How God can heal our churches and country, plus balancing Heavenly and earthly persepctives - a "modern day parable" to help illstruate

So, you might ask, what exactly are we asking God to do when, while focusing on the eternal (I'll explain in the 2nd half how to balance eternal vs. now), we ask Him to come heal our land?

That's a good question. We first want to pray for God's will to be done, and His main interest is in seeing that others call on Jesus Christ for salvation. He desires a personal relationship with each of us. He loves us even though we are all sinners, we consistently fall short of His mark of perfection, and so taking the punishment for our sin was necessary to reconcile us to Himself.

He wants each of us to be with Him forever in His perfect Heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, etc.(Rev.21:3-5)  Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us.(1 Cor.2:9)

So, it's far better than the best country people could make, and thus we must keep our focus on our Heavenly home while still praying for our own country. At the end of this post, I share how with what was a special post but - since this blog is about how to pray for America - seemed best as part of this post.

It should be apparent from earlier posts on repentance that He is most interested in changing us so we can be Christlike examples and therefore win others to Him. Each of us may be the only Bible someone will read, through our actions and attitude.

There are easy illustrations to use to answer questions about hypocrites, etc.. For instance, these. One might say just because I say I am The King of Norway and do lots of mean stuff it doesn't mean the real king of Norway is like that. Or, one might say that just because a person goes around pretending they have a dog, walking an imaginary dog, and talking like they have a dog even though it's clear they don't, dogs still exist. That person might not have a dog, but other people can. And that person's pretending to have a dog would not make you enjoy dogs any less. There are doubtlessly many other good examples to use.

However, they should see a difference in us and not have to rely on someone explaining the people who just pretend. People need to see genuine believers, genuine love and compassion and humility and making things right when we mess up, not just complaints about others. This is why I emphasized personal repentance first so much.

So, after that and praying for souls to be saved - getting specific as we can - then what?

Remember that each believer has the Holy Spirit living in them. The Body of Christ is to be united through the Spirit. The Church, then, should be an organism. However, just as there must be repentance revival among the body - that is, each of us - there must also be a sense in churches that they need to return to the Lord.

If the Spirit is not quenched - and the above guide is to prevent that - the Spirit can teach what to pray, just in the ambulance example from one post. He doesn't speak as much as He guides, though He can be heard in a still, small voice at times. It was more a persistent guiding that led me to start this blog and a Twitter account. I didn't know where it would lead, I simply followed the Lord as he led. So, clearly the Holy Spirit plays a big part here.

We need to pray that peoples' hearts would be changed first, because some things come because people forget there is an absolute right and wrong which God created for the world to function; just like a lawn mower is built to cut lawns and you'd never use it to trip branches off a tree for obvious reasons. People have made some things to seem like they belong in that class even though they don't, to please their own desires. For instance, there are no racial distinctions - we are all one race, the human race, and one group of people should never be placed above another. But, that doesn't mean there is no right and wrong. It just means we must trust God's Word and not that of selfish, sinful man.

Hence, the Church must be friendly. It is vital that the acts of the Pharisees never be repeated. People must feel as if they are welcomed, no matter who they are, and no matter what they have done. If a person is willing to look into Jesus Christ, and to a change on the inside, which is what repentance is, then they will be willing to change from any sinful ways. Of course, such people must be kept out of leadership positions until they demonstrate that they have changed from, for instance, alcoholism. But, this is in keeping with any organization. You don't join any company and suddenly become the president or CEO. First, there is a period of discipleship. This is why Jesus says to teach them, not just win them to Him. Indeed, this should be the strongest rebuke of is there a Pharisee mindset because Jesus was most critical of the Pharisees.

When God heals a nation, that means that His Holy Spirit comes and works in hearts. The Holy Spirit's primary function is to live in and guide believers to become more Christ like. However, it serves to convict the world of sin as well, as we see in John chapter 16.

This is because the Church must be Christlike. That, of course, is why so much emphasis has been placed on repentance. That starts with individual believers uniting to change the body of the Church, if necessary starting home churches which, of course, are doctrinally sound in the crucial areas - Jesus Christ, God in flesh, 100% man and 100% God, dying to take the punishment for one's sins and rising from the dead, and salvation being by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, & that calling on Him with a repentant heart to forgive and save the individual is all that's needed to save them.

Too often, we have focused so much on watering things down that we have forgotten it is Jesus Christ who saves sinners, and not we ourselves who does the work. While the ultimate focus must be on Jesus, programs help if the programs are Christ-honoring. This means staying away from the emergent church. We must not work to simply get them in church. We must disciple people to have that relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because, we must not just promote a religion. We are called to present the Gospel so that people can be born again and have a vibrant relationship. Jesus promises in John 10:10 to give life and life more abundantly, and it is that more abundant life we can only have if we have eternal life. Eternal life starts the moment one trusts Jesus Christ as their Savior.

What else can the church do?

One reason churches don't preach God's Word is because there are counterfeit Bibles. Just a few examples show that there are problems when one gets away from the one Bible which uses the original Antioch texts. Whole books have been written exposing these problems. And, they don't even get into some of the other versions, because logically it would be confusing to continue to keep flipping back and forth between 200 versions which all come from the Alexandrian family of tests yet are all different. This version is not archaic and is very understandable, more so than the modern ones.

The church must also stay away from false teaching. An earlier post discussed how Islam and Christianity are not compatible. The god of Islam is not love, whereas God is love in the Bible.

That is one of many examples. However, that comparison is also one of a number of problems that churches face. There are many people in churches who don't realize how deep they are in the world's system, a system which ignores God and pledges allegiance to false gods. These false gods can be money or fame for instance, or even literal false gods.

We are called to be in the world but not of it. That means not acting like the world or having the rude and vulgar vocabulary of the world.

Also, young people should be encouraged to start prayer and devotion clubs in the public schools where they are actively presenting the Gospel themselves. They are perfectly allowed by Federal law if other clubs are in the school. They must simply be totally student-initiated and student-led. And, young members can disciple others in other ways, too, being great is something God calls you when you are totally devoted to Him and let Him do the leading no matter what. takethespirituallead.blogspot.com has a lot about that.

So, we can pray our country and states 'll pass laws to protect people and also to give people the freedom God wants us to have. Remember,  God values freedom because it's better to love Him because we want to, not because we have to. However, taht can't happen till hearts are changed, that means us as believers and then others coming to Christ as they see a change in the body of Christ.

As noted, though, we must keep our minds focused on our eternal home in Heaven.For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also(Mat.6:21), and it is far better to have our hearts on thigns that will last fever.

I'm sorry this is longer than I'd planned, but I wanted to close by saying how we can balance our focus on eternal rewards and love for our country This is a retelling of a Memorial Day post that, at the risk of sounding like a poor attempt at one of Paul Harvey's commentaries, is a modern day parable if you will.

You are on a flight. A flight to the most awesome, wonderful place you could imagine. You are going there to live, and all that you want or need will be there with you when you get there. So you have no luggage. In fact, you didn't even have to buy a ticket because you were given a free one. All you had to do was receive it and trust that it would pay in full your way there.

However, it's not a direct flight. You have a layover in a certain city and you don't know when the flight to your final destination will take off, so you.are put up in a motel. The way our weather was this past winter with record snows and many storms and delays there might be quite a few people who are familiar with this.

