we learn to do the Father’s will. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). As women who are Christian soldiers, we are learning a new way of life—thus becoming a new creation, a different individual being trained to be fit for service in God’s elite army of firstfruits. It should be evident to all that a definite change is taking place, as we who have God’s Spirit increasingly bear its fruit.

It is incumbent upon us as women Christian soldiers to always follow the example of those who teach and train us. “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (Hebrews 13:7).

Yes women of the LCG, please follow your "god" inspired leader like Rod McNair who says elderly people are demon possessed and who kicked out an LCG member for caring for an elderly person in his home.  A man who corners women in order to get them to turn their husbands in for some infraction.  A man born into the COG elite and who has never worked an honest day in his life.  Or what about Gerald Weston who has treated the youth in the church like dirt over the decades so much so that many were scared to be in his presence?  Or Rod Meredith who admitted he liked to spank his wife for disobeying him?  Is this the kind of men you want to follow as you allow them to "teach and train" you?

2) Both types of soldiers must stay the course. 

There are certain term limits that a military soldier may choose, but to be a Christian soldier is a lifetime commitment. During the terms of service, etc., military and Christian soldiers will find it necessary to make difficult decisions for purposes of bringing about the right results. These may include standing fast, moving forward in the right direction, overcoming doubts and fears, or enduring hardship in order to stay the course. Making the right decisions leads to success—which, of course, we all desire.

She continues with a story of Deborah, a prophetess that men came to for wisdom (can you imagine Weston or McNair coming to a woman in LCG and asking them for guidance?  Seriously?)

The account continues: “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, ‘Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, “Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand”?’ And Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!’” (vv. 4–8).

Then Deborah stood fast and spoke firmly, yet in a chiding manner to Barak, as any loving mother would to her own son whom she wants to see succeed in God’s will and way of life. “So she said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.’ Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:9).

After both armies had gathered together for battle—Sisera and his troops at the River Kishon, and Barak and his troops at Mount Tabor—Deborah again stood fast and urged and encouraged Barak to do God’s will, for the battle was his to win. “Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him” (Judges 4:14).

Then, with God’s power, guidance and direction, they were victorious in their pursuits, and eventually, with Israel growing stronger and stronger, they completely destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan, and the land had peace. Both Deborah and Barak received honor and gave God the credit for the victory in the “Song of Deborah,” singing joyously of their exploits. Barak is also honored by being mentioned in Hebrews 11:32, along with the other renowned men and women of faith.

Deborah the prophetess was not only used by God as a wise and kind judge but as a helper of Barak’s faith, and she was instrumental in the deliverance of Israel from the oppression of King Jabin of Canaan. “Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). Apparently, Deborah was a very strong mother figure to Israel as well.

League finished this point with this, using one of the most worn-out words ever uttered in Armstrongism: "inculcate."

So by inculcating these two ideas in our endeavors as Christian soldiers—going through basic training and staying the course—we will move forward, ever closer to our goal of God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.

Basic training in the military is a time that is used to strip away individual thought and actions in order to make the unit cohesive and as one. The Church of God, and particularly the Living Church of God is NOT a unified or cohesive unit marching forth into battle. Abusive leaders cannot inspire members to fight for the cause when the leaders have never fought a real battle or earned callouses on their delicate hands.
After a story of an LCG wife who put family first over a job and was blessed for it, she ends with this:

As we continue in our journey as Christian soldiers, let us seek God’s will every day by putting our basic training into action and by continuing to stay the course on into God’s Kingdom, while growing in the righteous character of God.

Real basic training is profitable and has lifelong effects on a person's character, attitudes and actions.  Church of God "training" has decades of horrendous impacts upon members lives, particularly those trained at the feet of Rod Meredith and crew.

LCG members always are struggling to stay on course, but if they actually followed the one they claim they do, then they would know their battle has already been fought for them and won.