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

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

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

 God Desires a Relationship With You - Turn to Him

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How To Repent for a Country? Intercessory Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A prayer of national repentance 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why prayers don't work without repentance

In the wake of the horrible San Bernandino attack, one hashtag which trended for a bit was that prayers don't work. This post will explain why some prayers don't work.

It all has to do with repentance, and it's pretty simple.

We Have A Friend in God

God is personal, He desires a personal relationship with each of us. First John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God is always willing to forgive us, He just wants us to come to him and accept we need forgiveness for our sins. That word cleanse helps to explain why repentance is needed by our nation, and why if we harbor sin in our hearts God won't hear our prayers - because truly turning from our sins lets Him cleanse our hearts.

Let's use a personal example. Most of us have had arguments with friends but remain friends. Let's say  one friend asks a favor of another, say helping them to move. The one says okay but then brushes it off and does something they think is more important but put in reality could have been easily put off, and doesn't seem to care they broke a promise.

Now, they remain friends but there would be something between them. The one promises to do something and doesn't care that they really inconvenience the other. If they had wanted to do something different, it would have been easier to just say no I can't do it, although the words I can't bring into question whether its true. For instance, if we're talking something like babysitting and the child is old enough, the kid could come along and entertain the moving person's baby or help to sort small things. But, "Sorry I can't this weekend" usually is just accepted among friends.

Anyway, so if the one that had to move is asked by the other friend to help them, that friend who moved is likely to say, hey, "ait a minute dude, I had to move and you promised to help and then didn't and didn't say why or anything". Ignoring the different layers of things (the reason, difficulty of move, etc.), in general the other should just have to apologize and - being friends - it would be forgiven and things would be back to normal.

The Part Repentance Plays in Prayer

It's the same way with God and our prayers. The first prayer He'll hear and answer "yes" to the person praying it is the sinner's prayer of repentance, which establishes that relationship. The person realizes they're a sinner in need of a Saviour. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Rom.10:13) That is, calling on Him to save them from their sins and come into their heart and make them new inside, as clearly shown from the context of the previous verses.(This is why not all who cry "Lord, Lord" are saved, they say it with their mouths but don't trust Him to save them with their hearts.)

You may ask, "What about that prayer I prayed that He answered before I knew Jesus?" There could have been someone else praying, or he did it(saved you from ana ccident, helped you do something, etc.) because he knew it would bring you to Him. John 16:7-12 shows the Holy Spirit is at work even among thsoe who don't know Jesus, after all. There are also Muslims who have had dreams where Jesus appears, often after they pray asking God to reveal Himself to them. This is proved by Hebrews 11:6, that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.It usually won't happen where the Word of God is readily available, but yours truly, when global Media Outreach, had a chat experiment, had a person from a Muslim country say he'd just awakened from a dream and needed to receive Christ. Likely, that person had been to a site like Jesus2020.com and had been pondering it.

Anyway, so when someone has trusted Christ as Saviour and invited Him into their heart through the Holy Spirit, they have a relationship with God. Jesus call His disciples "Friends," just like God called Abraham "Friend." And, let's say - like that example with the friends above - that person harbors sin in their heart. Maybe it's hatred of some group, or trying to push God away, or lusting after someone while trying to pray.

All of a sudden, God's like that guy who was moving and his friend wouldn't help him. When he or she goes to ask god for something in prayer, It's like God saying, "Dude, you've got something in your heart/life that's come between us. We can't be close again till you get rid of that." We're still saved, but that relationship is strained, just that like guy who wouldn't help his friend move after promising to, then asks a favor of the friend who moved.

Of course, we're all sinners in need of a Saviour, and we will be till we die because of that old, sinful flesh/Adamic nature. We don't have to confess every sin each time we pray - if we did, those quick emergency prayers for wisdom or the words to say to someone or whatever else wouldn't be possible. God *wants* to hear and answer those prayers, just like any others. He knows each situation, and understands sometimes there are times you have to just shoot up a prayer.

Say, for instance, someone told you they just found they have cancer and you pray for the right thing to say. You don't have time to ask God to forgive you for snapping at someone foolishly and not apologizing to them. (Of course, if you let that anger fester, it can turn into sin in another way - you won't be trying to think of how to offer words of encouragement because you're too busy fuming about the other problem.) However, if you're kneeling in prayer over a bunch of things, and plan to pray for several minutes, that's when you need to let the Spirit remind you to repent of that foolish fury and, if needed, apologize to the person you offended.

Application To San Bernandino, etc.

So, that brings us back to San Bernandino and prayers in general for our country.

Remember that prayer involves a lot of spiritual warfare.I've posted about the whole armor of God as just one of a number of messages on that warfare.The devil doesn't wnt people to get saved - instead he wants people to be as violent and mean as they can and to take as many people with him. So, what's his strategy going to be with the saved world, those who can't be taken from jesus because He is able to keep us from falling(Jude 24) and nobody can pluck us out of His hand(John 10:28-30) and nothing can seperate us from the love of God(Rom.8:36-39)?

The devil's strategy, since he can't have our souls, is to block our prayers. Because prayer changes thigns, but if he blocks our prayers, he can have his way a lot more.

And, that's just what he's done. To prevent evil like San Bernandino, it takes lots of prayer warriors calling for these thigns to be exposed and calling on the Lord to protect us and to revive our nation. But, our country has a problem - we have turned so far away from God that national repentance is necessary. Only then will God heal the land - and, even if 2 Chronicles 7:14 is only about Israel, Jeremiah 18:5-10 contains pretty much the same promise to Gentile nations.

Mucch has been written in this blog before about praying not just for forgiveness for the last 40 years, but for the last 400. Indeed, we also must pray for God to change our hearts - we need to turn from our wicked ways, not just say "I'm sorry" but just keep doing them.

Thankfully, He understands how hard it is. He knows we are just flesh, and that we need His heelp to cleanse this nation. He is still longsuffering toward us, and just waiting for us to turn our hearts toward Him; then, he can be the one to point us int he right direction.

the next post - as long as nothing else intervenes - will discuss one place they are trying to have revival, and also a warning of how we need to pray the devil not counterfeit it. For now, however, just remember that God wants to heal our land. he is always waiting with open arms, just like the father of the Prodigal Son.

