Ending violence; what to do with repentance for God to heal our land

 I wrote earlier how riots were not the answer and prayer was. This is, as noted, a spiritual battle. here is evidence for sure.

I had a long post deleted because, being legally blind, I couldn't see what the computer was doing and somehow the whole post got erased. This is *major* spiritual warfare! Your enemy, the devil, doesn't want this to get out! So, be ready, and with that heartfelt prayer of repentance, let's end the devil's hold on our people and get the word out on ending the horrible violence, and encourge people to be spiritual leaders as I say in the free blogbook for all I mentioned.

This speaks to violence in general on all sides. As I said, we must repent not only for the last 50 years, but for the last 400. Just as the Civil War was allowed to take place because God had removed his protective hand because of the evils of slavery, today we see an increase in crime and violence because of problems which were not corrected when they should have been, some of which extend back centuries. To before the Wild West was even West of the Mississippi, when the devil riled up mean and drunken people to terrorize famiies and communities.

"Okay," you may say, "all are responsible to end violence.  What are you saying different from everyone else?"

The heart of the problem is.the heart. While others speak on some level of working from the outside in, we must work seek God to work from the inside out as only He can.

What we can do

There is, of course, something we can do when it comes to avoiding such violence. It can seem hard in certain environments, but it is clearly doable.

Just as I mentioned how members of tribes in remote places which receive Christ must determine what things in their culture are Godly and what must be gotten rid of, so too must we. They deal with such things as terror over false gods who supposedly cause disease and rejecting people over such little things as being left handed. Those in our inner cities and elsewhere in our culture deal with terrible violence.

In each case, the solution is repenting and turning to God while also getting rid of certain things.

So, what do we do that is similar to how they will burn idols and destroy objects of witchcraft like we see them do in Acts 19:17-19?

First, there are still objects like that nowadays. We should get rid of anything that can bring evil spirits, because one should never desire to invite demons to anything. They will be on the losing side, and indeed have already lost the spiritual battle. God is just waiting for the final judgment and giving people time to repent. 

By that same notion, anything that is leading one into sin in should be gotten rid of if they cannot avoid that sin otherwise. I am reminded other woman I knew saved out of alcoholism. The last 44 years of her life, she would not enter a restaurant with a bar in it, because she knew she would be tempted to much to start drinking and become drunk again. Her friends could still do it, but they would not go into a restaurant with a bar if they were going out to eat with her, because that was the right thing to do to help her avoid that temptation.

Getting the heart right

It is all about mindset. What is our mindset toward violence and mean behavior? Just as she earns rewards today, years after her death, for her testimony of how God changed her, so too we must be a witness to how God works on the inside, and yet how we should show our faithfulness to him and thankfulness for his work. Her situation involved addiction, yes, but we must still avoid certain things while not becoming too legalist. Some people saved from alcoholism stop drinking and are never bothered by entering restaurants with bars in them. Each one of us is different. But, there are certain things we all must do, when we repent of the violence that has been such a part of our society.

 1. Flee from music/entertainment/images glorifying it

I can't stress this enough, because this point was just about finished when Satan kicked it over and wrecked (deleted) it. "Mine eye affecteth my heart"(Lam.3:51) has never been more true. Like that woman above, some are more lured in than others by what they see, but when we entertain images that glorify violence against the more vulnerable, we don't have the right heart for God to heal us of violence when we pray. Sure, there are men who are abused, that's why I say the more vulnerable, but women are the victims many more times than not.

The problem is compounded by an attitude that glorifies power to the point of idolizing it. We must repent and forsake that, and recognize that sex isn't the only youthful lust out that that we should flee from.(2 Tim.2:22, etc.) We should not make plans to fulfill the desires of the flesh, but instead be servants who put others first and recognize that others have a right to live free from oppression. And, by the way, that does include porn as well. God made sex to be a wonderful thing within marriage to be saved and savored with that one true love.(Ge.2:24-25,Heb.13:4) Anything that makes one think of another person s an object and not a human being is sin, because each of us was created in God's image.(Gen. 1:26) We should get rid of all images in our lives that promote seeing other people as objects.

