God will bring perfect world & promises how; avoid promises of it being different

Posts here - and the inner-city ministry blog a similar post to this will be in - discuss, in one way or another, ways God can use us to bring people to Him, especially through Repentance Revival and, as part of that, our prayers.

God cares a great deal that people come to Him. His Gospel is for everyone - anyone can call on Him at any time and trust Him by faith to forgive them of their sins and make them new inside, as I'll relate more in the final section; you can do that right now if you haven't. He unconditionally loves each of us - you - and calls us to go into all the world and preach that Gospel to everyone.(Matt.28:18-20)

When a person trusts Jesus Christ as Saviour with their whole heart, He makes them new creatures inside. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is why I emphasize the need for repentance in revival; it's not just repentance being required for prayer. That heart change is vital to ending violence against women, working together as equals who accept we're all one race, etc.. It is good for Christians to glorify God by being Godly examples and seeking to bring these lost souls to Christ so they can change on the inside and not just on the outside, which is how the world tries to do it. God looks on the heart, which is what is important..

It is important to remember that the salvation of souls must be the main thing, though. Too often, imperfect people try on their own strength to accomplish goals, which leads to deception. Two particular deceptions involve losing our focus; hence the need to focus on things like the good thoughts of Philippians 4:8. We must avoid them and also help others avoid them. If we don't, we can be led astray with terrible consequences - especially with the second.

One is a doctrine that has been espoused by many, such as the Pilgrims and Puritans. This isn't saying they lacked a relationship with God. I simply mention them as an example to show how easy it is for saved people to fall  for it.

We Can't Bring the Kingdom Ourselves

Luke 17:20-21 shows Jesus answering a question about when the Kingdom of God would come. His words lead to talk of false Christs, but notice it is the Kingdom of God which He says won't come with observation; you can't point and say "There it is." It's within each believer because believers have the Holy Spirit. His kingdom is not of this world; indeed, we are called ambassadors(2 Cor. 5:20) precisely because we who trust Christ as Saviour are citizens of Heaven. So, this verse has nothing to do with making the world perfect ourselves, because we can't - we can only let God use us to make things better in His perfect plan, by leading people to Christ like int he above links.

The problem was, the Puritans, etc. saw a great, pristine wilderness inhabited by some natives (who only certain ones even though to share the Gospel with, a sign of their sinfulness), and a total lack of the persecution of Europe. These things made them tink it was - if not Heaven on Earth - a place they could turn into it. They looked at their situation, saw people could only be blessed by hard work in building and growing their colonies, and used those  circumstances to create something akin to the error of the prosperity gospel today. They simply forgot that the Bible never teaches us to focus on worldly goods. Instead, we are to build our treasure in heaven where it is going to last forever.(Matthew 6:19-21, etc.) So, the old "Protestant work ethic" is good in how it inspires hard work and determination for the Lord, but bad if it's used to belittle those who can't work as much or who work but their rewards are built in heaven.

As noted, it's easy to fall for the error of looking only at circumstances and still be saved; Even John the Baptist did when depressed in prison. Jesus told his messengers to show him all the Miracles that were done and that would remind him that yes, Jesus is the Christ, the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."(John 1:29) As the previous link states, people who believe this false teaching think they are using God when in fact the Bible says God uses us in His perfect plan. The circumstances they got wrong were thinking that they were using their faith to settle this country when in fact God was using them and trying to get them to be Godly people and thus show the natives an example of Jesus Christ. They just refused to listen to Him. Some did because they weren't saved and so didn't have the Holy Spirit. Others did because of that inherent sin nature that caused them to insist on their ways. this is just one reason why I always say in these posts that we need to repent for the last 400 years, not just the last 40.

This brings us to one of the reasons we can't bring the Kingdom of God in ourselves. There are severa, and I'll only get into a few here.

1. We haven't improved since then. We can't bring the Kingdom of God in on our own because we still have a sin nature, and imperfect people can't create something perfect, just like someone who has only read anayomy books or watched TV can't do brain surgery and hope to do it well. People still seek their own way; as noted in other posts, many want to be superior to others instead of equal. Some truly want equally, but as will be shown, when God is left out of the picture it only leads to a lack of true freedom. Godly justice, which is better than any person's. This is because...

