Helping others overcome difficulties and value life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stepping Out in Faith

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Help Others Be More Resilient

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Youth and others, fix your stress with God's unconditional love

This post is for everyone but especially for young people. I will mention a few specific stresses youth face. It'll help as we pray for repentance and revival in America or wherever. I'm also going to mostly copy it and put it on my local ministry blog, so if you see this again you'll know why.

First, let me say you are "Fearfully and wonderfully made," according to God's Word.(Ps.139:14) Before you were even in the womb, God knew you and had a special plan for your life. I have a number of physical handicaps and maybe a bit of a developmental one, but that hasn't stopped me from being part of God's great plan. You can be, too, if you have a relationship with Him - you'll see how at the end of this post - the "To Know God" section talks about it.

This post was 3/4 done and would have been a lot longer but a glitch erased it all after I pressed some button wrong. However, you can check previous posts here for various topics that were mentioned. And, perhaps the fact I started over - with a few short e-mails I'd sent myself that formed part of this present one - quickly after that will help you, too. because, the devil wants to destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly.(John 10:10) (Yep, that's one of the first verses I thought about when maybe 5,000 words got erased. I realized it was a setback but God would have the ultimate victory.)

This was inspired by comments about a problem known as Common Core which stresses many students in public schools. Private schools and home schoolers  have some different stresses, but all youth share some. So, no matter who you are, you will benefit from this now or later and certainly be able to help others dealing with worry, family problems, relationship issues, or whatever.

Some are even stressed out by not having any spiritual leader to help them draw closer to Jesus; this free blogged book will help anyone, even you, lean how to be that leader.

"You mean there is one cause for all these problems," you ask?  "From schoolwork to bullies to broken families and everything?"

Yes. And, you can be part of the solution, too. Which means 'walking the walk and not jsut talking the talk." (I add some stuff on why we shouldn't pay attention to hypocrites that got deleted in with the ways to cope with struggles.)

See, people are not perfect. Imperfect people can't make something perfect, because we don't know how. That's why there is so much hurt in the world. That's why a person can't solve all the problems. It would be like asking a person from 1,000 years ago to work on a computer. and, I know people in their seventies who see modern technology as totally alien to them. that's why people try their own solutions like Common Core; they don't trust God to see everyone as unique and don't seek His perfect wisdom.

(For those who doubt God, it's okay, He promises to reward those who diligently seek Him, and understood when His own disciples doubted at times. Here is a good, though complex, series of 3 pages on why the Bible can be trusted. Here is just the start of a bunch of scientific facts known by scientists only many centuries after God mentioned them in the Bible. This is also interesting. But, the most important aprt is to understand why there is evil and that we need saved from it.)

God is personal and loving. He wants to help, guide, comfort, and so much else for you. He made you special, as I said, with unique gifts, talents, etc.. You might have been told differently, but remember that we are not perfect, so we don't know everything. The key is to understand who God is. He created the beautiful, awesome, wonderful creation that is all around you. In fact, He made you. He made you special, more wonderful than you can imagine. Because, He loves you. He loves all of us more than we can imagine.

He loves us unconditionally. Even though we hurt Him so much because of our sin.

The solution must start with the absolute right and wrong which has existed from the foundation of the world.

This world was made perfect, with no sin, but people were given free choice so we wouldn't be mindless robots. He can't stop every little act because cause and effect itself would be gone, though through prayer He can protect us.

Sins are things we do which are selfish, mean, lying, anything we say, think or do that displeases God. But, more on that in the part on knowing God. For now, just know that God still desires a relationship with you despite that, and all you need is to turn from those sins and trust Him to make you new inside, and he will.

So, how will God help me?

The Lord wants to help you grow in love for others, patience, gentleness, self-control, etc - in other words, the fruits of the Spirit - as well as things like kindness, whatever talents you have, etc.. This means learning to rely on Him. It can be easier at a younger age because you know that you need help. Just like I do with my handicaps.

There are many promises you can claim as you read God's Word. Here are some. God promises to be our comfort, guide, friend, etc. Another thing He promises is to be our strength. 2nd Timothy 2: 1 is an example of where God tells us to be strong in the Lord and that verb in the original Greek means to continually be strengthened. In other words, let God give you that supernatural strength through the Holy Spirit, like when i just restarted this without worry.(Yes, thinking, too, of how it could inspire others.) Also, use verses like Romans 12: to wear it says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In other words, allow God to continually make you new as you grow in Him.

