FINDING THE TRUTH

 Where Can We Find the Truth?

Is the truth what each of us thinks or believes? Is it what we are told to believe by a pastor. Is it what a well-known Christian personality shares as the truth. Is it a dream of another person someone shares? Is it a political party or a religious stream? Probably none of these! Yet many of us still believe and follow these sources as truth. Why? Although we are each responsible for finding the truth, frankly, it is often easier to believe someone else than to do the work ourselves! 

What About History?

A number of evangelical preachers cite historical events that happened to Israel as patterns for the United States. My questions would be "where does the Bible say these patterns apply to the U.S?" "Why do we only cite those events that support the things we believe, and not the events that have negative effects on us today? Yes, history does repeat itself, but not as we may want it to!

What About Satan?

He began his deception in the Garden of Eden and it continues today! Remember the three sins? The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. If the Old Testament of the Bible was intended to make us aware we need a divine Savior because of these sins, why do we look to man to tell us what to believe? All have sinned and followed Satan's plan!

What About Constantine?

Remember, he was the Roman Emperor that made Christianity the state religion. Good, right? He killed anyone that would not comply with his edicts! Not so good! He outlawed meeting in homes and owning a Bible. Only his priests could read a Bible, and that was in Latin which only a few Christians understood!. He brought everyone into his cathedrals and imposed a tax to finance his operations. Everyone had to sit in pews and keep their mouths shut! The process of "dumbing down" began then and it is alive and well in Christianity today!

What About Politics?

Tribalism at its worst! Chose a side and hate the others. Call the other tribes names and make up conspiracy theories about their members. Defend the party line, even if the leader is a lawless, ungodly or evil person! Fight all people that are different than you and have no compassion for anyone. Put yourself and party first. Lie to get what your tribe wants because the end is justified by the means! Overlook all ungodly behavior because it is the norm. Love one another, but only those in your faction. Deceive anyone, including other tribe members, if it is necessary to get what you want. I could go on but this makes me ill!

Let me sum it up this way. David Brooks in his book How to Know a Person said, "The essence of evil is the tendency to denigrate the humanity of a person." You may agree or disagree, but politics and deception began in the Garden of Eden and were perpetrated by the Evil One himself! So is it today!

What About the Bible?

You've probably heard the old story about a pastor that was sharing Jesus with someone. He opened his Bible and each page had many verses cut out. Asked why, the pastor responded that those were the verses that he didn't believe. We want what we want!

Chief Plenty Coup, one of the fiercest leaders of the Crow Nation, was reported to have said: I can't believe the white man's gospel because every missionary that comes to me has a different God. This was not God's plan!

The Holy Bible, properly translated from the original manuscripts, contextually contains the truth of God's plan for Christians. It has survived thousands of years of attempts to destroy it or to outlaw it. Why? Because it is the foundation of all Truth! As its principles are ignored, the line between light and darkness is blurred. The inevitable end of doing so is calling evil good and good evil! 

What Is Revelation?

Finding Truth requires knowing the Word of God, i.e., the context of Scripture rightly divided. Rightly dividing the Word is between the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament was built on works, behaviors actually. The New Testament rests with faith in Jesus. Our faith must be based on revelation from the Holy Spirit of Scripture that is a "now" word for us individually. Prayer, patience and trusting God will show us the truth of Scripture that applies to our situation. This is revelation! 

In one of George Barna's studies, he found that only 2-3% of people coming forward at altar calls actually continue a Christian journey. No revelation, therefore no relationship with God!

The Bottom Line

This is an accounting term. I can't help using it because I am an old accountant. Here is The Truth: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone, but it is not one size fits all. The Holy Spirit will give us revelation of its provisions for us individually in the specific situations we face every day, if we ask and believe!

Think about it. We were not all created the same, as clones of a prototype in other words. We were created culturally different, we were raised differently and have different callings and aspirations in our lives. Why would God expect His Word to apply to each of us in the same way? When the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 people in the upper room, they began speaking in tongues that were heard in the native languages of each if the individual listeners! One size doesn't fit all!