Now, you're put up in this motel, just like the other passengers. To you, it's just like home, but  it's nothing like where you are going. In fact, you notice right away there is lots of poverty and in fact outright oppression in certain areas. You find that parts of it remind you of home, and you have your ideas for how solve the problems, but at the same tiime, the stark contrasts between this and your final destination bother you. Indeed, not everyone on the flight is staying at the same motel. Some are put up in 5-star rooms where Presidents have stayed, others are put up in places that make Motel 6 look like the Ritz-Carlton; they don't even leave a light on and you wonder if each room comes with its own outhouse. Or worse, they'll have to share. The accommodations seem to be given out at random, but while some think the airline has flipped, they are reassured by others that what matters is that everyone will have the best accomodations in their new home.

And yet, despite the disparity, there is abundant beauty in this city. It has brilliant, majestic scenery of every type imaginable, and the splendor is such that you sort of wish you could stay. In fact, there are some people who claim that it's just as good as where your connecting flight will take you, though you know from your flight brochure that's not possible, that where you're headed will be far lovelier.

As if the scenic beauty of your layover isn't breathtaking enough, you start to see evidence of something even greater. Freedom. So many in your layover city are celebrating as you go to your motels. They laugh and have fun and play andwork in so many different ways; their only problem is that many don't realize that this city you have arrived at is not their final destination. In fact, some seem completely oblivious to the fact ou have a flight someplace else, and refuse to believe it possible. Others see you as Joe Tourist and sort of mock your ways.

Still, there are some who might be willing to accept and put their trust in the free tickets you are willing to give them, tickets which are God's, not yours, but which He has let you give our to any who will take them. It really mystifies you when some people insist they want to pay for a ticket themsleves.

But, despite the peculiarity of some of the people on your layover, you leave the motel you were placed in and explore the area, since you've nothing better to do till your flight leaves. There are some parts you won't enter because of your love for the One who paid for your free ticket Himself with His own purchase price - and for that you may be ridiculed by some. But, overall, as you explore, you find the people and the community events very lively and fun. In fact, if you weren't going to your final new home, it might not seem like a bad place to settle down. It's a nice place to take a vacation, anyway, even if it doesn't have all the comforts of your new home.

Speaking of community events, you realize that you have really lucked out. There is a great big festival tomorrow, and your plane won't be taking off till after its over. you would certainly rather attend the festival than sit and mope in your motel room, so you make plans to attend.

At that festival, you discover that it's a celebration of freedom; freedom just like you were given by the purchaser of your free ticket to your new home. The buyer of your ticket values freedom, in fact. he loves the notion as much as anyone there; in fact, there were many, early in the history of this city, who revered the One who bought your ticket because of that freedom. They weren't all headed for your final destination, but the concept of freedom was a lofty ideal for them, which they fought for.

At this festival you also see braves men and women who have fought for that freedom even now. You learn of powerful, dark forces which have tried to capture the city, to conquer it, to hold it hostage through fear and terror. But, these braves men and women would not let it be conquered. They gave everything they had in order to ensure that others would be able to enjoy that freedom. Even those who used the freedom to oppress.

Of course, you know that the One who bought your ticket with His own currency, the only currency which would buy that ticket, hates oppression. It grieves the Purchaser of your free ticket in fact, so He made sure there would be no oppression ijn your new home. And, he has promised to have in derision those who use their freedom for evil purposes; you read that in your flight brochure. But, while you are on that layover, you wonder, what can be done? The ones who oppress seem to be greater and greater in fnumber, because the bitterness they arouse causes the oppressed to sometimes wish to be the oppressors.

the only way is to change those oppressors' hearts. They may not listen to you, but maybe they will. However, to truly change their hearts, the oppressor and oppressed each need to meet and get to know personally the One who bought your ticket. Just like you did when he gave you that free ticket to your new home. Then, He will teach them not to oppress but to love and forgive.

In the meantime, you recognize that the great freedom which is celebrated by where you have your layover truly is something joyful. Despite the oppression, it is a wonderful place, because the freedom to do so much else is there as well. No, they don't always honor the One who gave them that freedom, or the ones who died to protect them from those who would conquer them and take away that freedom. However, freedom is something you know the One you love, the One who gave you that free ticket, cherishes.

And, so, while on your layover, you enjoy that festival celebrating freedom. But, at the same time, you go to it with a mind that while it is a wonderful place to visit, and you know you will have a good time, eventually you will be going somewhere even better. And, in the meantime, you try to help others in that city to know personally the One who gave you that free ticket, so they, too, can go to that new home. Indeed, you may even see the dangers of conquest and choose to give all that you have to defend that freedom, because you cherish it so much. And, because you know that even if you have to give up everything defending their freedom, in the end, you have that free ticket to your new home already purchased.

American freedom has been purchased with a price - the blood, toil, ears, and sweat of people from the War of Independence to the present. And, Jesus Christ bought our freedom with the purchase price of His own blood(Acts 20:28), so we who who were in bondage to sin can be made free. His gift is free to all who call upon Him for forgiveness of their sins. he gives each person a free ticket to Heaven and only requires that they receive it instead of trying to pay their own way there.

While here on Earth, we have a layover; we don't know how long it will be, it'll be different for each of us till the Rapture of the Church when all go together. But, in the meantime, we ust let Jesus Christ continue to mold us to being more like Him in His love, mercy, kindness, etc., while keeping our own individual personalities. He is working to change each believer on the inside. And, while on this layover, we must also be telling others there is that free ticket available for them if they will only call on Jesus and receive it by faith. there might even be someone reading now who feels the Spirit prompting them to pray a single, sincere prayer of repentance for their sins, trusting that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for their sins and rose fromt he dead and inviting Him into their heart to save them as they turn from their sins and turn to Him.

Also while on this layover, most reading this are in a land, America, which has great freedom. (Those who are in other nations can of course use this illustration in their own way, the crucial part is, make sure you know you are going to God's perfect Heaven where there will be no pain, no suffering, no death, etc.) That freedom has been tried and tested, used and misused, fought over, trampled down and held back up again as a shining beacon in a dark world. It is not the shining beacon that heaven is, but it has appeared as such when compared to the rest of the world many times.

So, when praing for America, and remembering those who gave their lives this Memorial Day, remember that America, like God, provides freedom, something that is special - or should be - for all people. it is a wonderful example and should be celebrated as that wonderful example. Its freedom is to be applauded and we should work to improve the lot of those who are in our country - and the world.

However, just as in that illustration you were merely enjoying that festival on a layover till your flight to a joyous new home celebrate America and work for the betterment of it keeping in mind that our minds should be fixed on what lies ahead, that flight out, and on making sure we are the kinds of shining examples of love who can be believed when we share with others the love of Jesus Christ and the freedom he gives from sin. He frees us from the Penalty of sin through His death on the cross. Once a person trusts Him as Saviour. He frees them from the Power of sin by letting them draw closer to Him and guiding them to be more Christlike. And, one day, he will free us from the very Presence of sin.

Why repent, and history

We often hear older people say there isn't as much respect for history anymore. That is especially true when it comes to things like entertainment, where social media has caused people to only pay attention to what is recent, and for everything to be up for criticism and for people to then follow the crowd. It is true with other things as well, because people like George Washington aren't placed on quite the pedestal they were decades ago.

