Teen moms, God wants to provide your needs, just ask Him

First, God loves you. I don't know what you know about Him - He wants us to use things like humility, equality, and common sense, for instance, and to help us avoid danger and so on. I've posted elsewhere on this blog about proofs of God, etc.; you can read those on your own. (Here for instance is a good one focusing on reaching Muslims with God's unconditional love.) I also wrote this free blog book you can print out on how to run a family God's way, too.

Your child is a blessing and so are you. Each person is always special to someone - especially God. Psalm 139:14 and beyond proves it. You are "fearfully and wonderfully made." You got pregnant because God wanted to bless you. You haven't ruined your life. You just have added responsibility now, but God can and will use you.

I'm sure some will read that and say, "All I want right now is for him/her to be healthy." That's great - but God's promise is for now and the future. Because you can and should pray for your child even when they are wee little so you can model it and teach them of Jesus' love. As I share here, you can share anything on your heart, just trust God to change your heart to be more like Him, too; that's part of intercessory prayer. And, why it's so powerful.

​​​​​Others may wonder how to ask. Maybe things have been really hard for you. Maybe people let you down. Remember, though, God is real and He's there for you. But, like a child who needs something, we have to communicate to God or otherwise it's like we're trying all on our own. And, we can't do that well without Him, since He has perfect love, wisdom, goodness, etc..

I'll be typing a longer prayer at the end of this. Your prayers, especially to start, don't have to be that fancy. Just saying like above, "Lord, cause my baby to be healthy," is good enough to start.

But, like a child, you need to grow in that relationship. And, you can. He wants to give you life and life more abundantly.

How to have a relationship with God

I'm not perfect. Nobody is. Most people aren't really horrible like some we see in the news. But, I've used the example on here before of a person who gets mad at someone speeding and cutting them off in traffic - yet that person might be rushing to the hospital to see a sick loved one, or rushing their own child there, or something else vital. You'd say that person who got mad and cursed at them was wrong, correct? We should not be a Pharisee when dealing with others.

We need to be known for the love, justice, mercy, etc. we stand for - not just what we're against.

I always tried to be kind, polite, help others, etc.. But, my thought life was a mess, and Matthew 5:48 - "Be ye perfect even as My Father in Heaven is perfect" - and other verses convicted me that I needed to trust Jesus to save me personally. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom. 3:23)

Of course, we don't like it when someone bullies us or doesn't listen when we try to explain things or whatever, right? But, we don't always act like we should, either - we've all told lies or cheated someone or been selfish, for instance. There is none righteous, no not one. (Rom. 3:10)

Because I was not perfect. I didn't deserve God's perfect Heaven because no sin can be there. Same with anyone else.

God made a way for us to be there, though. He'll forgive any sin by making that person new inside, by coming to live in them.

I'm writing near the time of Jesus' birth, which started the process. God "became flesh, and dwelt among us."(John 1:14) He lived a perfect life, yet God made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us.(2 Cor. 5:21) The wages - what we earn - for sin is death - separation from God forever in a place called Hell. But, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Rom. 6:23)

And, the great thing is, it was "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."(Rom. 5:8)

He then rose from the dead on the third day, . The disciples saw Him  and would go on to die horrible deaths and suffer great persecution for Him; even Thomas, who doubted so much, believed when He saw Jesus alive again.

But, it's not just knowing those facts that matters - you have put your trust in Jesus to save you from your sin.

So, we can't get to heaven on our own. Salvation is by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves as the gift of God. Not of Works lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.

Receiving that gift is as easy as ABC.

Admit you're a sinner. That just means that you're not perfect, that you've lied or disobeyed rules or been mean to someone or just wanted your own way selfishly sometimes. We've all been like that because of our sin nature.

Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take punishment for your sins and rose from the dead. He did all that was necessary to get you to heaven.

Call on Jesus to save you from your sins and to make you new inside so he can transform you into being more Christ life, more loving and compassionate and everything else like God wants us to be.

You can pray a simple prayer like this. "Dear Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know I can't reach your perfect heaven myself because of my sin. But I know you made a way for me to get to heaven. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. Today Lord Jesus I trust you to save me from my sins. I call on you with all my heart to forgive me and come live in me and make me new inside so I can get to heaven and so I can have life forever with you here on Earth too. In Jesus name, thank you for hearing my prayer saving my soul and coming into my heart, amen."

You can go to https://godlife.com/en/gospel/read and learn more about God's love and even talk to someone who will help as an online missionary. Tell them of the decision you made if you made one. They have wonderful lessons that will help you grow in the Lord also.

Okay, so now what?

 God is personal, and wants to fix your stress and help you through rough times. You can read my previous blogs​ at prayercallamerica.blogspot.com​ on various topics. (Also see one with a few different ones at questfortruthradio.blogspot.com) I talk about things like forgiveness and love and peace and how we need to come together as a country and pray and everything else.

Share that Godlife.com site and the gospel with others so they can hear the gospel and trust Jesus to save them also. Pray for them first because there is a great spiritual battle going on.

But, also, God living in a believer is the key to that person having life more abundantly here on Earth. So many who rely on cell phones at such a young age need to hear and I love trying to use anything I can, however God calls me, to share His love. After all, He came that we might have life and life more abundantly. John 10:10. That doesn't just mean in Heaven. It means right here, living with a peace and freedom from anxiety and fear and so much else that grips today's young people.

 So, living for God is all about letting Him use you to impact your world - starting with being a Godly parent and having right priorities in life. (Because prayers don't work if we don't have repentance, as I explain here.

Once you are doing that, you can use the most powerful thing possible - prayer. You can also know that you have God in you to guide you and give you hope, peace, etc.. 

Your soul is free to focus on good things like Philippians 4:8 teaches, because - like other things where God warns us - He wants us to have that abundant life that comes from a life lived for Him. You can meditate on all those things - remember, meditate on something, don't clear your mind and let the devil come in.