Finding the truth doesn't come as a free lunch. Scripture tells us that we must die to our self-life, that we must follow (obey) Jesus and that we must have faith and patience to find and receive the promises of God. Only God's Truth will save us, our community and our nation in the days ahead! Truth is not found in a man; it only comes from God! 

ARE WE IN THE END TIMES?

 

Eschatology

My paraphrased definition is that eschatology, sometimes called the science of last things, is the part of theology that pertains to the death, judgment and final destiny of mankind on earth. The Books of Daniel and Revelation in the Holy Bible contain a majority of the information regarding the end times.

I am not a theologian, nor do I have special knowledge about the end of the church age on earth. While I have read Scripture about the end times many times, and listened to Biblical authorities on this subject, I am the first to admit I have a limited understanding of Biblical prophecy. Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but I really don’t have a desire to know all the facts and details of God’s plan for the end times. I just want to be aware of the signs of the times and be ready for my going, or for Jesus' coming!.

What Should We Know?

After nearly 40 years as a Christian learner, I’ve finally reached a conclusion. It is this: Scripture tells me I will be blessed if I heed and take to heart the words of the prophecy in the Book of Revelation. To me, this means I should have a general understanding of how this age will close. It is not the main thing, but it is an important one.

So, my contrarian personality asks, “Why do I need to heed the words in the Book of Revelation?” Simple answer: Mahy Scriptures tell me I am to be ready for the end time events when they occur. In fact, the original apostles told people to be ready 2000 years ago! Their message, and my thinking today, is that we should be ready every day! So, what does this look like?

Getting Ready for the End

Our charge, as I see it, has two parts. First, we must be aware of the times and how they may relate to the end of the age. Second, we must continually seek revelation of who Jesus is, and who we are in Him, upon which revelation we are to build our faith.

Being Aware of the Times

The Bible tells us that wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes and other natural disasters are some of the indicators of the end times. Actions of politicians and government leaders that parallel Biblical history, are perhaps even more important. However one believes it will happen, chaos, deception, hardship and suffering must occur for the age to close. It is less of a matter of the fact these things will happen, and when they will happen, than it is how we prepare or are ready for them.

Believers have been pointing to natural occurrences as signs of the times for centuries, and, in fact, they may be increasing today. These events are important, but a brief review of the history of the fall of the Roman Empire will reveal similarities to what is happening in the United States today, perhaps an even more important event!. Destruction of the constitution and democracy, oligarchies of wealthy individuals controlling all aspects of government, and imperialist aggression towards other countries and alliances destroyed the Roman Empire. While the presence of these circumstances don't guarantee the end is near, world history can provide patterns from which the United States is not immune!

Getting Ourselves Ready

Proponents of some religious factions tell us we just have to select certain Scriptures and “stand on them.” Pray, confess, declare and decree these scriptures they say, and we can see them operate in our lives. While this may be partly true, these instructions omit a most valuable Truth.

Participating in one of these religious factions early in my Christian journey, I kept looking for posiitive results  of "standing on Scriptures" and saw very few of them. In fact, many people I met that kept saying “I am blessed,” were sick and behind on their rent! Sometimes I was too! Something was missing!

We were confessing Scripture, but we did not have the revelation from Jesus by His Spirit that a Scripture was for us at that time. Without this revelation, we were only spitting out words. There was no power! So how do we get ready? Read on.

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV):

Vs. 9: “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  A reference in the Spirit Filled Life Bible says the word “believe” “expresses reliance upon and a personal trust that produces obedience.” Essentially, our actions and behaviors must demonstrate our faith in Jesus from our hearts!

Vs. 10: “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Proverbs 4:23 says that all the issues of our lives flow out of our hearts. A genuine demonstration of our faith is required to receive God's righteousness, even to receive our salvation!

This is the key to preparing for the end of time! Our goal is not to be perfect, but to receive continual revelation of who Jesus is, and what He has done for us. This takes time and requires mixing patience with our faith, which is a demonstration of faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6)! This is getting ourselves ready for the end times!

WHY ARE RELATIONSHIPS SO DIFFICULT?

