Humility, equality, common sense key to stopping violence

A rash of assaults on women and other complaints have dotted the landscape in and out of sports. While the previous post on coming together for racial equality contains keys to solving this problem, as do posts on things like the good thoughts of Philippians 4:8 and other posts in this blog, this is a specific problem which has troubled people since man brought sin into the formerly perfect world,and death by sin, so that death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.(Rom. 5:12)

That need for humility, of course, is crucial. That post shows how we must never see one race or any group as superior, something discussed more in show 143 here. Here, it means one must not see one gender as worthy of more respect than another. However, it is much more than that.

A desire to be better can be used in a positive way when it leads to hard work, learning new information, strategies, and skills, etc., in order to improve one's lot in life. However, those all deal with raising oneself up in ways that please God, so His perfect plan for your life can be fulfilled, not putting others down. They involve honing God-given things to improve one's abilities to glorify God.

Not only that, but not since Ben Franklin's time has it been possible to know everything there is to know. There will always be someone better than you at something and someone worse than you at something. Hence, there is a need to accept that God has given skills and talents and accept His perfect plan for your life, That perfect plan is fulfilled when you grow in Godliness and develop those rather than letting lust rule and tear others down or wanting what isn't yours.

Yes, I used lust there. Envy, jealousy, and so on could all be placed there. However, what are those but certain kinds - envying someone with better clothes or cars or something is just a lust for those things, for instance. The Bible sums up sin by referring to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.(1 John 2:15) Certainly, we want to live, but we don't want to have such pride in it that we think that we have a better plan than God, because God's perfect ways are much greater than our imperfect ways.

Good Thoughts and Attitudes to Ponderr - Putting Others First

This is why, as in Philippians 4:8 above, we must "flee also youthful lusts"(2 Tim. 2:22); this isn't just about physical affection, it is about fleeing that selfishness that causes a person to lust for power and therefore to mistreat those less powerful than them.

This brings us to equality a little more first, to move forward to common sense by making a few comments about the body from the above links, namely that we all perform different roles in that perfect plan, but they all work together to move the body forward along the right path.

To use a silly example, let us suppose that the eye decided it wanted to do something different than the legs says the person was walking along. So comma the eye starts moving the head a different direction. Then comma di convinces the arms to move one of the legs into that direction. Of course, that is silly, although at first you might have thought of a person distracted by something, turning their head, and walking right into a telephone pole. Indeed, that happens sometimes. The point is that this is causing the body to lose focus. There are, of course, timesthe eye see something and realizes that the legs are moving in the wrong direction. That is where the brain as a central processing unit is so important, such as when you are walking around trying to find something, and suddenly you see it out of the corner of your eye.)

Let's use that analogy with the brain as the central processing unit and explore the area of common sense. However, it will not be common sense as imperfect people see it, but as God created us, because His ways are perfect.

There are many reasons that the Fruit of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) includes things like temprance(self-control), longsuffering(patience), etc.. We need these things to be Godly people; He calls us to be holy not just in our actions in refraining from certain sins but in all manner of conversation, a word which means conduct.

I'd like to take a moment to praise a few boys; these 6-8 year olds are in our church's Wednesday night AWANA program at the same time as a similar-aged girl who has some autism traits. Because of this, she pushes hard at times. She has only done this a couple times, and we as a staff and her parents stay on top of things, but the point is that this girl can't control herself as well as most kids that age.

So, a few times she has pushed these boys playfully, not realizing how hard she is doing it. And, these boys either just stare at her and then walk away or just ask me, "What's her problem." They don't fight back. I have praised them quite a bit for not pushing back, let alone hitting. They know quite well there is no reason to hit this girl. Other workers and I are rightfully proud of their self-control at those times.

All that is to say this. It should be very easy for us to get in our minds an image of a person just walking away from a situation. At their age, of course, it helps to know someone is going to praise them for their self-control, and that praise will sink in and - in the future - help them remember that self-control is a positive thing. Even if a person hasn't had that self-control praised before - or even practiced  it - self-control is still required.

Why? because women are built differently, just like the parts of the body are different. You wouldn't put eye drops in your ear to try to get ear wax out, nor would you put hydrogen peroxide on your skin to make an insect bite stop itching. Things need treated differently depending on where they are - eye drops go int he eye, hydrogen peroxide goes in the ear, etc..

Of course, it's also wrong for women to bully men, but the vast major5ity of this selfishness in hwo they treat others is done by males in a relationship. This is why Jesus kept pushing meekness, another Fruit of the Spirit - thsi is power under control, not overpowering people but tenderly guiding.

Not only that, but men and women are equals, we just have different general attributes, with each individual having their own and needing to be accepted for how God made them.

We have shared that some but as a church generally failed to speak out strongly against abusive behavior, a failure we must repent of, as I've noted before, in praying for revival. Of course, it can also be argued that the Holy Spirit convicts people of the evils of such things, and that people who do them are not going to be in church or will just sit and pretend to be Godly because their hearts aren't right or perhaps they never trusted Jesus Christ to save them in the first place.

Whichever the case is, domestic violence is an evil which must be stopped. The way to do it is by changing our attitude toward others.

Proper Attitudes About Relationships - Eliminating Lust

Before, such as here, the need was discussed to center our focus on others and not ourselves. That is certainly part of it. When we realize other people matter, we will be kinder and more considerate and realize that some people have handicaps, for instance, like I do with several physical and developmental ones. However, it goes beyond just helping a blind person see something that you can see perfectly well.

The important part is to recognize that while we refer to girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, and children as "ours" in one sense, they really aren't in another sense. Oh, relation ally, there is a logical sense that, yes, you are related to someone in such and such a way - "this is the computer's mouse" means that mouse is used by that computer - but relation does not equal possession. Any mouse could be used as long as it's compatible, to use that example further.

Relationships were created by God before the fall of man - Adam and Eve are married in Genesis 2:24-25, while sin doesn't come into the world till the next chapter. After sinc omes in, there is suddenly disputing and arguing and the chance for all sorts of things. Physical lusts suddenly existed when they didn't before. Instead of automatically being a perfect situation, a relationship takes work on all parts - A healthy relationship requires communication, and that communication is easily broken if we're not careful.

This is where that lust comes in. Even without that problem in language, there is that desire to make a relationship everything we want rather than working together toward a common goal. It's as if the eye and the ear, working together in a body, suddenly decide they want to do different things. Or, worse yet, the left leg and the right leg try to go off in different directions.

Some central processing unit is needed. God provides that processing unit through his Word, the Bible, which tells us to love one another, to edify (build up) one another, to be subject to one another  and to work with one another. The Bible never commands one side to boss the other around and doesn't even allow it, in fact. As that one link said, Eve was created from Adam's side, not his head or foot.

And, parents are to be examples of Godly love, compassion, gentleness, kindness, and so on, teaching their children to be part of that loving unit by co-operating and becoming kind, caring people who will not act selfishly. Just as most if not all of the boys have been taught who were being so kind when that girl was being so pushy.

If one party is not able to be a spiritual leader, that God commands, another shoudl take over and try to work themselves out of a job jsut like a missionary would. This free blog book, based on the Shunemmite woman's story beginning in 2 Kings 4:8, shows how, and should be widely distributed.

We need the courage to stand up for woman and children because they need protection. Yes, at times we must sand up against female abusers, too; we should always look at the facts of a case as well. However, we must be willing to take a stand for the absolute right and wrong that God commands us to have in protecting those who are mistreated, so that they know they can feel safe in coming to us and that we will stand for them and against abusers. Look at it as getting an abuser help if you must, but we as a society should not accept what is really just a form of lust - a lust for power, power that is not our right to have. There is never any reason to hit a woman, and in fact even nonverbal abuse is wrong because we are not meant to force others to do anything in a relationship. We are supposed to lovingly guide. (Yes, even discipline of children, though it may have to be harsh at times, should NEVER be about brutality and power but has to be about showing Godliness by guiding them in a Christlike manner to be examples of Godly character themselves, by showing those fruits of the Spirit so they will want to copy and will know how. You might, as that blog book shows, even be able to be the one a kid copies who isn't your own, becasue we all need role models and some kids need to use other adults as those models of good behavior.)

This iswhy such violence is wrong - communication must be the center of every relationship, and adults are able to verbalize their concerns without such threats against someone who is less able physically. If a person has trouble, they must walk away till they're calm; against part of that meekness Jesus had and that we should have, too.