The question is, are we willing to answer the call. Not so we can just change overnight, but so the Lord can change hearts once we trust Him to forgive and save us. Only then will He pour out His Holy Spirit and convict people of sin and bring more people to Him and give them that perfect peace, love, comfort, wisdom, etc. he offers to all who trust Him.

it doesn't have to be millions at once praying. But, it does take consistent prayer, with people praying like peter and John in Acts 4-5 that the Lord would intervene and move in the nation despite what leaders want, because we ought to obey God rather than men. And, when you look at the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23) you see that against such there is no law.

So, let us go tot he Lord in prayer and seek His protection regardless of what leaders want. They have tried to remove Jesus from public discourse. Let us pray and call on the Lord to return, not jsut by saying Merry Christmas, but by actively seeking the Lord and turning from our sins ourselves, being the kind, peaceful, tenderhearted, temperate(self-controlled), meek(power under control), wise, joyful, etc. people he calls us to be. Not by our own strength, but by Him working in us.

Only then can we - in the Lord's strength - bring about change and end the oppression in this country.

Why God's justice & God's love, not man's, in seeking justice or else

I'll be honest, I don't watch TV news anymore; too much violence, too many mean people, etc.. Radio & Internet are enough.

So, I wanted to comment on a recent Million Man March I missed till the day of it, but one of the slogans on Twitter and probably elsewhere, "Justice or Else," caught my eye and it inspired this blog post, which will - as I disclosed with another - in the event someone should read both - likely go on our inner city ministry's blog with very similar wording.

We must seek to make sure the justice system runs fairly, but there are reasons why we must pray and let God deal with the details instead of we ourselves.

The phrase "Justice or Else" reminds me of numerous Psalms, one I've quoted here - "Why dot he heathen rage" from Psalm 2 - and a number of others. There is so much evil in the world, and racism is one of the biggest human rights issues. It's so sad, because we're all one race - the human race. Racism is just an excuse invited by people to selfishly try to get their way, ignoring the fact we are all equal in the eyes of God - man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.(1 Sam. 16:7)

This problem, however, shows why justice from man, woman, or any person, is not as good as God's justice. We all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.(rRom .3:23)

I have one example I use in a context showing why we must repent ourselves - perhaps to regular readers I use it too often, but here it will at least seem a little different. It is that of being cut off in traffic. We often criticize the person who did so without bothering to think that they may have a loved one in the hospital who has just been hurt seriously and who they are worried may be dying. Of course, it would be wrong to try to seek justice or revenge on a person who is rushing frantically to see a possibly dying loved one. Yet, in our selfishness as people, we end up doing so if only our justice is used. I read, for example, of a horrible case of a woman chastising a man who had just come out of the hospital after his little boy had just passed away. All she could think about in her selfishness was the fact he tripped over a purse and kicked it. Here for more worries on his mind and her job was to simply forgive and not pay attention. At the most, she could have said in a kind way,"Uh, you just tripped over my purse." Then if she did, she would have had the moral duty to listen politely while he lamented on his terrible loss.

We are all guilty, myself included, of jumping to conclusions and being too upset at someone, not knowing the pain they were feeling. (It's harder for me because with my handicaps I can't see there gestures as well to know if something might be a problem, so I try a lot harder to be nice, but I'm still human.) This is why we should not be thinking we must have justice on others in a rash manner, but must look at our own selves first and, then, seek the Lord. He states several times that vengeance is His, and that He will repay. He'll do a much better job than we ever could.

Why? God knows our hearts. He knows what each of us is thinking at any time. "You know my thoughts afar off," as part of Psalm 139 says. He knows exactly when we should have compassion on someone and when we should seek justice. He knows who is hurting terribly and who may realize they have done something wrong but just needs us to kindly speak to them and show forgiveness. And, he knows what needs a tough response.

America has had a lot of horrible things go on in its history. I've always said, we need to repent not just for the last 40 years, but the last four hundred years of our history. It could be argued that God's justice is deserved, but we also need to remember God's mercy.

The Bible shows God is love many times. Even when his people turned from Him so much, even as they crucified Him, He cried out, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34) I don't have time to get into great detail, but the Godhead(explained a bit more here) is how God manifests Himself in three ways, just as I might say, "I am a legally blind male, I am a baseball fan, I am such and such height." One person, three attributes.(Here is another good site to explain some questions Muslims have about the Bible, etc. Or, you can visit here and click that you make a decision or not and get connected to talk to someone personally.)

So, one of the big names of God is love. He is a very personal God who desires a personal relationship with each of us. He wants to give us justice. However, it's delayed sometimes because, first, sometimes His divine justice contains so much wrath against sin many innocents would die unless He waited and gave people time to repent; and, second, we ourselves need to get right with God and He is waiting on us.

Jesus made full atonement for us on the cross when He died, then rose from the dead. This way, punishment was handed out for our sins, and yet He also showed His mercy. Since Jesus was God in flesh, He went to the cross willingly for each of us. It is our job to share that mercy and grace and love with others.

When we don't Romans 12:20-21 says it's as if we heap burning coals on their forehead when we have been forgiving and they have continued to be defiant instead of ending the terrible oppression of this world.

You can see, then, how that divine mercy plays out. This doesn't mean America is off the hook, of course. But, that is because one must trust Jesus Christ to forgive them and save them first. And, in the same way, this country must repent. That means each of us.

What is Repentance and How do I do it?

When we repent, we are simply agreeing with God that our sins dispease Him and then turning away from those sins by accepting that He took the punishment for those sins. Nobody else could do so becasue all of us are iperfect. Only Jesus couldbe the perfect sacrifice because only He is perfect.

So, repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus Christ to forgive us is vital for a personal relationship with God. Then, we can pray anytime, anywhere, about anythign, we aren't limited by any strict rules. God comes to live in each beleiver through the Holy Spirit in this age of Grace.