Doing the above and building the fruit of the Spirit of Galatians 5:22-23 will help you to be a more caring parent, too - you won't yell at your kids all the time like some do, you'll discipline and enforce limits with love and meekness.

It will also help you to remember good times, it is vital that you catch your child being good and praise them a lot also so they will know it is possible to be good.

Those good thoughts will also help you to avoid the pitfalls of relationships that can hurt your child - if you're not married, you need to keep away from boys (if you're a female, which 99.99% of teen parents are) till you have found one who is so on fire for God that he truly loves you as Christ would; don't settle for anything less. Be so lost in God that a boy needs to seek God with all his heart to find you.

Because there is safety in following God. And, you want safety for your baby, right?

See, that's all God is saying when He tells us to be pure - He is sharing with us how to be safe. For your child. And, for you. You can easily commit to remaining pure from now till your wedding day.

You may have added responsibility and priorities have changed for you, but life isn't over.

Find a church where unconditional love is practiced, where older mothers will help you, where you can be sure that your baby is safe and cared for, where that child will not be considered a mistake but a blessing. But, make sure it's a doctrinally sound church as shown here which preaches the Gospel and where peope are truly getting saved.

Timing might be off on something, but that doesn't mean God is finished using you. He is just going to use you differently now - as a parent, as a praying mother, as someone who can impact your community, your city, your nation, for good.

So many are seeking true love - and God's love is truly unconditional when we come to Him, and He won't just let us languish but will work in us to make us better. If you know him personally as Savior, then Phil. 1:6 promises "He who hath begun a good work in you will  be faithful to perform it."

Let's pray. "Lord Jesus, thank you for this teen mother who is reading this. Lord, give them love and hope and peace as they raise their child. May they be Godly influences on their child,and ive them the wisdom and patience as they rear this child so they can help that child make good choices in life - help them keep their child safe from any predators, safe from any men who would do them or their child harm emotional or spiritually as well as in other ways. For you want them to protect their child from those who would turn them away from you.

"At the same time, Lord, guide them toward a loving church - even if it's just a home church - which preaches the Gospel but which also shows God's love to them and helps them to grow as mothers - and fathers if a boy is willing to be the dad and is safe for that child.

"Lord Jesus, may their son or daughter grow to honor their parent(s) and especially to honor you. May this teen mom grow to love you and if she is not saved may she call on you now and trust you as Saviour. May her child grow to love you and trust you as Saviour at an early age.

"Lord, we are all sinners, we still have that flesh nature even after we trust you, so when she messes up, as we all do, may she turn to you for forgiveness and know that once she has forsaken that sin it is forgotten forever. May she teach her child that, too, so they keep in right relationship with you and you can guide them most effectively. May they have a family altar they can go to and pray whenever they need.

"Lord Jesus, may you protect and guide them in the difficult things of life. May their lives be filled with worshiping and honoring and showing the unconditional love that you have for each of us if we'll only come to you by faith.

"Lord, help these parents, when times get rough, to realize that their lives are different now with a child, but while they may miss some parties they don't have to miss everything, they just have to find sitters and make decisions that are more of an adult nature, like someone almost twice their age might, but help them to be surrounding by friends who care and understand and support them.

"Lord, may this mother reading this and any teen mom surround themselves with people who will bring them closer to you, and help them to be redy physically, mentally, and spiritually for raising their child. Lord, when they struggle with patience, guide them to walk away rather than mistreat their child, give them people they can call to come help them and take the load off them. Lord, I remember my uncle's new bride was in her mid-20s when she first had a baby - actually twins - and she needed grandparents on both sides of the kids helping, so of course it's okay for this mother to seek help. Don't let the Pharisses and backstabbers inflict their wounds of the devil on them, but instead help them to be surrounded with those who will help them be Godly mothers.

"Lord, help this baby of theirs to also have good friends and great help and support in growing up.

"Lord, help this mother to avoid going afte rthe first boy she sees, but instead direct her to the right one, a boy or young man sold out to Jesus who will show Christ's love, and until that time help her by surrounding her child with male roles models - then and after she might find a guy if she does.

"Help her teach her child to pray and to follow you and may this teen mother lead family devotionals effectively.

"Help her also to to find good books that are wholesome for her child to read, do not let her use the TV or DVDS as a babysitter but help her to be involved in the education of her child, to read and talk to her child consistently and even sing if she can. May she expose that child to so much joy that the love of Jesus just abounds in her and her baby grows up to say, 'My mom is a praying mom, she knows God personally.'

"Lord when this child misbehaves, may the mother be a Godly mom and discipline in love, showing grace and mercy and comforting as well, encouraging that child and showing them they are still loved.

"Lord, help this mother to make wise, Godly decision about education, too, and sitters, and everything, so that she can have the Godly wisdom you promise to anyone who asks, as James 1:5 says in Your word.

"Lord Jesus, there are surely more things that can be prayed, help her to pour her heart out to you for everything, praying for and with her baby. Help her to be a Godly woman who can overcome all the problems she faces. May her own education be a good one, and may she one day find employment somewhere and be able to help her child in a lawful way without turning to evil things, without having to commit sin. Lord, help her to steer clear of all those with drugs and other things which can cause such harm.

"Lord, help this teen mom to keep all doctor appointments and to have all the help she needs to overcome anything. Not in her own strength, though she will feel like it is all her sometimes, Lord, but in your strength. For your Word says that with You, all things are possible. In Jesus' name, Amen."

How to be on the right side of changing culture, end times

I haven't posted lately since not only has the news lately been very sad and depressing, but I have been very busy otherwise.

Still, I wanted to encourage young people that they have a voice. Not everyone can have a radio show like young star Kacey Fifield has or even start a blog. Everyone can do something however. Even if it is helping just one person. Indeed, you can be a spiritual leader, as I show in this free blog book.

