How To Avoid Being Fooled

Youthquake just recorded this radio show on Daniel 9 and praying for repentance revival.(Which also faced spiritual attack as it wasn't able to be uploaded on the Youthquake site for a while because of computer glitches.) It meshes with what I've said about the need for a repentant heart, like here, and reconciliation.

Part of that is avoiding deception, too. It's vital to know what's real so you can avoid being tricked, because if you fall for the wrong trick, it can be fatal. It's like if you think your road is clear when there is invisible ice and you wind up skidding and crashing into a tree or slipping and breaking something while walking. The ice can't be seen since your senses (which, being human, can be wrong) may say it's not there, but your faith(trust in what you know of driving) tells you to be careful.

Yes, our senses are faulty at times. Even places like this secular article suggest there are dimensions beyond what we perceive, thus explaining the spiritual realm. The devil uses tricks I'll discuss to turn people away from God.

However, God has unconditional love for each of us and is always longing for people to come to Him for salvation. You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance from eternal life.

He made this world without suffering or sin in it. However, mankind brought sin in by choosing to rebel(Rom. 5:12), and things have been declining since. Still, each of us - you - have God's Word: You are "fearfully and wonderfully made"(Ps.139:14), a special creation of God here for a special purpose. The devil wants you to think you have no purpose or design, but you do - to show God's love to everyone once you are saved from your sin. While we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and we earn spiritual death - separation from God's perfect love forever - because of our sin, God has given each of us the free gift of eternal life by simply trusting Him to save us from our sin.

Indeed, if you or anyone else were the only person ever on the face of the earth. God still would have come to this world, and Jesus Christ, God in flesh, would have died to take the punishment for your sins and risen again. He wants to give each of us life more abundantly, with eternal rewards that will last forever. You can go here to talk to an online mentor who can help guide you in your walk with God.

God reveals His truth so we can avoid deceptions, just like something that can reveal when that invisible ice is there so we don't slip driving or walking.

What Counterfeits Can Trick Us?

Some things have been discussed, like how to pray the devil doesn't counterfeit things in a revival. Others haven't. I'll mention them later, but first, the need to understand and follow sound Doctrine is vital. There are many traps that sound good but aren't. A milkshake might sound great, but one little bit of dog food will make it very yucky and you won't want to eat it. At least I hope not. Yet if it is only called a milkshake and you don't investigate it, you won't know till it's too late that it has dog food in it.

That's why, as some are famous for saying, there are no counterfeit $47 bills. There aren't any real ones. Sound Doctrine comes from the inspired Word of God, and even the original Antiochan texts have been counterfeited. (This is why, while we know the Bible is fully reliable, in places like this,  I've mentioned it's important to use the King James; others come from the Alexandrian texts.)

No, I'm not talking about some weird place that serves dog food milkshakes. If only I was talking about something that simple. It would be funny. However, the devil tricks us with much different things, things which look very satisfying on the outside but are destructive inside, just like having a $5714 bill might feel satisfying till you try to use it and find out it's worthless.

One of those things is the ecumenical movement. Many churches in it do not preach sound Doctrine. That in itself should turn you off. They may be nice people, but they are deceived as to what is most important. God is most important. We can't create a perfect world because we are sinners who come woefully short of the glory of God. God's ways will always be better than man's ways, as posts like this on God's justice shows, and this on His ways versus the world's.

It's just one of the things I warned about here. It's leading to the One World Religion of Revelation which even the devil will fight (2 Thess.2:3-4) before this world of sin is destroyed by God. We must lovingly warn people away from it in a spirit of compassion so God can protect them. It will be the devil's way of trying to draw many to destruction. They are trying to create a world in their image by making works the most important thing, but nobody can overthrow what the Bible says,. The Bible says salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.(Eph. 2:8-9,John 3:16,etc.) It is available to everybody, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.(Romans 10:13.)

Others focus only on the world. They think that God will give us worldly things. However, this idea doesn't even make sense logically. God wants us to focus on treasures that can never grow old, can never wear out, and so on. In wanting what is best for us, God doesn't let everyone become rich with worldly things because He knows those will never last. If a person happens to be rich with them, God expects them to use that for His Glory by giving to missions, tithing, and so on. Sure, he provides their needs, but many people have lived for Him while facing poverty, persecution, and so on - the case of George Muller and how he had to pray and have God provide that day's food that very morning at times is a perfect example. He says, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."(John 16:33)

The above factors are important to take into account whenever we pray for revival. There is another solemn assembly being called September 21, but we must be repentant and not just call on God without turning from our wicked ways in our own hearts and lives. We can't say, "Turn this wheel and let me drive North" as we continue to push the gas pedal to the floor and speed South.