This can seem like a bad thing, because respect for what has come before us is important. It helps us to have a foundation to who we are, and the good guys of history can show us examples of good, upright behavior that we can be like. It is good to have achievements recognized for more than a few years, months, or even weeks like they are now, before they are forgotten, so we can see the benefit of a lifetime of moral living despite the fact they weren't perfect.

But, when it comes to prayer for our country, it can actually be a very good thing to not put such people on such a pedestal but instead to remember the imperfections.

In the olden days, we put people like George Washington on a pedestal; it seemed like they could do nothing wrong. Only one man ever lived who did nothing wrong, though, and that was Jesus Christ, who was God in flesh.

Therefore, it is not as hard to humble ourselves and seek forgiveness for the wrongs of a country dating back to its founding, and in fact before then. It is easier to accept the faults of our founders - Washington, for instance, apparently never paid late fees on a couple library books - instead of exalting them to the point we forget they, too, were imperfect.  The trick is that we must recognize that we, too, have faults, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Romans 3:23)

In the old days, it would be more difficult to seek repentance for the wrongs done centuries ago, because we only heard, for example, that George Washington "never told a lie" (a story that is not meant to say he was perfect, but to say that he tried very hard to always be honest,which is an admirable trait we, too, should have) or that Lincoln freed the slaves. However, let us consider, for instance, President Lincoln at the start of the Civil War cared as much about preserving the Union. And yet, he, too, provides a great model for us in repentance, because by the end of the Civil War, he said, in his second Inaugural Address, that it was possible that the war would last until every drop of blood which had then shed by slave owners for 250 years would be required of Southerners.

Thankfully, God is merciful, His mercies are new every morning, and though He must punish sin - and Lincoln's statement about the war might be close to accurate, given that it cost the nation so many lives and maimed many others (I hesitate to link as it's graphic for younger viewers, but Google "Civil war" and "surgery" or "limb amputations"), and that the financial cost - while it can never be completely known - was so much that the public debt, for instance, exploded to 40 times what it had been just 5 years earlier! God is long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. 2nd Peter 3:9 His patience will not last forever, of course, but while we are among the living we can be sure of His love and mercy. It can be argued whether the nation, in the Civil War and afterward, has already paid the economic price for its sins, but the important thing is that we know for certain that Jesus paid the sin debt that we all deserved to pay for our own sins. And, because of it, each person who has called on Jesus for forgiveness and placed their trust in Him to save them can go to Him and seek forgiveness for this country.

See, we too are guilty of sin just as everyone else. We don't all commit the same sins - Washington and Lincoln did try to always be genuinely honest, but they still sinned. And, looking back to the Old Testament, Daniel is the same kind of leader. And, it is important for everyone who will step up and pray like Daniel does in Daniel 9 to recall that in seeking forgiveness for America's sins.

If anyone could have said, "I followed you Lord when nobody else did," it was Daniel. He was a mere teenager, possibly as young as 11 or 12, when he was carried away captive to Babylon. He was noted by God and by the heathen around him for how he worshipped the Lord.(Daniel 6 records the others were jealous of him yet couldn't find anything to accuse him of.). Yet, we read that he sought forgiveness for all of the turning away from God that his forefathers had done by saying *we* have sinned. He sought forgiveness for the sacrificing of human beings to idols when it was the most horrible thing he could imagine. He asked God to forgive those who had done that because he himself was also a sinner. No, he never did anything like that. However, he recognized the central truth of God's Word, that we can't justify our selves, a word that means to "declare oneself righteous before the law." We can't declare ourselves as righteous as God. No, we have not always had it good here, there has been terrible oppression and some have been victims even recently in places like Ferguson and Baltimore and the horrible fight in Waco. (By the way, speaking of the spiritual battle that is going on, CNN has singled out the only black biker involved in that, as if the devil is again trying to stir things up. Don't let him do that, but instead pray to God for revival.)

However, the standard is not are we as well off financially or socially as someone else. The standard is not are we being kind and considerate while others are being violent toward us. The standard is found in Matthew 5:48. "Be ye perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."

So, even though we are certainly not doing some of the wicked things othersdo, we must remember we, too, are imperfect and, as you can read in earlier blog posts, we must get our hearts right with God about those times we're mad at someone cutting us off when they might have been rushing to the hospital to see a dying relative or other times we have not been Christlike.

Let us remember that Washington was a man of prayer; let us see how the secular world has tried to ignore this famous painting - and the fine art that it is - and put down the faith that Washington had, regardless of the exact facts of his prayer. Let us remember that our heroes, like Washington, were fallible, but let us also emulate their good qualities.

However, we should remember the one we want to be like is Jesus Christ. The way to do that is to let Him make us new on the inside - "For if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature, old thigns are passed away, behold, all things are become new."(2 Cor. 5:17) This is done by simply Admitting you're a sinner, Believing Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead, and Calling on Him to forgive and save you from your sins, inviting Him to change you ont he inside as you repent. Then, once you have done so, nothing you do can separate you fromt he love of God.(John 10:28-30, Romans 8:36-39, Jude 24, etc.)

And, then, call on God and ask Him to draw you closer to Him and to forgive you and everyone for the sins of this nation as Daniel did - you can read Daniel 9 here. And, pray that God will bring a repentance revival to this nation, that he will start with each of us, with our homes, with our communities, etc., as we turn fromt hsoe things which dishonor Him and seek His face and his healing for our land. And, feel free to pass this free blogbook around, too, to encourage young people to take the lead themselves, to take their frustrations and bitterness to God and let Him lead them to be leaders themselves.

it's a relationship - share what's on your heart with God

Last time,  I shared how to pray real, heartfelt prayer. I wanted to share more specifics, as well  as how God answers prayer.

Because, if we use our right to go boldly to the throne of grace(Heb.4:16) sometimes if  we are praying with wrong intentions through discussing with the Spirit and letting God guide us, we can still have those same prayers answered once we get our hearts right. "Full House" fans will understand this story. However, even those who never watched the show will see in it an example of true, heartfelt prayer and how God will work in our hearts to help us to be more like Him first.

Yes, we have not because we ask not, but at times we don't have becasue we pray amiss - that is, witht he wrong attitude. We only want to consume something in our own lusts.(James 4:2-3) This goes along with how we must pray with a repentant heart, without sins like coveting or revenge overwhelming our focus on God. It can also come when we compare ourselves to others. God may not have the same plans for us as He does for others. It wouldn't make sense for an eye to complain because it's not an ear - it still has a vital role as an eye.

I have several handicaps and have never made much money. I can't do a lot of things that other people do. But, God has used me in a great way, and I earn rewards in Heaven. The best answer to my prayers for healing or lots of money was "no" for the time being. This was the best plan, as I always knew regarding my handicaps. With my lack of money, I couldn't adopt, but the Lord led me to go forth in faith and start toward it, and I feel certain I have a child in Heaven as I blog about here. Whatever happened, God did answer my prayer, even though it wasn't the way I wanted I was satisfied. There are times when God knows something is not the right timing. He may have something better in store. He also knows the future, and so knows what time is best for things. Friends I know who prayed for years for a child did not have one because God knew their financial situation would become very bad. When it improved, the wife became pregnant and they now have a wonderful boy.