We lack the strength to impact the world on our own, and even together, we imperfect people can't create a perfect world, only God can do that - and He will. Even adults lack the total foreknowledge needed. None of us knows every fact about a situation, since that would include peoples' hearts. We only know this nation has a major problem with evil hearts - but God can use us through intercessory prayer to change that, as I noted earlier.

I debated about how to start and what to include. You can check out other posts here about avoiding the coming Great Deception which will bring false peace or about how we're all equal or the keys to stopping violence. There is plenty on how to have peace,the need to unite in truth and how, the need to value life, how souls need saved for things to change, etc., I won't link to all of them. gthere is plenty on repentence, forgiveness, etc. you can find yourself, even one on what to do if many disappear.

I will simply say this.

Some are trying to use their voice to push for things that there are major arguments about. I don't want to get on either side right now, because my main concern is the hearts of people. I want our young people to feel safe. People can't make bad guys stop being bad, no matter how hard they try. However, God can and will put a stop to all this evil and violence.

He is personal, loves unconditionally, and will fix your stress when yo trust Him. As noted in a few posts, if a person claims they follow Him and don't act like it, they don't follow Him. It's just like if I say I'm the king of Belgium and whatever I do it has no impact on the real King of Belgium.

God is trying to draw people to His side right now before it is too late, so they can be saved from their sin. Because there is so much sin going on in this world.

Will you be on the right side? The winning side? You may say you think so because you support this position or that, but think of the following....

1.None of us is perfect. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom 3:23) We are on the right side in some issues at times and not at others. For instance, if you drive and someone cuts you off, your first reaction might not always be forgiving. They might have to speed to the hospital to see a dying loved one, but we don't always think of those possibilities. We think only of how it impacted us.

That attitude of selfishness is normal, but it's also sin, just like lying, cheating, impurity, etc.. But, that okay, because...

2. God must punish sin, but took that punishment on Himself. God is holy and just, so He must punish sin. It wouldn't be fair if God just kept letting sin go on, would it? He gives grace and mercy by not destroying sinners right away, but He does make sure that sin has a price.

Yet, He wants us to live forever in His perfect Heaven where we will be free from sin. How was He going to do that?

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Rom. 6:23)

God gave us a free gift. It is hot earned or deserved. We can't work our way to Heaven. Because we would still have that sin in oyur hearts.

God God God came to this world in the person of Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man. He was perfect - He never sinned.Yet He became sin for us.(2 Cor. 521) He bore our sins in His body. (1 Pet. 2:24) On Him was laid the iniquity of us all.(Isa. 53:6)

Yes, my sin, your sin, everyone's sin, was laid on Jesus.

But wait, you ask, that doesn't seem fair because some people still keep sinning. That's true, becuase it is not mere head knowledge. Knowing this fact isn't enough. Many who claim to be Christian aren't becaue they think it's about words and supporting certain things, but it's not.

It's about turning from your sins and letting Jesus make you new inside. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, behold all things are become new"(2 Cor. 5:17) So, is is trusting Jesus to make you new. "Whomsoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Rom. 10:13)

3. To be saved from your sin, call on Jesus by faith to save you.

Just sitting in a chruch won't save - neither does believing one particular view or one particular part of culture. Not believing something won't keep you from being saved, except for not trusting Jesus to save you.

God wants us to be known by our love for others. He does this because of His love for us. Since we are loved by Him, we ought also to love one another.

Being saved from your sin is as easy as ABC - Admit, Believe, and Call/Choose. \\Think of it this way. It is like you are drowning. There is a life preserver thrown your way. You must make a choice to take it and put it around you cto be dragged to safety. You can't just choose some other way.

Trusting Jesus by faith will let Him come live in you through the Hily Spirit. He will be a constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more. He promises the peace that passes understanding.

Think about that. You can have peace in the midst of all the turmoil.God will give you His peace, and He will help you cope. Yes, you can still impact the world, but you will be doing it for Him, not for yourself or even others. You will be doing it to show Godly love.

He can come again before you know it. You jsut need to pray something luike this, believing with your whole heart as you pray.

"Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know you died for my sins and rose fromt he dead, though. You took my punishment because I can't get to Heaven on my own. Lord, today I trust you to save me. I call on you by faith to to come into my heart and life and make me new inside. Lord, thank you that you took the whole punishment for my sin, and I pray you will work in my heart to make me new inside, and new every morning. Thank you that your mercies endure forever. In Jesus' name, amen."

If you truly meant that in your heart, then Jesus has saved you. You could go here and learn and grow in the Lord and even talk to a Christian who will help you grow in Him.

God Will See You Through

No matter what happens, though, you can have peace about the present day's problems.

Yes, there are problems with many things, but our evil hearts need to be reached by God for there to be major change.

New laws are opposed by some and supported by others. Some programs may work for some and notj others. But, God is universal. His ways are heigher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

What this means is that we won't always know the right solution for a problem, but God will. People can use the Bible in so many different ways for their own ends - I'm surprised we never hear gun opponents using the Bible with "Some trust in chariots (weapons), some trust in horses, we trust in the Lord our God."(Psalm 20:7) God gives us the right to defend ourselves but we also can't trust fully in our own strength (or our own weapons) either.

What this world needs is for all sides to realize that a Holy Ghost Heaven sent revival must take place for people to truly change. That means souls getting saved.

Then? If souls are saved, there will still be battles, but you will be on the winning side.

So, see how to avoid being fooled and make your stand in a loving way for what is right so others can see that Christlike love in you and want it, too.

Humility, equality, common sense key to stopping violence

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

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

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

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

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

Good Thoughts and Attitudes to Ponderr - Putting Others First

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proper Attitudes About Relationships - Eliminating Lust

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't be a Pharisee - 'cause they're no fair you see

School starts soon, and with that, the chance for young people to be part of changing their culture. However, of course, this past has tips for anyone who is trying to let God use them to bring revival - or even who is just trying to figure this world out. :-) (This will also soon appear on the blog of the ministry I volunteer with, too, focusing more on Youth Leader Training Institute.)