2. God alone can change hearts. It truly is a heart problem that can't be fixed completely by laws. Believers have the Holy Spirit in them so God can use us to bring people to Him. He is the one who saves, though. We only do our part by sharing our Testimony, giving a Gospel tract, writing, singing, giving of ourselves through teaching, food, or whatever, or anything else that's God calls us to do. As 1st Corinthians says, sometimes Paul plants and Apollos waters, sometimes it's the other way around, but God is the only one who can truly give the increase.

3. Some parts of the Millennial Kingdom can't possibly come without God's intervention. For instance, there being no war and animals being peaceful, and you can't tame wild animals. Also, one verse tells of how many people will want to follow the Jews up to Jerusalem because they know that God is with them.(Zechariah 8:13) Today, anti-Semitism is rampant, and it won't stop till the devil is vanquished by God Himself. Jesus will rule and reign in the Kingdom on His throne in Jerusalem, and will return with a whole mess of staints, the number used being the highest possible in Greek.(Jude 14-15) All the events of Revelation have to happen first, too. There are others, too.

Of course, for centuries Christians have fought injustice, built hospitals and orphanages, fed the hungry, and so on; all of these are great causes. The question is, does the saving of souls come first? Is the good work done to glorify God and draw others to know Christ as Saviour? If so, that is what God wants.

There are people who do such things with other motives, though. They might do it to make people look at them, though the applause of people shouldn't be our goal - these good works must be done heartily unto the Lord. This is why at the bema seat judgment, where our works are judged, some will be burned up because they were built on the wrong desires, though once a person is saved that soul is saved forever.(1 Cor. 3:11-15)

Even worse, some people do such works and totally dishonor God, trying to create a society apart from God and His principles and perfection. Such things are very dangerous, and lead into the worst deception.

The Coming Great Deception

The problem is that so many refuse to accept God's forgiveness because they delight in sins of some sort. In sharing how to avoid being fooled by the devil, and what to do if millions vanish, those links shared a few ksys, but it needs to consistently be emphasized that Godly principles include things we all should love.

Think about it - honesty, respect for others, mercy, grace, kindness, etc. are all Godly principles we should want to build in our lives; people just don't like them when they have to apply them in situations where they don't want to, a result of that sin nature. The devil has tried to make people only focus on what God is against, but instead we must keep emphasizing the things Christians should all be for, such as forgiveness, mercy, and His loving, willing sacrifice on the cross, the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ - who was God in flesh - for our sins.

2 Thessalonians 2 is one of several places we read about the devil's attempt to defeat God through the antichrist, and it has some very sobering words for those who love the lies the devil puts out instead of God's unconditional love for each of us. Strong delusion will come to them and they will believe the lie this evil being puts forth.

We don't know what that lie will be; there may be quite a few of them. One link mentioned in both those links int he first paragraph in this section menions demons pretending to be aliens, for instance. It could also be something else.

However, the key is that the devil will try to make this world seem perfect for sinful people left behind. Why? Becasue he is a counterfeiter, and wants to create a counterfeit system that will bind people to Him and enslave them. We don't follow God becasue we have to; we do it becsue we want to based on what He did for us. However, the devil wants to enslave people with things. Some of them, people can see are really dangers, yet they still get lured into them. Others are much more benign looking.

One of those lies is that people can create a perfect world without God.

This connects with that first point. We can't make this world perfect; we can't bring the Kingdom of God ourselves becasue we are imperfect humans. It is very dangerous to fall for any system that tries to cause people to think they can create that perfect world themselves. Indeed, often ministers refuse to preach about the end times becasue they don't want to think of jesus comings oon because they want to believe that we can build a perfect world for Him. Yes, some ministers are simply unaware of anything and just need to study to show themselves approved, getting out of their comfort zones. Others, however, truly want to think that people can make their own utopia.

Of course, it's great to work for change. We must end oppression, end racism, and prevent evil as best we can; we are never told to sit by and watch things such things happen.