It's as easy as ABC, one might say - Admit you're a sinner and don't deserve His perfect heaven, where there's no pain, no suffering, no tears, none can imagine the wonders; Believe Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for your sins and rose fromt he dead; and, call on His to save you and turn from your sins, trusting Him to make you new inside. You're only a single,s incere prayer of repentance away from eternal life - and that life starts the moment you believe. You can pray something like this, knowing the words don't save you, it has to be your own words from your heart asking Him to save you. "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, I know you died to take the punishment for my sins so I could go to Heaven, because I can't make it myself. Lord Jesus, come into my heart and save me, I turn from my sins and trust you to make me new, to give me the "want to" to follow and serve you and to not sin. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for saving my woulk, and coming into my heart. In Jesus' name, Amen."

And, what of America's fate?

Trust the Lord to save you, and when you pray, you will be a mighty voice crying out for God to heal this land. This land really does need healed, but it is not we ourselves who can heal us. There is a spirit of decay that set in centuries ago and which only got partly fixed several tiems.

Now, America is at a crossroads. Justice is a very real need - and God is waiting. But, in the meantime, we all need His mercy becuase of our sins.Not only that, but when we do repent and trust Him by faith, he will reward us and hear those prayers. I don't know what exactly God's plan is, but He wants you as a great prayer warrior.

So, when it comes to justice, just remember, God will prevail. He has already promised it, showing how much damage will come partly becasue of man's own evil ways. Revelation bears it out - the devil's time is short and he wants to cause as much destruction as possible.  So, justice will be done.

It's important to remember God's divine mercy, too, so we ourselves can be saved and we can share that mercy with others. Becasue, in times past many people pretended to know God but didn't. But, He still exists and He wants to be part of you, guiding, helping, comforting, and so much more as He has me for 25 years and counting, and for as long as the Lord tarries His return.

Will America be judged soon? Focus on sharing Gospel, having faith & trusting God to get you through turmoil

Some people believe America is due for judgment quickly. Is it? I can't say for certain, but this much Ican say.

The Dow Jones had been going down substantially before a rally, as have other markets, and this could continue. America has so much debt even 3 years ago the very respected Forbes Magazine ran an article asking if America was bankrupt.. More importantly, America is morally bankrupt on a number of fronts. I won't get into what, because the key is to occupy till Jesus comes.

How do we do that? The key is not to focus on the future by worrying about it, but to focus on the present and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Remember, the Spirit lives in each believer. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and He lives in you, the moment you trust Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, calling on him by faith and asking him to do so.

The next key is to share Christ salvation with everyone. It is vital to have a good testimony. If you are harboring sin, pain, or whatever in your heart, give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it. He wants to help you like this, because he loves you. He loves all of us. It's just that that personal relationship with Him can only exist if we have Him living inside us.

When you share Jesus Christ with others, it is important to have the words to share what God has done in your life. It doesn't have to be some amazing thing. Just that you feel more peace since you've known him, or that He helped you in a certain situation, or something like that. Here is a great little video on how to do this.

Remember the Bible reveals God is the God of all comfort(2 Cor. 1:3-5), he will provide a peace that passes understanding(Phil. 4:6-7), He will supply wisdom whenever you need it(James 1:5), and many other things. He lets you build treasure in Heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt and thieves cannot break forth in steel. In other words, treasure that will never grow old, wear out, or become useless.

God is a personal God, He desires a personal relationship with each of us.

There are many other things you can share with people which will allow them to see they can follow Jesus Christ and know that He will never leave them or forsake them.

But, what about this debt, or this Shemittah some talk about?  Or the blood red moons?

First, we are to rightly divide the Word of Truth.(2 Tim.2:15) We must never expect that God will use the same thing to signal Israel than He will to signal a Gentile nation like ours, because He works specifically with His people  in ways He doesn't with others. Even regarding Israel, there is no guarantee that something will happen. It could, as some scholars believe, but it's just as possible these only fulfill Luke 21:25-26 as far as peoples' hearts failing them for fear. It doesn't have to be something as dramatic as the rapture, even - the Iran nuclear deal could be what we look back on and know was the big thing.(Also, that doesn't mean war is imminent there. Look at 1492 as an example - Jews were expelled from Spain, but communication and travel logistics means they were not likely all out for several years afterward. So, war between Iran and its allies against Israel as prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39 could still be years away.)

No, we must focus on other thigns in the United States. And, there are many signs of decay. However, the best advice it not to panic or hoard everything. It is to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all they ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.(Prov. 3:5-6) He knows what will happen and when or whether a large earthquake, volcano, etc.. His Holy Spirit will guide you. It's just important to remember not to act based on fear, but on faith. He has give us a spirit of lvoe, peace, faith, etc..

So, if after much prayer you feel led to do something like sell your stocks, too it - but don't bury it in yoru backyard and yell "the sky is falling" like Chicken Littel. Instead, recognize God's will and that His ultimate will is seeing souls saved, and go out and share Him with others.

Because, in sharing Him while having confidence that God will get you through, those who are afraid will wonder what's different about you and you can then share how that relationship with Jesus gets you through everything, just as He gets me through everything with the handicaps I have. Because our goal should be to make Him know and to love one another, for they shall know we are Christians by our love. And, if you have concerns, give them to Jesus. And, you can always go to Jesus2020.com with questions. And, you can learn how to be a spiritual leader here, too.

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.

Forgiveness (and context) - the 5 W's and an H of it

Young journalists as far back as middle school or even grade school newspapers learn the 5 W's and an H - who, what, where, when, why, and how.

In this post on forgiveness and how this relates to the need for revival, I started to put enough of those W's in the title I decided to simply title it as I did. They won't be in the exact order as above, but not all articles use that order, either. (Or even all six. The location of the Super Bowl will often be buried in a story about the actual game, if it's given at all, for instance. There might not be a "where" here either, except as it relates to "when," but the others are here.)

Forgiveness has been given many definitions. A nice, simple one will actually help the discussion on our problem as a nation with understanding context in a little bit. In an 8th season episode of "Full House," eight-year-old Michelle tells her 3-year-old cousins it means something like, "You love me and you'll give me another chance."

A good Biblical one is wiping the slate clean. That doesn't mean to put yourself in harm's way - forgiveness doesn't mean you let someone keep throwing rocks at you, it just means you give up the chance to throw rocks back at them, something very common in people.