School brings fond memories to some. However, it's very stressful for today's youth. I noted in this post that young people can certainly change the world by trusting the Lord to guide and help them do it. This will focus more on another problem related to one of the stresses mentioned: Pharisees.It is a problem which hampers society in a few ways, and which we who follow the Lord need to avoid.

The Pharisee problem must be seen with the background of Jesus' teaching, of course. He taught that they weren't perfect because of what was wrong with their hearts. They were too quick to criticize when, for instance, Jesus healed people on the Sabbath. Anyone was allowed to do what was necessary on the Sabbath. They just wanted to appear righteous by not working, and that meant they didn't even want God to work. (I suspect, for instance, that someone like Josephus, a great historian of his time, would have noticed and mentioned it if no babies were ever born on the Sabbath. But, they were.) The Pharisees' system went against God's absolute right and wrong which has existed since the foundation of the world.

It's great to know the Lord so He can help you through the rough times and to help you celebrate in the good and bad times. We all need this whatever our environment. That's wonderful and important. It should cause us to want to help others out of compassion and kindness and all those good things, too. This is so we can not only help them trust the Lord to save them and make the world better, but also so we can please God. However, we shouldn't please God because we have to; He doesn't force us. We should please Him because we want to, because of what He has done for us.

Pharisees wanted to please people and not God. It can be a daily struggle for some, because it is tempting to be just like the world in how people talk, treat others, etc.. The Bible, on the other hand, says "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..."(Rom. 12:2) In other words, let God help you (transforming from the inside out) be kinder, more loving, more compassionate, and so on.

. This can be easy for some, too; some people are naturally more able to reach out to those who need a friend, ignore cliques, and so on. Either way, there are two problems that need to be watched out for so we can follow the Lord and make a difference in our schools, homes, communities, etc..

The first problem is that the need for compassion has not stopped people today from being pharisaic. Second, it may seem odd to say that pleasing people can be done selfishly, but true compassion means not always doing what the world says(like when the world says to lie or cheat). True compassion sometiems means standing for what's right and understanding consequences, too.

Learning to show compassion

Learning to show and have compassion - not just pretend to - is one of the keys to bringing change through repentance revival to this country. We can't just talk about it or go through the motions. Constant testing, which ignores individual learning styles and special needs, as noted in the first post I linked, is just one of the ways modern Pharisees act. Hence, the problems of the Pharisees will help young people understand the modern world.

There has always been tendency to focus on the outside because of human nature. For instance, people feel attraction based on looks and not on the person inside. That, of course, goes against what the Bible says. There are four different types of love in Greek, and they become much deeper and more important as they consider more of the inside and what one can give and become more lasting. Only looking at the outside is focusing on what one can get, like when one says "I love pizza." We don't want to dedicate our lives to helping pizza, we want to eat it and it tastes good to us. This is why modern-day Pharisees aren't thinking of trying to help people as much as they are glorifying themselves. (And, in many things, teachers are caught in the middle, so please have compassion on them and don't be upset at them for how the system is. They are often struggling with it themselves, when "teacher evalutation" should be based on patience, kindness, understanding, and things like that - things on the inside.)

In other areas, too, you can probably see how too much focus on one's self causes so much trouble when we should be thinking of others. Everyone is special to someone, as this discusses. Often, when we focus on others we end up worrying less about our own problems.

The Pharisees only thought of being in the right clique and others doing everything the way they wanted. When they cared about others, it was only so they could have everyone look at them. This isn't just a school problem - although what clique you were in in school won't matter one bit once you leave - it is a problem with society, too. Man looketh on the outward appearance, but like God looketh upon the heart.(1 Samuel 16:7.)

So, as shown in a number of places, one key to revival is looking on the heart. Jesus criticized the Pharisees even though they claimed to be doing God's will - prayer for instance won't work if there's something between that person and God. However, thankfully, reconciliation is just a single, sincere prayer away. Anyway, Jesus reproved them that they should have been focused on doing what God wanted and caring for others for those other peoples' sake. Our society needs changed by people turning to the Lord.

It's up to us to be examples of Jesus, letting our lights sine, so people will believe when we tell them how God changes us on the inside and works in us.

Receive God's compassion and forgiveness

Jesus loves you no matter who you are, and no matter what you have done. He showed Godly compassion because He was God in flesh. He died to take the punishment for our sins and rose from the dead. Thankfully, each of us only needs to call on Him by faith to be saved from our sin.

God did this because God is personal. He wants a relationship with each of us, to give us peace that passes understanding, perfect wisdom, and so much more. He'll help you be more loving and caring and compassionate. He wants to help you through all the problems of life and help you to make this world better, so that others can see Christ's love as well.

That's because there is a penalty for sin. That penalty is separation from God forever in a horrible place that He does not want you to go. He created it only for the devil and his angels(Matt. 25:41), but people choose to go there when they fully reject His love and forgiveness. We all need changed on the inside. That is what happens when you call on Jesus by faith to be saved from your sin and made new inside. You need to invite him into your heart to make you new. Then, He comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit. You can call on Him to forgive you and save you from your sin and make you new right here reading this, in fact;a person doesn't have to be in church.

Showing Godly compassion, not the false kind

This, then, brings us to that second problem I mentioned. You may have thought I forgot about it, but I did want to bring up the false compassion that some show. It is false compassion for the same reason that not warning someone of a hot stove is false compassion. We can pretend that stove is not hot, and there is no problem. However, that does not stop the stove from being hot. It does not prevent us from getting burned if we touch it.

In the same way, there is a false compassion which is part of the world's system.

God's system, as shown here, is far better than the world's system. The world's system doesn't see each persont he way God does, because God sees each individual as important. However, God's system is also different because it says that it's important to say that sin is sin.

We should love sinners but we have to accept that there are things that God says our sin such as lying, cheating, bullying, and so on. Indeed, some of these Pharisees of today are more like the first part when it comes to bullying, too; they talk about it but they don't really stop the bullies.  (Of course, in many ways, they can't, becasue it's a heart problem. And, at other times, being kind to them and teaching them how to be nice is needed because the bully has never known how. We should help others overcome such difficult lives, and that starts by helping them see they are special to God and to others.)

