Be thankful for life, let Jesus give life more abundantly

Though the posts have been fewer, I hope many continue to pray and spread the word on praying for revival. This post - on Memorial Day, when we remember those who gave their lives - is very appropriate because it concerns how our society loves life on an individual level.

Like Jesus does at times, I'll start with a question to make readers think. Since Jesus promises to give life and life more abundantly than the world can(John 10:10), then it makes sense to get that, since it'll be more plentiful, fulfilling, etc. than what we could have without Him, right?

Our society loves to "live life to its fullest" - we hear many slogans about this. And yet, as I discussed in this ministry blog post, people have constant contact through the Internet but it doesn't provide the unconditional love and depth of relationships that a personal relationship with Jesus provides; He is personal. It is far more rewarding than just the physical, which as valuable or special. For example, this recent ministry post shared how a relationship with Jesus can help a child in a very difficult home life to feel loved - and how we should come alongside, a focus of shows 114 & 117 on the Youthquake site's radio page.(You can probably guess parts of this will be on the ministry blog, too. Please pray for such kids at Camp CHOF and elsewhere - sponsorship for underprivileged kids are always helpful.)

To have a true repentance revival in our nation, we need to take hold of that "life more abundantly" that Jesus promises first, since I've noted before that it must begin with us. Jesus wants to forgive each of us and save us from our sins. Forgiveness is something we all need, as this shares.

Then, let's consider how to pray for and interact in this society that is always giving messages about loving life, and for our nation as a whole.

To those who will love life - 1 Peter 3:8-11

I have, in my immediate family(counting retirees and spouses) more than a handful of doctors, nurses, and physical therapists. You can imagine I've heard much about how fleeting life is and living each day to its fullest. These occupations naturally cause one to think about that.

And yet, that is something even children can understand. As one example, my uncle was moved to be a doctor after seeing a Life Magazine article on kids with club feet at age 8.

Such things breed thankfulness, a desire to cherish each day, and so on. However, in that desire to enjoy life to its fullest, it's easy to forget God if we're not careful.

God loves and cares for us as His creation - we are each "fearfully and wonderfully made."(Ps.139:14) He wants us to pursue the dreams He gives us - just like He made sure my uncle saw that article and gave him that compassionate personality to know he wanted to help people. He took hold of what God had given him, and God blessed him. He has certainly lived life to its fullest, helping untold thousands of people.

It would have been terrible if he'd refused to think of others and instead done what some of his generation did. He'd never have helped all those people. "Enjoying life" has to mean more than just pleasing oneself - life is about helping others in a Christlike way, as noted in this post. And yet, there are some who think it's better to please themselves and only think about what they can get out of something, not what they can give.

Therein lies the problem. 1 Peter 3:10 addresses those who would "love life," and brings in verses 8-11 as well on being compassionate, doing good and eschewing evil, etc.. If a person turns away from a life of loving their neighbor, being kind to others, and so on, and turns to evil instead (for instance, throwing away a promising career with drugs or lustful behavior), they'll miss out on the great opportunities God has for them.

This is where we must be careful of the devil's wiles, so we don't follow a counterfeit. The idea of living life to its fullest can be used to make sure one gives all for the glory of God and tries not to miss any chance to glorify Him whether eating, drinking, whatever they do.(1 Cor.10:31). In this way, making the most of the one life we're given means using that life that we have for Him. However, "you only live once" has been usurped by the devil, as explained by Chris Townsend, to get people to think that they, and not God, have ultimate say in every aspect of their lives.

In other words, instead of adding 1 Corinthians 10:31 as a reminder to do all you can to spread the Gospel and show Jesus Christ's love through your actions, many take the idea of having but one life to mean one may do whatever they want, in blatant disregard for God and His eternal truths, because they are led to believe there are no consequences to sin.

There are consequences, however, to all sin, including especially the fact that Jesus Christ had to die to take the punishment for our sin, and then rise from the dead.

So, how do we make sure we're on the right path, and looking at that life we have as we should?

How To Be Transformed

Part of this show "Quest for Truth" did - on connecting with the culture - discussed those verses in 1 Peter 3, though of course there wasn't nearly enough time with all there was to cover.