In fact, I'll go a step further and say that the entire appetite for lusts is way off. There are many better things to do than that, and it should be an honor to be a virgin. Sadly, not everyone will be, but there is no excuse for any man to be taking advantage of someone. If one man wants to do stuff with a woman outside marriage that's one thing, even though it's sin and cheapens it, but life is not a video game and there should be no competition or guys getting together in what was created to be a very special time for one man and oen woman to share! God created that stuff to be done within marriage as a special thing between a husband and wife, in fact! No woman should ever be put in a situation where she feels pressured into doing something she doesn't want to - and no man should, either!

After all, God gives freedom, the freedom that He provided on the cross when He died to take the punishment for our sins and rose from the dead. Each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life. It's a prayer one can pray right now - just Admit you're a sinner and fall short of God's protection, Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins and rose from the dead, and Call on Him to save you, Choosing to let Him make you new inside and forgive and cleanse you and come live in you.

Once you trust Him to save you, He makes you new inside.He will grow the Fruit of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) in you. You can do it right now where you are. And, go he to e-mail with someone and get gerat encouragement.

Since God made us equal before the cross, let's turn to Him in unity for revival

This will mostly match the blog post I recently did for our ministry blog. I wanted to urge prayer first hrre, though. Who knows, maybe I'll update it to start like that, too.

Don't worry, this won't be as long - though the previous post provides a great model for how to respectfully cry out to the Lord and just bare your soul; and it wasn't near as emotional as it could have been.

We need prayer in this country for unity. I've mentioned many times how we must trust God to heal the many divides in America, and that repentance must occur for tthere to be true revival with this happening.

We are all one race, descendants of the same man and woman. However, I will speak here of a racial divide as it relates to the current climate in America (and elsewhere, I don't know how much it exists elsewhere, though). This is one of the numerous divisions which sinful man's ways have created, since imperfect man can't create a perfect world - we must rely on God's perfect plan.

We are clearly not together when people look down on others because of race or economic situation or anything else - like handicaps such as I've had happen. God tells us to be of one mind in the Lord(Phil. 4:2-3) (put aside differences except for doctrines which are essential for salvation and fellowship together equally in His Word). God strongly criticizes those who look down on the poor.(James 4, etc.) We are all one in Christ Jesus.(Gal. 3:28-9) We must never puff ourselves up with pride and claim supremacy over others - pride cometh before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction.

Man's best is still inherently wicked compared to God's Perfection. That is because people are selfish; it is a heart problem that can't be fixed completely by laws. As we grow in Christ we should learn to become less selfish and recognize others as our Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Plenty of people try to do this in their own power and give of themselves, but when they do so they are at best helping in ways that are not nearly as good as God's ways, and at worst are doing so only to show how good they are in front of their fellow man, just like the Pharisees did.

This is the problem with quite a few in the Millennial Generation, from what I have read recently, trying to be kind in their own strength and without God's perfection as a guide. For such people, as well as for everyone, it's important to realize none of us is perfect - all have sinned and come short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23) - but there is a way to be saved from the punishment for our sins.

Trying but failing to always be kind in their own strength is a good definition of people at their best. At their worst? "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) God knows what is in us. Thoughts of superiority are just man's sinful boasting about being better than someone else in ways that God doesn’t look at or that are just inventions of that wicked heart.

The ways people try to solve such inequality can be problematic, too, though. I seem to remember it was Tom Seaver, one of the greatest pitchers ever, who said something along the lines that every Major Leaguer should spend a week in the minor leagues every 2 or 3 years to appreciate what they have in the majors. Whoever's quote that was, it means that people should look at others and be thankful for their status, but not to the point of feeling superior. His idea was not that everyone should be sent to the minors, but merely that it was important to have an appreciation for everything that major league baseball provides - airplane rides in huge stadiums versus bus rides and attendance in the hundreds sometimes, for instance. Actually sending every big league player to the minors for a couple weeks every 2-3 years would be very cumbersome and impossible to apply fairly between teams.

The point is that trying to help others in our own imperfect wisdom, won't work because it doesn't change the heart. Say that idea somehow became a baseball rule. It might give some players appreciation for what they have, but others would refuse, teams would be upset about losing a star at a crucial time, etc..

This doesn't mean that we should stop working, of course. The work of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s was long overdue in allowing blacks and whites to share the same drinking fountains, restaurants, and so on because we are all humans. However, it didn't change everyone's hearts, and getting the "right leaders" in power won't either because in the end, this is a problem for God the Holy Spirit to fix.

We should, as born-again Believers, have a part in it, of course. We should be at the forefront of Godly change, relying on God's principles which he lays out in his word, the Bible. We can also take stands when appropriate as individuals.One great symbol is how a Kent States team reached out during the national anthem recently, going into the stands and each player standing beside a person of a different race. That is just part of the concept of befriending others, listening to them and their concerns. It can be very sad to imagine that racism makes one fear getting shot for no reason. Some news stories have sounded more like they were from 1916 and not 2016. Indeed, as a handicapped person I have some of the same fears black people do about getting mistreated since it would be easy for someone to decide to bully me and not be able to respond. (Of course, visualizing everything as I hear about it doesn't help.)

We can easily reach out and listen and share and come to an understanding of how to work together to still encourage everyone to follow the Lord and trust Him to ultimately make things better. This world is a wicked place, and it won't be perfect for any of us until we get to Heaven. However, we can certainly band together and be part of showing who Jesus really is, and the compassion he always has for the oppressed. We want to be Godly example so they, too, want to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and follow Him with all their hearts.

The best and most important thing we can do, once we know Jesus personally, is pray. And, we should be praying with those of other races so we can all praise God for the good things He has provided along with trusting Him to bring about change in this country that is true change because it is on the inside.

I mentioned talking with each other, but getting together as different races and holding a prayer meeting would really be great. God inhabits the prayers of His people, and He can work in hearts yet once we turn from our sins and trust Him.

So comma let's do that, let's get together as 1 people, One race, and pray for an end to racism, for an end to white supremacy, and for people to turn to God to change them on the inside. Because that attitude of Supremacy is really a selfish one that comes out of a lack of contentment. And, because contentment is one mark of a Godly person, when people become more Godly in he will focus on him more then their racist attitudes will end.

Will some focus on worldly things? Sure, we all do that, it doesn't matter who we are or what our background is. From time to time we all sink into that habit of wanting what is in the world even though it will disappear some day. We are to have property and it is helpful to have money and things like that, but we should not be coveting it or mistreating others to get it. The same Commandments which show personal property is supposed to exist - Thou shalt not steal and thou shalt not covet - also tell us not to want what someone else has in a greedy way.

When we are covetous, we should simply repent of our own covetousness and just agree that being of a certain race or background should not give someone priority, so we can pray against the false pride of some Then, encourage others to also accept others as equals. The problem is that so many people have been taking from the poor and from the minorities in this country in an attitude that is totally against God. There has been lots of oppression and we need to pray that people will realize that there should be no difference at all between us no matter what our backgrounds. All are one in Christ Jesus.

When people see this, then they will realize there's something different about us and want that same Godly spirit. That is getting our hearts right with God, which is necessary for a repentance revival.

There are, of course, other problems which we must all repent of. Sure, some cculture have things in them which are unBiblical, but we should focus on what God's word says and realize we have done the same thing. People talk of the violence and degradation of women in rap music, but there are heavy metal and even lighter music lyrics that also showcase mistreatment and objectifying of women and other satanic things. The horrible vulgarity of some is equally bad among all races. People talk about the way certain people wear their pants, but they refused to talk about their own immodest ways.

The key, then, is that we should all be united to work together to turn from our sins as a nation, to repent and follow the Lord, because it is God's ways that are important and not our own. Where a culture does not violate God's ways we should accept it and where it does we need to first look at our own culture. Jesus says that if a person has a mote in there eye, we can't take it out unless we remove the beam in our own; then we can see to remove the most in the other person's eye.

If we fail to recognize our own need to repent and trust Jesus to save us, of course, it will be all for nothing. What matters is our eternal destiny, the things of this world do not matter in light of Eternity. So, why use selfish, foolish pride to appear better than another culture when in fact that stuff doesn't matter to God. What matters is what we do for Him that is also according to His principles; if we try to do something unGodly and say it's for Him He will not receive it well, it will be burned up as 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 show..