The difference between what God wants us to do and what the devil tries to do is all about context. When doctors, nurses, etc. get together for a medical mission and the Gospel is presented once people receive the help they need, that is honoring Christ, for instance. When the poor are helped by a group that preaches Christ crucified, risen, and coming again for one's sins and the poor have the Gospel presented to them, that is beinging more souls into the Kingdom. However, when things are not done with Christ at the center, when a ministry does something but neglects the Gospel, then  they are not doing their job. (The dangerous "social gospel", which as the link shows is not Biblical since it doesn't focus on Heaven)

The antichrist at first will be a man of peace, bringing everything together and everyone together. This will please a lot of people, but it will only be for a short while. The true colors of this society will be shown - as shown in Revelation - by thigns such as its hatred of those who preach the God of the Bible and the necessity of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It will further be shown by the forcing of a mark in (or on, or both) the hand or forehead, where nobody can buy or sell without it. It might be voluntary at first, but either way, it will cause one to pledge allegiance to this devil incarnate.

All that is why I say elsewhere, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take that mark!

 The great deception could be someone claiming to be Jesus. It could be an alien, perhaps the return of the Nephilim coming with it as pointed out here.(There is weird, unBiblical stuff out there about these creatures, but Chuck Missler and anyone he links are good, as he is a well-respected scholar ont he subject; this is why I ilnk his page.)

We don't know what that delusion will be, so it's important to avoid it and be ready now by trusting Jesus Christ, not by preparing like some of those aforementioned weird sites talk about.

There is one way to avoid this delusion.

That is to know the truth. Jesus saith, I am the way, the truth, and the life, Noone can come to the Father but by Him. (John 14:6) This Gospel is inclusive of everyone. Children under the age of accountability go to Heaven by the cross because they can't yet understand the need for Jesus Christ to die in their place. In the same way, each of us must go not based on any work of our own. It must be based on one's trust in Christ Jesus alone, calling on him by faith and believing that He took the punishment for one's sins, and then repenting and trusting Him to save them and make them new inside.

That is all that is needed. Then, you can be part of the Kingdom of God by simple faith, the moment you call on Him to save you by simple faith. You will be an ambassador for Christ, as noted in one of numerous great shows ont he radio page here. You can also e-mail with great online volunteers here

Most importantly, you can sahre the Gospel with others and help them avoid the judgment coming on this world for the evil in it. We can't save this world from sinners. But, we can let God use us to save sinners from a lost and dying world..

If we let Him, God will be our victory

How would you like to know the key to overcoming anything? This post will show how victory over sin is needed first. Then, however, it'll discuss how we must seek repentance and God's favor over worldly things, but that He can still provide revival. Even with our current political situation.

They say love conquers all. Can it? The question is, which love? There are four kinds in Greek. The right kind of love - agape, God's love - can, because only God loved us unconditionally while we were against Him, before we knew Him. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.(Rom.5:8)

God values us in a special way, each of us special to someone, especially God - as Psalm 139:14 says, we are each "fearfully and wonderfully made." God is a much better way than even the most individualistic of the world's systems does.(After all, giving someone the freedom to do anything also means that anyone is free to do anything to you.) So, part of this involves God's system versus the world's system(peoples'), a battle discussed more in a post from this ministry blog I've mentioned that has some similar content at times.

Here, though, there is plenty new. For instance, we'll tackle a few things - violence, bullying, etc. - and then political points and how God is the best solution over anyone, along with how to choose and even how to pray for God to change hearts of leaders, too. We can trust Him to - and know He must solve them - because the world's system comes from sin and a desire to defeat God and His perfect system. Because involves His caring for each of us personally, because He is a personal God, as I discuss elsewhere in this blog.

1. Victory Over Sin Needed First

The system people create will never be perfect because of our sin nature. "By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, so that death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.(Romans 5:12) So, it doesn't matter if you like Trump, Hillary, Bernie, or Cruz, or any other candidate, they can't measure up to God, who works in peoples' hearts.

Sure, you could argue that people know this and voters don't expect perfection, but that doesn't matter - God does, and He has a way to change hearts. That change in hearts is needed for us to have true national healing, which is what will give us victory over the worst problems. We can't legislate it out - there will always be people doing evil no matter how much we try to stop them or no matter how much we reason with them

God's love is perfect. it is unconditional. He loves each of us even those who do that evil, but He hates sin, and must justly condemn sin. However, He also must lovingly save us when we call on Him for salvation.