Avoid "Science Falsely So Called"(1 Tim.6:20)

 Superstring theory shows that extra dimensions beyond our three physical and time can exist. There is a spiritual realm; we know that from the Bible.What we take in should be tested against God's perfect, inerrant truth.(John 17:17)

Creationism isn't a requirement for salvation, you just have to trust that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead and call on Him by faith to save you and make you new, putting all your trust in Him to do so. Still, the devil uses what the Bible calls "science falsely so called" to trick people a lot. This Bible quote shows the Bible supports science but doesn't support pseudoscience, things that are based on false assumptions, etc..

For isntance, even secular Discover Magazine had this article on Neanderthals, for instance, debunking a lot of evolutionists theories about them. Actually, their DNA is present in many Europeans and Asians today, and could easily be said to have just had normal diseases. Much about them has been debunked by science, which keeps changing, whereas the Bible's comments about science, such as here and here, have been true since time began. God told of them thousands of years before we discovered them

 Evolutionists use time to try to prove things, but they claim the simple becomes more complex without an outside force, when it can't, any more than a bunch of airplane parts can form an airplane.Cave paintings of dinosaurs and dragons, all of which are remarkably consistent, seem to indicate - along with some Out of Place Artifacts - that people lived with them and were much more intelligent than we credit them with being.

Let's leave that aside, though, because some are now claiming it was aliens because they can't explain it any other way. This leads to the spiritual realm and an even more dangerous deception. This link is around 2 hours long, but it's a video from December, 2011 that talks about how demonic creatures may appear from other realms pretending to be aliens, but they are not. That link, starting at about 29 minutes, starts talking about string theory and why there are multiple dimensions we can't see. Starting about 1 hour, you'll hear the connection to Genesis 6 and the evil Nephilim.

Even Worse Tricks To Avoid - Occult, etc.

Those are big problems. However, the occult is an even bigger one since there is so much spiritual warfare. In fact, the devil does so much to get into our minds that I've chosen not to link occult stuff; it's not good for even adults like me who are strong in their faith, let alone those who struggle. Event he strong should do lots of prayer and even fasting, immersed in God's Word, before searching the 'Net about it. It is vital to recognize some things are real problems. One video tells of something which clearly exists and speaks of a desire to limit human population to 500 million; this lack of concern for life goes against God, who values each person individually, as I shared above and have blogged in places such as here. He is personal and wants a relationship with you to not only save you from sin and hell but to be a trusted guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more.

The devil makes things very enticing, drawing people into it, if they're not careful. People who refuse to accept God's unconditional love will fall for a strong delusion someday in order to continue doing wickedly. The Bible says it's coming. We don’t know what that delusion will be. However, we know two things for certain:

1. Every spirit must be tested, to see whether it is of God.(1 John 4:1) In fact, 1 John 4:1-3 – along with 2 John 7 – show why a certain question from the Bible is important to ask any creature.

2. Today is the day of salvation. Whether or not that delusion involves demons posing as aliens - mentioned in part of this radio show from Youthquake - the greatest evil is being restrained. That delusion will come full force on those who remain after the restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7) as believers are caught up in the Rapture. Jesus’ return is imminent. He could come at any time.

Superstring theory proves there is a spiritual realm, as noted. The devil could use the idea of aliens when it is really demons appearing to people. Thus, this warning is issued.

There is a lot more out there than we can see, including spirits. Those who experience strange, supernatural things generally view them as scary, and have dabbled in occultic stuff beforehand. These are NOT aliens from other worlds. They are demons. These people did not test things to see if they were of God. They got caught up in evil instead.

That's why this question will allow that person to know for sure if something can be trusted. It must be answered “yes.” Such a question is important.

Before the question - a summary of what the devil/demons are

The Bible warns that God has an enemy, the devil. The devil can masquerade as an angel of light. He hates humans. Why? We are God’s creation, formed in God’s image.

God created everything in the beginning, and gave angels freedom. However, in his pride, the devil – an angel named Lucifer - tried to overthrow God, and become like the Most High. Instead, the devil was defeated by God’s perfect love, goodness, etc.. Now, the devil works with fallen angels which followed him to deceive God’s creatures. That deception is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve, which is when sin came into our formerly perfect world. It’s also what leads to those spooky sightings, if those sightings are of evil spirits and not some experiment.