This leads into how we can talk with God and share our burdens. We should do so with all our heart, because God knows our needs and He is just waiting for us to admit we can't do it all ourselves.

God gives us free will. But, we have a sin nature. We are like a child who cannot dress him or herself yet. This toddler would get their shirt buttons wrong, their pants backwards, and things would be so crazy it would appear their socks would go on their ears next. That parent knows they need help, but they don't give it to them because the child refuses. Of course, the parent will not help until the child requests it partly because getting dressed is a necessary skill for them to learn, and they cannot learn it without practice. Whereas with God, our fallen nature means that we can't accomplish the many things we want on our own. Especially because of the spiritual warfare which is out there.

Let me give an example, then, of how we might see something and pray.

I've spoken before about how we need to pray when there is violence somewhere that it will not spread and that people will be peaceful and ISIS will not appear. You can read past blog posts about this. Just asking God once for these things will probably not provide them for us. Remember that the battle is spiritual, and the devil will try hard to stop us.

This means we should share our hearts with Himas this allows us to release our burdens and also gives us a certain weapon in the battle against the devil and his angels.

So, when talking with the Lord about this, you could discuss all of the problems which different cultures have faced in our country, and still face. You could share your heart about the terrible persecution some have undergone, and other things. God doesn't mind hearing you complain, but He wants you to be like Elijah and willing to then listen to that still, small voice and do what He commands - in this case, what His Word sys since we now have His complete revelation in Scripture.

So, as an example, maybe as you are conversing with God, He might point out in your heart something like coveting what other people have. You then simply repent and turn fromt hat sin, praying something like, "Lord, I'm sorry if I'm wanting what someone else has just so i can feel like I'm better than them. I know you love me just as I am. Help me to not covet like that, give me strength for I am weak in that area." And, if you mean that he will easily say "yes" and forgive and cleanse becasue he wants a heart that is willing to be more like Jesus.

Much of why we covet is because we are comparing ourselves to others. Once we become satisfied that God loves us just as we are, that is when we start to feel more confident and not craving the things of this world. Then, we can focus more on eternal rewards which can't fade away. For where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.(Matt.6:20-21) I know i wanted to be a minister for a time and part of that was I felt like I needed to be doing something big in the world's eyes; God showed me that He will love me even if I can't do certain things.

Once we have cleared that up we can go ahead and start sharing with Him about how this person needs justice or how the streets need cleaned up, or how peace is needed in a certain city. As we share with God, it's important to ask Him for a spirit of calm to come over a place, for Him to defeat the spirits of fear and anger which are in other people and to change their hearts, etc.. Because once we have confessed and forsaken something in our own hearts, that is when we can ask God to lead others to do that. It's like climbing a mountain - we can't help someone else up to a level above us, we can only pull them up to our level.

And, of course, instead of just asking, "Lord, give them comfort, peace, etc.," we can say, "Lord, be their comfort, peace, etc." - becasue He is love, he is peace, and so on. he loves each of us even though we are sinners; it was while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

So, go boldly before the throne of grace, and converse with God. Let Him speak through His Word and that still, small voice, remembering that He will never say or do anything that is opposed to the Scriptures. He will never tell people to loot, for instance, becasue he wants a spirit of calmness and peace. he is a God of order, but He will also step outside the box quite a bit to accomplish His will. Indeed, Jesus did this all the time in His earthly ministry, because He wanted to show that the boxes the Pharisees had created were spreventing His love from being shown.

Just remember that sometimes, the best answer is "no" - but one prayer He will always say "yes" to is the salvation of a soul, one coming to repent and trust Him s Saviour. So, be spreading the Gospel. If you don't know how, just a simple one like Jesus2020.com has the simple plan of salvation. Or, give out tracts - you can find them free at places like American Tract Society and Child Evangelism Fellowship. Just remember to give things out prayerfully. (Also, never put tracs in mailboxes, the Post Office has deemed mail boxes only for the mail. Place tracts in doors, door handles, etc.)

And, above all, enjoy that relationship with the Lord and communicate. Because, He desires a personal relationship with each of His creatures - even sinners like us - because He loves us. And, in any relationship, communication is a key part. ANd, if you don't have that relationship, you are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life.

How to prayer intercessory prayer for self, country, etc.

One of the great benefits of coming together as one race - the human race - is that we can learn to intercede for each other and for our country better by talking and understanding each other better.

What is intercessory prayer? It is standing in the gap between God and a situation and pleading with Him for an outcome that will draw people to Him and glorify God's love, mercy, justice, or some other attribute of God. Like all prayer, it is in Jesus' name because we need to remember it is only through the blood of Jesus we can approach His throne. That is how we experience the love, mercy, and grace of God, it is how He showed that He loved each of us.

Why is intercessory prayer needed? Remember, we are in a spiritual war. The devil and his minions have their goal int he spiritual realm, to disrupt everything and thwart the love of God. Think of a coach asking in a pregame talk, how much do you want this? What will you give for that sweet taste of victory?  Don't you love it when someone leaves all their emotion out there on the field or the court? Or, if you're not a sports fan, picture some other time when a person gives everything they have for a cause.

Remember, God know it all, but like that coach inspiring players, He needs to see how much you want it. ANd, it has to be heartfelt becasue the devil is going to be fighting tooth and nail against you.

Don't get me wrong, it's not always that hard. But, consider how many things are needed in something as simple as seeing an ambulance. You can play for the person's health in the ambulance, of course. You can pray that everyone pull over so they can get to the hospital quickly. You can pray for the family members of that person who might be very scared, or maybe haven't been contacted yet. Or, maybe the person has no family nearby and needs God's comfort at this time. Then, you can play for the doctors who will be treating that person soon. Pray the day and the nurses have great skill, that they find what is wrong quickly, and that they can fix what is wrong. There are more things that I didn't think about it, but you might.

That's where intercessory prayer comes in. It isn't necessarily about the length. It's about the depth. All those things are involved to pray for when you see an ambulance. It's talking with God about your situation. He'll even put in your mind things to pray for when you trust Him, because if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, he lives in you through the Holy Spirit.

This brings us to the future.

Interceding in prayer

I've discussed repentance elsewhere,  but in brief, it is turning from sin and agreeing with God about it. There may be sins God brings to your mind which you can forsake just as He may put in your mind when praying for that ambulance that there may be someone whose mother has been praying for them for a long time, or that you can pray the ER not be too crowded and the person get seen right away. (Which i forgot when typing that earlier list.)

You don't have to know every sin, but let the Holy Spirit bring them to your mind. For instance, a lust for money(it is the love of money, a lust for it, which is the root of so much evil, not just money(1 Tim.6:10)) on our part needs to be confessed and forsaken before we can ask God to remove that lust in others, otherwise the Spirit will be like, "Okay, but what you're asking, you need to forsake that lust first." This is true whether it's a lust for money, power, s*x (The marriage bed is undefiled(Heb.13:4); God has a perfect plan for it that is most beneficial for all of us), whatever.

When we trust God to help us control those lusts, and place Him first on the throne of our heart, that is when we can easily confess and pray for forgiveness of this country's sins over the last 400 years.

Once that is done, intercede for the people of this country.

 A few possible scenarios - ones like Ferguson, etc.

How to pray can be different in different places. For natural disasters like the tragedies in Nepal it's fairly self-explanatory, for isntance.