So, what did He do? He came to this world as a man, Jesus Christ - He was fully God and fully man. He then lived a perfect, sinless life. Then, perfect justice was meted out in that all of the world's sin was placed on Jesus Christ - He was made sin for each of us, even though He Himself knew no sin.(2 Cor.5:21) He bore our sins in His own body.(1 Pet.2:24) So, when he died, he took the punishment for your sins, my sins, everyone's sins. Then, He rose triumphantly from the dead!

 Many other verses can be used to show this, but the important thing is, along with that perfect justice - every single sin every committed being punished - we see perfect forgiveness, because every one of our sins is forgiven if we simply trust Jesus Christ to save us.

Here is God's simple plan of salvation - you can also see it on the ministry I mention's website, where even the front page has a simple ABC's of salvation - Admit you're a sinner, Believe Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead, and Choose to Call on Jesus by faith to forgive you. You can talk to God right now and receive His forgiveness for your sins and invite Him to save you and live in you through the Holy Spirit. You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life - life that begins the moment you trust in Jesus to save you.

This radio show page features many good shows on the simple fact that we must trust Jesus Christ by faith to forgive us, and everything else is world, God made it so that it is "by grace are ye saved

 through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:8-9) it is only after we are saved we can truly do works for the Lord, when we are in Christ Jesus.(Eph.2:10)

Once this happens, however, it's just the beginning - we don't have to serve Him, but we get to - it is our reasonable service(Rom.12:1) given all He did for us.

So, God considers each of us as individuals. he knows we each miss the mark of perfection. However, he provided a way for each of us to get to His perfect Heaven - where nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders He had prepared for us.(1 Cor. 2:9) He has a mansion for each of us(John 14:1), he has a perfect Heaven where there will be no suffering or pain or any bad stuff(Rev.21:3-4), and so on. We know all these things and yet it will be even more wonderful than anything we can imagine. Just the snippets are wonderful.

And, His system also provides for each of us a wonderful life here on Earth - He came that we might have life and life more abundantly.(John 10:10) He wants to heal each of us from the pain we've felt, the heartache we've been through, and use us on His team to help others sense His love and receive His forgiveness and salvation.

What follows shows how to have victory once that victory over sin has occurred

2.. Victory over bullying, violence, oppression comes through God

We've done a great job of talking about problems, and sometimes have come up with good laws. At other times, we have been too much like Pharisees. Let's look at the good things God provides to deal with these problems to see how we can have victory.

God's word gives us many great things such as the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5 22-23 and some great things to focus on in Philippians 4:8. The Bible also tells us to look on the heart of a person, not the outward appearance, as 1 Samuel16:7 and Psalm 139 show; we are each fearfully and wonderfully made.

Those things - fruits like meekness(power under control), longsuffering(patience), temprance(self control), and so on aren't in abundance int he world's system, because people try to make all those things fit only their own desires instead of realizing that others matter. Those things of Philippians 4:8 - truth, loveliness, etc. - aren't even accepted at times, as some people scorn truth, virtue, purity, etc. - often so they can have their own selfish way. Yes, there are people that are like Pharisees and try too hard - but when you think of it, legalism is just another of the ways people try to control things with their own system instead of relying on God. After all, Jesus saved His toughest criticism for the Pharisees.

Why? because they didn't consider the individual the way God does. He understands what each person has gone through and wants to lovingly help them out of that pain, to heal them like the woman at the well in John 4 who tried to hide in physical relationships(she'd had 5 husbands and was with yet another man) till she found the unconditional love of Jesus that could heal whatever problem she'd had.

That concern that God has for each individual shows He can provide the victory for us, knowing each of our needs. He knows us better than we do ourselves.

So, He provides us with vast amounts when it comes to gifts, fruit, and so on. I have said often before that repentance revival must begin with us. However, it is easy to see how that can spread if we trust God to send His Holy Spirit to really take hold in this country. That is something He can do if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways.

As one example, if people simply had a Godly attitude of love, compassion, understanding, etc. regarding others, there would not be bullying. However, it would also be harder for someone to be intimidated, which is a very good thing. After all, that person would realize that they are special in God's eyes just as we all are.