God is a God of love, though, as well as one of justice. He wants us to believe and follow Him willingly. He gives us free choice. He doesn’t want us to be mindless robots. Still, He wants us to be in His perfect Heaven someday. We can’t get there ourselves, because we are imperfect. We say, think, and do things that displease God; that’s what sin is. We can’t earn our way there, because we can never be perfect. Only perfection can be in Heaven, because it is a place with no pain, no suffering, no tears, no decay, no death. We, as imperfect people, can’t see, hear, or even imagine the wonders that await us. But, we will always have that sin on us unless something is done for us.

God not only made the way, he gave Himself for us. God couldn’t just say “Sin is forgiven” from up in Heaven. He had to come to this world, be born as a baby, and live a perfect life, before He died on the cross as the perfect, sinless substitute for our sins. He took the punishment for each of us, the punishment we deserved. He had to be human in order to die for us humans, to take human punishment. And yet, He was also God the Son, so after He died, He then rose from the dead. God the Father sent God the Son to die for us, but at the same time, God the Son came willingly. He lives in every believer through God the Holy Spirit, and intercedes on our behalf before God the Father in Heaven.

This is why I emphasize salvation so much. We need God's protection from that evil, since we are powerless against it ourselves.

Even the devils – the fallen angels – understand who God is. That’s why in Matthew 8:29, and elsewhere, they cry out that Jesus is the Son of God. This means that he is God. It’s just like James and John were nicknamed the “sons of thunder” because of the way they acted, or Barnabas, the “son of consolation.” The devils feared God, and trembled. However, there is one important difference between those evil spirits and good spirits.

Evil spirits deny that Jesus Christ is God in flesh. That is the spirit of antichrist, as the Bible says. It poses great danger. They deny that Christ’s salvation cleanses from sin. They try to lead people down another path, a path that seems good to people. But, it’s a path that ends in destruction.

That’s why we must test the spirits, to see if they are of God. And, why we are warned so emphatically about the spirits that deny that Jesus Christ is God in flesh. They must *never* be followed, because they lead man away from our perfect, loving, yet holy and just God.

So, what is the question which must be asked?

After all that, i imagine you can guess it. It is this: “Is Jesus Christ God in the flesh?”

What does this have to do with aliens? See, claims of life on other planets would change all of society. However, we’d have to be sure the “aliens” were not lying spirits, since we wouldn’t know what their inside was. It's just like we need to gauge whether a person is saved by how they act and not just by their words. I can say I'm the King of Belgium but it doesn't say anything about the real King of Belgium. And, I sure wouldn't want Belgians thinking I was their king. (Though they do make great waffles. :-) )

Another reason is that strong delusion God warns of in 2 Thess. 2:8-12. That strong delusion could, possibly, be devils disguised as aliens. They could also be the Nephilim of Geneses 6:1-4, about which there is much debate, but which some believe to be part demon, and part human.

Is there intelligent life on other planets?

No, it will be up to those who have been saved from their sins to explore the cosmos once we get to Heaven.

Here’s why: 1. Creation began on Earth, no other planets are mentioned; 2. Jesus died once for all. He didn’t die in several places; 3. God never changes, he is always faithful and true; he wouldn’t have one plan of salvation for one planet, another for another – even in the Old Testament, salvation was always by faith; 4. Jesus’ talk of others “not of this flock” refers to Gentiles, as His followers then were all Jews; 5. God wiped all flesh from the Earth during the Flood, save for those in the Ark, because of the gross evil – in His mercy, He gave them one last time to repent as the waters rose. There is no sign people built spaceships before then. Even 10 Edisons and Einsteins living centuries couldn’t create all that would be needed for interstellar travel. So, that eliminates that option.

Even if there could be, though, that brings us back to the question that must be asked, and why they'd have to say "yes.":

God had a perfect relationship with Adam and Eve until the Fall of Man. If creatures never fell from grace, they’d have a relationship like angels who remained loyal to God. He’d tell what He had done for humankind. Since Jesus died once for all, and Jesus is God, they would know. They would clearly say “Yes, Jesus Christ is God, and He came in flesh as mankind’s Savior, for all who receive Him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (Jesus) shall be saved.” They’d testify that the Bible was true. We’d know they were friendly. And, they’d be people. They’d see common history from the start of Genesis. The Word of God is swift, and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and can easily pierce the hearts of His creation – us. (Hebrews 4:12)

God can’t lie. It’s impossible. When He says something exists, there it is. He tells the story of Creation, the Fall, Redemption and through it all, His great love for His creation. When the fullness of time was come, He came into this world to die once for all of His fallen creatures. He would not leave His fallen creatures without the possibility of salvation.