So, we must certainly be accepting them sitting next to us in our pews or our neighborhoods, just like we need to accept anyone new who comes in to hear the Gospel and/or grow in Christ. That Gospel is the most important thing, after all. One day we will all together gather around the throne to celebrate, every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ personally to save you from your sin, you are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away. You simply must: Admit you're a sinner and come short of God's perfect glory with thoughts, words, and actions; Believe Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take your punishment for your sins and rose from the dead; and, Call on Him to save you from your sins, Choosing to repent - turn from your sins - and trust the Lord to make you new inside. For if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away, all things are become new.(2 Cor.5:17) You can go here for a more detailed plan of salvation - here in Spanish for the full site or here for the first part of the "Look to Jesus" study - and visit our radio show page for great shows on doctrine, spiritual growth, etc..

Call to action - national heart problem needing healed with prayer to give us hope

I've written much about the need for prayer - speaking humbly with God and believing He'll work in a situation. This is a good time, with the incredible turmoil in our nation, to mostly post a prayer and invite others to join, as I did in this one.

I know many feel hopeless after this recent election, and just want someone to bring hope. God looks beyond our differences, He knows there's only one race, the human race, unlike what sinful man tries to do. So, you can skip down to the prayer and pray if you want, but these first couple smaller sections are very helpful to get our hearts in the right mood, as they discuss that relationship with God and the fact intercessory prayer is needed for our country.

 God Desires a Relationship With You - Turn to Him

God loves you and gives everyone - you - the chance to have a personal relationship with Him, so He can give you His perfect love, comfort, peace that passes understanding,and other blessings as we walk in this world. That relationship lets you pray to  Him anywhere, anytime about anything if you trust Him to save you from your sins.

As an example of sin, I've mentioned many times how someone might get cut off in traffic and curse the other driver, when the other driver is rushing to the hospital the bedside of a seriously ill loved one. That need cannot be met by criticizing the person who is hurting; we are sinning then by selfishly putting our desires ahead of others.  This, hopefully, helps show that sin is anything we say, think, or do that displeases that perfect and holy God. We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom.3:23)

Repenting is like a U-turn with your heart. It would be like realizing in your heart, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was only going to the store and was inconvenienced a few minutes, while that driver may have been anxious to go see his mother one last time before she died. I'm sorry I judged them, forgive me and help me not do that next time." It's just agreeing with God that sin is sin and God must judge it; and, that He judged it at the cross when He took the punishment for that sin, dying and rising from the dead.

That salvation from your sin must be received with the heart, not just head knwoledge. It is a free gift - we are saved "By grace...through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."(Eph.2:8) It's the only system that doesn't require people to something they can boast of to reach God - "not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:9) That boasting by others is annoying to us, but more importantly, it speaks of works and we can't reach up to God because we can't make ourselves perfect. So; God reached down to us.

The way to receive that gift is to - Admit you're a sinner and fall short of God's perfection, Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take your punishment and rose from the dead, and Call on Him to save you from your sin and forgive you and make you new inside. Choose to pray and trust Him to forgive you and save you and turn from your sins, Caling on Him to make you new so He can live in you and make you kinder, more loving, etc. - you can make that heart-mind decision right now, in fact.

So, that repentance when we trust Jesus to save us is what allows that relationship to begin. Once yuou have done that, you'll still sin because of your human nature but a Godly follower of Jesus grows in their faith and becomes more like Jesus in their love, compassion, etc. - Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 are one great example of how.

This shows that if it's required for a healthy relationship, then we must turn our hearts toward God when we pray. Prayer won't work if our hearts aren't right. This is because when we are turned away from him there is something between us, just like if people have an argument. and one is in Miami and the other in Atlanta. If the one says they'll go to Miami to make up and drive toward Alaska, they'll never be on the road to Miami. Hence, the "U-turn with your heart."

God wants us to have a relationship with Him, but He must also punish sin. That's why we must come with repentant heart and humbly seek His forgiveness and for Him to work in our lives.  God is holy and just and will punish sin; He can't have any sin in His presence. Heaven will be a wonderful place where nothing bad can happen to you, there'll be no suffering, no pain,(Rev. 21), just great diversity of people where nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us.(1 Cor.2:9) There can be no sin there, or it would cause suffering. So, God provided that way of salvation so any who are in Christ are new creatures - "old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new."(2 Cor.5:17)

God wants us to enjoy His presence here, too. All are supposed to be equal in Christ Jesus(Gal 3:28). We have failed in that, and must repent of the evils of the last 400 years, not just the last 50; and, we must also repent for things we failed to do as well, such as how we haven't spoken out enough agaisnt violence against women.

How To Repent for a Country? Intercessory Prayer

It's great to share that love with others, and something we must do. Jesus could come at any moment, and each must be ready and share how to get saved now and what to do if millions vanish. However, that's about individuals.

Interceding for a country is like that, in a way, though. Our country is a mess. Many verses speak to things we should have done, such as Micah 6:8,etc. about God requiring mercy, loving everyone as equals no matter what race and treating them as equals, helping the powerless, etc.. But, that country is made up of individuals who can be reached and changed on the inside.

God knows our country has a heart problem, as this shows. It can't be solved by laws, but must be healed by God, because laws or political leaders would only work from the outside and not impact the heart. This is why we still have problems with racism, for instance, after so long. Only God's justice is perfect, as I discuss here.

Even so, individuals should follow God's ways and not mistreat or look down on thsoe of other races or women, and must make sure justice applies equally.

this requires a move of the Holy Spirit. It would mean that god would be interceding for many people, and that takes very fervent prayer. Such a Heaven-sent revival must begin in our own hearts, which is why I went over what I did above; we must seek it for God's glory and not ours because only He knows the perfect thing for our country; also, because he wants us to focus on things of heaven where nothing can happen to them and not things of earth which will pass away. He has our best interests at heart doing that. There is more discussion of intercessory prayer here, too.

There are other posts here, too, which speak of repentance revival, but it all boils down to this - God's people seeking for God to intervene to pour out his Spirit to change those things which displease Him. that, of course, requries our hearts to be right with Him to do that.

Once Jesus saves you He comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit, but you still have a sin nature and so you'll still struggle. There is a lot of bitterness and anger on both sides politically right now, for instance - things that stir up pain and hatred. God allows bad things so we don't become mindless robots - and so cause and effect can continue without some strange cartoon physics. However, He wants to guide us through those hard times with His peace. When things like anger and bitterness are fed they lead to destructiveness. Instead, we need to build the  Fruits of the Spirit in our lives(Gal.5:22-23) which I've mentioned.

We need people like you to be prayer warriors and spread this around so people will intercede on America's behalf.

With that, I ask you to please join in prayer and pass this around, too. Print it out if you want. Just remember, it's not just words you say, it's speaking with God personally for things to be made right. It can be your own words, of course, as long as you are in agreement with god about the sinful ways of this nation and how he can change it. We need Him; we can't do it without Him. But, He also promises that with Him, all things are possible.

A prayer of national repentance 

"Dear Lord Jesus, we have sinned and come short of your perfection. We have seen so much violence and oppression and other mean stuff in our nation, and I know you hate the culture that has developed. Lord, I'm sorry we have been so mean, in many cases since our founding as colonies, and I ask you to please forgive us.

"While we kept important things like honesty, love, and so on which you say are vital we didn't do that with some people, we were sinners who needed to let you change us on the inside. We failed at that Lord, and for that I am sorry.

"Of course, I too am not perfect, and so before I go further I ask your forgiveness for my sins, I know you died to take my punishment for my sin and rose from the dead, and I trust you to forgive me and save me from all my sin. I plead the blood of Jesus over all my sin and invite you to work in me, making me new on the inside, so I can make a difference the lives of others. And, in this nation.

"Lord, today I come to you because our nation is in turmoil. No matter who had won the election, the other side would have been up in arms. Lord, we know we can't make this world perfect because we are all imperfect  people. Lord, we need you to work a mighty work in this nation. We recognize we have no hope unless we turn all of our problems over to you. So, Lord, I plead with you to please heal this broken land.

"I plead with you, Lord,first, to forgive us for relying on people to solve the things only you can solve. Lord, we know you alone are the author of hope, we are not able to create a perfect world, and when we try it ends in selfish boasting and other problems. When we were more dedicated to you, we at least recognized the need for civil discourse and those who truly followed you would proclaim the need for us to be free, and we could look past our faults, but now we have so many people who are so full of faults, and yet they attack each other so vigorously. Lord, we repent of our search for people who just worry about more or fewer laws and instead ask your Holy Spirit to move int he hearts of the people of this country to turn to you.

"Lord, as part of that turning to you, we admit to 400 years of sin in our land, that we have not treated others with respect, we have not established true justice for all, we have created a backward system and despire the revivals you brought centuries ago, we kept trusting in outward appearances and slogans and di not repent of our wicked thoughts toward others. For that, Lord, we repent and turn back to you and trust you to cleanse us from these stains.

