Where America is going as a country

It's become an epidemic, as shown by how Ferguson still ignites problems a year later, with more provocations, protesters being arrested, etc.. The violence which has marred our nation shows people have giant holes in their hearts - searching but not knowing where to fill them. It is not just a racial issue, though that is one of the big problems for people who fail to recognize we are all one race. It is a spiritual battle, as declared numerous times in this blog. It is an issue for an entire country to analyze where we came from, where we are, and where we're going.

Of course, as has been shown, our past can be summed up by saying that America has a great heritage but also many problem areas.

Those problems stem from the fact that - while America has had some very Godly people - but has also always had people who only followed certain Godly principles and not others. We insisted on honesty and justice when it came to some things but not others, for example. We refused to accept that all people were equal because we are all one race. Many other things God saw and kept giving us chances to turn from our wicked ways.

Now, it's crucial to seek His forgiveness and for Him to change us not only for the last forty years but for the last four hundred, and to unite in fervent prayer for repentance revival so god can use us to do that.

That is because our country is at a crossroads.We must turn around now.

We could find ourselves going so far down a road of violence it would seem more like a third world country if it gets bad enough. (Some would argue it is now, but I don't know, since I didn't live through the sixties. And, we've had many other very tumultuous times, especially in the South. I only know that the latest incident with the Cleveland police and someone dying in prison is one more problem which shows a need for togetherness and God's cleansing.) And, this doesn't into the horrible drought in California which has dried up at least one river and could really impact the food supply and prices.

Or, God could bring a repentance revival to us.

It is up to us. I know it may seem difficult, because there are so few of us and so many problems. However, remember that in Genesis, God told Abraham he would spare Sodom if there were even 10 righteous people in that large city. There weren't, but the point is that God is very longsuffering and has such incredible patience for us.

That patience does eventually have a limit, however.

Some people have said America's doom is sealed. I don't like to get into wild speculation or fear mongering. The message of the Gospel - God's love toward us in paying for our sins through His death and resurrection,, and our salvation by grace through faith - is the utmost concern, because this world is not our home anyway. Even secular scientists agree there are multiple dimensions because of string theory - which requires at least ten - and it wasn't "Back to the Future' but Albert Einstein who added to our three dimensions the fact time is a fourth dimension. So, it's easy to look at things and say that the spiritual realm is simply another dimension. But, the Gospel is the crucial thing, for it is by grace you are saved through faith (in Jesus Christ, calling on Him to forgive and save you from yoru sins.)

However, I do know that we have strayed so far that God is surely looking for anyone to allow themselves to be used to do great things in our country. Add to that the fact that the Lord's return for his church could be very near - though even if it is I wouldn't be dogmatic about when, we must be about the Lord's business no matter what - and one can see that time is short.

Time for what? I don't know. But, whether it is time is that short before the Lord comes for his church or simply that it is short before God totally removes His protective hand, our task is clear.

We must see that people realize what we believe isn't what makes us Christians. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what makes one a Christian. One believes certain things by following the Bible. However, where it is not a matter of the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, while following the Bible leads to certain beliefs, we as Christians must agree to disagree and simply let God work in each situation. Paul says this to Euodias and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2-3. Their disagreement was not over doctrine, as Paul addresses this problem differently than if it were some manner of doctrine, where he says for instance in Galatians 1:8 that if anyone - or even an angel (who could be a fallen angel) - preached another Gospel let him be accursed.' No, these women were to be helped and encouraged to get along and focus on the main thing - the Gospel and not on their beliefs on other things, as long as those things didn't contradict the Word of God.

We must be committed to following the Lord with all our hearts and sharing His love everywhere we can.

At the same time, while we must be kind and considerate sharing our views and accepting others, we must stand on God's Word as absolute truth and speak that truth in love.

We must be committed to ensuring we are right with the Lord. If you have any doubt whether you have trusted Jesus Christ by faith alone to forgive you and save you from the penalty of your sins, settle it now by calling on Him to save you and make you new inside, so you can have a personal relationship with God. You're only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life.

