I was recently reading through Teen Mania’s “R.I.O.T. Manual,” an evangelism guide published in the mid-90s. Ron Luce states, “This tactics section of your R.I.O.T. Manual is NOT a suggestion list. These aren’t just good ideas to read and forget. These are the steps you take to start your Righteous Invasion of Truth…We’d like you to implement these tactics all the time, but put at least three or four into action each and every week.”
As always, I want to follow Ron Luce’s advice. Clearly, God has anointed him to minister to the youth of our nation and any evangelism techniques he gives are sure to be awesomely effective. I especially like method #18, but I’m not sure how best to implement it.
18. BEHIND ENEMY LINES
This tactic is sure to get your adventurous side charged up! It will take you right where the lost are. The Bible says our enemy is the devil; Behind Enemy Lines is a tactic to infiltrate people who follow him.
In most towns you’ll find Mormon or Jehovah’s Witnesses churches. There are other cults represented in almost every city in America. Find tracts that address the cult’s perspective of life from a Biblical viewpoint, then go Behind Enemy Lines – into their church buildings. When the building is open, go in and pray and bind the devil. Then, discreetly insert tracts into books in their pews. When they have their next service, those who see the tracts will get a surprise that could give them a new life!
What a great idea! I would love to implement this evangelism tactic. The only problem is that I’ve already been banned from campus and Heath Stoner threatened to call the cops if I ever step foot there again. But if I let that stop me, then I wouldn’t be a “radical young warrior ready to cause a R.I.O.T.”
After all, as Ron said:
When you bring a R.I.O.T. to town, the locals should know that you have been there. The city council and mayor should know that you are doing something to stir up righteousness in your town. The newspapers and T.V. stations should know that something is going on with your R.I.O.T. Squad. When you start a R.I.O.T., everyone will know.
Well, the locals, the tv stations and the newspapers definitely knew that I was “stirring up righteousness” last fall. (This seems like a pretty hard tactic to achieve, so do I get extra points?) The only thing I don’t understand is why did Teen Mania vandalize my house for giving that interview. I was just following Ron’s advice! After all – Ron clearly said that these tactics are NOT optional – I should be doing them three or four times a week. Guess I should be giving more interviews!
And when Ron explains why, I couldn’t agree more:
Since the Garden of Eden, the devil has had a free for all – abusing, taking advantage of and deceiving people – with almost no resistance. He has manipulated us and given us a raw deal for so long that we accept it as the way things are supposed to be. We think it is normal to be ripped off by Satan. It happens all the time, but we don’t get mad because we’re used to it.
Well, we think it’s time to get mad – mad enough to start a R.I.O.T.
Hearing people’s stories about how they were abused and deceived makes me pretty mad, so I guess I’m on the right track! Its time for us to to resist the devil’s attempts to manipulate, deceive, rip us off and give us a raw deal. And not just us, but every person that God loves. It’s time to get mad!
Ron Luce says so!
Haha, well said, RA.
The thing about putting tracts in Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness churches kind of pisses me off. It’s one thing to talk to a Mormon or Jehovah’s witness about beliefs out in the open, but to invade their place of worship and deposit your literature in their books? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but that doesn’t seem like something that Jesus would have done…
Maybe instead of spreading tracts indiscriminately (which could be considered a waste of paper), you could email a web link to a publicly available email list of the cult’s members. Surely Ron would have to admire such passion for spreading the gospel!
“Stir up righteousness”?
Most of what Ron says gives me an uncomfortable feeling anyway, but THAT just reeks of salvation-by-works. “Look Jesus, no hands!” is what comes to mind.
I know this is like circa 90’s but still, when I read stuff like this I have to remind myself it’s not satire.
I’m not sure if that makes it funnier or just sad.
I think I just felt sick that book just has made me fell Ill since I read it as a Teenager…. Specifically since while I don’t agree with Mormons religious stands I have never felt it was my place to tell someone what denomination of Christianity (however added to it is) they should belong to.
“A Hit List is the people you target for the Gospel. It’s no good to reach “all those people out there somewhere”. Go after specific ones. These are the ones you pray God will open their hearts to hear Him. Some people pray a halfhearted prayer and hope that their friends get saved. They might pray, “Dear Lord, please reach Joe.” Wow, did you feel the anointing on that? No, and neither did God. God wants us to care enough about people to really pray for them. He wants us to care the same way He does.”
WOOOOOOW. This stuff is gold.
I love your sarcasm inserts.
But.. What a freaking weird book! What idiot would go into another church of a different religion and hide tracts in the pews??
ROFL! I’m a Mormon and an HA Alumnus. Y’all better start doing drive-by prayings and bindings-of-the-devil in front of my house…
For clarification: I was Protestant when I was at the HA.
Ooo fascinating, Esther. I am no longer an evangelical either (I’d identify as Christian mystic/Universalist/gnostic). I now have a Mormon friend (albeit she is a liberal mystic Mormon who no longer is part of the LDS church) and am not trying to “save” her and convince her of any theological point. I realized she seeks Jesus as surely as I do, and if Jesus is really who we say He is the Holy Spirit will correct either or both of us of any theological “errors” =).
I couldn’t agree more with that last sentence. I’m thankful that that’s pretty much the unspoken understanding my parents and I have come to. They’re still protestant but we all acknowledge that we are all seeking God, all believe in Jesus, the death and resurrection, etc., and that each person’s relationship with God is their own. We’re all more than willing to answer questions if anyone has any, but they don’t try to convert us and we don’t try to convert them and we are all dandy. 🙂