The Bible is our authority for everything. Jesus Christ alone should be followed, as He alone is perfect love and goodness. Only He provides salvation, as He is God in flesh; only He was the perfect, sinless sacrifice for our sin. The Bible has an answer for everything. One key passage is James 1:5, the promise that God will give wisdom to anyone who asks; He will give cheerfully, and never complain about it. Go to Him with all your questions, and all your problems, because He can help you like noone else.

Jesus is, after all, God, Who came in the flesh; He is well acquainted with our infirmities, yet was without sin, so He could take our punishment when He died on the cross, and then rose triumphantly from the dead. The Bible clearly shows (in Revelation 19) how He’ll come after the Battle of Armageddon, and rule and reign on this Earth.

Uniting in God's truth, and the all-important "begotten"

You might wonder why "begotten" is called all-important, but first, a question. Are people united to commit crime united in a good work? Of course not.

Speaking of unity, this is also going up on the Youthquake ministry site which I link below, for those wondering why they see this twice. :-)

Examples of when uniting wonderful

Jesus often asks questions to help listeners think about the answers to their own questions. While it is not the focus of this post, the parable of the Good Samaritan is a great example - we often ask, "Who is my neighbor?" Muslims are one answer to that - we need to share with them how to have a personal relationship with a loving, gracious God who gave Himself for them, so He can save them from their sins and make them new inside. This post shares good tips and resources that are vital to "snatch them in pity from sin and the grave" as the hymn - and much more sensible title - goes.

Of course, there is a wonderful way to show how to unite for positive things. The Jews and Samaritans couldn't stand each other in those days. I don't know if it inspired him, but Daryl Davis has made a life out of befriending people who don't like him.  However, we do need to be careful to be united in a Godly work, such as peacemaking.

I've said many times in this blog that God's Word proves we are all one race, the human race - something acknowledged in secular media, too. However, there are times when we can't pretend there are no differences. this is why that word - "begotten" - will come up, because it doesn't just mean "only." it means of the same essence, the same substance.

Clearing up misconceptions

This is a misconception that Muslims have about Christians. Let me start by pointing out a few things from the post I linked.  Some people think Muslims and Christians worship the same god, but we don't, and "Sonship is one big reason. Muslims say Allah had no son because they only think of physical relationships when they think of a son. They don't realize that Sonship In the Biblical sense is the Arabic "ibn" - this means a perfect likeness, having every attribute of the original.

This Arabic word, "ibn," shows that Jesus is a perfect likeness, He is God in flesh(John 1:14, etc.) because in Him(Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.(Col. 2:9) There is also a way or two to explain the Godhead which will help. Here is a site that might help with a few misconceptions. Also, simply explaining "I am a father, a son, and a brother - one man, three attributes is a start. The point is that we can agree that God is one god, and go fromt here to show how He manifests Himself.(As that first one does with talking about how God manifested Himself to Moses, etc..) As this site on answering Islam shows, unique is even a better translation than "only," since monogenes has no direct translation into English, but "only" is surely incorrect. Only begotten is even better, though, than unique, because Begotten means having all the attributes in a way unique doesn't.

So, clearly there are times when we have a truth to stand on - what "Sonship" means - that needs to be explained to eliminate misunderstanding. It wouldn't do to pretend that difference doesn't exist, because bringing it to light improves understanding of what the Bible says.

Philippians 4:2-3 - where Paul tells two ladies, Euodice and Synteche, to be of one mind "in the Lord." However, that phrase, "in the Lord," means to put aside petty differences and follow Christ. Their argument might have been heated - Paul asks others to help them, those who were perhaps able to help to mediate the dispute by helping them talk things out. But, they were not disagreeing about fundamentals of the faith.

In other words, just like explaining Sonship above increases understanding by pointing out what truth is, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, clearly insists elsewhere that we must be unified in sound Doctrine and not allow false Doctrine to enter our churches. Because, sound doctrine increases understanding.