Now, say there's another situation comes like in Baltimore or Ferguson, then that intercession must be four peace, for God's spirit of calm to cover the people. It should be for God's people to band together, recalling we are all one race, and for innocent lives to be protected, along with for justice being done. We must also pray for the devil to be defeated, and - because they have been at the others - for ISIS to be barred from the place, as the devil has used them to help stir up the chaos. Prayer should be made for God's protection over each individual if possible, and over the whole area.

When that is not the problem, but you are simply interceding for this nation otherwise - although, we should all be praying that ISIS be stopped - then it is a matter of seeking God more fervently for Him to change hearts.

Effecting change for the better - it starts with you

From the above, we see that repentance is clearly part of intercessory prayer. God calls us to come to Him as His people for repentance before he can heal our land. Revival must begin with the saved of every culture in this country coming together with the cross uniting us. Because, it is in those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour where the Holy Spirit lives. The Bible warns us not to quench the Holy Spirit, because when we do that we are ignoring God. He loves us so much as to give us free will, because He wants us to love him because we want to, not because we have to. Thankfully, when we do stray from Him, He still loves us. No matter what. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)

You may say, "My church is dead, or at least dying." Well, you hold the key. You can either start to pray and - if God leads - fast just as for this country and try to wake it up, or start your own house church. Just remember, God wants sound doctrine above all things. As I say at takethespirituallead.blogspot.com, the most important thing is that salvation comes by faith alone in Christ alone.

Get together with fellow believers, no matter who it is, and pray., whether it's in your church or just in your home, school, whatever. Use Twitter, Facebook, etc., to announce impromptu prayer meetings to pray for repentance revival. Hold prayer meetings, prayer rallies, ask God for His Spirit to come down and change hearts and lives. Then, pray for individual situation that you know about, too - if someone has a sick loved one or wayward child(or wayward parents and needs to be the adult for their younger siblings). Jesus promises whenever two or three or more are gathered together he is in the midst of them. Of course, you as an individual can pray, but this is just reminding us how powerful several people praying together can be.

As you pray for this country, you can pray especially for souls to be saved, since as His people repent and pray, and start to live and be Christlike unto sanctification only, not for salvation, The Spirit will move - there will be opposition, it'll be like going from the regular season tot he playoffs in a sport, but God will bring about change. People will be less vulgar and see humor, joy, happienss, laughter, and so on in more innocent things. Sensual sins will become less and less. A spirit of peace united under Jesus Christ will be seen, and people will come to know Jesus Christ as Sviour and turn from their sins.

Some things, like sensual sins, drugs, and alcohol, are addictive and are brain issues, not just moral issues; for those, God can change, but a great ministry like Reformer's Unanimous is crucial, too, becasue they still need responded to with the Gospel, since only God can truly change a person.

God's Holy Spirit is in this world to convict of sin. Yes, the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside each believer, but we see and John 16 that He has other purposes too. One of the main ones is to work in others' hearts. This is how God can influence those who do not know him. That is why when He that letteth - the restrainer - is taken out of the way, if that is the Holy Spirit, it explains how things will be so awful during the Tribulation.

Yes, the Bible says things will get awful. We are in the age of Laodicea right now. But, Jesus calls that church in Revelation to realize its problem and repent and turn to Him. And, there is no reason why we can't have a great repentance revival in this age.

God is calling for intercessory prayer warriors to make it work. Will you join in praying for our nation, please?

Rise up, young people revive your inner city

In my free blogbook Take the Spiritual Lead, I spoke of a number of things which could help a young person to overcome difficulties. Since God must ultimately be the head of any repentance revival, the lack of a father should NEVER be a hindrance.

My "Discovering Grace" and its sequel, "Young Leaders," (also as paperbacks, at Nook store, etc.)are fun fictional stories of how God can use young people in families of turmoil. Divorce and other chaos are the main situations in those books, along with with children even having to discipline younger siblings, as happens sometimes in inner city and even other failies. In "take the Spiritual Leader," in no particular order, I discuss among other thigns how to overcome   violence, drugs, and family difficulties. There are many obstacles which young people must overcome. however, one thing unites them. God is able to triumph. Jesus tells us, "In this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." John 16:33.

I discuss the need to steer clear of sin elsewhere in "Take the Spiritual Lead." Here, I have emphasized repentance.

Why emphasize repentance? There's a deep need for it because of Ferguson, Baltimore, and many other things. Prince's new song is right that the system is broken, but it's broken because God, Creator of the Unvierse, has been ignored. We need repentance on all of our parts - white, black, urban, world, rich, poor, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Thankfully, while what we earn becasue of that sin is death - separation from God forever in a horrible place - the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, and all you have to do is trust Him by calling on Him by faith to forgive you and save you from your sin, believing what he did for you when he died on the cross and rose from the dead is all that was needed to save you; invite Him into your heart to make you new inside.

How, then, to unite the two, repentance and leadership?We cannot wait for the next generation to grow up. Revival, for it to happen,  must come from whatever source is handy. Would God prefer that Godly men read it? Certainly. Would God prefer that mothers, taking the lead in single parent homes, do so if men are not available? Of course. In fact, mothers and fathers can use "Take the Spiritual Lead" very effectively. The very Bible story it comes from, 2 Kings 4:8, is of such a powerful woman, whom God calls great. In her case, the husband is physically present but emotionally absent.

However, God is calling for anyone. I repeat, anyone who is willing to take the spiritual lead. And that lead comes from someone who is willing to repent for their nation. to pray as Daniel did, and seek God's face and forgiveness for their own sins and for their nation's.

That need doesn't end there, however. After repenting, one must live the Gospel through how they treat others. The Creator has shown that His Word is true, that's why I made sure to point out in posts specifically that Jesus Christ is Lord and Islam is wrong about Him, plus in a couple of posts how wrong Islam's way of treating people is, both in how their leaders began slavery and the evils of sharia law, which is an attempt to re-enslave us.

Will there be challenges? Certainly. As noted, we must fight ISIS tooth and nail. However, that is not the only problem. This is a spiritual battle. The devil wants to destroy, remember? The devil is seeking whatever road he can find to destroy, to get into the hearts of our young people, of all of our people. Hence, 1st Peter 5:8 says that the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

God wants us to have fun, of course, as Christians. Jesus promises in John 10:10 that he came that we might have life and life more abundantly. But, look at what has been happening to take away that life. Intense violence in African-American neighborhoods is a grave concern for people in those neighborhoods, sparking protests that sadly go unnoticed by many.Even in poorer white neighborhoods, those same concerns exist.

Then, there is what we put into our minds and thoughts - so many impure, unlovely things that we wind up eitehr desensitized or with at least a little PTSD.

People say we can't change the world on our own, but with God, we can. Intercessory prayer can and will still work, but we must be united in purpose, recognizing Jesus' place as our Creator. We are not cosmic accidents, we ayou are fearfully and wonderfully made - this is true for male as well as female members of the human race.

So, this is going to sound a bit silly, but it's time our young people rise up and fall on their knees. Rising up in prayer and seeking God's face. Never in vain repetitions, but always with an eye toward pleading with God to hear our heartfelt prayers.So many things are idols in our churches and in our homes - they can have good places if they can be pleasing to God, such as sports, but God must be first since sports are so fleeting. By dedicaint ourselves to God and throwing away our idols, our magic, whatever we worship that is in place of our Creator, we can see our fervent, effectual prayer make a difference.