Notice I accept that others are free to produce it - this is a free country. But, there were far fewer producers of it decades ago. We need to pray with a repentant heart for God to heal our land of this attitude, and when He moves His Spirit will impact hearts and people will stop consuming and producing such things. Or, at least, it will no longer be mainstream the way it's become. It will take a true Holy Spirit Heaven sent repentance revival, but if we turn with our hearts toward God and repent of this, then He will bring calm.

But, we can't end this on our own. This world was made perfect, with no sin, violence, etc., but then sin ws brought into the world and death by sin.(Rom. 5:120 We must repent and turn to Him because of that sin nature we all have. However, thankfully, God has a home for us in Heaven if we trust Him, one where there is no sin, no pain, etc.(Rev.21:3-4) and where nobody has seen, heard, or imagined the wonders that await us.(1 cor.2:9)

This is crucial when we look at what else is needed.

2. Respect others' things as theirs/no coveting

When we respect others' persons, we need to also respect their property. The mindset that needs to change here is one where we are jealous of others because of what they have. A lifetime of "keeping up with the Joneses" has caused so much envy and jealousy among others in every culture. (As I noted, as are all one race - the human race, so i use culture. Besides, inner city culture is different from suburbia no matter who you are.)

James 4 speaks of why there is war, be4cause people want and can't have. God has a different plan for each of us, and that's okay. We are all special, and each of us is called to use what he or she is given for the Lord and for the good of society. If a person has a nicer house or car or owns a store, that's fine. We have no right to harm someone else's stuff. God actually created private property - think about it. he said "Thou shalt not steal." The idea something can be stolen means it belongs to someone, right? Same with "Thou shalt not covet."

But, in the very next verses, God through james chastises the rich for criticizing the poor by putting them in the worst seats instead of treating them as equals.

It's easy to see how this mindset of worrying about how much one has can cause strife and and bitterness. this is why we must repent and seek God's forgiveness for a mindset that puts our minds on thigns and not on people. It doesn't matter if someone has less than us, and also doesn't matter that someone has more than us. This country was founded with the notion that "all men are created equal," which means no noble birth makes anyone better than anyone else. The richest peson should be as respectful tot he poorest as the poorest should be to the richest. Becasue, God is no respecter of persons.

That's one that should be easy to see how we've blown it and need to repent for over 400 years of meanness.

3.Realize you - and everyone - are fearfully nd wonderfully mde and dserve respect

This goes along with other poitns. Instead of gangs, let's get together and hve fun doing thigns for each other. While God did create the idea of property, we shouldn't be trying to defend our "turf" and then feeling slighted by all the little thigns that happen. Gang violence should never happen.

Yea, the inner city and even suburbs have families where kids grow up nd need a sense of belonging. That's why I've urged others - and the church in general - to bring these people in and give them a sense of hope, and sense of the love God shows them. Check out the many resources in a place like Answers in Genesis and don't just call on jesus Christ for forgiveness but see how the truths of Psalm 139 rapply to you - and to everyone.

God knows each of us, He knows our thoughts afar off and how He made each of us special. When we see ourselves and others as fearfully and wonderfully made, we can see we are part of God's family - or can be if we haven't yet trusted Jesus Christ for salvation. (And you can see how easily at a place like Jesus2020.com or, in Spanish, Jesucristo2020.com)

It's also why I write takethespirituallead.blogspot.com, so young people could get a sense of accomplishment and belogning away from gangs, so taht they could wake up each morning,a nd walk each day, with a sense of belonging to God's loving family. In His hosue are many mansions, so no matter how poor one is here, it doesn't matter, one can be fabulously rich in Heavenly rewards. Remember that Jesus that that a poor widow who put in two mites had put in more than a rich man who had put a lot in.

God can head the land, it'll just take time

I hope this reaches the many inner cities of our land, nd other areas, so people will start turning away from violence. This violence has hurt so many people, and it must stop. Baltimore just finished a horrible May crime-wise which led some to call it akin to the Wild West.

When we repent, God see it and the Holy Spirit can move as we ask Him to heal the land. Let us seek God and continue to pass the word along about the need to repent and seek God's face and turn from our wicked ways, so he can hear from heaven and heal our land.