As you can see, communication is essential in this relationship just as in any relationship. We speak with God through our prayers. He can speak with us in a number of ways. But anything we take in must be tested against the absolute truth of the Bible.

(Why do we pray if God knows our needs? Picture a 2YO trying to dress himself. The parents know he needs help but he keeps refusing - and gets it so messed up you'd think his socks would end up on his years. That's how we are when we go against God.)

Here are some keys - each almost its own little blog post.

1. Pray God's promises. This is pretty simple, trust God for the right answer, His perfect timing, etc.. Seek His wisdom. Don't be afraid to ask "why" with the purpose of understanding what God is trying to show you. Remember that He knows everything and so His best answer is sometimes "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes "wait." For instance, despite my handicaps, i always wanted to adopt. I've never had the money, but God moved through the Spirit in me to pray and trust Him for it. I soon found myself praying to dedicate the child like Hannah did her son in 1 Samuel. More about that here if interested. Anyway, His answer was "no" on earth, but "yes in a way, because I believe He has a child for me in Heaven. Since then He has given me peace, i no longer feel like i need to keep dreaming of it, He has given me His answer.

     As part of this, hide God's Word in your heart. so you know those promises. This is pretty simple. Psalm 119:11 says thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. When you have God's Word in your heart, it will come to you when you needed. Of course, some people have things like hymn lyrics come to their minds, or something else. However God made you is how He will work with you.

2. Be positive - "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."(Phil.4:13) God can get you through it. Whether it's a test - and I know Common Core drives lots of kids crazy - or pimples or whatever, remember nothing in this world is forever. Think of the good things in your life. Even if all you can think of is your salvation or your relationship with God, it is something major.(And if you don't have that, you can just by calling on Him, as noted below.) Trust God, He inhabits the praise of His people. As you praise Him for His mighty works and the things He has done for you, your attitude will improve and .

     And, he will not only bring to your mind Bible verses or humn lyrics or something like I mentioned, He will bring other things to mind. Pimples, for instance, might bring to mind the joke on "Full Hosue" once about playing connect the dots with your face and those of others. The Bible says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Of course, there are times something becomes chemically wrong, though without that sadness can be kept from going into depression by focusing on those positive things. Which leads into the next point.

3. Be willing to learn and seek help from those who bring you closer to God. Sometimes, even our families have struggles because the parents aren't living for God. But, God will direct you to friends who will be that spiritual help you need. They will give the hugs you need and everything else.

      Some people turn to gangs becasue tehy don't have the positive role model they need. gangs have become a way for some in the inner city to interact, but they need to turn to God instead, because God promises to be that strength, courage, etc. they need without the terrible violence that can come from gangs. God teaches us to respect all human life. This is part of why I mentioend that free blogged boo, too.

     In other words, you will feel more self-respect being with those who bring you closer to God. So, even professionals that you seek should be those who believe in God or at least won't put down your faith.

4. Love others. Even Jesus Himself was always serving others. If a friend has decided they would rather not be friends, show love to that person and simply stop being friends and pray for them. If you have done a good job being a friend, they will remember how good you were and may return. Find out how you can help others. With that quote about the man with no feet, just making someone like that feel good and appreciated is important even if you can't do anything for them.

     As discussed in a previous post, after all, other people matter. Say some Common Core standard is bugging you. When you focus on others, instead of worrying about how well you do versus someone else, consider the good things(be positive) and focus on how to build others up. then, you can feel better about yourself, too. A friend wished his family was closer knit and so I suggested he spend Christmas working at a soup kitchen. I don't know if he did but it's a great idea; when you can't be with the ones you want, help the less fortunate.

5. Don't compare yourself to others. There is an old saying, "I was sad because I had no shoes until I saw a man with no feet." We should never think we are better than others - we are just different parts of the body, like the eye and the ear don't think they are better than who left big toe. So, if you help someone else to improve the world, don't compare your life to theirs. Instead, consider how you are just making the world better for Christ's sake, not for your own glory.

     This works the other way, too, though. Many in poverty wish they had more money, but even those in nice homes wish they had more. Instead of focusing on worldly things, focus on the talents and abilities you have and how special you are to God; and that they are, too.