This spirit of anger and  frustration is part of our human nature that comes to the forefront a lot when it comes to lack of forgiveness, because it is our nature to want to retaliate; hence the saying, "To err is human, to forgive divine."

Forgiveness is done regardless of context, but context makes it easier, just as in my example about the person who cuts you off in traffic. When we forgive, we choose not to retaliate (in action, word, or thought) regardless of the context. However, if the person is rushing to the hospital to see a relative who has been badly hurt, it's much easier to forgive than if the person is just a lousy driver. the points are that, first, we used to be more forgiving regardless of which it is (or if it's both), and second, sometimes there is no way to know the context (unless you see them peeling into a hospital parking lot) and so that attitude of forgiveness should be with us anyway, instead of the intense rushing to judgment that I mentioned earlier we need to repent of as part of our seeking forgiveness for ourselves and our country.

Interestingly, I read a few comments once that said it didn't sound like something an 8-year-old would say. I replied that it might be a bit advanced for normal conversation, but it's exactly like what a child that age memorizes in Sunday School to get a piece of candy. And, fans of "Full House" certainly recall how she loved chocolate. :-)

What was happening when people complained about this line was an act of refusing to grasp context. Context is vital in many things. My last post on our society's obsession with computer screens listed a few reasons and results, such as people who don't always have the depth of relationships. This lack of depth perception, if you will, also leads to problems in context like this. Granted there is a presumption - that she had, at some point, been in a Sunday School or Vacation Bible School setting and memorized this. However, it's a very plausible one - Stephanie prays for her favorite stuffed animal friend, Mr. Bear, to be returned in "Goodbye, Mr. Bear," Kimmy says she baked strudels int he shape of the Wise Men once, and a couple other things indicate the girls would at least have ridden a bus or van to church at times. Michelle is nuts about chocolate and she'd use any excuse to try and get some, too. So, you can see that in context, it's very plausible Michelle would recite that to Nicky and Alex when she apologizes and asks them to forgive her for getting frustrated and yelling at them, as 8-year-olds do at times.

(I won't get into the fact shows take place over days many times, and we see only 1/2 hour out of 168 in their lives each week (1/336th) - it's not a presumption that they have full lives outside of what we see on TV, even between scenes in the episodes themselves.)

Are we forgiving - and healthy - as we should be?

Forgiveness, then, is something we did a lot more of before, and should do now - in fact, even secular studies show forgiveness is very healthy. In fact, we like to think we are a very forgiving society, but there is actually a big problem. We often refuse to give second chances, or we do only after retaliating.

The reasons, of course, are the same as why people don't always choose to wipe the slate clean on other things. Peer pressure, wanting to seem "better than the other person," etc.. This desire to see who looks the best on the outside is one of the main problems of our politically correct culture, and is why so few are willing to give second chances, such as with Colin Cowherd's latest fumbling of words on ESPN radio. Was he wrong to say it the way he said it? Yes, of course. Could one have chosen to interpret him as trying to talk about the lack of educational opportunities instead of about intelligence? Yes, but it was taken by many as a comment about intellectual ability instead.

However, the point is that people often are let go rather than others forgiving and giving a chance to make amends. (Of course, context is crucial in the above case, too - he was leaving very soon for Fox Sports anyway. Perhaps a different action would have been taken otherwise.)

Indeed, when we fail to forgive others, it is one of those things I noted earlier makes it hard for this nation to see repentance revival. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer." We are all sinners, but what this is saying is, God won't listen to a prayer being made while you're plotting something evil, desiring to take revenge yourself on someone, etc.. "Vengeance is mine," saith the Lord; indeed, if we do good to those who hate us we heap burning coals on their foreheads.(Rom.12:20-21) We should pray for God to deal with a  person and not desire to avenge ourselves. He does a much better job, anyway.

We claim to be forgiving, but forgiveness should involve accepting we all have faults, as noted, and being willing to start anew. (This post was actually wiped 90% clean at one point; it was my blunder that caused it to be 90% wiped out, but forgiving ourselves is also important; a good message about that is here. But the devil tries to distract us, too, so as I mentioned in the post on spiritual warfare, the devil really hates the idea of this getting out.)

How to forgive (and repent)

By accepting others' faults, we are not saying that they are right, it is only saying we are improving, too, and we are all working on things. As a signature file on one person's posts I saw once in a forum said, "Help me forgive those who sin differently than I do." We may not all cut people off in traffic (especially if like me you can't see enough to drive) but we do other things that fall short of perfection.

This is why the Bible says, "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."(Eph.4:32) In other words, that childrens' paraphrase from earlier - just as God gives us each another chance, many times over, we should to others.

Indeed, God is constantly giving us second chances. His first words to the first sinners were "Where art thou?" (Note: You can also hear an audio recreation here.) He wanted to give Adam another chance. Had Adam not come out of hiding and admitted he'd done wrong(albeit blaming someone else) he could not have gotten this chance, but he did. Yes, a penalty had to be enforced for the sin, but God covered their sin by shedding innocent blood (likely a lamb), symbolizing how He would one day come in the person of Jesus Christ, GOd in flesh, to take the punishment for all the world's sin.

It is in this way we should forgive, before the person even apologizes. In demanding an apology, we are saying forgiveness is not free when it should be. This is how God does it, after all. Yes, repentance is needed to cleanse us, but remember that repentance isn't just "saying you're sorry." Repentance is turning from your sin and trusting Jesus to save you, calling on Jesus by faith to cleanse you from sin.

Then, because He "bore our sins in His body"(1 pet. 2:24), and "became sin for us" though he "knew no sin"(2 Cor.5:21), He will save you and take away all your sins, past, present, and future. We can't do anything to earn it, it is "by grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man coast."(Eph.2:8-9) In other words, it's a free gift, not earned or deserved. Then, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:9)

So, we should forgive because we are not perfect, either. It doesn't mean putting ourselves in harm's way, but it does mean giving the person more chances whenever that is possible - within reason, that is, of course. And, sometimes a penalty must be assessed first; at times a severe one, such as Michael Vick's before he returned to the NFL. But, he is also a perfect case of someone who did successfully change. IF only our nation's people could repent and seek God to change them inside that quickly.