To put it succinctly, we need to eschew evil. Whereas this society has become very coarse and uncaring, we need to be the opposite, and "be not conformed to this world" but rather "transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."(Rom.12:2) Because, as this post shows, eliminating that coarseness but instead extending that forgiveness as Jesus has done for us will help make that life more abundant - and pleasant. First Peter also discusses suffering for one's faith, after all, so there is plenty of pain already without us adding to it. We should be showing Christlike love and forgiveness.

In so doing, we can pray for our country to do the same, for people to change on the inside and value the eternal rather than selfishly follow their own desires - to think about those good thoughts to think on from Philippians 4:8. Things that are true, just, lovely, and so on are certainly part of life, and can easily be thought about. Indeed, God can relieve our pain when we "think on thsoe things" and praise Him, just as the Psalms often start with anguish and end with the Psalmist praising God.

The world doesn't know how to accept sacrifice. When people only think of themselves and what they can get out of life, they can end up missing very important things, even if they know Christ as Saviour.

For example, a man I know, and his wife, didn't have peace about accepting a promotion he was offered to what he thought would be the job of his dreams, so he didn't take it. As it turned out weeks later, had he taken that promotion, he wouldn't have been home nearly as fast and his wife may have bled to death at the end of a difficult pregnancy, and the baby might not have survived; even if he had been home the transfer they'd have had would have mean they'd have been an hour away from a good hospital, not a few minutes like they were. God then gave him a better job a few years later. What a great testimony to God's Spirit working and helping us, as well as to what those aforementioned relatives would say about making every moment matter, family being most important (next to God of course, who as we see here provides for that), etc..

There is a great need for repentance revival in this country. And, it's not just because some people are putting jobs, money, and other things ahead of God - at times it's because some people are choosing to follow a life filled with lusts, selfishness, and other sins.

The evils of the world won't last, though. Neither will anything in the world, even the best things; Jesus says Heaven and earth will pass away. Jesus promises us something much better with those eternal rewards, because they can't grow old, rust out, etc., and nobody can take from from us. And, where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.(Mat.6:19-21)

So, a good part of the secret to loving life is building treasures in Heaven. That's because the life that matters isn't here on Earth.

The Life That Matters Is the Eternal Life God Can Give

 The man I mentioned, a follower of Christ, is certainly very grateful that God led him to decline the position and thus probably save his wife and child's lives. However, had he decided on his own to decline it - though such a decision wouldn't have made sense from the world's perspective - he could still say that at least he put his family first, right?

Sure, that's why we have to remember that the life that truly matters is the eternal life God promises to those who trust Him to save them from their sins. Because, without that, we have to suffer for our own sins, and God doesn't want us to have to do that. We could love what we have till we die physically, and it could be somthing like family or relationships or helping others. However, it is by grace - a free gift - we are saved through faith, and "that not of ourselves, if is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph.2:8-9)

In other words, a person who always puts their family first, always cares about others, and all those other good things is still a sinner in need of a Saviour - if they sinned only 3 times a day that's still over 1,000 a year. Without calling on Jesus and receiving Jesus' free gift of salvation that person would also die spiritually.

That eternal life is the life Jesus gives that is much more abundant than what we have now. It isn't just the fact God can guide a man to turn down something worldly in order to save his wife and child because He knows the future and we don't. That's just the icing on the cake, the benefit of a personal relationship with God. The main part of that abundant life is that life Jesus Christ gives a person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ to save them from their sins. Only when one does this does one have eternal life. He who hath the Son hath life, and he who hath not the Son hath not life.(1 John 5:12) Just living a Godly life is not enough, one must know Christ personally. Eternal is much more special, much more abundant.

Still, part of that life we can love is in how we are living here on Earth, those things we are doing for the Lord, rather than pleasing ourselves. Instead of the evil motto of "do what thou wilt with no care for the things of God," following Godly principles is the way we love life and make the most of it.

Making the Most of Life by Glorifying God, Pray Others Do the Same

So, as with other things mentioned in various posts here, for there to be repentance revival in our country, there is a part we play, so we can get to the part where we pray.

That part we play is by making sure each of us, individually, knows Jesus Christ as Saviour. This "God's Simple Plan" site above is great, this with the four spiritual laws is also an excellent summary.

Then, we let the Lord transform us continually by helping us to put away those selfish desires and "whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God."(1 Cor.10:31) We use our talents, abilities, and opportunities to glorify Him and to share His love with others. This is something those who do not have eternal life can't do. They can only glorify themselves, and if they give glory to God it is not because He is their savior, it is because they are simply paying lip service or believing in some vague force and not in who God is, a personal God who must punish sin but has done so by taking the punishment for our sin, dying on the cross for each of us and rising from the dead.