 A Few Thoughts 

I read the results of a study many years ago that found women only normally have one close friendship during their lives. The study revealed most men have none! You might be thinking that social media solved those problems. We can have lots of instant friends! Probably not!

A man sitting in my living room years ago shared what he believed to be his role in life. He said there are basically two kinds of relationships we can have. One kind is just hand holding, i.e., we can meet and greet, shake hands and exchange pleasantries and move on. The other kind he said, pardon this analogy please, is when we get in bed with other people. 

The second kind of relationship, he explained, is with people that will have our backs so to speak. These people will be there when we need help. These people won't reject us when our behavior doesn't meet their standards. These people become close and will usually be with us for a lifetime, even though we may be separated by thousands of miles and decades of time. These are people we love, and will be loved by!

The First Step to the Second Kind of Relationship

The first kind of relationship is easy to find, everywhere actually. It can be found in our work, in our communities, in some of our families and even on the internet. It may be face-to-face, but usually is at a considerable distance emotionally!

Relationships of the first kind are how I approached relationships for most of my life. I could wear a mask around other people, but I could see their faults and usually wanted nothing to do with them! Besides, if I got close to them and they saw the mess I was, they would judge me the way I judge them. The way I judge them is usually the way I feel about myself .  So, I'll get first strike, keep my distance and they will never know the real me, or so I liked to think!

See, it all begins with me. I am the most important person in my life. I want what I want, and it's probably not what others want! I am scrambling to climb my mountain, all the while kicking others away to avoid discomfort and interruption. As David Brooks put it in his book, "How to Know a Person," "Our worldview is not of the world (of each other!) as it is, but as we are in it!" Will it ever change? Maybe! I must have the courage to accept myself, however, before I can accept you!

Accepting Myself

To do this means I must rearrange my priorities. I must consider others more important than myself. I tried to do this for 45 years in my own strength, Constant failure! I still had huge regrets about my past behavior and finally realized I needed help, a Savior. This is when Jesus came into my life. Shortly after that, I was told in church that accepting Christ as my Savior made "all things new." This is what Scripture says but I still looked and behaved the same! I was still a mess!

What I also didn't realize was that nearly 40 years later I would still be needing His help! Why? First, when I allow Christ's Holy Spirit into my life, I must have revelation of who Christ is and who He made me to be. I thought I knew this but clearly did not! Jesus said I must lose my old life to gain it, eternal life in Christ (Matthew 16:24-25). 

While positionally in God's provision this happens instantly, it will take most of us the process of a lifetime that allows the Holy Spirit to do His work in us!. I finally realized God's plan was not to fix me but to kill me, that is, my old man with roots in Adam. We have to die to ourselves to be able to accept others the way they are. This is a main reason why relationships are so difficult!

Our Life Journey is the Process

Over the last couple of years, several people have encouraged me to write "my story," I resisted these suggestions because I felt like I had many more failures than successes, and I didn't want to relive the pain. After exhausting my excuses, I felt I needed to write my story. Spending two days and creating 24 typewritten pages, the essence of my life as I perceived it was on paper. The great surprise was that I began to see God's working in my life, often through the hardships, suffering and failures! I actually began to see myself as God looked at me from the beginning of time, to begin to accept and love myself. I also realized there is no free ride for getting to where God is!!!

The Key to Close, Personal Relationships of the Second Kind

The Bible instructs us to love our neighbor, even our enemies. We are obviously not to love their sin, but to love the valuable human beings they are.  We may question who is our neighbor, but as God loves the whole world so must we! I know, the Bible says we are to hate evil and love what is good. This means we must be able to separate the sin from the sinner. When we are willing to die to our self life, we become open to the Holy Spirit's guidance and working in us. 

So, relationships that last a lifetime begin within ourselves, who we really are. It is about following the guidance in the New Testament of the Bible and understanding the working of the Holy Spirit. It is accepting others as they are and looking for ways to help them find and fulfill God's plan for their lives. It is about loving one another with God's kind of love! Do you have the courage for this journey?

IS IT TIME FOR THE HOUSE CHURCH?

