What Satan Meant For Bad

What Satan Meant For Bad

Lorraine recently came across a monthly publication put out by the Salvation Army and was paging through it.

“You might be interested in this article,” she said, handing the “War Cry” to me.

Turns out, back in the day, when William Booth took to the streets with his company of “Salvation troopers,” a rival company also took to the streets to oppose and mock him.

The group was known as the Skeleton Army, who would throw rotten eggs and punch and kick the Salvationists. They even wore uniforms and carried a flag with a skull and crossbones on it.

A leader of the Skeletons, Charles Jeffries, found slavation thorugh the preaching of the Army. He then entered the Slavation Army Officer Training College and began marching for Salvation.

It was said of him:

“He was a man of few words . . . always to the point . . . who could preach about hellfire and the tail of the devil, so that we seemed to smell sulphur and brimstone!”

I wonder if the devil goes into a rant when one of his leaders defects to Jesus’ army?

At the age of 17, I became one of those defectors, leaving my popular rock group to follow Jesus. It happened that my cousin, Jan, played a part in my salvation. She continued to invite me to a church choir practice until I agreed to come just to get her off my back. It was there, at that choir practice, singing 200 year old hymns, that God began to work on my heart.

Later in life Jan and her husband became Salvation Army Officers and continued in that capacity until their retirement. Not one to sit around, she presently heads up the social services department of a sizable church.

I didn’t just defect from living for the devil. When I joined Jesus’ Army, He enabled me by His grace to do some damage to Satan’s kingdom.

When I was 45, God called me to found a ministry, Rise Up America, which presently has become “George And Lorraine” (georgeandlorraine.com).

Between the years 2000 and 2013, I produced youth events across the midwest resulting in thousands of salvations. Currently, the teaching Lorraine and I spread through our website, books and speaking engagements, reach people throughout the world.

Somewhere along the way, I wrote a song about “defecting” from
Satan’s army, called “Let Me Ride On.”

I heard Your call when my life was nothing more,

Than a crazy, mixed up puzzle, a broken ship upon the shore.

Then you picked my up, dressed me your robes of white.

Put me on a big, white stallion

Now we’re banishing the night.

Chorus:

Let me ride on, ’til the night is overcome

Let me ride on, ’til the battle has been won

Oh, we’re taking Satan’s kingdom

And we’re tearing down his walls

We’ll ride on until we hear your final call

I urge you, “Join the fight on the right side. Give your life to Jesus without reservation and join the army that is carrying the message of salvation to the world.”

Please help us to continue to serve you and the world by giving a contribution to our ministry. Thank You!

Photo designed and taken by Lorraine