"Lord, our actions have brought about spirits of discord, of bitterness, of anger. Our focus on the things of this world have caused us to lose sight of that which unites us, that being the cross at the foot of which all truly are equal. We have fought over jobs and neighborhoods and things instead of acceptign others as equals and being united in a common cause, that of sharing sweet fellowship with you and lovingly leading others to Christ so they, too, can know that forgiveness and love you give to all who put their trust in you.

"Lord, we ask humbly that you would eliminate this spirit of discord and bitterness and anger and violence and rioting, and instead bring a spirit of peace and calm and comfort to all Americans.

"Lord, we pray that you would foster a spirit of communication between all Americans, that we would learn learn to get along with one another int he way you proclaim it, for we are not "us" and "the other" but we truly are to be "one another," united in hope for each other and sharing that wonderful fruit of the Spirit, bestowing love, joy, peace, gentleness, and so on to all and learn about each other and coming to treat one another in a civil manner the way we should.

"Lord, we also see much oppression in certain specific areas, too, and it is for those things we pray an end, also, for you say to go boldly - not brashly but with confidence you will hear and heal our land, because your people pray. And, Lord, with these specifics, please help us to remember to pray consistently as these will be spiritual battles which will take time.

"Lord we pray for an end to racism in our police, we pray for those who have betrayed the people by harming innocents to be brought to justice, and we will trust in your perfect justice, but we also ask you to end the violence against blacks and others who don't pose a threat, Lord, work in the police departments and give them the desire to constantly work to ensure that they don't have police who will do these things. Lord, please protect all those blacks and African-Americans and turn Black lives Matter into a cause that is moved by the Holy Spirit to cry out to you and to invite white people to join just as was done in the 1960s and which will help the police who are doing their jobs. Lord, we also pray for the protection of the police and an end to the slaying of all innocent people.

"Lord, please heal our inner cities, rebuild families and give women and youth encouragement to be the leaders where needed, as you did the Shunemmite in 2 Kings 4:8 onward, that our youth may have good role models who are Godly people, and turn our culture away from the terrible pain, heal that pain and agony, Lord, so we may not be hurting each other so much, we cry out to you for an end to all of the inner city problems through jobs that matter, that can give us hope, so we can truly make a difference and be free from the scourge of drugs and such. Lord, please trn hearts to end the violence gaisnt women and minorities and children and everyone.

"Lord we really pray for an end to all of this violence and rioting and destructiveness. Lord, we beg you in Jesus' name, do not allow the devil to have his way in this land, please prevent the forces of darkness from increasing the pain, but instead bring an end to those organiers who have agendas of destruction and instead raise up people who have agendas of conscientious dialogue who can and will truly accomplish things to heal this divide.

 Lord, we have focused so much on worldly goods, and we repent of that focus on that and ignoring the thigns of God, family and kindness and peace, help us to be content with such things as we have, but at the same time cause the rich to also be content and not be demanding more than they should; Lord you know the role you have for each of us and we pray you will help each of us to have that peace and not ignore the fact you do call us to be able to own thigns - hence the admonition never to steal or covet - but you also call on us to not oppress the poor, so please, Lord, end the oppression that occurs so much. please heal the divide between rich and poor and cause people to all focus on building treasures in Heaven by giving to those causes which will help those that are in need.

"Lord, we further pray for a healing of the divide which has occurred because of gender inequality, Lord help us to recognize that you have a specific plan for each of our lives, and that is to be treated lovingly and with compassion and never to be seen as objects, which is true for all, male and female. Lord, we ask you to end porn and all devient sexual stuff, send your Holy Spiritt to convict our hearts and set them right. Lord, we pray that you will send a calming spirit to those who feel agitated and stirred up by the harsh and even evil words of some leaders, and at the same time that those leaders would repent and no longer say or do evil but will instead humbly allow you to work int heir hearts and make them more loving and compassionate toward others.

"Indeed, Lord, increase the compassion of all of us, but at the same time help us to realize that you do call sin as sin for a reason, and please help us to remain steadfast against the sin in this land, that it may be stopped and that your ways would be established as right in our hearts, and that you would see to it that people are protected no matter what they believe and that our freedom to worship you and practice our faith not be curtailed, as you say in Your Word and as our Constitution says, too.

"Lord, please also send a spirit of calm over all those who protest the most recent election, that instead of worrying about who is in power we instead work to make this world better, because with all of this bitterness and anger there is so little hope, but when we have effective communication where we know things will be better we do hve hope, and so I pray that a spirit of peace and a willingness to discuss solutions instead of complaining about problems be evident in each and every person. Lord, change the hearts of our leaders where they need changed to fully come along what you will for us, those who do not know You may they truly come to know youpersonally as their Saviour, and may all who know you be drawn closer to you. may they be torn away from false gods and realize that you are the God of love, and may they be drawn to you and receive you by faith alone for perfect peace and stability int hese troubled times. May those who are on the fence renounce their ties to the New Age stuff and the worldly system some have and instead may they lean wholly on you, knowing you will win in the end; indeed you have already wont he victory.

"We also pray that if there are any scandals that justice would be done and that you would be glorified in showing that actions have consequences. Indeed, Lord, we pray for the hearts of all those in power be brought to you.

"Lord, you provided a great revival to break out int he late 1850s because 2 businessmen began to meet to pray at lunch in New York City and it spread; Lord, may we see the same attitude in business today, that people would stop beign greedy and that they would stop mistreating any employees.

"Lord, may people further grow those fruits of the Spirit and be honest, gentle, considerate, not backbiting, and in general may we all become more Christlike instead.

"Indeed, Lord, we pray for an end to all the terrible abuse and misuse of people, especially sexually, may you protect all those who can't protect themselves, and may you work in every situation to ensure that our children are safe fromt he effects of demonic forces which are out to seduce them into thinking they hve no hope; provide them with hope, Lord, may they see you at work and sense ou are real, may they all call on you to save them nd if the Rapture is close then I pray they will all be saved, because there are so many who have not been able to hear clearly to make a decision because of the terrible exploitation which goes on, the wful stealing of their innocence by a cruel and wicked world bent on making them think they are accidents when in fact each of us is created by God for a very special purpose, each of us is special to You, Lord. Indeed, we pray for an end to all the harm being done by our education system and for you to end the problems of bullying there, too, by teaching young people to value others as you, Lord, value them.

"Lord I'm sorry for all the evil that has come before, which we ask you to heal in humble repentance today. Lord, there are countless other sins I have not mentioned, so while a calming spirit int he crowds surrounding this electionand its aftermath are the main focus of this prayer, along with some other things, I ask you too, Lord, to please work in our hearts for other things in this revival, that many people will turn their hearts toward you and away fromt he many sins that have befallen our nation. May you bring us a great repentance revival and help me to accept if there are things that maybe aren't in your timetable or that maybe I'm wrong about, kindly help me to understand and at least accept your ways are higher than my ways, as the sky is higher than the seas.

"Lord, please give us that great repentance revival we need, not because we deserve it, not because we hve earned it, not because of our history, but only because of who You are, the God of grace and mercy who is slow to anger and whose mercies are new every morning, who is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

"Lord, please bring many individuals to repentance and to salvation in you, please end this spirit of fear and terror and discord and bring to us a spirit of love, of peace, of unity in you, and end the terrible protests and riots and instead bring us to all want to follow and praise you for your ultimate victory over evil. Lord, please bring us a spirit of acceptance of others not becasue of some political correctness but becuase of the civility you call us to have in loving others, so we can be more like you. Lord, please tear down the walls of hostility and fear but isntead help us to share with others how to work within the existing law to have civil discourse, and give us the freedom to be able to share Christ's love with others and may be receive gldly. Please, oh Lord, forgive us for our sins. For today, Lord, we turn from our sins as a nation, and trust you to forgive us and save us and heal our land. In Jesus' precious name, Amen."

No matter what circumstances, God can change hearts, let's trust Him

In every situation, someone won't like the results.

Take something as little as rain. Farmers like it to grow crops, but kids don't if it cancels their baseball game. Yet, those same farmers want dry weather to plant and let the sun work - so even they don't want rain all the time. No wonder God chose rain to demonstrate how the things of this life happen to everyone.(Matt. 5:45) Thankfully, while "In this world ye will have tribulation," we can be of good cheer, since He has overcome the world.(John 16:33)

Some stuff is much worse than rain, of course. God allows bad things because to not do so would be to end cause and effect. Cartoon physics would result if He stopped everything in a freeze frame each time someone was about to do something wrong. (And where would the frame end? What if someone put one foot in and the rest was outside?) You can't have a knife cut food and not a finger if a hand slips as one chops vegetables. Cause and effect are necessary to make the world make sense so we know what to expect.
 