My Story

I have been drawn to house churches since I met Jesus as my Savior at age 45. Seeking relationships with people trying to live as Christ, I didn't find many in the institutional church. It actually was, however, in my connection with such a church early in my Christian journey that I experienced God's plan for a church family. 

After my wife and I responded to a a request at this church to open our home for relationships with other believers, people began to show up. We didn't market, invite friends or attempt to get attention in any way; we just prayed. This led to three years of family relationships with people of like hearts. While it was called a home group, it really was a house church. After nearly 40 years, I'm still searching for those relationships again! 

What is a house church?

This might seem a simple question, but the answer usually is subject to one's personal experience. Believing God intended the Book of Acts model for house churches to apply today, I once asked a pastor of a church I attended if he agreed. His answer was "I've never seen a house church that works." I've attended a number of house churches and learned they are organized like most institutional churches with one or a few persons in control, only they were smaller. Of course they haven't worked!

Many large churches I've attended have developed home groups they call "home or house churches." Personally, I've attempted to start several house churches since my early journey described above, and found most people that attended were not willing to give up other things in their lives to satisfy their desire for ongoing, close, personal relationships. They were just too busy to make a commitment. 

To be transparent, my attempts at starting house churches were like so many others I've attended, i.e., for me to be in control! Yeow, that hurts!! So, will there ever be a time for the true house church in today's society? While there has always been a need, the time may be now more than ever!

The time for the house church

First, let's consider the true purpose of a house church. While there are several well-known proponents of house churches with websites on the internet that provide excellent resources on this subject, I will offer my perception of the house church based on the Book of Acts and the Epistles in the Holy Bible.

An evening at an early house church

Envision yourself walking down a street in Rome several decades after Christ's crucifixion. You heard from a few other Christians that a house church meeting you've attended in the past was being held at a certain location this evening. Walking toward the location, as you near the house you hear sounds of laughter and talking mixed with intermittent music from musical instruments. Arriving at the door, several people greet you with a hug and sincere welcome. While visiting the snack table, you hear your name shouted above the cacophony of noise from a person in a corner of the room. Joining several people there, you enter a conversation about the emperor's latest edict and the persecution that seems to be directed toward true believers.  

You glance around the room and notice some friends praying for a newcomer. A few more people are gathered around someone playing a stringed instrument and singing a familiar Hebrew hymn. Another person is weeping while a few friends sit silently with her. So goes an hour or so.

The owner of the host home for this week's meeting appears and begins placing dishes of food on a long, low table. He and his wife move about the room asking everyone to recline at the table. Once people are seated on the floor around the table, an elder leads a prayer of blessing and everyone partakes of the bread and wine for communion. Food is then passed around the table and the noise of fellowship again fills the house.

As the meal fellowship ends, a time of spontaneous group prayer, worship and singing ensues. Throughout this time, several people share a Scripture, give a prophetic word, exercise a gift of the Spirit or just open a discussion about what God has done during the last week. One of the local five-fold ministers makes a few comments on what has been shared, and offers a few specific words and ministry for a few of the people present.

As the midnight hour nears, most of the people begin to leave the house. A few may still be praying for one another, or some may still be singing together. Each person leaves having enjoyed fellowship with other people, feeling stronger from the expressions of the joy of the Lord during the evening, and better equipped to face the darkness in the world around them. 

How does the house church differ from the institution church?

Obviously, there are a lot of differences from the institutional church and its home groups that we are familiar with today. The house church is not a building that demands resources and volunteers to maintain, nor are the meetings scripted by man. In the example above, the evening was led spontaneously by the Holy Spirit of God!

While my heart is after the house church model in the Book of Acts, I need to say that one of the reasons I have a relationship with Jesus today is because of my experiences in institutional churches, both good and bad experiences by the way. Many people receive great benefits from attending institutional churches. Many of us attending those churches just get to a place where we want more of Jesus, less of man!