This post from a ministry blog I do goes into more detail after a while about the sound doctrine we need to hold fast to because the points are connected with God being a personal, loving God who took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross and rose again. It also has more links to our radio shows - which can be found here - though this post in the blog you're reading has different things regarding supporting what we believe and support, not just what we are against. So, both are good to read.

However, I'm going to come at one in particular from an unusual angle, because it will help to end confusion in a number of areas.

So, what's with the word "begotten"?

So, you might be thinking, "Okay, so the point about "begotten" is that it points to Christ's Deity." That's a major part of it, yes. The meaning is so much deeper than something simple like only.

Begotten shows that all attributes of God were passed on. Jesus had "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."Col.2:9 We are adopted as children, as Romans 8, John 1;12, and others show. However, we don't get every single attribute of God, we don't become all-powerful for example. We will never have that kind of attribute. There are a few which we don't have on earth because of our sin nature, but in Heaven we shall become sinless, have perfect love, etc.. However the Lord will never share all His attributes Jesus Christ only has all of them because he is God in flesh.

And yet, in His love God does give us the power to become the sons of God if we believe on His name(John 1:12) - that is, trust Him and call on Him by faith to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Begotten, then, shows the difference between a believer and the Lord, yet also shows the Deity of Christ and allows us to, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath given ucto us," that we, too, can be called the children of God.

This incredible love is something people in other cultures often don't understand or even have access to - people all over the world seek freedom from sin, from guilt, from shame, and from fear. These things leave them in bondage to the world's system, one that tries to work one's way to Heaven.

"Okay," you might say, "the Deity of Christ, God's love for us, and the freedom we have in Him are wonderful to unite behind. They are all present in that word Begotten the way they are not in the word only. But, is that the only problem with versions that don't use begotten?

No, and that's the big problem.

Stick with the Antiochan Greek

 When you use "Begotten" you're using a word translated from Greek. Gotquestions has a good explanation here. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew(Old Testament), Greek(New Testament) and a little bit of Aramaic that is not important for this discussion.

the original Greek manuscripts, from Antioch, were written first, with Greek from Alexandria used a century later. That Greek from Alexandria made changes that confused thigns and caused problems with doctrine. the King James Version is the only one straight from the Antiochan texts. Here is a great post from someone else about it.

To sum up what the above link says, other versions - which take from Alexandrian texts - have many problems like this. We as Christians aren't perfect, as I noted in another post. We are all still growing closer to Christ and needing Him to battle our flesh nature. Salvation is an instant event,(Rom.10:9-10,13; Acts 16:31; etc.) but as this show reveals. (This is why one must beware of modern Bible versions that use the Alexandrian text, modern texts do things like changing 1 Peter 2:2 to make it sound like you grow in your salvation when the King James, from the original Antiochan texts, shows clearly growth is through the Word of God and is only in one's sanctification.

 Another good link that shows what some other big differences are is here. Our Youthquake site even had a book noted which founder/director Sal Varsalone wrote exposing a lot of problems - see "No Counte4rfeit Bibles" here.

One of those easy to notice is in Luke 2:33 and Luke 2:44, where the King James says "Joseph and Jesus' mother."Mary was, biologically, Jesus' parent, but Joseph was not. to say "Jesus' father and mother" is also an attack on Jesus' Deity. While it's true that Philip says "the son of Joseph," he is merely making a human mistake because of his excitement at finding the Messiah. He wasn't taking time to think that Messiah had to be God in flesh. Those verses in luke, though, are part of something the Holy Spirit is revealing to us as Scripture. Luke was inspired to write - in his very meticulous style - "Joseph and Jesus' mother" becase that's what God wanted people to understand, that Jesus was not related biologically to Joseph, and that He was born of a virgin.

You can hear shows about the Deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, and other vital doctrines in our shows here.

The Bible is totally reliable, though, when you look at the original texts, as this site shows. And, one of the most important parts of that is that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for each of our sins and rise from the dead. He was the perfect sacrifice that was necessary to pay the entire price for our sins. And, each one of us must simply trust Him by faith, calling on Him to save and forgive them from their sins. Here is a more detailed explanation of God's simple plan of salvation where you can talk to online volunteers to understand more.

A personal God who loves you, will guide you; the key to change for the better

What does it mean that God is personal and not transcendent? For one thing, it means He wants us to share personally what is on our hearts and talk with Him, never just repetitions. How does it tie in with how to change our country?