Becasue, we will be seeking God's forgiveness for how we have turned away from Him, then for how our nation has turned away from Him. Then, we will be pleading with God to forgive us and send Revival. He paid everyone's sin debt with His life before He rose from the dead, and God can certainly revive us.

That revival must be doctrinally sound, of course. Checking places like here for good, sound doctrine will help. Turning away from counterfeit Bibles is important, too, returning to the one from the original Antiochan texts which are honest and use the ancient names like behemoth and leviathan for beasts whose description shows they were dinosaurs.

And, when those who choose not to see you are radically different and dedicated to what is right in the Creator's eyes, and how much peace he gives you, you can lovingly guide them to doing the same. Remember, our lives here are but a vapor - it is important that we pray with an eye toward eternity. God loves them, but for Him to save them, you need to be the first one to stand up and choose to follow Jesus and trust Him to make you a new creature inside.(2 Corithians 5:17) Becasue, jesus is the key to changing this nation. We ourselves are powerless, just as I am powerless and may seem to the world even less so because of my handicaps.

Besides, that is one of the horrible sins we have - false pride. Some people don't like when anyone gets ahead, as I've noted, always tearing others down, but God wants us to help others. I have always rooted for those less fortunate and love seeing others succeed. is that due to my handicaps, I don't know. But, I know that it thrills my heart to see  people choose to call on Jesus, to see them call on Him for forgiveness and be changed. And, that is something we all need - our cities, our rural areas, all members of the human race need Him.

And, it starts with you praying and then turning away from the world we sinful adults have created, not because you're perfect but because you have chosen to accept our nation's sinfulness and repent and call on Jesus to save you and come in and make you a new creature, and then live for Him. And, if you mess up, repent of that sin and continue to focus more and more on following the Lord.

 And, you will be showing a good example for all of us who have messed up (notice how I say that, just like Daniel, willingly including myself in that even though I've been a victim much more).  Imagine when a nation of rich people sees millions of young people, teens, even preteens, on fire for Jesus Christ because you want to make a difference in your community the right way. Imagine when they see millions calling on Jesus Christ to forgive you and trust that He is God in flesh, that He  took the punishment for your sins when he died on the cross, then he triumphed over the grave when He rose from the dead, o you could go to Heaven and have life more abundantly right here. Imagine all those people seeing you, young people, dedicating your homes to the Lord even if nobody else will. Imagine them seeing you dedicating yourselves to honesty and integrity and kindness and pleaseant speech and abandoning the cursing we see too much of, and not having any of it in your mouth or heart! Imagine when they see you committed to purity not because you have to ut because you want to for your future mate, smashing anything you're consuming those lusts on if you have to so it's out of your life! Imagine when they see hordes of young people, if anything bad happens, going to Jesus Christ in prayer and uniting to please with God to send a spirit of peace upon this land so there are no riots and so ISIS, that enslaving evil, and the darkness behind it can be defeated! Imagine hordes of young people with their minds always on prayer so they can be controlled by the Holy Spirit(which is what being filled means in Ephesians 5) and staying away from any alcohol or drugs!

It starts with you. It starts you doing it yourself and getting the word out, and living the life of goodness, trusting Christ and letting Him grow those fruits of the Spirit of Galatians 5:22-23. It starts with you.

Then, you will be making an eternal difference. And, you might even go down as another Josiah, another Elijah, another Daniel, one who was a great spiritual leader in this difficult age.

Repentance only the start - do great things for God

There is no doubt that America needs a repentance revival. I have already discussed how repentance begins with each one of us, like the example of how many of us may have reacted angrily to someone cutting us off in traffic when we were going nowhere important compared to that person, who might hve been rushing to the hospital to see a dying relative. We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom.3:23)

 It begins with the church, but of course repentance among those who have trusted Christ as their Savior is the same thing, since the Church is made up of all believers, from the palaces to the slums, from the big cities to the jungles.

From there, we could see repentance breakout with many who have never trusted Christ as Savior as they come to know Him; that must be the ultimate goal of our prayers. In the meantime, there can be pockets of people who repent and call on Jesus Christ by faith alone to forgive them for their sins, believing that he died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead. You the reader could do that now.

I wrote a blog here (if you don't wish to click links, takethespirituallead.blogspot.com) which I hope will be copied and sent to many many people; it's really a blogged book. It shows how women and even children can be the spiritual leaders in their families. It is based on the story of the Shunemmite woman starting in 2nd Kings 4:8.

That free book I wrote and blogged is just one way in which we can encourage others to be the leaders. It shares many important things, and I won't go over them all here.

I also have a book about two young people who are the only Christians in there somewhat dysfunctional home, titled Discovering Grace (as an ebook it's "Discovering Grace: Following God Through Turmoil"). There is now a sequel, Discovering Grace 2 Young Leaders. These books, which can be purchased as ebooks, are very inexpensive. You can get them here, the Nook Store, Amazon, etc.

I can't pretend to know what it is like in the inner cities, although "Take the spiritual lead" attempts to address a variety of issues that inner city youth may face. In the same way, my books don't necessarily cover what it is like in the inner city, but they do cover some parts of it, and how young people can cope by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. There are certainly Jmmys out there who are tempted to hide in video games but eralize there's a big hole in their heart only Jesus can fill (and who will leave them to protect their family). There are surely Graces and Jimmys who can lead, Erins who need an older sibling to be the parent, etc..

All that is to say this. I'm not perfect, but God uses me in a way that I pray is very effective. I do these things for His glory, not for myself. This is how anyone can be. Each one of us has the ability, even if it is just through prayer, to be used of God on His team to do great things.

So, repenting and turning toward Jesus is only the start. I have seen God do great things, but what He wants is a willing heart, one that wishes to glorify Him and Him alone. Because God alone is worthy of that. He created us, He made you, and you are fearfully and wonderfully made by Him. It doesn't matter what you are like on the outside. I've mentioned I have a number of handicaps. But it is what is on the inside that matters.

Because what is on the inside is all that matters, that is why repentance is vital, but also why it is only the beginning. Repentance, and then turning to God for help leading your family, your community, and your nation. Yeah that sounds like a big task. Yeah it is. But that is why prayer is vital as a part of it.

New incident, this time Delaware, let's pray & show that God still reigns

Once again the devil is trying to stir things up, this time in Delaware. Let us first realize that no matter who was right and who was wrong before the suspect was kicked in the face, we need a national repentance revival. Repentance begins with us. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and what did he do to bring change? he prayed.(James 5:16-17) And, it worked! Certainly, many are passionate about these events in Ferguson and Baltimore, and now this video has been added. But, to defeat the devil, to win we must take our passion to the Lord, and win the battle like Elijah did. (And, if need be, fasting.)

I had planned, in the next day or two, to blog about what our response should be if the devil would strike again with his attempt to stir up sttife. Let me first of all assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. We must dedicate ourselves to fighting this battle on our knees.

How? By repenting of our sins and turning to God. Trust the Lord, as I said in earlier posts, to protect us first of all from the evil one. Because the devil is the real enemy, as we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers...against spiritual wickedness in high places. (see the post for a complete verse and examination of that armor of God. See the entire blog for more encouragement.)