Let's be honest, the Roman Emperor Constantine destroyed God's original purposes for the church by outlawing home meetings, and even outlawing owning or reading a Bible. Constantine replaced God's activities with control by priests, requiring financial contributions to maintain his cathedrals and created the class of "lay" (ignorant) people that were required to sit quietly in pews and listen to sermons in a language they didn't understand. 

But, you may have read that Constantine was a good emperor who spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. He did, unfortunately he persecuted all those that didn't join his tribe and fill his cathedrals! The sad end is that most of the institutional churches of today still practice Constantine's program!

What are some takeaways from this example of an early house church?

From the house church illustration above, I'm sure you noticed there was no control by a pastor or priest, there was no admonishment for not believing in the same way as others in a group, there was no plea for money or tithing and the focus instead was on God and the unique needs of individuals in the church community. The evening was not about doing something, but about being who God has made us to be in Jesus Christ!

There wasn't a children's church, separate classes for new believers or outreach programs being promoted. There was simply a demonstration of the love of God directed to the needs of the people. Sure, some of the people brought food or helped the host financially, and there were people sharing some of their resources with others less fortunate. Each person considered the needs of others more important than their own! These people were living epistles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The house church is what God intended the body of Christ to be, then and now!

Please leave a comment below if you have participated, or considered participating, in a house church. You may also send your questions and comments to me at my personal email address: larry@cpafirmsupport.com.

UNDERSTANDING THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

Purpose of This Post

If you follow YouTube and various social media, you have likely seen the flurry of posts about who some think is The Antichrist in the world today. The truth is that the spirit of antichrist, along with all the other demonic spirits, was birthed in the Garden of Eden and has been in the world since the beginning of time.

The lawless spirit of antichrist operated through kings, priests, prophets and religions throughout the Old Testament of the Bible. My purpose in this post is not to try to identify The Antichrist, but to provide an understanding of the demonic spirit of antichrist which operates in New Testament times, even today.

 How can we identify the spirit of antichrist?

The answer is simple in concept, difficult in application. Let’s begin with how we identify the Spirit of Christ in Romans 8:1-2:

• “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

So, we identify the Spirit of Christ from the behaviors and the fruit of His Spirit in ourselves and others. While every person that accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior embarks on a journey, or spiritual process, accepting Jesus as Lord brings His grace by the power of His Spirit to make changes in our lives, assuming we let Him in!

Does this mean that everyone that does this is instantly made perfect? Of course not! It is, however, endeavoring to follow Christ as our example and choosing to endure the hardship and suffering that is necessary to be conformed to His image, which is God’s plan for every believer.

We can identify the Spirit of Christ in governments, politicians, churches, denominations, church leadership and all human beings, by determining if they act like Christ or like The Antichrist! In several of my previous posts, I have discussed the attributes of Christ for your consideration. Here, briefly, I will present a few of the attributes of the spirit of antichrist.

The spirit of antichrist

If we can identify those possessing the Spirit of Christ by their behavior, it logically follows we should be able to identify those possessing the spirit of antichrist in the same way. Here is a brief look at some paraphrases of the attributes of the Antichrist from Scripture:

•  Daniel 11:36—The Antichrist does exactly as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god. He will speak astounding and disgusting things which are against The God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is finished.
•  2 Thessalonians 2:9—The Antichrist is lawless and will come through the activity of Satan. He will perform counterfeit miracles, deceptive signs and false wonders, all of which are lies.
•  1 John 2:22—The Antichrist is a liar, and the enemy and antagonist of Christ. He is one who consistently refuses to acknowledge (give credit to) the Father and the Son.
•  1 John 4:3—Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, by denying Christ’s true nature, is the spirit of the antichrist already in this world.

The antichrist spirit is anybody who tries to draw people away from Jesus by getting people to worship someone or something other than Jesus! Simply put, the spirit of antichrist is against Christ. Through its behaviors and actions, it is an antagonist of Christ. It is a false spirit. It is the ultimate deception!

It matters who we follow

Again, determining who to follow in Christian life is simple to decide, but difficult to do. As mentioned above, the spirit of antichrist has been in the world since the beginning of time. It has operated through Satan as a deceiving spirit. You remember, the serpent told Eve that to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make her like God. She and Adam fell for it!