However, we live in such a vengeful society today, especially with the people venting all their emotion on social media, that it can be very hard. It involves setting aside sometimes very serious emotions. But, that is why we need to do it even more, by admitting we ourselves are also at fault at times.

Connecting back to national repentance

Where does this have to do with repentance? As i noted several times, we have so much dividing us, and we must come together as one race, the human race, realizing we are all humans who must come together in prayer for this country. There are things we must seek forgiveness for in the last 400 years, not just the last 40.

Sometimes, praying for the oppressors as well as the oppressed can help us learn to forgive them anyway; indeed, Jesus tells us to pray for those who despitefully use us. But, it's also important, on a personal level, to avoid this desire to seek revenge and instead to offer forgiveness and a sense of peace that can then spread.

Sure, there will be some who refuse to truly come out and admit things, even after many years. But, remember that this kind of person is the one God will judge because they refuse to let Him remove their sins - if they have not trusted and called on Jesus to forgive them, they will be separated from God's perfect love forever in a horrible place created only for the devil and his rebellious angels. If they are saved having unconfessed sin will cause them to lose blessigns and rewards and possibly ruin their testimony.(And remember, just as Jesus said there would be false Chirsts, there are people who only pretend to be Christians. We don't know the peoples' hearts.)

So, become more forgiving and understanding. As a spirit of being more forgiving and undertanding spreads, it will cause managements and others to do the same.

This Spirit must come from God, though. For Him to heal our land, We must turn from our wicked ways as God says in Jeremiah 18:7-10.(2 Chronicles 7:14 is also quoted a lot, but while it's possible it only refers to God's chosen people, Israel, these verses clearly refer to Gentile nations.)

It is hard for us ourselves, in our flesh. But, that is why knowing God first is essential, so he can fill you with His Spirit and let you grow in your love for others, letting the compassion for others grow as vengeance, retaliation, and so on shrink in your mind as you focus more and more on that unconditional love. And, instead of jumping on others right away for somethign bad, forgive, just as God has forgiven you.

Prayer - the strongest connection possible

The world has lots of chaos outside the U.S., as well as inside. We know God has it under control. Here, for instance, is a good illustration of how the Bible tells us of the coming wars - not necessarily in order - which will occur, though it's possible the war of Ezekiel 38-39 will be during the Tribulation or that Isaiah 17 is telling about Damascus being destroyed naturally. But, Jesus also tells us that in Him, we can have peace - in this world we will have tribulation, but we can be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world.(John 16:33)

That connection with Jesus comes through the Holy Spirit, which is how He promises to live in each believer.(John 14-16, Ephesians 1:13,14,etc.) God is one God who manifests Himself in 3 persons because He felt it was the best way to make Himself known; this is the Godhead(Col.2:9) Those who know the Lord personally can talk with God anywhere, anytime, about anything through prayer. We can share with Him the innermost fears, triumphs, anguish, joy, heartbreak, everything. Look at how Jesus calmly accepted Mary and Martha's rebukes after their brother Lazarus died(John 11) for instance.

Nowadays, people seek connections which are much more temporary and at times much more shallow, as in the incredible size of Facebook and Twitter, and how people seem glued to their phones while texting.

Some is just the pace of things. The first person to say, "Stop the world, I want off" wasn't born in the 21st century or probably even the 20th. There is a much more intense increase in focus on computer screens(personal computer and cell phone ones) as opposed to normal bonding. And, that's understandable with the vast amount of information available - anyone can easily Google something they have a question on via their smartphone, or simply provide information or even entertainment to friends and family or to the whole world.

In fact, the Bible prophesied this. Daniel prophesied 2,500 years ago something which is no doubt true today - "Many shall go to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."(Dan.12:4) That "going to and fro" implies a constant flitting about like a hummingbird with a caffeine rush, going from place to place at a ridiculous pace. The increase in knowledge implies a continual increase, exponential growth in fact. This is certainly true today, with what we know doubling every 22 months a few years ago and less now.(Not that we're real close to the end - Dr. H.A. Ironside was saying the same thing about the last days decades ago. But, we're a lot closer than we were.)

(It should be noted a secondary meaning concerns understanding the Book of Daniel itself and Jesus as Messiah. It's important o always interpret Scripture with Scripture to understand it, and also when in doubt to go to the original languages of the Antiochan Texts. Here is a good example of how not doing so hides the richness of God's Word in the different lessons which may be drawn from it.)

Jesus - the calming, loving answer

This constant movement and increase in information can prevent relationships from being as deep as possible. We were meant for interpersonal relationships, but some don't feel a closeness to others because they are, in some sense, too wary because things seem to come and go so often, but also, trying to interpret the depth of things is so difficult at times because they are hit with so many other things, they feel an intense amount of pressure to do so much that they are, in a sense, backing away by having only computer contact. This lack of depth perception, if you will, leads to other problems, such as not grasping the need to keep some things private and not online.

The wonderful thing is that God provides an answer for every situation - and, His Word will give you security even int he most troublesome times.

Jesus bears our burden for more than just sin. He'll provide constant contact just like an online situation, except His love is so much deeper. That's the reason He promised that the Holy Spirit would come and live in each believer, in fact. God desires a relationship with us. This world was made perfect with no sin, but we lost that fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit when sin entered the world.(Gen.3) Once it is restored upon our trusting Jesus Christ as Saviouir, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us andwe canf ellowship with God the way we were meant to. Sure, things can come between us like sin, but when they do, he lovingly points them out and we can forsake them easily if our hearts are tender enough. This "Full House" fanfic, an AU where Michelle's accident is worse, is a great illustration of how the Spirit can work while praying and how such really heartfelt prayer can work.

This is why repentance is so vital for revival to take place, but also why I say it should be easy and anyone can do it. It's just talking to God. . Prayer doesn't have to be really fancy wording. It's just sharing your heart with God.