Even in those bad things, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them which are called according to His purpose(Romans 8:28), as He works His perfect plan to save anyone who trusts in Him by faith to save them from their sin.

God gives us another way to know what to expect, too. He warns us of things to come, such as the terrible decline in morals near the end(2 Timothy 3,etc.), or the increasing attention on Jerusalem(Zech.12:1-3) and cooming war with Russia, Turkey, and iran aand others against Israel.(Ezek38-39) He also warns of His judgment unless we repent.

Those who wanted someone else to win the election may say the result is God's judgment. Those who got the result they wanted might even say that. With the choices given, one could argue the entire process was God announcing His judgment no matter who won, as politics has developed the stench of a sandwich left in the refrigerator... since 1991!

Whether or not you got the results you wanted, imperfect people can't create a perfect world. The world won't be perfect till  Jesus returns.

There are things we can do to make things better, though. As shown before, such as here, for instance, prayer works wonders - as long as there's nothing between you and the Saviour.

How can we make positive change?

Make sure your heart is right

One person won't change everything, nor could one party. The world's problems come from a heart problem.

So, you ask, If I'm going to change things, why does my heart need to be right?" Because, if you want to drive a friend to Miami, and keep heading for Alaska, you'll never get to Miami, right? 

I've often used the example of getting mad because a person cuts you off in traffic - but it turns out they are rushing to the hospital to see a hurt loved one. God's justice is best because He alone knows what is best in each situation; He doesn't create a one size fits all world but instead allows freedom within His boundaries. After all, He didn't just say "don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," He also said they could eat of every other tree. The world was perfect till sin came into it.

We've all sinned in action, word, or thought, falling short of his perfection. The wages of sin - what we earn because of it - is death, separation from God's perfect heaven and His perfect love forever. However, that verse, Romans 6:23, goes on to say that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In other words, we need to recognize the sin in our lives and confess and forsake it. That includes making sure we know for sure we have His salvation so God can guide us in any situation.

This world can't last forever. God tells us what will happen. One day, He will step in and judge all the wickedness of this world. Given events in the Middle East, it could be very soon. Nobody knows when it is their time to go anyway. So, it's vital to make sure you are saved and walking with Him.

So, if you were to stand before God, and He asked why He should let you into His perfect Heaven, what would you say?

Salvation isn't earned or deserved; we have all lied, hurt others, been selfish, etc. at some point. You must be saved by grace - a free gift - through faith, and "not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:8-9; works come in verse 10 but only after we are saved to earn us rewards in Heaven.)

There was lots of boasting in the election, as well as all over the world, of what people can do. God realizes that's not very pleasant when people can boast of how they get somewhere. He knows equality is vital - we are all equal before the cross. Many worry about income and other disparities, but God knows this world isn't forever and Heaven is what's important. There's no pain, no suffering, no heartache, nothing bad there. Nobody can do anything bad to anyone there because God has made them new inside. Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us.

That being made new inside is what is needed, so He can forgive you and save you from your sins - lying, selfishness, etc. and give you a new hear.

You can invite Jesus to forgive you and save you from your sin right now if you haven't, with a prayer something like this in your own words - remember the words aren't what saves, it's you repenting and turning from your sin and letting God make you new that saves. "Dear Lord Jesus, I realize I'm a sinner and don't deserve your perfect heaven. I know you tookt he punishment I deserve for my sins, though. Lord Jesus, I believe You are God in flesh and did all that was needed when you died on the cross to save me and rose from the dead. Lord Jesus, today I turn away from my sin and invite you to saveme and make me new inside, I call on you to forgive me, a sinner, aend I turn from my sin, and I believe by simple faith you have saved me and written me in your book of Life. In Jesus' name, Amen."

You can go someplace like here if you've trusted Christ as your Saviour and have online mentors help and answer questions. This is a good place to have questions answered, too.

Godly priorities found in His Word help us grow, impact the world positively

 As noted above, God wants us to have peace. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."(Is.26:3) "My peace I leave with you, NOT as this world gives; in this world ye will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."(John 16:33) The way to have this is to have Godly priorities.

The only thing we'll take with us if we go to Heaven are the souls of others and what we did for Jesus - He is preparing places for us there.(John 14:1-3) God doesn't want anyone to miss out; He created that place of outer darkness only for the devil and the angels that rebelled.(Matt. 25:41) People go when they spend a lifetime rejecting His free gift of salvation over. Sure, we want to be happy in this world, and there is a verse specifically addressing those who would enjoy life. However, God knows that the things of this world won't make us happy the way the things of God can. And, by following his priorities, we can show others His love and help them understand how different His ways are from this world of wickedness, faint praise, and shallow, physical satisfaction.

After all, as the above link shows, Jesus offers "life more abundantly"(John 10:10) - so if it's more abundant than what the world offers, it makes sense to make sure to focus on that. Second, while salvation is instant, God wants us to grow in Him and be more like Him once we do trust Him to save us.(Phil.1:6, etc.)

That growth is how we improve the world, as well as lead someone to want to be saved from a lost and dying world. It may seem to some like there's little they can do, but this world isn't all there is, anyway.

What are those priorities? Letting God grow the Fruits of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) is one, including playing your part by choosing each day to do so and being proactive ain that. Philippians 4:8 gives a bunch of great things to focus on. Laying aside not only sins but weights - things that take us away from God - is another(Heb.12:1). Being kind, considerate, caring for others, and so on are very important to God because He wants us to show who He is. After all, some have never heard or seen an example of Jesus Christ.

however, while God wants to change us to be more like Him, transformed by the renewing of your mind(Rom.12:2), we are supposed to work in this world helping others, too.

Here, then, is where we can take action no matter who won - and, that is what people really want, just as Franklin Roosevelt, in part of his 1933 Inaugural Address, said the people of America needed "action, and action now." Whether your candidate won or lost, the steps to take are the same because, as noted, only God can impact the hearts of people. Here are steps to take, with one more major one discussed at the end since it wound up going a lot longer than I'd planned.

A Few Ways To Come Together

1. Pray without ceasing. The Bible says to "Pray without ceasing"(1 Thess.5:17), which means we must always be in an attitude of prayer. Of course, as noted, one's heart has to be right first, instead of harboring sin in one's heart one should confess and forsake it. However, otherwise, we must pray that God's will be done. That will is first and foremost to bring others to Jesus.

2. Stand against the world's system. The world's system is one that ignores God. It is people who want to do whatever they want to anyone they want, instead of Jesus' rule of doing to others whatever you would have them do to you.(Matt. 7:12) That can mean getting rid of cable TV or not subscribing to certain things. The world's system will one day keep anyone from buying or selling unless they have a mark that causes them to swear allegiance to the antichrist, and you must NEVER TAKE THE MARK.

3. Ignore attempts to divide and unite under the cross. Galatians 3:28 says we are all equal before the cross. There is so much division in America, and in the world, because we focus on it. Yes, I've posted before how to heal it numerous times. And, yes, we do have things we need to discuss, like how to end senseless violence and how to solve still inadequate housing and so on There is still discrimination.

     However, the division is being fanned by those who want to create strife, and we shouldn't allow that to happen. People of every race, creed, and color need to sit down and accept that we have problems and isntead of complaining, actually discuss ways to solve things rather than just slogans.

4. Trust God to solve those problems. When the disciples had problems in Acts, they prayed. Then, they let the Holy Spirit move in the situation  and followed His leading. We cans till do that today.
     It might seem like a huge task, but if we each start by reaching one person and trying to achieve a solution, God can use us. We may be spiraling out of control in our eyes, but in God's He still has control and as we rush toward the End Times, he can still bring revival.

The only way we can do this  is by celebrating the fact there are differences between us, but we are all special to God.

Celebrate diversity while rejecting sin

One big thing one can do is something all sides should.

First, of course, sound doctrine is vital for the same reason directions on how to get to Miami must be followed in order to get to Miami; you can go to Anchorage, Alaska and upon arrival say you're in Miami; and you sure better not try wearing a bathing suit in the winter. :-) Here is a good summary of that sound doctrine, complete with some good radio show links on different aspects; this is also good on what to unify on.