This does bring up an important side point. I touched on it in the post about the need for context, and that is that we should be less defensive about everything in general. But, even that is just as much about realizing that others matter and therefore having a civil discourse and not just putting others down - we are called to build others up and encourage them. Kindness, compassion, etc. are Godly virtues which we need to return to, turning away from our present sinful ways. There is a spirit of anger, frustration, etc. that is part of our human nature but which we must trust the Lord to replace with the common sense we used to have, including ability to understand context. This is what lets us try to grasp others' views in a constructive way..

  Of course, some ways of doing things are mean, abusive, etc. on their face, and shouldn't be done, such as bullying. As a example, a man and woman in a relationship must be partners, and one should not try to control the other, and certainly should never use physical force to make the other do something. Such things are clearly spelled out in the Bible as being ungodly - men are to love women as they love their own bodies and to treat them with respect, love, and so on. In fact, "there is neitehr...male nor female, but all are one in Jesus Christ."(Galatians 3:28) It is explicitly stated that a pastor or other leader must be "no striker" - meaning not one to lash out violently.(1 Tim.3:3, titus 1:7) And, of course, the fruits of the Spirit include self-control(temprace), gentleness, etc..

God's way is the only way to Salvation because it is by Grace we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.(Esp.2:8-9) All other ways are of works. This is something that is clear from the Bible. It is a fact like that of 2+2=4. One is free to say 2+2=5, but one must deal with the consequences - if one does that on their taxes they are likely to get in serious trouble. As John Adams said, facts are stubborn things.

So, we must trust God to give us victory through us changing our own hearts and turning back toward the common sense compassion, forgiveness, self-control, etc. we used to have, and treat all people with these virtuous things. Our nation as a whole has had 400 years of evil, not just 50, starting with our focus so much on greed that we didn't care one bit about other races. However, there is forgiveness at the cross.

Not only that, but through this civil discourse, when we seek forgiveness, others can grant it and we could have national reconciliation. Which leads to the final point.

3. Victory in Election Comes Through God

All the leading contenders have serious flaws. They are all looking at things from man's perspective. So, when I mentioned certain ones, remember that this is true of all of them, it is just they do it in different ways.

Remember, God cares about us. He doesn't require a Godly leader to heal a nation. He merely requirees His people, called by His name, to be humble and pray,seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways.

Briefly, as discussed in numerous places here, that means to realize we're not perfect and need God's help and honestly seek HIm, turning away from sinful ways and to Godly ones. We can't do this ourselves becasue of our sin nature, even once we trust Jesus Christ as Saviour we must constantly rely on Him for help in avoiding sin.

So, you may ask, why do we need a good leader?

It's not to "make America great again," at least not in the way people mean it. Remember, people are focused on worldly things. They seek worldly office. Are there followers of Christ in office? Yes. However, they aren't necessarily going to call America to prayer and repentance like King Hezekiah and King Josiah did in the Old Testament when the land was filled with evil and violence. In fact, some are part of a group that preaches a dangerous doctrine which says we can produce the Millennial Kingdom ourselfs. That is wrong. Only Jesus can usher int he Millennium. Shows 59-63 here explain very clear that the Jews are still God's chosen people and He and he alone will usher in the Millennium.

So, how do we vote? Let the Holy Spirit guide, not our wallets, not our anxiety. Focusing on the thigns of this world is one thing which can cause God to not hear our prayers, as are others Some candidates try to play on peoples' fears, but if they don't follow a Godly path, it will be much harder for God to bless us because He will be fighting against the ruler himself. He still could, but why make it harder? The Holy Spirit lives in each believer.

Instead, we need to pray certain people repent. I have tried to begin a hashtag "PrayTrumpRepents," and perhaps it will become popular enough to trend - social media is great for getting the word out about needs. However, we can't just be hearers (or readers) of the Word, we have to be doers.

In other words, pray that he turns his heart toward God and receives His forgiveness, which he admits he's never done. While he later backtracked on this, the fact he uttered it at first shows he is - as one mministry friend put it - a Nebuchadnezzar at best.