Sharing one's heart might feel hard for some people - which could be another reason some prefer online communication so they don't have to share what may be very painful memories and intense feelings. But, the key is, God knows what we need - He just wants us to be humble and willing to admit we need His help. that's why we pray when He knows our needs. If we don't pray for something we are saying, "I can do this myself."

The problem is, we are powerless against the spiritual warfare that is out there combating us, and we need His help. Those intense feelings that you might have, those can be shared with God and He will give you strength to cope, He'll give you a strategy for making things better - maybe the circumstances won't change but you will be changing so things can improve for some, such as an older sibling becoming like a parent in a home where parents are emotionalhy absent. and so on. Maybe you can't save the world but you can save one person, for instance. If you are that older teen, for example, maybe can lean on God as the spiritual leader - when you focus on others it takes your mind off your own problems. Indeed, I blogged a free book here on doing just that, being a spiritual leader in the home.

There is so much turmoil out there because of modern life, we need Jesus more than ever.

He will be the answer when you ask how to get through something; he may not heal all your physical ailments (I've had numerous handicaps since birth) but He will heal you spiritually. He is also the answer when you want a friend who will be there forever.

Jesus  called His disciples friends

Yes, He called them friends, and will call you friend, too.

This does *not* mean you can just ignore who He is - He is the sinless, holy, all-powerful, etc. Creator of the Universe. he must be approached with respect and reverence, but at the same time, He is willing to hear that prayer for a puppy or kitten that is hurt, all the way up to a scary battle with cancer you or a loved one face, or anything in between.

And, He will be beside you all the time. He will live in you through the Holy Spirit,a nd will never leave you or forsake you.(Heb.13:5,Jude 24,Rom.8:36-39) Each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life, but that eternal life begins at the moment you trust Him to save you by calling on Him by simple faith to do so, believing He took all the punishment for your sins when he died and rose from the dead.

That constant contact with the Creator of the Universe is possible only because of His amazing grace, not anything we have done or could do. Once it's received, then of course like any relationship communication is key, but that will be so easy. You can share your deepest thoughts with Him and know He will never leave you or forsake you. You can read His Word and He'll speak to you, you can hear His still, small voice through the Spirit, and many other things I don't have time to get into. Just remember, anything you take in must agree with His Word, or it can't be from Him.

So, I pray you will use this chance while we are in the Age of Grace to develop that relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants to have a relationship with you. Indeed, His love for you is far beyond anything mankind could imagine, even the people of a century ago who constantly had those much deeper relationships.

To let Him be that constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, etc., it takes that single, sincere prayer of repentance something like this, remember the words don't save, it's Jesus who saves when you trust Him: "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I can't reach your perfect heaven on my own. But, Lord, I know you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I believe you took my punishment on the cross for my sins. Lord Jesus, today I choose to call on you by faith to save me, come live in me and  make me new inside. I turn from my sins and I trust you completely as my Saviour. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Seek Jesus to change hearts, lives with intercessory prayer, not just "civilization"

The most recent post shared our need to return to a nation of kindness, decency, etc., and how we must all do our part. However, I wanted to use this one to caution that a Christian civilization does not mean everyone has a relationship with Christ, and that is where we have messed up.

Winston Churchill most famously used this term in his "Finest Hour" speech concerning the soon to come Battle of Britain. (The sound excerpt with that phrase is here.) Set against the backdrop of Hitler's overrunning of Europe, of course, it's easy to see the greatness of nations dedicated to Godly principles and the virtues of that freedom - in fact the story of one great prayer warrior, Rees Howells, though he had flaws in his teaching, is overall very valuable for how he prayed during that terrible conflict. However, it's also very easy to see their flaws when compared to what Jesus commands and also places such as James 5:1-7, one of numerous verses which warn against rich people taking advantage of and oppressing the poor. There were horrible examples of false pride which came from those who thought it was their way of life which should be exalted, when it fact it is Christ which must be exalted. The Bible warns of often that pride cometh before a fall, and of the danger of worshiping the creature and not the Creator.

Overall, of course, the expectations of honesty, compassion on the poor, care for the less fortunate, kindness, gentleness, and so on certainly urged some to behave that way even if they didn't want to. Indeed, given the intense violence, mayhem, greed, and so on in today's culture, one could argue that it caused many people to behave in a Godly manner even though they merely had "a form of godliness, yet denying the power thereof."(2 Tim.3:5) The difference being that whereas before, such people honored God with their lips and their actions, but didn't have Him in their hearts, in these last days (the subject of 2 Timothy 3 as, for instance, this radio show describes) they merely honor God with their lips and not even their actions.

This shows why it is necessary to have changed hearts and lives, not just changed actions. It's not too late for this nation (and world), though time may be incredibly short. However, the choice is clear.

We must start with the Church

I've noted before that the Holy Spirit works in hearts, but the purpose is to convict people of their need for a Saviour, and that Jesus Christ has taken the punishment for their sins by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. If that person is not saved, He moves in their heart to lovingly woo them to Jesus. If they are, they will realize their need to repent and turn back to Him. After all, just becasue a person has been saved doesn't mean they stop needing Jesus' guidance, comfort, peace, help, correction, etc.. We all still have that sin nature, after all.

That's the first thing the Church must realize; we can't do it all ourselves, and we are not going to bring the Kingdom by changing the world ourselves. "Christian civilization was an important, stark contract to the evils of Hitler, but it was never going to change hearts. The Holy Spirit is needed for that.

However, when people come to Christ and repent, they are conceding to God that He is able to judge right and wrong and they turn away from that sin.

This is why those who emphasize what they believe in or don't believe in have it all wrong.  That's not what should set Christians apart; Jesus says so Himself. "He who hath the Son hath everlasting life" - not "He who does these things."

Now,if your significant other is afraid of heights you aren't going to force them to skydive, and you will likely be a bit more understanding if they beg you not to do it. In fact, God might use that to save your life if he knows you would die in a terrible accident if you try. So, there are things we choose to do or not do because of our love for Him and what He has done for us. But, they are not done because we have to, but because we want to, like we don't want to get that SO so anxious by makign a death-defying skydive froma  ridiculous height.(Okay, can you tell I'd be scared to death of it? :-) )

Praying for transformed nation must be because people want it

We've seen major differences between the civilization spoken of at first and true Christianity. All point back to a focus on the outward appearance. it must be a heart and mind transformation that is sought.