God requires mercy and not sacrifice. (Micah 6:8, Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13) We are called the body of Christ because every part of the body has different roles. However, if a person as no arms and must use feet to eat - yes, it can be done, as John Foppe has shown - that doesn't diminish value, it just means that part of the body must functions differently. Sadly, we have often failed to show it - I mentioned earlier we need to repent not only for things we've done but for things we should have done but didn't, such as not preaching against violence against women.

This is part of a larger problem. We must show others the love of Christ by being Christ-like. However, in previous years, honesty, marital fidelity, and other things were givens. We knew that stealing, lying, cheating, etc. were wrong. So, we must still stand against sin. We must simply do so in a loving way, helping people understand why God's way is best.

A good example of this is in families. We must accept single moms lead some families and love and support and help them. We must do the same for those like the Shunemmite woman, whom God calls great(2 Kings 4:8), who must lead because a husband can't or won't, or like Mordecai raising Esther. People from nuclear families must stop acting superior and show love and acceptance - and help the children of any situation. As I note in this free blogbook, the Shunemmite woman is a model for anyone to be a Godly leader, especially women and kids in a home without one.

At the same time, we must stand against sin. The Bible praises those like the Shunemmite because she put God at the center of her life, but it also condemns sexual sin.  We can praise and support those like the Shunemmite or single parents who follow the Lord with all their heart while still taking a stand against immoral lifestyles. The Bible calls sex outside of marriage a sin, and also says men and women were created to be unique and work together. He created the physical relationship to be only the cherry on top of the sundae of marriage, which was ordained to allow people to be fruitful and multiply, for the man and the woman to complete each other in a tenderhearted way without abuse by either party in any way. (Hence the warning that you should be so lost in God that your future partner needs to be seeking God with all their heart to find you; many bad things can happen when you are unequally yoked with unbelievers.)

The point is that within the boundaries God created - which are for our own protection - there can be diversity. We must accept as equal those like single parents or those who are very different. For instance, a tough guy or gal who gets hurt for fun and a docile, bookish doctor who sews them up can be very different even as kids. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to handle each effectively; children need boundaries but some need harsher discipline than others; some are hypersensitive, etc.. If it's not something involving the doctrines needed for salvation, people should "be of one mind in the Lord" like Euodice and Syntyche are told (Philippians 4:2-3), agreeing to disagree agreeably and not call each other names. Pray for each other to rely on the Holy Spirit to make Godly decisions with His leading, and pray nobody is traumatized, since God doesn't want people to traumatize each other. He wants us to walk away when too angry, so we don't sin(Eph.4:26); we must employ the fruits of the Spirit.(Gal.5:22-23) such as meekness(power under control), gentleness, etc..

As a hypersensitive who judged "bad behavior kids" and adults harshly before I trusted Christ as my Saviour, I'm reminding myself here. If someone talks mean, they might really hurt inside, like a fellow high school student I was asked to mentor. I did so with no questions asked. He taunted me for being so much nicer on my own without needing told... Well, I'll leave it there and say he had lots of issues - though he says now he was being sarcastic, which I can't read, and he is a Godly, caring person - so likely people don't look down on those like me, though I still have times I hope others accept and like me. Some people need it explained how to respond nicely. All the more reason to be forgiving and discuss one's feelings and accept each other.

Communicating with each other is vital

That communication is vital. God created us to be conversational and to learn while growing more understanding and accepting, because we are supposed to love one another and be known by that.(John 13:35)

That requires that we show a Godly example to others. I couldn't have helped the guy I mentioned above had I not been following the Lord, and while I was ridiculed for it by him because he struggled to accept that there were kind, gentle people in the world, eventually it paid off. (It would have been better had I had a road map, but I struggle verbalizing things at times as well as reading nonverbal stuff - I've had Middle school-aged kids tell me they'd have had all sorts of red flags going up in their minds if asked to include a new student in stuff with their friends, etc.)

However, I can laugh at my inability now. It's frustrating and sad that we don't communicate much as a country. The amount of corruption is a huge problem, and one that some people might not want revealed. So, for them it might be best to write them off and simply pray for them.

However, God can still change hearts. When we turn to Him with all our heart and accept each other while still rejecting sins like cruelty, corruption, lying, cheating, physical relations outside mrriage, etc. - all of which really boil down to selfishness and idolatry - then we can see God start to create real change.

Because, no matter who had won, the only real change can come from the Lord. Let us allow Him to help us to reach out and talk about those concerns and work together for solutions.

Healing a divided America with revival, respect for life

People call it a divided America, we have such big problems. I give a few ideas below on how to improve things, but it requires a heart change, not just an outward one; we need leaders who won't be Pharisees, and they can come from anywhere - you can be one. Because, if we move forward trusting God, things can improve.

God made each of us special. As Tony Evans said recently, we have too much division, and God's people must lead the way in showing how to heal the many rifts we face. And, that fact is one of those major Biblical facets we must unite in. While each of us is special, we must also realize that means, logically, that others are, too.

Accepting that others are important as living human beings is a big part of starting the healing process, as I've stated numerous times like here, and someone else mentioned in this blog post I found on the importance of teaching kids God made them special. Instead of doing that, though, we tear others down more and more. About the only thing Americans agree on is they are tired of the election, even if Google searches find things better if they contain Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump - or Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton if you want them in that order. :-)

Don't worry. This is the last you will hear in this post of the name Trump or Clinton (or Clinton or Trump) or any world leaders. That's because imperfect people can't create a perfect world the way God can.  Although, the Cubs and Indians making the World Series, the Cubs for the first time since 1945 and the Billy Goat game, may have made some feel a lot better.

We can, however, start the healing process by valuing others the way God does. Only by following God's ways can we truly be victorious, as we trust Him for a Repentance Revival.

Repentance means turning from sin. While people have trouble agreeing on anything, I imagine most would agree that the very destructive climate in our world is sinful. Reconciliation - with repentance both personal and national - needs to take place, because our prayers for revival won't work without us repenting not just for 50 years of sin but for the 400 our nation has done since the colonies were founded. As the last link mentioned, we've all sinned. That leads to things like that example I often used early in this blog, the person who hates and screams at someone for cutting them off in traffic, not bothering to think that the person may have only done so because they were rushing to see a loved one in the hospital - something many of us would do ourselves.

We each struggle with that sin nature, so the world won't be perfect till Jesus returns. However, we e can each begin with ourselves by following the Lord with all our hearts, turning to Him for renewal.

Here are things we can do to unite and end this horrible division.

Why Are We Here? Uniting in God's love

We are here, fearfully and wonderfully made by God, for a reason. No, you are not an accident - in fact, many have said DNA is so complex it proves there was an intelligent designer.

God is many things. He is Holy, He cannot come in contact with sin. He is just. That means he must punish sin. However, He is also mercy and grace. That means that He doesn't want to punish the wicked but wants to offer them that grace and mercy. He has no joy at the punishment of the wicked.(Ezekiel 33-11.) So, God had to make a way to punish our sin that didn't cause us to also be condemned.
 

So, because of the above, God chose to come Himself. Jesus was fully God and fully man. Because He was fully man, He could die for the punishment of each of our sins. Because He was fully God, He was perfectly sinless and therefore didn't have to suffer for His own sins. He could suffer for each of our sins. Also because he was God, after He died on the cross for your sins He rose from the dead.

Knowing the facts isn't enough of course if you don't trust Him to do anything for you.

That trust is all you need, though, just calling on Him by true faith to forgive you and save you from your sins: Admitting that you're a sinner in need of His salvation, Believing when he bled and died He took the punishment for your sins and then he rose from the dead, and Calling on Him by faith to save you and forgive you, choosing to turn from your sins and let Him make you new inside. You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life. You can even go here and talk to an Online Mentor who will help you grow in faith or answer any questions.

Once we trust Him by faith and are reconciled to Him, we need to show others that love so they can see there is that unconditional love out there.

 Repenting and Returning in Our Hearts

Of course, we've had major problems in our history. I have said numerous times that we must repent not just for 50 years but for 400 years of evil. We have problems with priorities even now, problems which can be corrected by looking at what the Bible, which can be shown easily to be the Word of God - says is important. Sure, we failed int he past because people selfishly wanted to see themselves as superior (still the main problem today in many places) but that doesn't excuse us from our need to avoid that problem now.

This nation must return to the great love God has for each of us. This is the Love which allowed us to disagree without hating each other. It allowed us to overcome barriers and triumph over anything.