At the same time, we need to be careful not to look like the world. Look at 1 Peter 3:8-11 again, that life more abundantly includes eschewing evil. Going back to my earlier examples, if a person chooses to do something selfish - getting into drugs, following their own lusts, being cruel, etc. - they are not loving the life God has given them. They are not glorifying Him. It is impossible to turn from God and say, "I am glorifying God" in the same way it is impossible for a person to put on bathing trunks near the ocean, get all read to swim, and then go into the desert with no water around and say "I am swimming."

Not everyone reading this will be a celebrity or even famous in any way, but these are some good examples in the next paragraph because they involve the images that we see int he media. They can, however, be analogized to anyone - for instance, a factory worker (and there are still some left) can consider how he or she relates to others and making sure they are being a Godly example. And, they can make sure they aren't overly critical. At times, it appears that those who criticize, for instance, baseball players for showing off may themselves crave the spotlight by bringing so much attention to the matter instead of being more forgiving, as was mentioend before, and accepting the different culture.

So, if, for instance, a performer is singing, acting, or whatever in some secular role, they can still glorify God by being light in the darkness. They can choose never to use lyrics that are vulgar or suggestive, but instead ones that uplift. They can encourage things like in Philippians 4:8.(Focus on a song's words forward, not how some used to talk of stuff backwards or even the type, things which distract from the real issue. Frank Sinatra's "My Way" may be the most often quoted secular song by pastors - used in sermons on false pride - and it doesn't even have a guitar.)  They can make sure the focus is on God and what He can do, not on themselves. Songs about relationships can be about loving ones with no sex till marriage and fabulous stable ones afterward. (Kenny Rogers' "Through the Years," for instance.) The performers can refuse to do songs about forcing oneself on someone or sinful lusts. They can, in other words, eschew evil.

Why is that important? Those who try to have everything for themselves are never satisfied. They can't find fulfillment and so they keep trying to find it in pleasure, sometimes drugs, and usually in things that glorify themselves. However, if they are never satisfied, they are truly getting the most out of life, are they? They know something is missing, but not what.

This is the way the devil feeds them. It's a lie that says that they can please themselves with no consequences and that will be sufficient. They might trick themselves into thinking they will be happy if it's always all about them and what they can get. However, they wind up not being happy and that sin has consequences, all the way to a devil's Hell if one doesn't trust Jesus Christ by faith by calling on Him to forgive them for their sins and make them new inside.

So, to love life, focus on the right kind - make sure you have made that choice to accept Christ's free gift of salvation by calling on Him by faith to save you. Then, live for Him, so you can have Him work in you and give you that fulfillment.

 Then, of course, pray others do the same. Pray God will move people through His Holy Spirit to come to know the Lord and then start to be less coarse and more forgiving, less selfish and more caring, and so on.

It takes time and effort. But, it is very much worth it in the end.

Helping others overcome difficulties and value life

This focuses on a huge prayer need in our world. As it gets more crowded, there is much less sense of community. People are seeking answers because it has become much harder for them to be resilient - to overcome difficulties. However connected people are to each other through technology, there seems to be much less valuing of life.

Sadly, a number of things cause one to value life less and be less resilient. These can include: 1. A lack of a caring community; 2. The apparent lack of opportunity to overcome a difficult environment; 3. The extreme attack nature of society; and numerous other factors.

So, this will discuss the problem of not valuing life and how to be resilient and help others to be, too.(Why not the news about Cruz dropping out and Trump causing distress even in his own party? Second Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves..." not a leader. There is no hierarchy to revival there or in Jeremiah 18:5-10. Praying for revival and acting on it must start with each of us; it's not a leadership or laws issue but a heart issue, which only God can solve.)

As with a few others, parts of this will be similar to a post on a ministry blog I do.(The blog is here if interested) It's a more ministry-specific post, but both have something important in common. How can people feel that sense of worth and community to overcome obstacles?

