When I look at the riots taking place in our cities, destructions of property, loss of life, personal injuries, public services being interrupted and the riot police stepping in – the tendency for us is to become alarmed, fearful and wanting to know who or what is the culprit behind it all, and who to blame.
With that in mind, we begin to hear all of the assumptions being made in trying to answer that one question, and so begins the finger pointing: It is Trump and his tweets that are causing all of this damage, or it is the progressives and their ideology, or it is Antifa, or some other radical group. Or we can play the “race card:” it is the blacks or white supremacy, etc.
When I look at Face-Book and read what is being written, the one thing that comes out is that we all have our opinions of what is wrong. Then the debates come, arguments, reasoning in why we are right in what we are expressing or believing is the real problem.
I can understand that with the secular world having their opinion and agenda – politicians quick to blame the opposing side, and it is not unusual to twist the facts and lie in order to try and support what they think is the real problem and how to fix it. But what about those who call themselves “Christians,” who are known as the Body of Christ? Do WE see things differently? Or, have WE been ‘taken in’ by the media, politicians, propaganda that is being broadcasted to us 24/7. Are WE in the process of becoming brain-washed to believe in a way that might not be the will of God? I am asking these questions, not that I have the answers, but knowing that in these last days we are living in times of great deception. If there was a time for discernment, it is NOW!
I praise the Lord for the Word of God because it is the one source of truth, facts that we need to stand on. In God’s Word we are told: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:11
There is a desperate need today for men/women who can fight, pray and build; those who know who the REAL enemy is. By going against what we see happening today, and blaming flesh and blood, is like putting a band aid on a sore that needs to be cut out.
Yes, we see people (flesh and blood) doing what they are doing. We see Trumps tweets that we might not agree with, progressives’ solutions that seem lunacy to some, or the different destructive groups that come into incite the passions of people to do things that they would never do on their own.
But we seem to forget Ephesians 2:2-3 “…in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
We who know the Lord, seem to forget that those who do not know the Lord are not only dead in their sins and trespasses, but they are like puppets in the hands of the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. This is where the real battle is. This is where we fight. This is why the Lord has given us spiritual weapons to wage war against these forces. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
I praise the Lord for the prayer groups that are growing, preparing for more to come; coming together around the world taking their stands against the Leviathan spirit, Jezebel spirit and many other kinds of evil spirits – that are operating in the world system.
I praise the Lord for those who are not only preaching, but living out the Gospel because this is what we take our stand on, and it is the power of God that can change the heart (mind) of people, and the dynamite of God that can clear out evil authority.
What does it mean to live out the Gospel? Paul expressed it very well in Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
When I think of the divisions that we have today in our society it would seem to me that we as the Body of Christ have an important role to play. What would happen if all of us who are called by His name begin to act according to what Paul is saying right here in verses 3 and 4.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition.
Do nothing out of deceit.
In humility esteem others better than ourselves.
Look out for the interest of others before we look out for our own interests.
The question is: How can we begin to put this into operation?
First, we start with our selves. Where have we failed to act accordingly.
Second, within our own family.
Thirdly, in our jobs, professions, or sphere of work where the Lord has called us to labor.
This is the ‘mind’ of Christ and this is the mind (the way of thinking) that should be in us.
We need prayer that will engage the ‘real enemy.’
This is why I believe that one of the greatest needs today is for ‘spiritual leadership.’