Will this save America? We don't know how much longer we have, it could be days or years or anywhere in between. But, as long as we are here, we must be about the Father's business, just as Jesus was. We must also work to build leaders among our young people, or be those leaders ourselves, as I've mentioned here, who can be dedicated to the Lord and change the culture to one which is still diverse yet which constantly honors Christ. Remember, before His throne will be people from all people groups everywhere. There will be many different customs, but what we follow as customs should line up with that desire to be more Christlike in our attitude toward others and toward His ways.

Let us all call on Jesus Christ to forgive us and save our land. Only He can heal. And I invite you to please read the other posts here to be encouraged by how we must unite at the cross, where Jesus has borne all of our sorrows and can restore that right, loving relationship we need with Him and will help us do so with each other, too, just like those women mentioned in Philippians 4.

Unite for perfect peace in Jesus - for everyone, especially youth, gangs

Little was made of a historic truce between gang members in Baltimore after that city and Ferguson suffered horrible violence; sadly violence continues in Baltimore. This is sad, because the truce shows that these groups can get along when they know there is a need to unite for a common cause.

As noted in previous posts, the enemy in this conflict is spiritual. It showed up just recently in Texas and was nearly deadly except for the prayers of others putting other police there to prevent it. This is a sure sign of two things. The problem is an attitude among many that opposes God, when God's Word and even secularists clearly states we are all one race - the human race. Second, groups banding together for the Lord in prayer and repentance can make a difference. I don't know who all has been praying, but those prayers at that time or days or weeks ago were vital, and God will reward the effort of those who prayed or passed the word along.

Therefore, it is important for these groups to come together again, this time under a different banner, one of rustling against powers, principalities, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.(Ephesians 6:12.)

Of course, to do that each person must realize the perfect love the Creator of the universe - ourselves included - has for each of us. We must realize that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each of us must realize we have a purpose that goes beyond acting tough and defending turf.(My apologies if that term is really outdated. :-) At least you can say that I am genuine when I am willing to use words like that, and I can laugh at myself when i am tempted to use words like "rumble" for fight. :-))

Even if my term was outdated, one thing that isn't outdated is unconditional love. I am truly sorry that so little has been shown to some that they reach out to a gang for a sense of belonging or love or something else. God calls us to help and protect the orphans - and, really,  all children since we must have compassion for the less fortunate - and widows. When people don't do their job though, it means we must rely on God for help. We have, sadly, not been teaching anyone about God's love. I'm sorry we have not done so.

You have a chance to make it right nowfrom this moment on, though. Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and here for such a time as this. Psalm 27:10 says "When my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will take me up." A lot of young people have, sadly, been rendered spiritual orphans by a system of oppression and evil. It's time to take this world back.

How can I help?

You have likely heard much about ending violence. In fact, there have been demonstrations in Baltimore and other inner cities against violence. Sadly, these are not covered by the media in great detail, which shows part of the spirit of evil that is only interested in stirring things up. (One wonders if the very fact race is mentioned is designed to bring ratings even if unimportant at times; that is something for people more trained in the field to discuss, though.)

However, what is needed is a change on the inside by many. That change can only come about through true repentance. when i wrote earlier of turning from the nation's evils for the last 400 years, I mentioned how we must show God we want change, and that even a very close follower of God like Daniel, who had never taken part in the horrible sinning in Israel, nonetheless prayed for God's forgiveness for his country and for himself.(Daniel 9)

Different posts here speak of a few ways you can change, but remember that GOd is the one who must do it we can't do this in our own strength.I won't recap everything I've said before, but i encourage you to read and realize that it is only through God's strength because we focus so much on the flesh and on this world when it won't last. It is just a stopover.

Get Your Heavenly Home Established First

Our final destination must be decided here. Of course, children below the age of accountability go to God's perfect Heaven because Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for their sins and rose again, and he created them not understanding and cares about those who are powerless. he wants to end oppression here on Earth, too. But, that means forgetting the fights over this worldly realm and getting one's sights set on what is above.

Becasue, once you reach that age of accountability, you must call on Jesus by faith to save yo from your sinsu, which is very sim;e as shown here. (See here for other languages.) If you don't, you are separated from God forever by your sins when you die, in a horrible place meant only for the devil and his angels - the leaders of spiritual wickedness which are riling things up, causing oppression, and so on.