However, notice that the Babylonian emperor did eventually accept God was sovereign over him, and it's important for evangelicals to realize he still appears to support more Godly positions than his opopnents and vote for him. Each of the other candidates has issues, and did during the primaries, too. Ted Cruz is influenced by worldly thigns and that "Kingdom now" movement I warned against," John Kasich has Common Core, the Democratic contenders want government control of a different sort while totally ignoring God - they almost didn't mention Him in their 2012 platform, and if they do this time it will be mere lip service. They want man's system to prevail, not God's perfect plan for each of us.

That plan, as noted above, involves a major heart change. We can pray for America to have a Godly leader, but if we're not willing to take the lead ourselves in turning from our wicked ways, the Godliest leader in the world won't help one bit.

So, to have victory, we must focus on God's perspective. Pray that leaders and candidates repent, and retweet hashtags like that PrayTrumpRepents - you can do it with any candidate's name. however, most importantly, take the lead in praying for revival.

Remember, the world's system does not give people freedom. As we get closer and closer to the End Times - and as these prophecy updates, among others, show we are very close - we will see more and more movement toward the world's system trying to take over completely. However, God will one day descend and place His feet upon the Mount of Olives and usher in the Millennium. In order to make it there, though, you have to be ready by knowing Him as your Saviour now. Global media Outreach's sites like this are one tool to find out how and talk to Christians who will help you grow in your faith.

Forgiveness - for selves, others, and country - just a sincere prayer away

 I want to start this by making a distinction brought to mind by a contact's question with Global Media Outreach.

All sin causes us to fall short of God's perfection. It all had to be atoned for, nailed to the cross, for us to receive God's free gift of eternal life. As Ravi Zacharias says, “The four absolutes we all have in our minds: love, justice, evil, and forgiveness." These are absolutes that we try to imagine for ourselves, but God's Word tells us the real definition of each. And, all were present at the cross; God in His absolute love defeated the absolute evil which led people to sin by meting out upon Himself, Jesus Christ, absolute justice for our sin so that He could give us absolute forgiveness.

However, once we confess to God that we're sinners in need of a Saviour, and trust Jesus Christ by calling on Him to forgive and to save us, we don't need to pray Psalm 51 after every little sin. Our prayers for forgiveness can usually be along the lines of a child whose loving father comes into the room and tells the child kindly, "You left the cottage cheese out of the refrigerator." The expected reaction is just a "Sorry, Dad" and then going to put it away (repenting - turning from that sin).If we keep our hearts right, we'll keep those little ones from growing into bigger ones.(Such as how so many sins were committed, leading to that Psalm 51 prayer, because David didn't look away from Bathsheba and control himself.

Forgiveness is there if we just receive it by faith in three types - our own, others', and then as a part of that our country.

For Ourselves

Why repentance? I've mentioned this elsewhere on this blog; this post is a good example. We all have a sin nature. The song The Power of the Cross by Stuart Townend speaks much more powerfully and I encourage you to listen. However, suffice it to say that "every bitter thought, every evil deed" has been placed on our Savior, and He has borne all the wrath, the full weight of the world's sin.

If we're not careful it can become easy to forget that among all those people was each one of us. No, we haven't all committed every type of sin. But, all our bitter, wrathful, uncaring, prideful, and others types of thoughts, along with all the evil acts we commit, were paid for on the cross. Without Jesus Christ taking our place and bearing our sins, the just for the unjust(1 pet.2:24), we could not be forgiven and could not get to God's perfect Heaven, because there can't be any sin there. So, we must trust Jesus to save us and make us new.

This is why I began the way I did. Each of our past, present, and future sin is paid for on the cross. It was all an affront to God and His perfect righteousness, but it has all been paid for. Once you trust Him to save you and forgive you and invite Him to be your Saviour and to make you new inside, you stand forgiven at the cross. We who are forgiven have a relationship with God that wasn't present before we called on Him to save us. If you've never done that, you need to, and your are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away.

Remember, of course, that while those little sins may not be as big as others, they are still sin  - all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom.3:23) The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Rom.6:23) False pride, being mean, lying, and so on all those bitter, spiteful, vengeful thoughts, pile on top of each other and all add up to the reason Jesus Christ came for you. if you'd been the only person ever in this world He still would have come to die for you and rise from the dead.