Let us pray first of all for God's forgiveness for the last four hundred years of oppression. Remember Daniel repented of evils done by his forefathers before he was born, which he personally would have opposed, being a man of God. (Scroll down for "Daniel's prayer of confession in the above link.) Let the oppressed seek God's forgiveness for whatever has been done that has toward others down, instead of building them up. (Again, see Daniel's Prayer of Confession; also Job, whom God was angry at because he tried to justify himself as being self-righteous.) Let us all, of every culture (again, there is only one race) seek God's face that we may be brought together United against that which would destroy and let us have peace. Not the false peace of the Devil, but God's peace which passes understanding.

Then, let us pray ISIS not have any place in Delaware like they tried in Ferguson and Baltimore. let us remember and encourage others that they are the enemy and should NOT be joined, but that they are just another oppressor who want to drag people down and impose a horrifying law that degrades women and all humanity instead of building people up in a loving, Christlike manner. In fact, Sharia law promotes slavery! African-Americans must be warned, and we should all oppose ISIS tooth and nail! Let us pray ISIS be stopped just as in World War Two when we united for a common cause. Let us never turn to them, but realize instead that the Bible is the Word of God and their view of God is a misunderstanding, as I pointed out in part here, of the true God who loves all sinners and  wishes all to come to Him for salvation. We are each only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life.

Let us pray God's protection over the city over the region over the nation that the devil will not be able to use Isis, or any other force, to bring turmoil. What us instead, seek God's face in bringing about peace, so that we can be sure that he will deliver us. The battle does not belong to the strong, but to the one who has faith. Because this battle must belong to the Lord.

That is why we must go to our knees EVERY time we see or hear an incident like this, and this post should be sent, tweeted, and everything else possible so people can see that this is a spiritual war that must be won by the Lord. If you can't kneel where you are, just seek the Lord, wherever you are, and repent and pray that repentance revival may come to this nation and that we may be protected from whatever violence the devil wishes to bring.

Keep praying - the battle isn't over

Just because the National Day of Prayer was yesterday does not mean we should stop. In fact we must redouble our efforts - which I just realized would mean four times the effort since that means doubled again. :-) Seriously we still are in a major spiritual war, and will be till the Lord returns, as you can see earlier in what I posted on the whole armor of God. We have a disadvantage in that there are no home games. We won't have to worry about this battle once we get to Heaven, but now we must trust the Lord to bring us victory.

The only way to have certain victory is to follow Him. But, God does not force us to; He lovingly guides us and gives us free will; He doesn't want us to be mindless robots. Just as we cannot force someone to love us, He will not force us to love him. Instead, He showers His love and mercy upon us, helping us through, giving us peace that passes understanding, and so much more so we will want to follow Him. He knows our hearts, and wants us to follow him willingly.

Much of that following is in the area of prayer. Of coruse, as stated before, we must do it with an eye toward letting him point out our own failings and forsaking them, but since that is something i noted should be done with prayer anyway, it stands to reason that it can safely be included in it, just as doing good deedscan even be lumped in as part of prayer We must go to Him with our concerns, because that is how we show that we recognize we can't do it ourselves, and then let Him show us how we can be involved in making this world a better place - not to save the world from sinners, but to save sinners from a lost and dying world.

Certainly, people have tried since time began to create a perfect world. However, we can't do it on our own because of our sin nature. We must have healing from tragedies  like Ferguson and Baltimore, but to do that we must realize we need to rely on God for guidance. Because, ISIS was there to stir up trouble as noted in my earlier post, and even without that worry some fear more will come. However, we must not let them win becasue ISIS is following the same lie that sparked modern thoughts on racism, when in fact all of us *are* created equal and as one race, the human race, God calls us to band together. We must have followers of Christ coming together from all cultures - notice I don't say races because we are all one race, the human race - to pray. We must have followers of Christ from all cultures coming together to share Christ's love with others.

To be a follower, however, one must be doing more than paying lip service. There are, of course, people who follow Jesus from afar. They trust Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and are truly born again, but have difficulty with the many troubles life throws at them because of their environment. However, they fail to realize that - while it may be more difficult in some cases - they can overcome that environment. They can triumph because Philippians 4:13 promises I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

When someone in a remote tribe in New Guinea for instance gets saved, they examine what their tribe has has standards and mores, and keep in their life what is pleasing to God and remove what is not. That is a lesson we can all follow. This is why we are told to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.(Hebrews 12:1)

So, if you are a dissatisfied black or African-American (and I have heard both used), don't follow the ways of this world, don't follow the lies of the devil. And, please, get the word out about what the Creator of the Universe has done. He has made us all of one race and wants each of us to throw aside those heavy weights and shackles of sin and focus on the things of Philippians 4:8 - the true, honest, lovely, etc..(Edit: Which now have a post here) The devil has held all of us down for far too long, and we *must* combat him through prayer and through turning away from those things which doth so easily beset us.

Let us continue this national day of prayer mindset and do even more, not just praying but repenting for this nation and for ourselves. let us turn from all our evil ways and say "never again. Never again will we allow the devil to rile us up, but we will seek God's face to put an end to this evil that has come upon our land. And, instead of going from oppressor to oppressor, you can be part of the generation that truly frees this country by being dedicated to Godly principles without the hypocrisy of the past. Becasue, Jesus Christ is your creator - He is neither white or black, He is God in flesh, He came to this world to seek and save that which was lost.

We are all lost right now as a country, but many people praying and dedicated to bringing this nation back to Jesus will have an impact.

Why repentance is crucial

An important question is why repentance? Why must we repent to see revival?

Repentance means turning from one's sins in one's heart, agreeing with God that our sin nature keep us from heaven. It means agreeing with God on the penalty for those sins, that He took the punishment for them on the cross. Including our future sins, hence He tells Christians in 1st John 1:9 if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, when we pray seek God's face in ending oppression, bigotry, and all the forces of evil which have crept into this country, along with those which were there from the beginning, we see that we must first decide in our own hearts we want to repent of our own sins. God knows our hearts, and wants to see that we are truly wanting what we asked for. If we don't, of course He is not going to grant it to us.

So, we ask for His forgiveness and we repent, turning away from those sins we have in our hearts, even those things we may not know are sins. There may very easily be things that because of our sin nature, we have harbored. 

God doesn't expect us to remember every time we were mad at someone who cut us off in traffic but who maybe had a very good reason, like they were rushing to the hospital to see a dying relative. It's for sins like such rushing to judgment that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead because we each have a sin nature. When we don't know what those sins are, we simply seek God's forgiveness and ask Him to point our hearts to follow His moral compass, accepting his ways are right. God made this world perfect, but by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. All the evil and killing and bigotry and depression came after that.

So, let us pray for this country, seeking God's forgiveness for our failures, and then, for those of others who have turn from the absolute right and wrong which He established from the foundation of the world. And, then, let us pray especially for God to return our nation to that right and wrong once again, and to defeat the spirit of wickedness and rebellion which permeates our society.

Though this was directed toward Israel, yet it is still possible for God to heal us just as he promised them in 2nd Chronicles 7:14: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from Heaven and I will answer their prayer and I will heal their land. If you have called upon and trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior you are called by his name. The church has not replaced Israel, but it has been grafted in, so that we can be sure God will hear our prayers.