We love sinners by kindly warning them that sin has consequences. After all, people need to be saved from their sin and that means they need to realize they need a savior. And, that Saviour died to save them, and rose again. Trusting Him to save us, calling on Him to forgive us, is all that is needed. We can't get to Heaven by our own works, only by what Jesus did for us.

Indeed, the fact that we can't work our way to Heaven is a wonderful thing that unites us all. God does not want us to boast of how we got there. From the person who did the most throughout their lives to the person who thought he was good enough and then got saved right at the end, to the child who was too young to understand and so never was able to trust in Jesus but who got there because of the cross, and many others, all are equal. All get to Heaven only because of what Jesus did, and then trusting in what Jesus did by calling on him by faith to save them.

We go around telling people that we are sinners too, not just that they are, but we serve a greater Saviour. Our Testimony should include how God has redeemed us and is working in us.

In so doing, we learn things like how Muslims believe sonship is about physical relations when it is not, and that therefore they have a misconception which we can politely help clear up, because of course it is good to help people have more understanding. Sonship is the Arabic IBN, which means a perfect likeness, as this explains in part, because Jesus was God in flesh. He was not born of Joseph and Mary,  He was born of the Holy Spirit.

It is things like this that help to show true compassion. We need to realize that since other people matter, we need to be willing to say that sin has consequences and then turn away from that sin so that other people aren't hurt by those sins. A person who thinks adultery has no consequences, or should have no consequences, is having no concern for any person who they are hurting. And, sometimes we must be the ones to say that sin is wrong and either do things to prevent such sin (such as protecting people from those who would lie about certain things to fulfill their own lusts) or enforce consequences at times.

After all, in God's perfect Heaven there can be no sin, because there is no pain, no suffering, no tears, no heartache, nothing bad can happen. So, He must keep sin out of Heaven.

Thankfully, He has made a way for us to get to Heaven. We warn people of the consequences so they can get there too, but also to make this world a better place.

Actions Must Speak Louder

However, we must act, too, not just talk. Living the correct way doesn't help if we aren't also helping others by being nice, thoughtful, etc.. If we are to have Revival and change this country, we must stop being like the Pharisees. We must realize that the inside is what matters. We must also, however, stand for what is right. As I have noted before, we must repent for not standing against certain evils sooner, and start to take positive stands agaisnt such thigns as domestic violence, which is clearly against God's Word, praying that the Lord will change hearts and stop it.

We must also be known for what we are for, not just what we are against, and that means the love and forgiveness and sound doctrine that the Bible shows. After all, many places, like this, show that the Bibleis truly reliable and trustworthy; we can trust that it is the Word of God. If there are problems it is becasue the wrong Greek is used - stick witht he King James from the Antiochan Greek, as other English ones are from the Alexandrian.

It starts with each of us. We should all endeavor, whether in school or wherever we are, to care about others the way God does. We should love others no matter what and help those who need help. We should be friends to those who seem to lack friends or have trouble making them. We should make sure that things that people call Biblical really are, and that they aren't just being Pharisees.

However, we should also recognize the absolute truth which God established and which should guide all of us. That truth of being honest, kind, gentle, and so many more things. Use the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 and seek God's help to build them up more in you. Focus on those good thoughts of Philippians 4 8. Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32. And many other things.

Of course, we need God's help to do this. We need Him to save us if we are not and then to change us on the inside. That means a continual transformation, continual action from the outside by God who loves us and wants the best for us, to help us get rid of those things that so easily beset us.(Heb. 12:1) We struggle with our sin nature. Even those who behave very well all the time can struggle with pride and such. But by trusting God to work in us, and praying for Him to do so and to work in others, we can see Him move in our lives and in our nation.

Trust the Lord to raise up Godly people, be willing to let Him use you

A good beginning for this post - given its timing - would be what was stated in the post on being a role model. Or, perhaps on teaching others to overcome difficulties or forgiveness - after all, all these things, firmly standing for the right things, and numerous other posts in this blog all relate to Father's Day.

Instead - yes, I know this sounds silly - but, here's a question about dictionaries. If you had a choice between a perfect definition and something people made up, which would you choose?

Hopefully, the perfect one, otherwise you could pick up a pile of mud and leaves and define it as whatever your favorite meal is. Or, you could define a random squirrel as a nation's capital. The first one would taste bad, and the second could lead to jokes concerning nuts that are in bad taste - and are likely pretty old, anyway. The point is that neither definition makes any sense.

We do the same with the word "father" for various reasons when we use only human definitions - false pride, selfishness, and so on. This is why God's definition of a loving, personal man who always gives of himself is vital - after all, God is personal and desires a relationship with us. It is also why the focus here will be how anyone can fill that role, just like Mordecai raising Esther. This doesn't mean the way the world says it - because the world only focuses on the physical - but the tenderhearted, unconditional love God has for us, whereby we call Him "Abba" - that word really means "Daddy," not just "Father." This is a term of great tenderness and trust, the way a small child should see a father.

Of course, as noted before, the devil counterfeits everything God makes. We need to help others overcome and become more resilient, be role models, etc., as the above links said. This post links several former posts ideas together with some other things to help show how we can pray for - and sow seeds of - repentance revival.

Humbling Oneself to Take the Spiritual Lead

God's Word recognizes that. Take 2 Timothy 2:1 or any other verse which speaks of being strong in the Lord, or the call to stand in Ephesians 6:11-13 before the full armor of God is discussed showing us how to fight the battle. The verbs for being strong, standings, etc. imply a continual action from outside. It's a continual action of letting the Lord strengthen us, or help us to stand (through the full armor of God) so we can stand in that evil day and, having done all, to stand.