That is hard in some areas. Some hearts are so hardened by the evil out there that while they might be easily swayed to trust Jesus Christ to save them, it will be hard for them to give up the intense vulgarity, anger, pain,a nd so on they have lived with their whole lives.

However, that is where we come in with how we treat them, lovingly coming alongside them and helping them. The Fruit of teh Spirit, showed in Galatians 5:22-23, has things that the Holy Spirit gives everyone, but while the Spirit is what helps them grow, it's also true that we can water while God gives the increase, just as when Paul, Apollos, and others led people to Christ at Corinth.(1 Cor.1-3) We can do that by lovingly encouraging that patience, self-control, meekness, and so on. They will see a difference and, while they might struggle, the Spirit in them will be working, becuase "He which hath begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."(Phi.1:6)

Thsi highlights another problem we've had, and that is not emphasizing why it's important to be kind, polite, respectful, etc. - there is so much noise out there agaisnt these and other Godly virtues. Any lust seems to be one that the world says to follow right away rather than focusing on other things.

This is where we need God to work. This is where we need to repent as a nation. GBut, even that must be done by individuals, as I mentioned Daniel doing in earlier posts.

But, some action must be done on our own, too, with God's help. These items can be divided into 3 main parts I can think of, though I'm sure there are others and subparts of these:

1. Items God let us handle but we haven't done the best. Let's face it's we're all one race, the human race. This is something people tried to show on their own in a Star Trek style of "let's jsut have everyone get along," becasue God allowed it, since churches were being really bad at ending racism. We've done okay, but as events hve shown in Charleston, Baltimore, etc., it hasn't ended the problem because it's a heart issue, and God's Holy Spirit needs to come down and bild from where we've come. But, we're okay here; this is like a 2YO who tries to dress themself and got halfway there, but pants are backward and a head and arm are in the neck hole and you have to help them a little.

2. Items where we've rebelled against God's ways. In the other direction, there are things we've gotten wrong. We have such voracious lust for money, sensual lusts, etc., that these override our senses and lead to many bad things, including eating disorders because girls think they have to look like models instead of seeing their inner beauty.  Some of this stems from a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality which is totally unBiblical - God tells us "Be content with such things as ye have, for He hath said, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'"(Heb.13:5)  These items also include things which have come due to not focusing on things which are good, such as the many things of Philippians 4:8, or seeing the proper way to use something God created which is wonderful in its proper context, for "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled..."(Heb.13:4) even in things where God has rules, He gives us fun choices within the rules. Just like that partner might not enjoy skydiving, but you can do other fun things together and get thrills other ways.

3. Common sense items. This is one God has to change the most, but people can start that process by encoruaging the thinking process God is needed to restore common sense to America becasue we can't do it ourselves, it requires that people begin o think about consequences, but there are so many individual examples I can't go into them all. Ending the litigious nature of society would be a big example of one that is tied to #2 on the list(ending the lust for money), whereas others are not tied to any particular one but just show a lack of thinking. The entire focus on the outward appearance insted of looking on the heart could be considered a bit of both.

Remember, it comes down to seeking God's face and repenting

It can be argued whether 2 Chronicles 7:14 is meant only for Israel or Israel and the Church, but Jeremish 18:7-10 is clearly speaking of any nation. Plus, Nineveh repented and was spared for a while when jonah preached there, and they were not Jewish. So, God is willing to forgive.

He needs us to turn to Him, though. Notice that the Laodicean Church in REvelation 3 doesn't even have Jesus in it - He is standing at the door and knocking because the people have forgotten Him.

Let's not forget Jesus. let us pray for America like never before, seeking God and turning from evil just as it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Remember that we must rely on the Holy Spirit to save, but that once a person has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour, they become new on the inside and hve the right to go boldly before the throne of grace.(Heb.4:15-16)

Let us use that freedom God has give us to pray for America and to pass on the word, interceding on His behalf, and if you have never trusted Christ as your Saviour, it is very easy to do so. You're only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from everlasting life.

Honesty, kindness, compassion, etc. - Use freedom to return to God's standards

The last post came quickly, first thoughts after hearing of a crisis. That first thought was to go to God for help, knowing we are not fighting for victory, we're working from a point where we already *have* victory.

Now, that is an important thing to do when we face a problem, go to the Lord for help. But, with more time, when the world is between acute crises, s Paul Harvey used to say, what should we be doing?

Absolute right and wrong have existed since the foundation of the world. This world was made perfect, with no sin, disease, death etc. Once sin came into the world, such kindness, compassion, respect, etc. was not universal - to say nothing of all the other sins that were occurring. So, God provided a way to cover that sin, with all the sacrifices made up until Jesus being symbols of what Jesus Christ, God in flesh, would do for us. This is why John the Baptist sees Jesus and instantly cries out, "Behold the Lamb of God which take us away the sin of the world."(John 1:29)

We, as one human race, were meant to communicate and fellowship in a caring way without any interference by outside differences. What differences there were in personality were meant to be celebrated and not be hindrances to communication..More importantly , we were meant to be honest, kind, caring, respectful, and many other things to everyone, regardless of who they were. We were not meant to be selfishly uplifting ourselves at the expense of others, or putting others down needlessly. Certainly, we were meant to tell the truth in love (like, "Honey, you're a great cook, but Brussels sprouts in ice cream just doesn't seem like it would taste good.)  And, we were meant to be able to laugh at our own foibles. (Such as , you'll never believe what flavor ice cream I tried to make - it was so silly!")

While we weren't perfect, we insisted upon those attributes of honesty, kindness, self-control, etc.for much of our history. It is only in the last decades that we have ignored such things, and that has been to our great hurt. It's true that in numerous ways years ago our hearts were far from the Lord. But, we shouldn't throw it all out, because there were many great attributes we insisted upon as normal for a civilized, God-honoring society.