     Each of us will always be better at some things than other people and worse at some things, and will always be better off in some ways and worse off in some ways. If that test is driving you crazy, and you did your best to study, just do your best and remember that even if you don't do well on this subject, God still loves you and has a special purpose for your life. And, He will be your strength to overcome something negative when you trust Him to be. Including helping you to understand a subject.

     For instance, God put my grandmother into my moms friends life to help her learn chemistry so she would pass, and she said she learned more from my grandmother then she ever did from her teacher. And, my grandmother was not even a college graduate.

6. Remember, God can work miracles. Don't put God in a box, as they say, but believe He can do  anything. If something is of God, though, it must line up with Scripture and not violate physics. he won't let you suddenly take flight. :-) He might provide a miraculous healing, but that usually only happens in furtherance of the Gospel. Remember, we must pray according to His will.

     A lot of times, people who discuss signs and wonders are only doing so to glorify themselves. There are also false signs; this blog post about not letting the devil counterfeit things talks about this

7. Admit weaknesses and let God help you overcome them. As noted, none of us is perfect. We all have things we need help with. We must be honest with ourselves and with others when we struggle with things. However, we should also be willing to learn so we can improve on things. Of course, there will always be things we can't do. I will never be a top flight athlete, or even an athlete period. But, that's okay. God made me a certain way to do certain things. And, the nice thing is, if I really wanted to I could write about an athlete and through my story I could live such a life.

     One thing along these lines, though. We're each different, so there might be some things other Christians can handle that you can't, and vice versa. I'm not talking about sins - there is never a reason to get drunk or curse a blue streak or cheat or other sins. However, some people are more influenced by violent entertainment than others, as one example.  Those people need to avoid that. And, if they hve friends who are going to be drawn away from God by it, they need to help their friends and not tempt them, just as 1 corinthians 8 says. (In other words, keeping in midn others matter.)

     We all have different strengths and weaknesses, just like every part of the body has different thigns they ae good at. Some can perform numerous roles - I've seen people with no arms do amazing things with their legs and feet.

8. Share Christ in actions, not just words. Sometimes, bullies need to see we're real and then - if not now - later they will come to realize the truth of Jesus and let Him make them new inside.

     That's the beauty of Jesus - He makes us new inside when we turn from our sins and trust Him to work in us. But, we still have that old flesh nature, so it's a struggle. However, it's one we must fight by loving others, being positive, etc. - or, rather, let God fight for us.

      But, how is God going to fight for us if we're fighting Him? He's got to work in us first to make us more Christlike. People need to see there's a real difference. that means no vulgar stuff, treating others withr espect, not turning the opposite sex into objects but treating them as people. Not being selfish but instead being selfless. (We'll get intot hose relationships int he last part.)

     When you live for the Lord, some might still complain about hypocrites. Who knows, maybe you have problems with them, too. But, think of this. If I say I'm the King of Belgium, I'm lying. But, if I say that and go around doing... whatever, that has no relation to what the real King of Belgium is like.

     Or, what's your favorite pet? Either one you have or wish you had.? Now, say you hang around a bunch of people who claim to have that type of pet. Yet they show you pictures and it's just them, they walk imaginary animals, you know they're just playing "I got a pet." Is taht going to make you love your pet any less? Of course not, what they're doing should have no impact on you. It's part of what was said about not comparing yourself to others. Just let your own light shine.

9. Put your relationship with God before any other, especially dating. This may sound the same as one of the, but it focuses on love interests. And, younger kids may giggle, but if you are younger please read, becasue you'll be here someday if the Lord tarries His coming.

     In short, you should be so lost in your love for God that a person needs to seek God with all their heart to find you. Why? Because, God's is so deep - deeper even than the best family or friends - that nothing can destroy it. And, relationships will end, even if it's in death after 70 years of marriage.

     Marriage is the goal  God has for couples – one that lasts forever. That’s why he says don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers; or with people who act like it by drinking, cursing, violence, etc.. God desires, a very deep relationship and wants that for you, too. It matches His love for you, after all. God's love is perfect - agape is the Greek word. It means unconditional. Too many times, we think lust is love, but it isn't. it's only physical, and the Bible never translates the Greek word eros to mean love. It does translate phileo, a deep friendship, as "love. There is also storge(unconditional family love). But, those two have something in common with agape love that isn't there with physical lust - it is very deep.