It just takes a single sincere prayer of repentance to Him to have that relationship. You just need to put your faith in what He did for you on the cross as having taken the punishment for your sins, and call on Him to save you. Creation questions such as about dinosaurs can be answered - many helps are here. However they are not the focus of this, though it helps to recognize God made this world perfect with no pain, no suffering, etc., but He gave people free choice so we wouldn't be mindless robots, so people chose to sin and turn from Him. You don't have to believe that to trust Jesus Christ to save you from your sins and get to Heaven.

Salvation is the key; the links are merely to help you if others ask. However, it is important to believe God is personal so you can talk with Him and let Him be your guide, helper, comforter, etc.. It's that personal relationship which will let God change things and use us to help through our prayers and our actions and attitude. (Prayer is vital before telling others about Him, too; as for other helps, they're in the last section.)

This post sharing a push for revival in Los Angeles will be featured through part of April 92016) for two good reasons. It encourages prayer for a known goal to glorify God. And, it shows how the devil can counterfeit things if we're not careful, thus sharing a great prayer need, that the devil not be able to counterfeit this revival, that only God be at work.

God Is Personal and Loves You - Why Some Reject Him and How To Help

One trick the devil uses is to make us think God is only transcendent. That means the devil makes people think God is too far above people to care. However, that is a lie. God cares deeply about us even though we go astray so much. God wants us to invite Him into our lives as a guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more. He gave each of us gifts, talents, etc. and wants to help us each use those to benefit us and others and glorify His love as much as possible. We don't have to do any work to earn His love - we just have to receive it by faith, just like a little child trusts a loving parent.

Many don't realize how much God cares. Some were taught false doctrine like transcendence growing up, so they believed the wrong thing. Shows 72-75 here give a good description of the errors of the Catholic Church, for instance. And, that doesn't mention some things, such as their teaching that the Church has replaced israel. On the contrary, God still loves the Jewish people and will soon deal with them as His chosen people again; it's like they're "grounded" right now, with individuals still trusting Christ and getting saved but in the Age of Grace Gentiles are being grafted in.  So, if people claim to not trust Christians, make sure they understand that true Christians love everyone and understand that the Jews are still God's chosen people and love and respect them for that.

Some reject God because something specific bad happened in their lives or someone else's. They need to learn God can make good come out of it, like my grandpa and World War Two. He trained for over a year and was all ready to make his first training flight with his crew in World War Two. He got deathly sick with pleurisy. While he was in the hospital,t he flight took off and crashed in New Mexico, with all on board dying. Being very sick let him live another 54 years.  His sister-in-law couldn't have children but becasue of that they adopted two wonderful kids who might not have had such good homes otherwise.

Others chose to reject God's perfect, unconditional love,  though that can be because they never understood how God was protecting and guiding them away from things that could harm them.

Sometimes awful things are done to people. Such victims need told first they did nothing wrong in the situation, nothing to deserve such trauma. Then, they need to see how God can heal them of the pain. He wants to, because He is personal. They might need to keep giving stuff to Him because it is so hard, but he will help them.  Sometimes they wind up medicating themselves with things that won't last, just like the woman at the well (John 4) who kept looking for love in guys rather than trusting God to save her. When Jesus came and showed who Him was, then she trusted Him to save her from her sin.

All need God to heal them, forgiving them from their own sin and making them new on the inside.

Who Is God? Trust the Creator, not the Creature

Okay, so back to personal vs. transcendent, true repentance means that a person is a new creature in Christ(2 Cor.5:17) and that God will keep making them new as more parts of their life are turned over to Him. this is the importance of that personal relationship, a Friend who guides, heals, etc. to be more like the loving, compassionate Christ we see in the Bible who loves all and yet who also takes stands for moral standards. (This post shared what we believe; it's important to stay positive when we can and not just say what we're against.)

 Romans 1:25 is part of a sad, downward spiral that talks about how people worshiped the creature more than the Creator. This is what happens when "professing themselves wise, people become fools." This causes people to mix Eastern thought in with the Word of God - although as this show shows, it's really just another way for people to try to work their way up to God when we can't because our sin nature causes us to always fall short of His perfect love, forgiveness, truth, etc.. Sins aren't just big ones, they are ones like lying, being mean, etc.. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom.3:23) The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Rom.6:23) So, God (the Creator) reached down to us (the creature) in His love to save us so we could have that personal relationship with Him.

Why is it important to keep them straight? If a person was a baseball pitcher, and everyone started worshiping the ball they threw, reporters started to interview it - or even the guy's arm - and so on, you'd think they were crazy. But, that's what happens when people worship the creature - the ball, in this case, that gets thrown - more than the creator - the one throwing it.