Why we stopped honoring those time-honored truths is very complex. At times, we were too legalist, and rather than sorting out which rules were appropriate people decided they didn't want any rules. There was no desire for a relationship, it was all about rules, and where there is no relationship there is no feeling of wanting to follow those Godly values; it's not true love when you follow rules because you have to, there needs to be that want to do so. In fact, one way that change of heart upon repentance has been described is that one's "want to' changes, their desire for certain things changes.

Where do we fit in?

 First, we shouldn't expect the world to act like the Bible says true followers of Christ should act. It used to more often, though even then there were of course exceptions. Crime occurred in the 1950s and 1960s, but not with the frequency of today, for instance. Now, however, it should be easier to tell the difference between followers of Christ and the world

Sadly, it isn't always.

So, the first step is to be in the world but not of it. Follow those Godly rules of honesty, decency, compassion, and so on, while building a relationship with Jesus Christ so He will help you to draw people to Him.

And, so when yo pray for this country, He will hear you, as He will be a faithful friend, but like a true friend, He will say in a loving way, "Hey, you know this situation, here's a better way to do it where you'll show a more Godly example." And, of course, we know that Jesus Christ set the ultimate example. He won't try to keep you from making Brussels sprout ice cream, of course; His leadership will be in the areas of decency, courtesy, etc.. This is not so he can stop our fun but so we can have even more fun, so He can help us to have that life more abundantly He promises in John 10:10. After all, He gives us things such as in Philippians 4:8 we can focus on that are wonderful and fulfilling becasue they are much deeper than the oftentimes shallow things of today that don't last.

When people see our relationship with Jesus and how abundant our lives are, they will want to follow. That means those who have trusted Christ as Saviour and see you taking the lead, it also means those who hve never trusted Christ as Saviour.

The Holy Spirit's part

God plays a part, too. The Holy Spirit lives in each person who has trusted Christ, but His job is also to work int he lives of the unsaved and woo them to Christ. Here is a great article on the Spirit's work there, but to sum it up, the Holy Spirit is not there to convict people of the need to behave morally, he is there to convict people of the fact they fall short of the glory of God and need the Saviour; they need Christ's righteousness imputed to themselves becasue they can't stand on their own.

But, notice that this still requires us to work at not being like the world. Becasue, if people don't see a difference in us, they may say, "Wait, where's the fruit of this salvation you speak of?"

God understands that we all struggle at times. But, that's why He calls the Spirit the Comforter, so He can guide us in a loving way to follow Him, as we are comforted that He is there with us. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:17; that means a continual filling, a total control by the Spirit. It's how we can more easily flee from temptation(James 4:7-8) and take that way of escape God promises when we face temptation.(1 Cor. 10:13)

Of course, one can try to explain that just because someone says they are Christian doesn't mean they are, and that one should look to God's Word, but understanding that would require a common sense that is lacking in many today.  So, how do we get that common sense back to restore America?

Restoring common sense will require God healing our land

There is a delicate balance between legalism and liberalism. It could be argued that the body of Christ has rarely had the right balance throughout history. But, what can't be argued is that a society founded on moral principles such s decency, fairness, compassion, mercy, etc., held those standards because they believed them to be right - common sense, really. it wouldn't be unusual to hear a person say, 100 years ago, "Well of course we need to be honest and have self-co0ntrol and..."

Where our culture has gone, though, we need God to heal us. But, the good news is that He is a God of second chances. We may face some major battles, but He can do it.

He needs us to take the lead, though.

That means he needs you, as a prayer warrior, as a spiritual leader no matter what age, gender, etc., as discussing at takethespirituallead.blogspot.com.

To encourage such things without seeming too preachy may be difficult, but look at the impact social media has on culture. It has been a part of some major positive and negative things. If you just keep tweeting this post and urging others to read, though, jsut that will be a major step. In fact, this should be done to any post in this blog as we must urge people to come to know the Lord. Because, only then will we see a change.

We can certainly be inclusive within the rules - we are all one race, of the same blood, and we know that your young people need help. Not everyone had a stable, two-parent home but everyone has access to Jesus Christ to guide and direct them if they just call on Him. They can also go to sites like Jesus2020.com (en Espanol, jesucristo2020.com) and click to talk to someone about the Lord. Young people can get organized, women can get organized, to take a stand against the meanness and oppression of the streets even without men present. Because, if God be for us, who can be against us, as the Bible says.

Our inner cities but also our suburbs and everywhere else need revival. It starts with you. And, that starts with knowing the Lord. So, I ask, have you come to the place in your life where you know if you died today, you would go to Heaven? And, what are you basing that on?

Salvation is by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.(Eph.2:8-9) God doesn't want us to be able to boast we were somebody special to get there, just as here on earth He doesn't want people to be puffed up in their own pride. It is so simple, each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life.

And, while it is not the words that save, but Jesus who saves when you put your trust in Him, something like this in your own words as a simple heart-mind decision is all it takes... "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I believe you took the punishment for my sin when you died on the cross and then you rose from the dead, becasue I can't save myself by my own good works. But, Lord Jesus, I believe you did all that was needed to get me to heaven, because you are God in flesh. Lord Jesus, today I choose to call on you to save me, I call on you to please forgive me and invite you into my heart and life, to make me a new creature. I repent, I turn away from all my sin and I trust you to save me. And, I believe by my simple faith that you have saved me and come into my heart and made me new inside. In Jesus' name,A men."

It could be short than that - Admit, Believe Call/Choose is a common way I've heard, as is Confess, Believe, Accept.

What matters is that God wants to save His people . He wants to hear our prayers. he wants to protect the children but nobody is stepping out in faith and praying for Him to do so and doing what they can, such as by spreadign the word and by sharing the Gospel.

Won't you please join in the movement to declare this our Independence Day, to be free to return this country to common sense - not on our own strength but with God's Holy Spirit leading the way. And, of course, being those Christlike examples, following the whole counsel of God, so that the world can see a difference and see, "Wow, those Christians love each other with an unconditional love, they care about others, they're so full of the joy of their relationship with Jesus Christ and not hung up on the outward appearance They aren't overwhelmed by lusts. They're not vulgar and mean sounding. I want what they have."

Because, when it comes down to it, we're just beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.