We must simply turn from our wicked ways, and seek His face, seek him to bring a repentance revival to our land.

Why the Bible is true - witnessing to Muslims

I want to respond to those who might consider the Islamic faith by explaining that the Bible is true. It is for every tribe, every nation, every tongue. It is for people of any creed, because god loves each of us even though we are sinners.

Let me begin by teaching you some Arabic, because I doubt many readers know the language. There is a word, walad, which means a child through physical relations. There is another word, ibn, which means a child that is the same substance the exact likeness of the parent.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the Arabic ibn meaning. He is God in flesh, as we see in many places, John 10:30 being one of the key points but also all of the I am statements and other things. His disciples, and eventually quite a few of the Pharisees, knew he was God.

Yes the Pharisees, they didn't want to admit he was God but they knew he was claiming to be God and quite a few came to trust Him as Savior after the resurrection as we see in Acts chapter 2 and beyond. The Old Testament claims he is God, as we see in John  12:10 and other places; that first says that they shall look on me whom they have pierced. This is God talking, telling us that in the future the Jewish people would look on him and recognize that He, Jesus Christ, is the promised Messiah. Then, they shall realize that the one they were following is not God but the Antichrist. The Jewish people who trust in the Messiah during the Tribulation will be saved and enter the Millennial Kingdom.

That of course is a totally different topic. For now let me also explain that one of the problems Muslims have is with the Trinity. Well, that word is not in the Bible but God had is. The Godhead is used in Colossians 2:9, where we see that Jesus Christ is God because in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

The Godhead is simple. We worship one God, just like them. However, God in the Bible is a personal God, a loving God who desires a personal relationship with His creatures. Yes, He hates him but He loves the sinner. He does not want to always be condemning. That is the error that Muslims make, they don't realize that Jesus Christ is God in flash and that he loves them and WANTS a relationship with them so he can forgive their sins and make them new inside.

So, what is the Godhead? It is simple. I am a male. I am hungry, so I plan to have a small snack of a few strawberries. I am also a blogger right now. So, I am a male blogger who is hungry for some strawberries. Does this make me three different people? Of course not, I am one person who is relating to you in three ways. In the same way, God manifests Himself in three persons - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The page is in a different context, refuting another false doctrine, but this is an excellent site to explain how all three are equal persons in the Godhead and still God is one God.

Sure, people have claimed to be Christians and done bad things, but if I claim to be King of Norway and do a bunch of horrible things does that have any impact on the real King of Norway? Of course not. God promises to punish those who do wickedly in His name. Meanwhile, the Koran promises blessings to those who do wickedly in Allah's name.

But, which is God? Jesus Christ, God in flesh, is the Creator and sustainer of this universe. You can find many other great sites showing more about why the God of this universe, a personal, loving God who sees all as equal and who desires a relationship with each of us if we'll only turn to Him to forgive us of our sins, is the true God. Here is a good one. Also, here is a great end times site by someone who knows the Islamic faith and midnset intimately.

But, remember, too, to use the King James Bible, because it has thigns that make it much clearer for Muslims to realize that Jesus is God. For instance, the word "Begotten" in John 3:16 means more than just "only," it means a perfect likeness. Just like that Arabic ibn. Also, another great example is found in Genesis 22:8. "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." Notice the wording - it's not saying God will provide one Himself, it says "God will provide Himself." Meaning God himself will be that lamb, as John 1:29 says, "Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world."

God himself provided the way for all people to be saved. he is calling on those of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation to repent of their sins and call on Him. You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life. Simply admit you're a sinner - and we've all sinned and come short o the glory of God - believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins and rose from the dead, and call on Jesus, choosing to trust Him to save you and come into your heart and make you new inside.

Then, you can grow in Him and talk to him anytime, anywhere, about anything. I recommend going to Godlife.com - though their verses aren't KJV it's a good study and you can contact someone in the online missions team who will answer questions, pray with you, etc.. A great site with the simple Gospel message is Godlife.com/gospel or en espanol http://www.godlife.com/es or in Arabic http://www.godlife.com/ar

Let's work together to end the problems through prayer, trusting God

I know I can't understand exactly what its like in certain parts of the United States, but I know what being bullied is like, and that my handicaps (including physical ones and bits of cerebral palsy and Dandy-Walker Syndrome) made it worse. And, given that I can't read nonverbal cues well, I even know how it is to feel concerned about what others in authority could do.

And, I know the Lord sees me through and can do the same for you when you trust Him.

These words may still feel hollow to some, but it's not like when Booker T Washington made his famous speech in 1895 which said to go along with all of the terrible discrimination which was going on then. Many of our police and other authority figures are wonderful. They truly want what is best for everyone, including African Americans, and including those who may be struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. It's just that a few bad eggs spoil the whole bunch. (I know, ouch, bad mixed metaphor. But, hopefully it helps keep your attention.) 

But, just as a few teachers who didn't care to help a handicapped child did not mean the rest were bad, a few bad people who use the police badge for evil do not mean that everyone is bad. You still follow a sport like the NFL even with the evil doings of a few players like Ray Rice, right?

What I did was I wrote my junior high school years later and essentially said I no longer consider myself to have been a student there. I became a student of a rival school. I asked them, giving the information of how they had discriminated, to change my records, and give me better grades that I would have gotten had I not been harmed, and they agreed.

Wait, you may say, that is nice and easy for you in your situation. I can't exactly say I am no longer a member of the human race. That is true; you must overcome it some other way. God has given you the ability to do just that though.

Romans 12:20, for instance, tells us that by forgiving, loving, and praying for those who persecute us we heap burning coals of fire on their heads. We also see that Jesus tells us not to overcome evil with evil, but to overcome evil with good. This is why I discussed the armor of God in my last post.

That is also why I made the point to share how the devil was using the forces of evil to stir things up. In fact, I pointed out that ISIS may very well be behind all the police brutality itself, since they are in all 50 states, and the devil is just using them to stir things up with all of us. But, we don't have to let this happen. Race relations have worsened because of the devil's lies and hypocrisy.

In fact, it is such lies and hypocrisy that caused them to be bad in the first place.

We are all one race, the human race! The only reason people ever thought of different races was because the devil wanted to put in their minds the idea that one group was better than the other. This is a lie that is throughout Darwin's theory of evolution, the survival of the fittest. We survive because we work together, because we are one race, the human race. We were created as human beings with the truth that all people are created equal, and as Ben Franklin said during our revolution, we must all hang together, or we shall assuredly all hang separately.

We are, of course, all sinners and have come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. Romans 5:8, and if we simply call on the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins, repenting and turning to him to save us, then whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13.

So, let us unite first under the Cross, where we are all equal, where there is...neither Jew nor Greek...but all are one in Christ Jesus.(Galatians 3:28)

And then, let us unite in prayer, turning from our own sins, confessing and forsaking those times we fall short of his perfection, I'm seeking his spirit to point them out so that we can forsake them.

Then, let us pray, pleading with the Lord to change the terrible demonic oppression that is in this nation, pleading with Him to pour out His Spirit in this land, to change the hearts and minds of those who would do evil to his people, and to the innocents. Pleading with Him, to protect the children and all of us from the terrible wrath Satan has for them. Seeking God's face, to change the hearts and minds of leaders, and to bring us out of this terrible oppression.