 As I note in my free blogbook for all, the story of the Shunemmite woman lays the groundwork for how anyone, even a child, can be a spiritual leader when nobody else is willing. It requires that the person be a Godly example as she was and not follow the ways of the world. It's very easy for a person to be drawn away when their minds and hearts are not focused on Jesus.

That's why it's vital that any leader be humble and let God be the one to guide through His Holy Spirit. I'm not going as far as I've heard some preachers go - they say that people were never meant to marry (and thus conceive) apart from being born again believers in Jesus Christ who are led by Him to be Christlike individuals. Books could be filled on debate about what the alternatives would be and how God might or might not use such institutions for His purposes. Not only that, but we are all sinners in need of a Saviouir.  We must rely on Him to have the strength to overcome our weaknesses, and on others to help us to do so, because He uses otehrs to help us.

That is how the devil has counterfeited fatherhood and families in general over the years. There have been ideas such as a refusal to admit one's wrongs and apologize to an insistence on phsyical toughness to many other things that have nothing to do with Godlness as it shows in the Bible.

Indeed, Biblical manhood has nothing to do with toughness - men are called to be tender, affectionate with their words and actions, and so on. Look at how Paul spoke of the way he nursed the Thessalonian church.(1 Thess.2:7-12)

For there to be a Revival in America or anywhere, we need leaders. God's Word clearly says that His people can pray, call on him, turn from their wicked ways, etc.. So, it doesn't take a ruler to do so. A couple of businessmen in 1857 devoted to prayer begin a Revival in New York City. They simply met and prayed at lunch each day, and brought more and more in to join them. These prayer meetings and the subsequent turning away from sin and adopting honest, fair, etc. business practices and honoring God in all they did spread from New York to Chicago and elsewhere.

However, we do need people to step up and lead like these men did. They don't lead because they are rulers, they lead because they are following Godly principles and encourage the people to follow Christ like they do.

This, then, is what we must Honor on Father's Day, not the fact that a person has a title, but the fact that a person leads with Godly character and the unconditional love, compassion, and so on that Christ exemplifies. 

Remember that Jesus Christ is God in flesh.(That is what Sonshi means, not physical relations.) In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.(John 1:1,14) Jesus Christ is God in flesh, so we must use His example as to how to live our lives. Yes, He took bold stands against sin, but He also loved the sinner.

This is why it is possible to say that anyone can provide that kind of Godly leadership, the kind a father should. Some people will struggle because they lack certain things. Some might not have learned how to provide for others or remain committed to something or show that love, but that is why God provided the comforter, the Holy Spirit, to every believer, so He can teach them. That just means relying on Him to do so.

An example to us

 

A perfect example is my great-grandfather. He spoke in glowing terms about his mother all the time, but never mentioned his father once. My great uncle says that even if you got him to where he would spout off about everything he wouldn't mention anything about his dad. His dad died in an accident, and it was sad for him in his late teens, but his mother died in a much worse accident, a house two years earlier, yet while he never shared about that accident he would about what she was like before then.

The family figures that my great-grandfather's dad was either never there or not very nice. My great-grandpa never learned how to be a loving, caring father who children always talked about how wonderful he was and looked up to him so consistently. And yet, he was that way as a father himself, a wonderful, gentle, loving man who his children, my grandma and her siblings, would often talk about so lovingly.

There are a few other things that point to his having trusted Christ as his Savior during a Billy Sunday Revival in 1912. I won't get into those, but suffice it to say that the man was changed on the inside at some point in his late teens, he learned to do things as he had not learned how to do otherwise because he did not have the example to show him.

Letting God show us how

This example is one of many which could be used to demonstrate the fact that God can and will teach us how to be the loving, caring people we should once we trust Him. The Holy Spirit works in people to change their hearts and help them to be more like Jesus.

This, therefore, means that we must trust him too guide us in the things that we have lacked for so long. Not only for the last 40 years, but the last 400, as I have often said in this blog.

 We must trust the Lord to heal this land by raising up leaders, but they must be the right kind; those who will be kind, loving, caring, etc., but will not wilt in the face of pressure.  person can certainly be emotional (like John Knox, founder of the Presbyterian church, when he punished his children), the key to strength Biblically is going through with it even when it is emotional. Some thigns can be difficult, but that goes back to the fact being strong in the Lord means a continual strengthening from outside.

leaders must be committed to what they do - that's why it's vital that a leader be able to show he or she cares in everything they say and do. It's why leadership is about showing that other people matter, as has been noted numerous times here, such as in this post. It's a joy, not a a burden, to be able to make a difference in the world.

Much of the problem we have in this lack of leadership is that we look at things the wrong way. We always have - we're imperfect people, and as sinners, we all need God's help to guide us in the right direction. Some, like I was, always try to behave well and the main problem is not realizing the problems that thought life can cause; that's what got me saved was realizing that even my thought life caused me to fall short of the glory of God, and I also didn't always do or say what was right. For others, it's a rebellious nature that they must trust the Lord to bring under control.

Whatever the problem is, we know this. We know God is a loving, personal God who gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who was God in flesh. He just chose to manifest Himself this way because it was easiest for us to understand, God gave that gave for a reason, Jesus came for a purpose. That purpose was to willingly suffer and die for each of us, taking on the sins of the whole world. Then, He rose from the dead, having triumphed over sin and death. Talk about a great task and greater victory! All one must do to have a personal relationship with Him is call on Him to save them from the punishment for their sins and forgive them and make them new inside. Because, He took the punishment we all deserve for our sins. You can see more abut this, and talk to someone to grow spiritually, here.

I noted before in this post that many people - through the Internet - have a desire to be connected, yet also seems to hide behind computer screens, perhaps because tehre is so much pressure in today's world. A relationship with God can give us the peace we need to make it in this world, so we don't just play video games or get online all the time. Each of us can step out and lead, sharing our faith in Christ and being able to withstand all that comes our way.

