Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps

1987 Information Paper / Apologetics Resource Center

Aggressive Christianity began in 1981. It was known then as "Free Love Ministries." Jim and Lila Green are the founders and heads of the organization. Their training center is located on 2222 "X" Street in downtown Sacramento, CA. Most of the people who belong to this group live at the training center. This communal type of arrangement consists of several adjacent houses which the group purchased and renovated with funds partially, if not primarily, acquired from three art shops which are staffed and run by people from within the group. Living conditions have often been fairly crowded and lacking in personal privacy. Several of the houses are even marked off with "Barracks" signs which can be clearly seen from the street. This is in keeping with the groups use of military uniforms and ranks. Jim and Lila Green started out as "Colonels" and are now considered "Brigedier Generals" by their converts.

From the outset, Jim Green espoused two clearly un-biblical teachings. One teaching was the belief that Christians could have demons living inside of them. This teaching, along with their high visibility "Deliverance Ministry" continues to be one of the main thrusts of their group. They base this teaching on several unique misinterpretations of Scripture. One concerns Genesis 3:14. They believe that when God told Satan, "on your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat," that the word dust meant mankind. In other words, man would become the proper food of Satan. [1]

The teaching that Christians can have demons in them is based squarely on Jim Green's heretical concept of human nature. In essence, he believes that man has no real nature of his own: according to this teaching, man possesses wither God's nature or Satan's. And while he does write about man's nature in "Son of Dominion: Beast Inside" [pamphlet], he elsewhere excludes any specifically human nature. For example, in a letter, Jim Green writes, "it is demons that carry out Satan's works (Ephesians 6), man is merely a vessel for which demons to work thru. Men are used to express the works of Satan and of God." This is explained more plainly in "Son of Dominion: Curses of the Living Dead" [pamphlet]: Through their [Adam and Eve] disobedience, they accepted Satan's will and nature of death." Thus, in this false teaching man is an empty vessel either filled with demons or filled with God. Therefore, any sin a Christian committed would have to be blamed on demons instead of on the fallen, sinful nature of man. Chapter Seven of Romans is completely ignored as well as many other important passages such as Galatians 5:19-21 and especially 1 John 1:8-10. [2]

The second un-biblical teaching the group started with was the "Manifest Sons of God" teaching [also known as "Dominion" or "Kingdom Now" teachings]. As a result of this teaching, people committed to Aggressive Christianity are encouraged to become part of the "Man-Child Company" or the "Overcomers". Like many other groups involved in this teaching, they believe that an elite group of people will move out of the Church and overcome all the enemies of Christ including even death itself. This elite group will reach a point of sinless perfection through their total commitment to God, and they will function as a literal expression or extension of Christ on earth. This will include as yet unheard of miraculous power as well as acts of judgment such as calling down fire on God's enemies [who generally turn out to be those against the group].

Consistent with their adherence to the manifest Sons of God teaching, they also told a somewhat gnostic belief in three separate levels of Christianity; that is, that there are thirty-fold Christians (justification), sixty-fold Christians (santification), and hundred-fold Christians (glorification). Or alternately, as one long time member explained it, the thiry-fold Christians are those who are "merely" saved, sixty-fold Christians are those who speak in tongues and have the Baptism on the Holy Spirit, while hundred-fold Christians are the Overcomers, the Manifest Sons of God. And only those in this elite group are considered to be Sons of God and the Bride of Christ.

Thus, the two distinctive and foundational teachings on which the group bases its ministry end up demolishing the free gift of God's grace to sinners and resulting in works, bondage, and spiritual pride. The first of these teachings denies the finished work of Christ is sending God the Holy Spirit to dwell in every born-again believer. The second not only denies the unique person of Christ and even the nature of God by confusing or fusing the creature with the Creator, but it also denies the biblical teaching of salvation. For there is only "one body…one Spirit…one hope…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God" and one "common salvation" [Eph. 4:4-6, Jude 3] It is the gift of salvation plus nothing else which makes every born-again believer a Son [capital letters are optional], an Heir, and an Overcomer [see John 1:12, Gal. 4:7, and Rev. 21:7 in light of 1John 5:4-5]. [3]

For awhile the Greens and their followers were also very interested in the ministry of Franklin Hall, another Manifest Sons of God teacher with many bizarre ideas including some that are pantheistic. The Greens were especially interested in the fasts he encouraged, although they were already involved in long periods of fasting. Franklin Hall promotes some fasts lasting over forty days. Both Lila Green and Mike Brandon of Aggressive Christianity wrote letters to Franklin Hall praising his work: Lila Green, for example wrote, "We have just completed a 20 day (without any food) water fast and feel absolutely wonderful…we have all really benefited from the writings that you produce…" and Mike Brandon writes, "I just received your booklet, 'Atomic power with God through prayer and fasting' and I must say this brings much confirmation concerning this subject of fasting and prayer…Since my pastor received your book, our entire attitude towards fasting has changed…I leave for the Philippines to share the message of the Manchild, God's army, who by fasting and prayer are going to move into the new realm of bodyfelt salvation." [4] Jim Green also teaches as "new revelations" many doctrines which he has picked up from teachers such as Franklin Hall.