When people worship the creature - including self - more than the Creator, often they are falling for a doctrinal error called New Age; an error quite a few in Hollywood and elsewhere follow. It's a problem because it makes people think they can make themselves perfect when they can't. And, bits can creep into good churches, too. In short, it is imagining a world where there are no consequences for actions and people just naturally get along; New Age often denies that there is a sin nature.

What it boils down to is that people in New Age worship demonic spirits. This is why yoga should never be done in the way that most people do it, where they allow their minds to be empty and the evil spirits can get into it. Stretching and other exercises are fine if done with God in mind and to glorify Him, but with so many choices like zumba one can easily ignore things like yoga. If one is to focus on something, focus on Jesus.

(The Bible tells us to meditate on God, His Word, His law, and so on; so, it's okay to meditate, just never totally clear your mind and invite bad spirits in.)

While there are evil forces in the world, people don't need to fear them; God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.(2 Timothy 1:7) Yes, god has given us a spirit of power, the power that lets people say, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."(Phil4:13) However, it is not of our own strength, it is only through God working through us we can have that power.

This is why it's so important to have that personal relationship with God and to stay away from crystal balls, ouija boards, and many other things which the devil uses to control us. The devil was a created being with untested creature holiness, but he chose to rebel against God(Isa.14:12-15,Eze.28:11-19,Luke 10:18,Rev. 12) and led 1/3 of the angels with him. That's where demons come from.

Thankfully, we have a personal God who manifests Himself in three ways - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and 2/3 of the angels on our side. And, God is all-powerful and will one day destroy all the evil in this world anyway. It is that relationship with God that is vital. that and our sin nature that explains why New Age ideas don't stand up to the great power of God.

Let's look at how a personal walk with God improves things in ways New Age - and any works-based religion - can't.

Only Personal Walk With God Makes Revival Possible

If you need a ride somewhere because your car broke down, you call a person who can help. You don't rely on a car appearing out of the blue somehow, right? (And hopefully you're on speaking terms with them - it wouldn't help if you just called a friend you fought with and didn't speak to for 5 years.)

In the same way, we need a personal relationship with God to get the things we need. And unlike that friend, God wouldn't hang up - once you have that personal relationship with Him, you just need to confess and forsakw sin to restore that relationship to its full potential - nothing can separate us from His love.(John 10:28-30,Rom.8:36-39,Jude 24, Eph.1:13-14,etc..) Here is a great link explaining about why and how God answers prayer, though a few posts in this blog also tell it effectively, too.) Some might say those things are inside us, but that is putting the creation ahead of the creator.

Look at the courage some people have  - far above others. They can run through a burning home to save someone. Such a person may think they did it themselves, but they actually used something they were born with that was given by God for that purpose. Perhaps they trained hard as a fireman, but that was just building their talents the way an athlete will works their muscles till they are as good as they can be, or an entertainer learns to improve their skills.

That same God who gives great things like perfect wisdom(James 1:5) gives physical and mental talents, too. We rely on Him just like that person who needs a ride. He doesn't give that's some gifts to everyone for the same reason He doesn't make everyone a superstar baseball player or fireman with tremendous courage. We all fit together as a team. This is why Paul, inspired by God, compared people to parts of the body. The eye, ear, foot, lungs, and so on all perform wonderful purposes that they are best suited for. When verses like 2nd Timothy 2:1 speak of being strong, they mean a continual strengthening from the outside, by God.

Also, consider what would happen if it was only forces of nature. People would be able to think they could do anything and get away with it, because they would all be doing what was right in their sight. That would mean they could do mean things to each other and others could do mean things to them. Our personal, loving God wouldn't want that, so he established moral laws so you can be protected. People just choose to disobey them because of that sin nature, but God will judge them someday if they don't repent. And, even if they do, they must live with the consequences of their sin.

God wants us to stand for Godly, moral behavior. We don't act good so we can get to Heaven, of course. We get to Heaven only through the finished work of Jesus Christ and calling on Him, trusting Him to save us. It is done so we can make the world a better place, glorifying God in the process. (The fac it is only through the finished work of Christ is why children who die below the age of accountability always go to Heaven)

This brings us back to the New Age error. I won't judge whether a particular person is following it because they don't want to think about the consequences for sin, or because they don't understand. I will simply explain one other main problem.