Once you call on Jesus to save you by simple faith, though, He gives you a Heavenly mansion, and you can know for sure you have eternal life.(John 10:28-29, 1 John 5:13, Jude 24, etc.) In fact, your eternal life starts right away as you can have life more abundantly right here on Earth.(John 10:10) So, then what?

Ambassador (your name) from Heaven

Instead of representing a gang which has flawed humans, you can represent God Himself. See, every believer has the Holy Spirit living int hem, and because of this each of us is an ambassador of Jesus Christ.(2 Cor. 5:20) Since Jesus ascended into Heaven, He called us to be His disciples and to show His love to others and help others, not disputing with them but working with each other.

I understand that perhaps in your life you have seen very little peace, but God can change your heart. Sometimes it might mean getting rid of certain things, but others can cope okay with them. I'm reminded of a story I've told before, how one woman in our church was saved out of alcoholism and for the last 44 years of her life never went into a restaurant with a bar in it. her friends could becuase they could handle it, but the demons of her past were so large she couldn't go into one without being tempted to start drinking again. In that case, of course, it's better never to start.

Also, use Jesus Himself as a role model, and learn of things like the Fruit of the Spirit. Let God guide and direc your steps, as He'll have big things for you.

You can print out this free blogbook at takethespirituallead.blogspot.com that also shows you more about what to do in an organized way to shape your destiny, your future, your family, and your community.

Develop sign of peace that will allow you to stand up against the violence of the inner city, and trust the Lord to use you to make a difference. Unite to start churches in homes if need be, use the tools at places like www.Godlife.com and m.Godlife.com - you can contact people there who help as volunteers, in fact. While there are many good churches around, you also have to avoid the ones that aren't right doctrinally, so here are some great sermons from one I'd recommend. Dr. Tony Evans is also a very good preacher.

Most importantly, you are needed not only to act as ambassadors of Jesus Christ to save your community, but also your country. However, you can't do that on your own -e ven with your own younger brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. you must rely on Jesus and the power of prayer.(Subjects such as prayer can be found at the menu on the right in the church link I gave.)

This way, you can hear the Lrod say to you "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" when He returns for you - and, He will, one day, rule and reign on this Earth and everythign will be perfect. Until though, we are here to make this world better, but we can't save the world from lost souls, but we are here to save souls from a lost and dying world.

It's just that when God hears the prayers of the faithful, repentant hearts of this nation, he will heal the land, and things might get better here, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What we can do

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting the heart right

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

 1. Flee from music/entertainment/images glorifying it

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

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

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

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

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

2. Respect others' things as theirs/no coveting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why repent, and history

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This brings us to the future.

Interceding in prayer

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

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

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

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

 A few possible scenarios - ones like Ferguson, etc.

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

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

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

Effecting change for the better - it starts with you

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rise up, young people revive your inner city

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep praying - the battle isn't over

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why repentance is crucial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If rioting isn't the answer, what is? Prayer and God's Word

I can't promise to understand why people riot, although Tony Evans' comments about hopelessness certainly seem to show a large amount of it. The Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination and other highly emotional events have triggered anger and frustration, but Robert Kennedy's assassination months later didn't have the same impact. So, clearly, there is much deep rooted anger and resentment. In fact, words such as these are appropriate, I'm sure:
"Why do the heathen rage"...'Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me"......"How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?!"

These, of course, are from the Bible, and all in fact from Psalms.(2, 119, and 13, respectively.) At the end of each, though we see the Psalmist, David, praising God. In fact, in the 2nd, he says before the end of the verse he still keeps the Lord's commandments, and in the first we see the promise of Messiah coming to redeem His people - and Christian as adopted children of the King who have been grafted in.

It comes down to that emotion causing the limibic system - which controls emotion, motivation, etc. - to ovrride the part of the mind that contains logic. Often that can be good - we as humans are designed to admire beauty, feel love, and so on - but when it brings people to tear down, rather than to build up, it is bad.

What must be done is to channel that limbic system to pursuits which will benefit others and oneself? A relationship with God is vital.