This is why in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (and, if you think that only applies to Israel, Jeremiah 18:5-10) talks of the people repenting  (turning from their wicked ways) and then God healing their land. Think about it: You can't just say, "Give me a cure for this disease if you are running away from the doctor at the time. You have to actually go up to that doctor and receive treatment.

Of course, that doesn't mean we have to do everything right and then God blesses us. That return means a change in our hearts and actionst hat show a genuine willingness to change will follow as God gives us strength to do so.

As an example, a person who has been an alcoholic might go to Reformer's Unanimous and make Christ (not just a generic deity but the One who has the Power) the center of their lives. They still have to work day by day to trust God to keep them free those problems, but he gives them strength to avoid the peoplew ho dragged them down, the places that tempted them, etc.. One woman in our churchw as saved out of that and for the last 44 years of her life never entered a restaurant with a bar in it for fear she would return. her friends could but they knew not to do it with her since that would tempt her more. (The mark of a true friend, understanding the other's needs and taking action.)

She trusted God to be her victory. He knew the way she was built and what alcohol had done to her - a logical consequence. There, by the way, is something else we must return to, accepting as common sense that our actions have consequences we can't avoid, something that was easily understood before.) He gave her a way to overcome it that may be more drastic than others saved out of that, but that is something that can ruin the body and casue such problems it is best never to start.

Anyway, the point is that we must trust the Lord to bring us victory by being our victory. We can't bring Victory ourselves because there is a spiritual battle here, and it must be won with spiritual weapons.

Ironically, at times we seem to recognize that it is a spiritual battle. However we are actually on the opposite side of what we should be.

How to fight the enemy, and not fight ourselves

You may guess that forgiveness is a big part of it. That is certainly true. We must fight the enemy by not opposing each other so fiercely, and one reason we do is we don't have that forgiving attitude. It's true that the vicious nature of society today is one of the problems. However, we must also not be united in the wrong things, as mentioned before, such as here and here.

Forgiveness isn't saying something is right. Forgiveness is saying "I love you anyway." Remember, God forgives us by saving us from our sins, but he is also just in that He had to punish sin and took it upon Himself. He still allows us to face the consequences of our sin on Earth, though, it's just that His mercy nd grace give us more chances.

Not only that, but His justice, like anything else, is better than ours because he knows the priorities which matter most, such as described above. the terrible injustice of this world comes about becasue people don't hold to those priorities.

So, you can see how that heart-mind decision to trust Jesus to forgive and sve us and then turning to Him with the intent of correcting such things - and letting Him be our strength in doing so - is cricual.

Ephesians 6:12 says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but agaisnt powers, against principalities, gaainst the rulers of the darkness of thhis world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." So, when someone opposes us, we should - instead of reacting harshly - say, "We're on the same side against this evil." And, of course, be willing also to work with that person to help them.

Communication with each other, then, is vital, but of course, as noted and linked before, it's still vital to stand for the absolute truth of God's Word. That same devil who tempts us so much 9though we also have our own sin nature)  can also mislead us by getting us to unite in the wrong things. There is great deception coming, according to the Bible; here is how to be prepared not to fall for it. The only way to do that is to know Him personally now, though there may be a chance during the Tribulation it's not safe to presume one will make it alive, so many bad thigns will happen. This discusses that Tribulation and gives other links about it in more detail which you can copy for others.

AS for now, though, we are still here and have a chance to unite in God's perfect love and peace. So, after doing that, what else can we do?

Further Healing the Divide

What are some other things we can do to heal this divide?

1. Proper priorities are needed. As noted above, God sees each person as important. Those priorities, then, should include valuing human life and having a concern for everyone.

2. Build the fruits of the Spirit. Gentleness is mandatory, for instance, God wants us to have it. That's why it's one of the Fruits of the spirit of Galatians 5:22-23. Our treatment of others, especially those who are weaker, must be with the Godly compassion we are called to have. Of course, the fruits of the Spirit can only come if the Holy Spirit lives in you, which he will if you have trusted Jesus to save you. People can have such a deliverate attitude without it, but only God can perfect it, and the Spirit will increase it and will give it to those who don't have it. Especially in families, it's vital to have these fruits. (Note that I've mentioned in other posts about the King James Version's superiority - here is a good show discussing the fruits in depth.)

3. Have meaningful conversations. Try to understand each other's perspectives; when they don't conflict with sound Biblical doctrine, like the Bible says in Philippians 4:2-3, we should be of one mind in the Lord. Some people have been through horrible thigns, and need others to show understanding and compassion.

4. Commit to building meaningful relationships. instead of focusing on social media, we should be trying to talk with each other and not using sound bytes all the time. Our society has a short attention span and we may need to work to lengthen it, but God can do that when we trust Him and turn our hearts toward Him.

5. Give of yourself. Don't just talk about how others matter and pray for others, but be willing to put feet to those prayers and get out and work with others. This isn't just protesting and letting words be heard, this is actively trying to find solutions to problems.

6. Have patience. It will take a long timeand the Bible says things won't be perfect till the lord's return. But, we can improve things for some, at least.

7. Keep the Gospel at the center. Remember that being nice and friendly and all the other thigns are good, but we must ensure that the saving of souls is our top priority.

After all, each of us will some one day, and go to either heaven or Hell. The Lord will return for His people. It's why I've done posts sharing about how to reach Muslims, for one thing, and indeed witnessing to them and anyone.

We must start by uniting, as noted above, in sound doctrine and turning toward the Lord and away from the bitterness which has plagued us int he past as we've let our free will make us think we can do anything. In reality, though, common sense xisted for so long because people knew that with freedom came responsibility.

So, let's all take more responsibility for our own actions and establish that right and wrong as fundamental to our society once more, united as one nation and not a bunch of individuals who don't have any common goal. After all, we were never meant to be just a great big mess of individuals. We were meant to be a melting pot of peoplew ho worked together with a respect for liberty and expected others to respect that absolute right and wrong which we knew had been established since the foundation of the world by the Lord Himself in His Word, including the freedom to accept or reject HIm and the freedom to follow Him and the importance of respecting thsoe who do; something in past times that nonChristians consistnetly did.

In this day and age, we face spiritual battles which are increasingly fighting believers in Christ (but, note, not other religions, because the devil only has to fight the truth). However, God will prevail in this. We just have to make sure we're on the winnings ide.

Part of revival; Avoiding danger in fallen world

Would you avoid something you knew was awful if you could, be it something as awful as a mile fall from a plane or a shark attack, or as simple as spiders or mice, which spook a lot of people?

We all avoid things we think will destroy us. This recent post discussed celebrating the Abundant Life Jesus gives when we trust in Him to save us from our sins, it's so much greater than what we get when we look at only what we can get out of it. And, as much as we say "live life to its fullest," nobody rushes to be attacked by a shark. Even "Shark Tank" has people taking huge precautions. That or falling a mile from a plane without a parachute would be on everyone's list of things to avoid. For some, even something as simple as spiders or mice make them run in horror.

In the wake of the tragic death of Jose Fernandez, I considered that recent post on enjoying the abundant life Jesus gives. It's very appropriate as a subject itself, of course. And, there are so many good thoughts - like these from Philippines 4:8 - which God shows us in His Word are important for us to live happily.

(Notice I didn’t say to be happy? Happy is an adjective. Happily is an adverb which modifies the verb "live" in the old fairy tale ending. They live happily ever after, but that doesn't mean everything is happy. They simply choose to focus on what they are thankful for. Even if Mongols attack there castle or smallpox ravages the kingdom, they can focus on the love they share no matter what happens. We shouldn't let circumstances define us.)

So, God clearly gives us some wonderful things to focus on as we enjoy the abundant life He has given those who trust Him to save them from their sins. It's something we need as only He can give divine protection against evil.
 

However, one should also avoid certain other things just like one avoids the really bad stuff mentioned above. (And as some people avoid spiders, etc.) We can avoid evil, nightmare-inducing things on our own and - as long as we have a relationship with God - improve it. Just as you avoid things that you know will kill you (a shark or a fall from a plane) or that you are really scared of.

Divine Protection From Evil

 The first step to avoiding evil is to make sure you're on God's side so He can protect you - sit in that chair of grace, so to speak.

God is holy and can't touch sin; He can't allow it into His perfect Heaven; I'll explain in the next section where that sin came from originally. You can go to that section if you want and come back, of course, but for now, suffice it to say that God has it this way so those who are covered by His atonement for sin can't have anything bad happen to them in Heaven.