"Known By Our Love" - Valuing Life as God Does

 I've stated a number of times, such as here, that revival must begin with repentance - turning our own hearts away from sin and toward God, letting Him work in them. Psalm 139:14 says in part "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" - a constant reminder of how God sees us; we are always special to someone, especially God, so we should value life and build others up since they, too, are always special to God. However, at the end of that Psalm, David asks God to search him and point out ways he needs to become more Godly in his thoughts, words, and actions. We must be known by our love.(John 13:35)

One way our nation has failed - and we must repent for - is a lack of respect for life. Part of the problem is that people think that they have little or no hope. Therefore, quite a few places - like New Orleans with the recent murder of former NFL star Will Smith - see awful violence. Very close to some huge tourist spots are areas where people much poorer need reasons to avoid sinking into a cycle of violence. They may have acquaintances, but the sense of community isn't based on deeply rooted things like family like it is more often in villages.

Some will say there has always been violence. True, Albert Einstein, speaking in the late 1940s about the massive destructive power of the atomic bomb, said, "I know not what weapons we will fight World War 3 with, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." However, with parts of entire inner cities like war zones, many people lose hope - some even go astray and join gangs because they feel a need for community, but that just adds to the violence.

God is personal, though, and loves us unconditionally - hence we should also be known by our love. God will guide those who know Him to be more Christlike so they can know they have hope. I blogged an entire free book here on how even young people can do this; free because I know many can't afford it, so they can jsut print it out and copy and share, as I've mentioned numerous other times. God wants a relationship with us - He values us and wants us to value others' lives just as much.

We are separated from Him by our sin - our choices to do, say, or think things that go against God's perfect standard. However, He made a way for us to have a relationship with Him despite our sin when He came to Earth in the flesh (Jesus Christ) and died to take the punishment for our sins before rising from the dead.

All a person needs to do is accept they're a sinner and call on Him to forgive and save them, believing He died to take the punishment for their sins personally and then rose from the dead. This site gives a bit more detail, and you can e-mail someone, too, and ask questions.You can do that right here if you haven't.

Once you know Him as your personal Saviour, you can talk with God in prayer anytime, anywhere about anything. This post discusses the greatness of that personal relationship with Jesus and how we have constant contact with Him and it'll help us as believers to be more loving, compassionate, etc.. And, if we fall into sin, we just have to confess and forsake it and know He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)

So, it's easy to see why we should value life - Jesus gave His life willingly for us; nbody had to take it from HIm. He saw each of us as important; each of us was on His mind when He went to the cross. And yet, in America - and other countries - people aren't valuing others' lives, and that doesn't just mean physical life but emotional and spiritual as well. We must be known by our love. As we pray for revival wherever we are, we must also step out in faith and be good role models for others. It's not a chore, we should look at it as something we get to do; it's a blessing to be able to encourage others. That's part of valuing life, after all.

Stepping Out in Faith

Share His love. Of course, there's more, but it's a nice summary. :-)

Seriously, we can't just them part of a community and say, "Good luck in your walk." People need fellowship and encouragement, but some need it a lot more than others. People lack resilience for the reasons stated above because they often haven't had the examples of Godly or even well-adjusted people around them. James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:6-9, and other passages help a lot, but when a person has been torn down so much by mean stuff around them such as bullying, it can be hard to even find a starting point.

Of course, everyone has a slightly different mentality and way of coping that fits them, but those ways must still line up with Scripture as far as gentleness, love, tenderheartedness, etc.. Everyone has different levels because we're all built differently - not everyone has the resilience to survive the mission field, for instance, and some who can handle one field couldn't handle another. However, we are all called to our own personal field of our family, community, etc..And yet, people often don't realize how much they can do unless they step out in faith.

Others, of course, learn the wrong lessons from life because of what they see around them - they think they have to react in a very unhelpful way to things. Instead of not trying, they try too hard in their own strength when that just leads to more problems.


That's part of why it's vital to follow God's plan for our lives. He knows us better than we do ourselves. If David had never stepped out and killed the lion and bear attacking the sheep, he never would have developed the courage and faith to slay Goliath. And yet, some people wouldn't have been able to even kill a lion or bear. It's not a bad thing if a person can't, they are just different parts of the body of Christ, just as the nose is important but you wouldn't use it to lift things.

(To type if need be, yes - that is not it's normal use, but the notion is part of resilience. Little kids who try may just seem silly, but God is using such fun to help build resilience, because they learn how to improvise, that just because they might lack something doesn't mean God can't use them.)