     So, look at your crush and ask, "Will I love this person when they are old, wrinkled up like prunes, with no hair and teeth falling out, and possibly unable to walk or other handicaps? Will this person love me then? If the answer is "no to either, they're not for you and you shouldn't date them.

     Because, part of God's special plan for you is for you to have a partner who loves you and who you can love no matter what. Not settling for less.

     He showed that love for you before you ever knew Him.

     This, then, is where you can learn how to know that God of unconditional love.

To Know God

As noted, God wants to have a personal relationship with you. But, remember that sin I mentioned? It separates us from God.

When God made the world it had no sin in it. Sin is anything we say, think, or do that displeases God and therefore causes suffering. It might only cause suffering for the person who is doing it, or it can cause suffering for others, too. Like lying, cheating, being selfish, false pride(thinking you are better than others/not crediting God with things), etc.

So, if there was no sin, why is there now? Because people chose to sin. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so that death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.(Rom. 5:12) Including me. including you. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom.3:23)

So, God made a way for us to get to His perfect Heaven, because we can't get to His perfect heaven by our own works. And, that same way is what we need to have that relationship with Him right here on Earth. Jesus said "I am come that they might have life and life more abundantly."(John 10:10)

God wants us to be in His perfect Heaven. There will be no pain, no suffering, no tears, no body can do mean stuff there because all there will have been made new (2 Cor.5:17) - including those too young to understand the need to be saved from their sin.

If we can't get to Heaven on our own, how do we get there? It's a free gift - "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Rom.6:23)

 It just has to be accepted by faith - just like you don't earn a birthday gift but get it because someone loves you - but you don't really have it to use till you open it.

Jesus was God in flesh. He is the “light of the world.” He came to this world to live a perfect life. He never sinned because He couldn't; He was God, so He always did what was right. Then, because he was also man - in the flesh - he died for our sins. Because he is God, He rose from the dead. There can’t be any bad people, or even bad stuff, in Heaven. There can be no sin there.

And, Jesus wants you to be there someday, where there is no suffering, no pain, etc., by receiving what he did for you by simple faith. He’ll come live in you then, through the Holy Spirit, which is one of the 3 ways God makes Himself known – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit – it’s like H2O is water vapor, water, and ice – it’s all the same chemical compound. Or, you can look at a person - a man can be a father, brother, and husband at the same time.

That’s how you can have that relationship with Him. He wants you to know Him, so you can have peace that passes all understanding,, great comfort, Godly wisdom whenever you ask, and so on. We just need to be humble enough to admit we need Him. There’s spiritual warfare out there. That means a lot of prayer is needed at times.

It's as easy as ABC - Admit you're a sinner and can't reach His perfect Heaven on your own, Believe Jesus Christ was god in flesh and He died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead; and, Call on Jesus to save you from your sins and Choose to trust Him completely to save you and get you to Heaven, and to come into your heart and make you new inside.

The precise words aren't what save you, Jesus saves you when you trust in Him, so pray that above in your own words.

You can pray something like this: "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I can't reach your perfect Heaven myself. But, I know you died to take the punishment for my sins and rose from the dead. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save me from my sins and forgive me. I trust you with all my heart to save me, and I believe you have forgiven me not by anything I have done, but only by simple faith in what you have done for me. Make me new inside, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Once He saves you, he writes you in His book of ife and nobody can remove you from His hands.(John 10:28-30) Nothing can separate you from His love(Rom. 8:36-39), and He is able to keep you from falling.(June 24) He seals you with His Holy Spirit of promise.(Eph. 1:13,14; John 14-16)

If you have further questions, Child evangelism Fellowship, I think, has people you can e-amil and talk to through a secure portal, through this site. Also, here's a site with some very good stuff for beginning spiritual growth for young people and adults. Although, as I think I've mentioned elsewhere, it's best to use the King James Version of the Bible, as it has the translation from the original Antiochan texts.(Textus Receptus) This post has a little more on that and other great stuff about how we need to be known for what we're for, not just what we're against.

So,  live for the Lord and please, share these sites as you pray for our nation - or whatever nation you're in - to repent and let God heal it.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can I help?

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

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

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

Get Your Heavenly Home Established First

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

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

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

Ambassador (your name) from Heaven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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