We have a sin problem, though. We are all sinners; nobody is totally, 100% righteous.(Rom.3:10,23, etc.) Though all we like sheep have gone stray, and turned to our own ways, God laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.(Isa. 53:6)

So, we all have sin in us, but God reconciled us to Himself by bearing our sins in His own body.(1 Pet.2:24) Jesus, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for each of our sins - yours, mine, everyone's and rose fromt he dead. That gift of His grace and mercy is free to anyone who trusts in Him to save them. It's not about praying certain words, it's calling on Him in your heart to save you and forgive you.

A good way to remember that is ABC - Admit you're a sinner, Believe Jesus, God in flesh, died to take your punishment for your sins, and rose from the dead, and Callon Him to save you from yoru sins, Choosing to repent (turn from your sins) and make you new inside.

You can do that right now, in fact. If you haven't, you should do so now because we never know what will happen. You can turn from your sins and tell God something like this: "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, I know I can't get to heaven on my own, but You died to take the punishment for my sins and rose from the dead. Lrod Jesus, I trust you today to save me from my sins and make me new inside, come into my heart today and save and change me. I believe you have saved me not by anything I have done but by the fact I totally trust in what You did for me. In Jesus' name, Amen."

If you don't know Jesus as Saviour, you can't go to God's perfect Heaven where you'll be free from sin and all those burdens when you die. You'll be separated from that perfect love and peace and goodness forever in a horrible, wicked place meant only for the devil and his angels.(Mat.25:41) So, it's important to trust Jesus as your Saviour first.  Here is a great tract with more explanation. Gotquestions is a great site to help with questions, and online mentors here can help personally.

Anyway, we should love God's grace and mercy because He has given it as a free gift to anyone who will trust him to forgive them for their sins. He will cleanse them from all unrighteousness. A saved person can't be possessed by the devil.

However, a saved person can be oppressed, just like Job when he followed the Lord and the devil was allowed to try to ruin his life, but Job apparently kept his sight on those eternal rewards. And, the devil can certainly possess an unsaved person and, made bad enough, can totally wreck that person.

Thankfully, there is hope for such a person, as we see witht he possessed man in Mark 5, but the best thing is to never allow evil to be in your life in the first place.

Yes, i talked about possession. there is a spiritual realm; indeed, superstring theory has proven there are more dimensions than jsut what we can see plus time. I mentioned it because it, and all spiritual warfare, is very real. We need God's protection from that evil so we can enjoy the freedom from oppression God gives us.

 

Making the shark from Jaws look tame

This leads to the main subject - avoiding Deception like mentioned to some extent in the previous post, though it focused more on the devil counterfeiting things. This centers more on a type that would be a big problem even without a movie about it. it is something which can appear harmless but is really dangerous and is something to avoid at all costs.

Before the Sharknado movies - which I have never seen but which I have heard one could make fun of on the level of Mystery Science Theater 3000 - there was Jaws. A shark attack is one of those really important things to avoid, though thankfully there will not be tornadoes with many, many sharks in real life. They almost certainly won't happen even in the tribulation period, that terrible time when God will judge the evil of the Earth and the devil will try to take as many as he can with him to hell.

Even today, however, the devil is at work trying to lure people away from God's goodness and to his evil. And, he does that through things that look innocent.

As discussed before, the devil was a created being that had untested creature holiness, meaning he had not been tested to see whether he would sin. He chose to try to overthrow God. (Isaiah 14:12-15,Ezekiel 28) This rebellion caused him to lose his place in Heaven and he took a third of the angels with them him(Rev. 12) and they became demons.

So, think about it. When you see images of things that are demonically possessed, these are things that hate God and want to destroy His perfect love, peace, compassion, and all the other good things about God. They do not love His grace and mercy.

These things are real and they can and do possess things and even people. It may seem innocent, and when you walk out of a movie theater or turn off a TV you may think it's okay now" - or at least after about a month when you finally go near the water again after watching "Jaws." However, keep in mind that these things not only hate love, mercy, and other good things, they also hate you. The beasts of the field stalk their prey by blending in with their surroundings till they can pounce. Even so, the devil walketh about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.(1 Peter 5:8)

God gives us hope. he gives us freedom from the terror those evil things cause. However, we need to put our faith in Him to do somust as one must put their whole eight into a chair to sit in it; you aren't trusting it if you think it'll collapse and thus you're ready to spring out of it if it starts to teeter.

How To Avoid Evil

As noted numerous times, revival begins with us. That means not just trusting Jesus as your Saviour and then doing good, but also staying away from things which can hurt us, just like you stay away from a shark attack.

 Yes, demonic things and things which have them in them can hurt us. They want to, in fact, because they hate God's creation. Therefore, we should stay away from them.

How far away? Obviously, some people can handle a little more than others. But, there are some limits all need to have as we trust the Lord to protect us.

First, understand that any so-called games or other activities involving magic really are inviting evil spirits into your life, those bad guys that want you to eventually be miserable even if they make things look fun at first.

Next, remember that Hollywood and other places want to make money. They want to make things seem innocent because if they made things really horrible and gory who would watch? Okay, things have gotten a lot worse than they were with Jaws back then, so maybe people would watch.  But, that just shows that the devil is trying to downplay things so that people can be drawn in.

If you have to deal with the subject, bathe it in prayer. Jesus is more powerful then these things. He cast them out all the time, after all. But some can't be stopped without prayer, and lots of it.

This is where I say that some people can handle it better. Look at a passion play, for instance. Somebody has to play Judas, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and had so much hatred in him, right? Someone else may play people who shouted to crucify him. Still other performers have played Nazis like the Gestapo and SS. They weren't the bumbling people who were likely in on the prisoners' plans and worked to defeat Hitler in Hogan's Heroes. They were cruel and hateful and despicable people. Some actors and actresses can do that and not have it affect them, well others might find themselves deeply bothered by it.

However, that is when acting is someone's job. There is no need to pretend the scary stuff at other times.

When it comes to certain things, of course, they are urban legends and really can't happen. A youth told me once of a story that if you said "Bloody Mary" she would appear. That is a trick to scare people, although there was a real queen named that - she persecuted Protestants in the 1500s in England. Her spirit won't reappear if you say her name - although it might cause you to then think bout her.

Evil spirits do exist, though, and we should be careful never to attempt to communicate with them or use them. They are not dead loved ones - those types of things are really calling up demons. Same with any sort of fortune telling or astrology. The devil might try to trick you into thinking he's guessing right, but it's usually very vague, and God commands us to live by faith anyway, and He actually does reveal quite a bit to us when we trust Him. He gives us as much as we need to live and the rest, well, some people really want to live an adventurous life, right? Not knowing everything about your future is actually an important part of that adventure. Of course, you want to be sure where you'll go when you die, but that's different.

Things like that prey on the imagination. The imagination can be good, of course. It's great to be creative and use the talents God gave you, of course. The key is, first, people with imaginary friends when pressed will admit they are imaginary, and they serve a developmental purpose anyway, though not everyone has them. They should ot be turning the person away from God, though. In fact, when I got older I prayed and dedicated my stuff ed animals to the Lord to be used however he wanted; because of some developmental delays(possibly very mild Asperger's Syndrome) I knew He could use them to help me and He did.

You know what I found then? They always pointed me toward God or if I was talking with one of them since it was hard to verbalize stuff that "animal" would remind me to talk with God about the situation. Why? because I knew that God was using them. In fact, my biggest struggles in lie came at a time I thought I was grow up enough I'd never need them anymore to help me verbalize things and make sene of thigns in my mind. It was never "them," though - in fact, I readily say I'm them or they're me. That ws God at work using what He needed to use to help me.

Don't let it take you away from God

Whatever it is you are thinking about, then, make sure that God remains on the throne of your heart.

The devil wants control of this world, and one day he'll hve it for seven years of the worst stuff in human history. God will judge the world's sin then. This post tells how to avoid trouble and what to do if it starts and you're still here.

For now, remember that there is great deception out there even without the devil having complete control of things. To avoid deception, stay in God's Word and away from the evil things like the next Ouija movie and any boards or other things like it. There are so many good, family-friendly things you can d, and so many non-spooky characters you can be and things you can write. You don't have to include the Gospel in everything you write - unless God leads you to do it. However, God wants to protect you from bad stuff He knows is out there.

So, stick close to Him, know He is personal and knows you better than you know yourself. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by Him(Ps.139:14) for a special purpose, and that is to glorify Him and show His love, goodness, grace, mercy, compassion, and all those other great attributes of His to a lost and dying world.

The only way to show them is to be following Him and not the spirits of darkness in this world. He died and rose from the dead to give you freedom from all that, and to give everyone else that freedom, too.