We need to be able to admit we make mistakes, but strive not to make them. Be blameless, as one of those verses in 1 Thessalonians says which I mentioned. That doesn't mean sinless, it means not being involved in eveil so if someone accuses you, people will know it's false because you wouldn't do whatever it is. Of course, that also means getting rid of sin in your life, such as addictions. Reformers Unanimous is a great group which offers help in a Christlike way for those; there are chapters in many churches.

It also means taking the lead in prayer, spending time with others, and so on even if you don't feel like it; I loved what one youth group girl said about how she felt really sick just before her group was to lead worship this Sunday. "I feel sick. Let's do this." She was determined not to let something little get in the way of serving the Lord - and, of course, serving others, too, but with the ultimate goal being to glorify God.

That should be our attitude, too;not only for our families, but for anyone who needs that role model, that encoruagement, whatever they need. This world provides lots of discouragement, we need to go out and build others up, not tear them down.

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.

Sharing the Gospel should be this easy

(Again, this is also written in part in one I do for our local youth ministry, if you wonder where you've seen a few of these paragraphs, especially the first, though it differs in areas after that. Here is a link to a radio show for some great topics about various Biblical topics.)

"What are those" is a meme where, from what yours truly learned of it recently on ESPN radio, someone points at your shoes and says (or maybe shouts?) to indicate they're not "cool." (If you're reading a blog you likely know what a meme is :-), but in case you didn't it's a saying or pictures that becomes part of Internet culture like a catch phrase, and can spread to the outside world. People say it many times for the same reason a catch phrase is repeated at random, including in one famous recent one when it was said to Michael Jordan.)

Thigns like this spread like wildfires and disappear just as fast sometimes, a sign of the rapid changes of society which I mentioned previously. However, this will only touch on the speediness of 'Net culture. (There is actually a culture of sneaker collecting, "sneakerheads" as some call them in some areas, which this is supposedly tied to, in fact. the recent attempt to sign James Harden away from Nike for an enormous sum of $200 million proves there is huge money in it.)

 It also isn't to dwell on the need for compassion for those who may be too poor to afford good shoes. However, it should be said that the original is *very* rude and in appropriate, given who was being interrupted at work. (Granted, it could have been set up, but still sends a poor message) On the lighter side, though, the idea that anyone would say it to Jordan, who can presumably afford the very best shoes and made them a major industry with his, is quite funny.)

Instead, this is meant to discuss how rapidly we should be spreading positive things, and can be - not to draw attention to oneself but to God.

Not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

People love to be noticed. This 'Net culture has allowed those who had no voice to suddenly be heard by anyone. They are sometimes very funny, but other times they are simply bizarre or downright disgusting. Too many lists of most popular videos on Youtube exist to mention just one, but the mere title implies that it is a channel for everyone.

Of course, there are those who can't figure out how to upload - yours truly included.  The Gospel can surely be proclaimed in many ways - even a vine could have 6 seconds of writing/symbols, such as the Gospel bridge, though 140 characters seems impossible - or is it?

Of course, even if an explanation is hard, John 3:16 itself would be doable putting "4" for "for," etc..

The point is that it's very simple and easy to explain the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God in flesh, as having taken the entire punishment each of us owes for our sins. Of course, the hearer should see evidence of that in the life of the one presenting it, so they can see a reason to believe. But, you don't need to worry that you don't have an amazing testimony. Actually, since it's the Holy Spirit that really works in a person to get them to come to Christ, it really only requres that you hand out a tract or give someone a Bible - or post something online.

Of course, there you still have to avoid being a negative example, as I've mentioned numerous times in this blog. However, tracts, the Internet, etc. are ways you can easily reach people without knowing them. For instance, if you leave a tract at a restaurant you should also leave a good tip.

The point is that we should never be ashamed of God's love for us. It's so sad that, with all God has done for us, that we don't share the Gospel more.

each of us may be the only Bible someone will ever read. Obviously, we have to be Christliks but also, eventually, share the Gospel in some way, even if it's just a low, "I'm very poor with words, but I want to share with you my faith and the peace God has given me in life, so you can have it, too."

 That may still feel like a huge responsibility, of course, but we are not fighting that fight alone - believers have the Fruit of the Spirit, indeed the Holy Spirit is there to be a constant Comforter, guide, helper, friend, and so much more for the believer, just as Jesus was for His disciples when he walked on the earth. And, many of our young people need that because the ones we minister to are not being reached by churches, sadly many are not hearing the Good News of the Gospel around this country. This is why I blogged this free book so young people and adults can learn to be that leader in their community, as well as their homes.

But, if we have people who are willing to just randomly shout out memes such as "What are those," then we should also be just as willing to go up to someone and begin a conversation. Even if it has to start with something silly like, "Did you know there's this guy who began a blog about God by talking about that "What are those" meme? (And if you get sidetracked, just work your way back to the Gospel as fast as you can.) hey, we're human just like the rest of humanity we do goofy stuff.

in fact, we should have the most fun of all - good clean family fun - because we are redeemed from our sin.

That Gospel is so simple. One must simply Admit they're a sinner - they come short of God's perfect glory - Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for that person's sins, the just dying for the unjust, and Call on Jesus Christ by faith to forgive them, repenting of their sins and choosing to invite Jesus into their hearts to make them new inside. "For if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, all things are become new."(2 Cor. 5:17) Anyone can go to an online mission place like Godlife.comGodlife.com and learn more and talk to an online missionary about that.

So, one's testimony doesn't have to be amazing - just that God has saved them from their sins and that they have a relationship with Him now, and He helps them each day through the problems of this world, giving them much more peace, love, hope, etc., than they could have imagined. Because He promises, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer - I have overcome the world.(John 16:33)

Fill the holes in your heart

 America's need for repentance before revival is true of everyone, as noted. One can't expect God to cleanse things if that person doesn't want cleansed themselves. For some, repentance is easy; the closer you are to God, the easier it is to let the Holy Spirit guide you to be more Christlike.

