L. E. Maxwell is not looking
for a "few good men." Rather, he is looking for
the "fundamental folk" who believe in Jesus and
take seriously His commands. In about 165 short pages, Maxwell
presents eleven messages and five appendices designed to awaken
zeal for world missions. World Missions: Total War
is a rallying cry for all Christians to give all
to Christ among all the nations. He wants you
for world missions!
Why You Should Read This
Book
Something you will appreciate
about Maxwell's book is his commitment to the Bible.
He places his feet firmly in both the Old and New Testaments
as he signals Christians to rally to the Great Commission.
Maxwell is totally committed to the idea that the Bible, "read
aright, is a missionary book." Thus, all the chapters
collectively seek to show that the entire Bible, in one way
or another, is calling all believers to engage in world missions.
Another thing you will appreciate
about Maxwell's messages is how seriously he takes Jesus and
His kingdom. In the preface, he uses several paragraphs to
emphasize the importance of Luke 24: 47—"And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name among all nations…." For L.E. Maxwell "total
war" means being passionate about the crucifixion of
Christ and the command of Christ. It means being
zealous about the resurrection of Christ and reaching
the nations for Christ. Thus, the pages are filled with point-blank
challenges to do something for Jesus and His kingdom.
One final aspect of Maxwell's
book that makes it worth reading is his compassion
for people, both believers and the lost. Maxwell is convinced
that Christians are directly disobeying Jesus if they are
not totally committed to His command concerning world evangelization.
Thus, his concern for God's people causes him to sound a call
to action. L.E. Maxwell is also convinced that those among
all the nations who die in their sins do go to hell. Thus,
he sees that what is needed is an army of fellow Christians
who will stop at nothing to bring the nations to Christ.
Some Final Thoughts
As the title Total War
suggests, much of the imagery used for illustration comes
from military strategies and situations. Again, the military
imagery is simply illustrative of the kind of commitment Maxwell
believes Christians should have toward Jesus and the gospel.
However, at times the use of the military illustrations begins
to suggest patriotic/political overtones to what is generally
a sound, biblical emphasis. I offer this opinion as a word
of caution to readers.
The five appendices are like
extended sermon illustrations. Along with these, at the beginning
of each chapter are illustrations that set the theme for each
chapter. Some are excerpts from sermons, some are poems, and
some are allegorical in nature. All of them are food for thought
and several are rather poignant.
The last chapter, "Have
Me Excused," consists of Maxwell setting up and knocking
down 25 common excuses given for not being a missionary. It
is well worth reading. Be ready for some straightforward conviction.
If nothing else, you will want to see if your excuse is among
the 25. Remember, L.E. Maxwell wants you for world
missions: total war.
World Missions: Total War
is a spiral bound book published by Prairie Bible Institute,
Three Hills, Alberta, Canada TOM 2AO.
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