For those who can, or at least haven't yet tried, it's important to encourge them that if they were mistreated or other bad things happened that they did nothing wrong, nothing to deserve such abuse, but that they can overcome. David didn't just give up because his brothers taunted him when he brought the food. And, let's not be too hard on his brothers, either - they may have been trying to protect David by keeping him away, not realizing what God had planned for him.

In fact, let me run with that a second. Suppose that David was, in fact, very shy as a child, someone who his family felt would be a great shepherd, marry someday and be a Godly farmer, but they never expected him to be able to accomplish what he did. God allowed him to build resilience by killing the lion and the bear attacking the sheep, but part of that was also because he had the background to know that one had to stand up for what was right and know God would support him. There are lots of people who - to continue this analogy - lack the tools needed to be resilient enough to even kill the lion and bear, let alone march up to the battle and say "Is there not a cause?" David is, in fact, more likely to have been that shy, timid boy because of how God chooses the less capable sometimes, knowing that they will have to rely completely on Him and not their own skills.

Knowing one is part of that great body of Christ - and an important one in some way, even if a small one - is crucial to help them learn to love others. God is the God of all comfort so we can comfort others who are going through tough times, so that is one thing we can all do. We might not be able to slay Goliath ina  great battle, but we can slay the giants in our own lives by letting God do the work and following where He calls and when.

That's what Ephesians 6:11-18 and spiritual warfare is all about, after all - "having done all, to stand." Some, unfortunately, have fallen and can't get up on their own.

Help Others Be More Resilient

So, we've seen there is a severe lack of resilience in some, especially in underprivileged areas but sometimes in very upscale areas, too, and we must work extra hard to build it in people from there if we are to fulfill God's calling to reach and minister to others. It won't work to just tell them they are fearfully and wonderfully mde, although examples like David above do help us as well as potentially help them. And, it creates a template for us to love others more.

The big question is, how do we actually help them to be more resilient - help to stand, as that passage says a few times in Ephesians 6:11-13?

First, of course, is by sharing the Gospel with them. Getting someone interested int he thigns of God can take a while at times. But, that longsuffering is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Sometimes it can hard to know where to start, but an excellent blueprint is that of Discovery Bible Studies. It allows you to use the questions and then just use the Bible from the original Antiochan texts (KJV) - I share here about the virtues and importance of it.

We need to come alongside others and help and guide them so they see the love of God and realize how much He cares. We need to be that caring parent that they never had. We need to have those Bible studies with them. We need to do all those little things with them sometimes so they can ee God in our lives and not only want to follow Him but want to serve Him.

Sometimes, there is such a lack of trust that the person may find it hard to trust the Lord, even when we share about how just because someone else claimed to be a Christian doesn't mean he was one. I know of a fellow who it took over a decade - and even then he finds it hard to use them labels others use for himself; as I told him, though, you can call yourself a hot fudge sundae if you want, if by that you mean someone who has called on Jesus Christ by faith to forgive and save them from their sins, believing that Jesus died and took their punishment for their sins and rose again.

For those in high crime or other troubled areas, that free blogged book I mentioned earlier provides some clues, but so does simply starting with helping them to develop positive attitudes and actions. Kids often learn by role playing - especially if the person is much more visually oriented, you can easily help them that way with how they might respond in a Godly manner rather than react to various situations. And, don't worry if the acting is really corny - it'll probably lighten the mood anyway. :-)

Just being there and showing you care by listening to them can help a lot, too, hence the comment about not just putting them in a church without anyone to mentor them. Sometimes that can be a ministry in the church, but many times, it can be a member who just steps out in faith an is a Godly example whom that person knows they can call on anytime with any questions. (Here is a great show, #114 where it's mentioned some; part 2 wil be up 5/12 or 5/13 as #117.)

Sometimes, in fact, one needs to go further  and be that family a kid doesn't hve, that safe haven where they feel comfortable and loved and accepted no matter what, thus valuing life because they have seen how others value them and learned how they should value others. We are, after all, sometimes the only example of Jesus Christ someone will ever see.

So, as we pray for our country, let us be committed to not just pray for someone to help all those who lack resilience to value life and to overcome with God's help - so those passages in James and 1 Peter mentinoed earlier make sense to them and they can slowly learn to do that. Because, it's something we all need. When we are told, in places like Ephesians 6:10 and 2 Timothy 2:1, to be strong in the Lord, it is a Greek word meaning a continual strengthening from outside. A strengthening that can only come frm the Lord.