Our sin nature causes us to turn away from those positive pursuits. it causes one to wish to tear down, rather than build up, because the devil is all about tearing down. It is why I stated so vehemently in my first post that this is *not* a battle with flesh and blood, our oppressors are spiritual and we must fight with spiritual weapons.

The Whole Armor of God - Only Offensive Weapons Are His Word and Prayer

In Ephesians 6:11-18, we see the whole armor of God spelled out. I'll go over them all at the end, but the point here is that the only offensive weapons,  the word of God and prayers, involve us understanding we can't beat a stronger enemy on our own strength.

Remember that the enemy WANTS you to destroy because that's his goal. Don't let the enemy have you in bondage, free yourself by turning to God.When we do that, we become free, for the truth shall set you free. And, he is the way, the truth, and the life.(John 14:6) (I'll spend a whole blog post explaining this point.)

When we pray in god's will, we are first of all asking Him to help us, to mold us into the kind of people who can turn the world upside-down, as the early church is said to have in Acts. Oh, we won't make a perfect world - as hard as we try, for instance, we won't be able to tame that lion so when he's an adult he can just lay down and cuddle witha  little lamb without stuffing it into its mouth.  But, we can take back real estate from the devil till the Lord calls us home.

If you read Ephesians 6:10-18, you'll see that this is a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons, as noted. We aren't wrestling against flesh and blood. That is why, after being told (vserse 10) to be strong in the Lord, we are told how - verse 11 says to put on the armor of God.

It's not our armor, which involves blind luck, but God's armor. We should ask God what He is trying to teach us - just like one time when my job was going very badly due to the economy.

In verse 12, we're told why we need God's armor - we are not fighting flesh and blood. This is a spiritual battle. God *could* destroy all the evil and rule the world - we see in Revelation that He will one day. But, He is giving people time to repent before He does that, because of His love and mercy. We shouldn't take vengeance because vengeance belongs to Him, and He does a much better job of it.

He promises that with the full armor of God, we will be able to stand against all these things. When things go bad, remember that God is trying to teach you to grow these things when you trust Him to save you. Just like he wants you to grow the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Verse 14 says to wear truth around our loins. This means that we should have truth surrounding us. God's Word is truth. This is about honesty but also about knowing what God's Word says. It's like the bad dreams you had - when you surround yourself with God's Word, and know it, you know that God can defeat those bad dreams, even if the devil tries to convince you that God can't - God still can, because at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil. 2:10-11)

Righteousness is like a breastplate. That's a big thing in front of you that protects you. This is *not* self-righteouness, because "There is none righteous." (Romans 3:10) This means know you are doing the right thing. When people see and know you will always do what God's Word says is right, and put Jesus first, then others, then yourself, God will bless you.

The Gospel of peace means we should walk in the manner Jesus would, showing His love and patience and sharing His Gospel of salvation.

The shield of faith means that no matter where the devil attacks you from, you have faith God will get you through - just as a shield is held and can be moved all around.

Just like a person can't live without a head, we can't be in Christ unless we have salvation - that's why salvation is compared to a helmet.

AGain,in verse 17 the only offensive weapon - the Sword of the Spirit. Read Matthew and Luke 4 - Jesus defeated the devil with the Word of God.

But, you also have prayer (v. 18), which is both offensive and defensive. You can go to God anytime, anywhere, about anything - He doesn't limit you as far as where to stand or how to do it. In fact, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for doing it just so they can be seen by people and making a big show of it. It's okay to pray in public, but he doesn't want us to have people seeing us be our main objective. And, he doesn't want us praying in vain repetitions, either. It's about seeking God. With the National Day of Prayer soon, we need prayer warriors.

However, just remember God isn't going to just give everything we ask. As the one lesson in one of the links I sent teaches, he can answer Yes, No, or Wait.

If He says Wait, He may want us to keep asking, to test our faith. He may want us to pray more passionately. Or, He may want us to do something first before he says yes. That can include getting rid of some sin in our lives.

If he says no, it's because He knows what is best for us. And, what He has ins tore is *better*for us than what we wanted.