Movements like this are often based on feelings, not fact. If A and B are friends, and A wants to do something really dangerous, then B - as a friend - should try to convince them not to. A might be a real risk taker and not listen to B. However, the fact is that person A is likely to end up in he hospital or worse. Of course, a good friend like B, while they won't do something bad with A, will comfort you when you suffer the consequences of the action.

God is the same way. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)  God has a series of rules that govern the world, such as honesty, faithfulness and commitment to one spouse, kindness, and many other things. These are the moral laws, they are different from the other ones in Leviticus which were merely to set the Jewish people apart from those around them. We turn away from those moral lawsbecause of our sin nature. That separates us from God. However, God loves us more than we can imagine. Therefore, all we have to do is trust Him to save us from our sins. Call on Him by faith to forgive and save you.

 When you do, He seals you with the Holy Spirit of promise.(Eph.1:13-14,John 14-16 with numerous verses, etc.) That is His promise that you have a permanent relationship with Him, one which we don't have till we trust Him to save us from our sin. Sometimes we might feel far away from God after that, just like if there is something between you and a BFF but you still love each other. However, that is another reason why feelings aren't a good measure. Even John the Baptist felt this. In John 1:29 we see the great prophet proclaim Jesus as "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." Yet in Matthew 11 h's in prison and sends people to make sure Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus tells them to go back and show John the Baptist all the miracles Jesus had done - in other words, facts.

Importance (and Ways) of Sharing God With Others

Since this is already somewhat long, I won't take too much time here, but I want to exhort you to share God's love. I'm sure many readers do, but there will likely be young and old reading who don't know how or who need encouragement.

Starting a conversation can be tricky, but you can always share a website if nothing else. The ABCs of the Gospel I mentioned earlier can be found on the front of this youth ministry site, which has another page with God's Simple Plan of Salvation and a tract link.

Speaking of tracts, the American Tract Society and Child Evangelism Fellowship have very good ones for low cost, and Fellowship Tract League lets you order free ones. These are little pieces of paper telling about God's love and salvation with different themes. CEF also has different clubs a faithful Christian adult can lead; see the CEF site for details.AWANA also has great clubs at churches, Google search for an AWANA club and you can find one.(Because - partly due to my nearsightedness - I couldn't find the club locator right on the site, though it is there.) Evangelism Explosion is also very good. GMO has sites with basics of living as a Christian that you will enjoy if you just click to indicate a decision.

To share the Gospel yourself, in addition to the ABCs I mentioned, here are a few quick keys.

1. Be humble. Don't be someone you aren't. People want to see you're genuine. Admit you're a sinner in need of a Saviour, too, just as I am - we're all just sinners saved by grace and relying on that grace and relationship with God to help us grow more like Jesus.

Remember something like the Romans Road or even just John 3:16 can be used - it's God the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. Our job is to be his mouthpiece - and, of course, we can't be if we aren't believeable ourselves. And, He speaks best through his Word, which is swift and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

You can refer tough questions to ministries from the largest like Global Media Outreach to the smaller oens like the Youthquake one above with the ABCs of salvation. But, you do have ones like this to show the Bible is real and reliable. Youthquake's radio show has a number of topics dealing with different religions, etc..Along with GMO, this can be a good starting point for discussing with Muslims. Here are some great resources on that in this blog.

Be forgiving. People need unconditional love, especially if they are struggling with something. It's our job to point them to Jesus to heal them from their pain. That kind of love is what lasts; others are either just physical or temporary(eros) or not quite as deep, though they can come close.(Phileo,storge) God's love, agape, means he loves us even though we can't possibly repay Him for all He's done for us. The four types of love are discussed here.

Offer to pray with the person if they want to trust Christ, but they let them pray in their own words if they can. Make sure they understand the specific words aren't what's important. Them trusting Jesus Christ to save them from their sins, believing He died on the cross to take their punishment and rose from the dead for them, are what's important.

You can probably come up with a shorter one. the point is, the Holy Spirit will work in lives if we let Him. This post shares what such a revival would look like with the Spirit leading people.

Most importantly, though, remember that just like any relationship, communication is key. Keep up your relationship with God through prayer, reading the Bible (check the shows for why the King James is the right one), and growing closer to Him each day.Because God still wants to save people and help this nation. He never takes any pleasure in the punishment of sinners(Eze.33:11); He would that all would come to repentance so he can make them new inside. Those people are just waiting for us to share His love.