Several other teachings both gnostic and strange have appeared over the years of Jim and Lila Green's Ministry. Although Aggressive Christianity publishes study booklets which appear to be orthodox in their teachings, and a statement of faith which also appears orthodox, "Brigadier General" Green has not retracted any of his earlier false statements about the Trinity. On one tape for instance, he states: "They saw the man Jesus walk up and they saw Christ come out of that body and stand before them in all his radiance. They saw Christ for the first time…All the other times they saw the man Jesus that walked with them down the shores of Galilee, and wore an robe…and sandals and got tired and ate food just like they did. But I tell you things changed when they ascended upon that high mountain: they saw God revealed. They pulled back the fleshly man of Jesus, and Christ, that Annointed One, that shining brightness stood out and they saw Him." [5] In this teaching the person of Christ is torn apart or, as in the earlier teaching, Jesus the man just becomes a vessel for the Christ.

This is an ancient heresy, one at least as old as the warning in 1John 2:22 which says "who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the anti-Christ, the one who denies the Father and the Son."

On another tape his comments on the importance of the Trinity, a very basic Biblical teaching about the nature of the true God, are very revealing: So long God's people have been fighting over doctrine. 'Will I believe God is one,' and the other side, 'will I believe God is three.' There's a great big battle going on; they're just killing one another left and right because they think god is one or three. You know I don't care if God is one, three, sixteen or twenty: God is still God, and God has a call for us…what difference does it make if He's one or if He's three; let's just worship and praise Him and serve Him." [6]

Apart from their growing number of theological errors, Aggressive Christianity has long possessed cultic sociological traits; that is, their treatment of members has the characteristic of a cult. [7] For several years they have isolated their members from friends and families. Their members work long hours, are encouraged to participate in unusually long fasts and are cut off from society in general. They are told that most other Christian churches are compromising or are part of "Babylon." Most members feel that to leave this group or disobey its teachings would expose them to being demon possessed and would of course eliminate their chances of being part of the "overcomers." In fat, many feel that to leave would place their soul in danger of hell.

As a result of their "Deliverance Ministry," Aggressive Christianity has returned to something akin to paganism by attempting to placate the demons they believe inhabit every object and person. Here we have a clear example of a false theological doctrine, namely that Born-again Christian can have demons in them, which has led to isolation as well as great mental and emotional damage. People in the group are in bondage to the fear of demons, turning away both objects [such as letters sent to them in the mail] and other people in order to prevent themselves from being demon possessed. Added to this paranoia is a new trend in which members actually change their names. This practice apparently symbolizes their new identities in the group and their total renunciation of their past, while at the same time serving to further isolate them from other family members and friends by making contact virtually impossible.

Included in this return to a more pagan world-view are several occultic ideas. One of the, is the un-Biblical idea of a "soul tie", and the group collects and distributes long lists of them. A "soul tie" is any strong connection members may have with other people or objects, which they are told must be broken in order to be free from demons and to truly follow Christ. Other occultic ideas are highlighted by the fact that Aggressive Christianity provides information on how to send curses back on those who send the. But whether one is sending or returning curses [scripturally, the direction is irrelevant], it is the whole process which is occultic.

The group is led a great deal by numerous prophecies given by Jim and Lila Green. Recently the effort of this prophetic leading has been to further tear apart families; this time within their own training camp. At least three families have been destroyed by "revelations" to the effect that three of the women were putting their families above God; therefore, the women were separated from their families. They were given terrible names such as "Forsaken" and "Barren", their children were expected to treat them as non-existent, and their husbands felt they must divorce them which, in fact, two did. The women were given hard labor to perform such as hauling heavy rocks in a wheel barrow and sawing wood. One woman's husband would wake her at three o'clock in the morning so she could wash the group's vans. They were kept in a small shed without windows or heat, and sometimes they were confined there for up to three days. For several months there was no way they could bathe or shower, and they were fed peanut butter sandwiches on stale bread. The Greens told members of the group not to have any compassion on one of these women because Jesus did not have compassion for her. This woman was eventually cast out of the group and told she was going to hell.

Ironically, those who consider themselves the most committed of Christians [the greens and other leaders of Aggressive Christianity] have become tormentors and persecutors of those who after coming out of the group have remained faithful to Christ and His teachings. It is interesting to note Christ's own words to His disciples: "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but as hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. And these things they will do, because they have not known the Father, or Me." [John 16:2-3; see also 1John 2:11, 3:15, and 4:20] Indeed, the Scriptures are clear.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." [Matthew 11:28-30]

"The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy, I come that they might have life and might have it abundantly." [John 10:10]

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free: therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." [Gal. 5:1]

"For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." [Col. 1:13, 14]

In Christ there is abundant life, freedom, and redemption which offers none of these; Christ offers them all freely. He will not manipulate you with your guilt, but He will remove it by forgiving your sins and remembering them no more.