The deceiver is still at work today! Here are a few of the ways it may be expressed by people. Religious denominations different than ours are of the devil. We must be involved in politics to see God’s plan done on the earth. Factions of politics other than our “stream” are the enemy. Any human being different than us is treated as a non-person (immigrant, homeless, trans, LGBTQ, etc). The end can be justified by the means. God told me…..,, and so on.

Although many politicians and church leaders try to convince us we have no choice but to follow them, we do have free will! One of our free will choices is between following the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of antichrist. As we approach the end of time, we will receive whatever our chosen leader receives! Some have called it the residual anointing. My version is "what you sit under gets on you!" 

We have a choice between life and death! We have chosen life if we follow Jesus, if we are seeking to be like Him. If we are following a deceiver, we are choosing death! What have you chosen?

 

  

A WARRIOR'S WEAPONS FOR BATTLE

WEAPONS, THEN AND NOW

We've all heard or read some of the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, or perhaps in actual accounts by historians such as Josephus and others. These battles were life or death events. It was kill or be killed. Warrior leaders were ruthless. Even some of God's commands to warriors were ruthless, e.g., kill the men, women, children, cattle and every living thing!

In the New Testament, we were given new weapons. We are instructed to "love our enemies," not kill them! If you are following current events in our nation today, you may have noticed that in our society, government and politics, "kill your enemy" has emerged as the primary approach to battle! In some criminal matters, murder ends the physical existence of another person. In government and politics, words and positions of power are used to denigrate and destroy the well-being of individuals, classes of society and even other nations. 

So, how do we identify the new weapons?" I like the instruction in 2 Timothy 2:15: 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (NKJV) 

This may come as a surprise to some believers, but this division is between the Old Testament and the New! It is the warrior's new weapons for battle that came with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ! If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you were there with Him!

The New Weapons in Scripture

John 19:30:

So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (NKJV)

God’s plan for mankind at creation was restored through Calvary.  Everything we were created to be became available in Christ.  In Him, God’s plan for us is restored.

Romans 8:29:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (NKJV)

1 John 4:15-17: 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (NKJV)

Knowing God's love is demonstrated by our words and actions. We are called believers, not doubters.  As disciples, we are learners.  Learners seek more than knowledge and information, they seek revelation.  Once they receive revelation, they put it into practice, and it becomes wisdom.  Only when we receive revelation of God's Word and demonstrate it in our lives can we give away what we have and change the lives of others.  It all begins with knowing and believing who Christ is and what He has done for us.

 John 6:28-29:

Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." (NKJV)

Here is the question for analytical minds like mine: How does one believe?  The answer is not simple, and it rarely happens overnight.  If I were to ask you right now, “Do you believe Jesus is the only begotten Son of God?” most Christians would probably answer yes.  If I were to ask, “Do you believe Christ is in you? the answer would likely be the same.  Yet the truth is we may confess these things with our mouths (give mental assent to them) and really not believe them in our hearts.  This is when we default to our old weapons! 

How do we know if we believe God's Word in our hearts?  

Here is the Lie  

Because we usually don't experience all the promises of God in our lives, we are taught that there must be unconfessed sin in our lives, that we must pray harder, that we must confront and assault the enemy with our words and attitudes and that we must fight, fight, fight! In other words, God is not capable of winning the battle so we must help Him out with our old weapons!

 Here is The Truth

Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJV)

Believing and trusting Him are the Keys to the Kingdom.  If Christ is in us through His Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is in us!  Every anointing, every promise of God, all His love, His righteousness, His wisdom, His grace, His mercy, and His power is in us!  We do not access these weapons by mental assent but by believing who Christ is in our hearts.

Of course, we pray! We ask God to defeat His enemies, not our perception of who or what the enemy is! For heaven's sake, we are the finite; He is THE INFINITE! Those among us telling us we must pray in certain ways and for certain things are usurping God and His will. We MUST ask for His will to be done, not ours! We bless our enemies, not denigrate them! God is the judge, not us! The New Testament warrior's weapons are found IN CHRIST, as He is!