One of the biggest needs is for holes in people's hearts to be filled by Jesus through that Spirit; it's ow He lives in each believer. To do that, of course, we must stop filling our hearts with other things, since God in His love won't force people to love Him. He will keep trying to lovingly woo them, but just as a cup already filled with a bunch of pebbles can't hold much water, when a person tries to fill their hearts with other things, they end p blocking the Spirit's loving call out and keeping Him from doing all He can in that life.

Remember, though, the devil wants to destroy and stir things up. Jesus says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." There is nothing about dismissing both and going one's own way, and there is nothing about loving both. So, to know how to avoid the devil's snares, we need to look at what people are doing instead of clinging to God and His unconditional love and why, so we can repent and forsake such things and turn to God.

Yes, we all have holes

 Some are bigger than others, of course. They can be caused by broken relationships, dreams that have yet to be fulfilled, and so on, as well as sin. Some sins - and even some things that aren't - become addictions by getting into the brain's limbic system, the part that creates emotional responses. The limbic system can overwhelm the part that makes reasonable, logical decisions. People become addicted when they get so much into something that the brain is rewired to favor that craving.

Romans 12:2 speaks of "being transformed by the renewing of your mind" - that means a continual reshaping which is what God does when He makes us new on the inside; then, as we allow Him, He works to heal our limbic systems so they are no longer overwhelmed. Of course, sometimes the limbic system has been so damaged something must be done to protect it. For instance, a woman in my church was saved out of alcoholism. The last 44 years of her life, she couldn't enter a restaurant with a bar in it without being tempted to start drinking again, so she never went to one. Her friends could, they understood when with her not to, because 1 Corinthians 8 warns us not to tempt those who are weaker.

For those with addictions, Reformers Unanimous is a very good program that helps one through Christ-centered help to truly transform one's life. The link shown gives good helps and also should list churches were an RU program exists. These can be for many things besides drinking and drugs, such as gambling, lusts, etc..

But, those holes aren't always addictions. Sometimes they are just holes. Either way, there is soemthing we must do to have that perfect peace, comfort, etc.; we must lay certain things aside.

How to avoid filling those holes with weights

"Laying aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us." These words from Hebrews 12:1, are so appropriate. It isn't just sin that we must lay aside, but weights. Sometimes things that aren't sin weight us down anyway, where they might not weight someone else down the same way.

Things like money, love, popularity, music, television, etc. are weights which we must lay aside because, while they are in small doses, like anything worldly in large ones they can destroy. It is not money, for instance, but the love of money which is the root of all evil. That love is a listing which causes one to lose sight of God's truth and a Christlike love for others.

So, one can certainly have bits of these, but one should always keep God on the throne of their heart, and not let it get in the way of their service for the Lord. And, if for instance one's desire for TV is so large that they turn from the Lord anytime anything good is on TV, it is wise to get rid of that television.

As for sins, we have covered this topic before, it is important when working toward a repentance revival 2 keep in mind that the devil will test you greatly. However, God will provide a way of escape. It is just up to us to take that route.

Why we fill those holes with other things

Sometimes, of course, people fill their hearts with things because they have not known God's unconditional love. The Samaritan woman enjoying chapter 4 is a good example. While we don't know her background it is safe to assume that while she had questions she had nowhere to turn to ask them until Jesus showed up.

These people should seek the Lord with all their heart. Understand that while this world has problems, it is not all that there is. Other people matter in life, and it is important to get away from those who are tearing you down and making you feel awful. Sometimes, it doesn't help to tell them what they are doing and the only thing that will help is you separating yourself.

Of course that is hard to do if you are living in a family where people tear you down, but you can still do it to some extent. And, you can see at takethespirituallead.blogspot.com how to overcome that and be the GOdly leader such a family needs.

How to avoid filling those holes with sin

Use Scripture. This is the most important guideline on resisting temptations is the following (Here is a good radio program on it, too, with these Scripture used):

See Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. He answered every idea the devil gave Him with a Bible verse that said what was right. The devil fled after a while. Of course, make sure that ou are using Scripture the right way - always interpret Scripture with the Scripture around it and with other Scripture about that subject. And, when in doubt, go to the original Greek/Hebrew .

I mentioned Hebrews 12:1 earlier about laying aside every weight - that means those thigns that drag us into sin - and that sin which easily besets us - which means to recognize what we are most tempted with and leave it behind.

Another important key is 1 Corinthians 10:13 - If you are tempted, God will provide a way out. Look for that way out and take it.

This, of course, gets us back to the fact we can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. He loves you, and  wants you to know His perfect peace that passes understanding(Phil.4:6-7), He is the God of all comfort, he will provide all your needs according to His riches. Sometimes, we just forget that needs are not the same as wants; what we want might be a new car, but that might not be God's plan for us.

The important thing to remember is, He knows what's best because he has a perfect plan for each of our lives. When we are satisfied with that, that is when we can turn away from those thigns we turn to to fill those holes, and let ourselves rest in the knowlwedge that someday, we *will* have the best of everything.

Becasue, this world is not our home. As noted several times before, we are just passing through. When you have set your home to Heaven by trusting Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, and called on Him to forgive and cleanse you from your sins, you can be sure He is preparing something special for you, and someday you will be where nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us.(1 Cor.2:9)

So, when it's noted in other posts that we need to repent and trust God to change this country, part of that is understanding that when we put our focus on the thigns of this world, we are ignoring the fact God has something better in store for us. But, we're also ignoring something even bigger.

We shouldn't be worried about how other people have more money or cars or anything. Because if they are using it for Godly purposes God is being glorified and that's what's important. And, if they are keeping it selfishly for themselves, God will have them in derision, because they won't get to keep it beyond this world. It's important to remember to let God have His way, because He says vengeance is His, not ours. And, he does so much better at it than we ever could. So, we should NEVER take our frustrations out on others. Instead, we should be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

The word used in Ephesians 5:17-19 and elsewhere for that is filled. Because, that shows that the Spirit will come and fill all those holes in our heart that only God can fill effectively, totally, and appropriately.