You can go here if you'd like to make a profession of faith because you just trusted him as Saviour right now or you would like to know how, or you can ask questions to one of the numerous online volunteers.

For Others

Did you ever notice Jesus never says not to remove a mote from another's eye? He only says to first remove the beam from one's own eye.

The Bible says that with whatever judgment we judge, we'll be judged.

That can be both comforting - we can stand up for the truth - and scary if we aren't living that truth. When we pray, we must have our hearts right with God, as I remarked here. In other words, not entertaining thoughts of evil like revenge, hatred, bitterness, and so on. These are the kinds of things we should get rid of fast by going to someone and discussing the hurt right away, as the Matthew 18 principle shows. "Be ye angry and sin not - let not the sun go down upon your wrath"(Eph.4:26) means it's okay to have righteous anger, but that anger should never be used as an excuse to sin. "let not the sun go down..." means don't let anger fester and become worse and worse, go to the person and get things right before the day ends if possible.

Sometimes, that forgiveness must be extended decades after something happened. Corrie Ten Boom had an experience like this. It was only a couple years later, but her story of seeing a former concentration camp guard who was so clearly a new person is quite amazing. However, either way, we must be willing to put that behind us and not keep punishing that person; even if, as she did, we must ask the Spirit in us to be the one to extend that hand of forgiveness..

Forgiveness isn't the same as forgetting, as she recognized. Traumas come in many forms, and sometimes it is a struggle with PTSD to avoid having a flashback when certain triggers are present or mentioned. The devil makes us recall those traumas. It's not something God wants. He wants us to successfully move onn. In such cases, it's important to trust and pray God will help you avoid such triggers and give you good ideas for how to cope - based on your own individual makeup - which will help you not have them. Remember that flashbacks are the devil's way of trying to make you think you are still in that place; so, for instance, if you were being terribly bullied perhaps you can envision it stopping somehow. You know that it is merely a mechanism to keep you from thinking that the evil is still happening. 2nd Timothy 2 1 says to be strong in the Lord. That is a continual strengthening from the outside, which only God can provide. And, it shows that he understands it is hard for us to deal with some things.

However, you can still forgive and pray that God help the person become more like Christ and to receive Christ as Savior if they haven't. You can still choose not to hold it against that person, though of course there are consequences to sin. Sometimes those mean separation, such as when Paul and Barnabas agreed that the problem between them was not something that allowed them to remain together. This is where if a person is being abused, they have every right to stay away from that abuser.

All that being said, most things brought to mind are not PTSD-related but simply things we must get rid of by forgiving, letting go and letting God handle it rather than continuing to be bitter.

God calls us to forgive just as Christ did. Those extreme examples might even be compared to King David, who when King Saul sought to kill him didn't just stop in his tracks, go up to Saul, and let him kill him. (Although, being God's anointed, I suppose God would have raised him from the dead - which might have given Saul a fatal heart attack on the spot!) However, when David had a chance to harm Saul, he refused to take revenge.(1 Sam. 24)

David's example of sparing Saul's life is the perfect picture of how we should be. David trusted God to handle things, just as are told to in Romans 12:20. Indeed, when we love our enemies it is as if we heap burning coals upon their heads. After all, if someone else will not receive that forgiveness it can constantly haunt them that they didn't when we were so loving. But, we must give them the chance to do so because God can make them new inside so they're not like that.

And, that's the biggest thing. "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."(Eph.4:32) God has forgiven each of us for every sin we have ever committed. I'm sure there are some who have been very mean and cruel, but not every sin they ever committed was against one person the way we have offended God with our sin.

God's Heaven is perfect. There can no sin there. it will be impossible to be sinned against, but it will also be impossible to sin. That's why God must make us new creatures.(2 Cor.5:17). this can only be done by putting your trust in Jesus Christ to save you and calling on Him to forgive you of your sins.  If you have been made new, there should be a desire in your heart to do what's right to glorify Him. We will still sin, but we should do it less and less as we give more and more to Him.

And, as we learn to love others more, we can see great things happen. Our country, as bad a shape as it's in in many areas, still can be forgiven, but we must seek God now.

For Our Country

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then shall I hear from Heaven, and I will answer their their prayers, and I will heal their land." While this verse is meant for Israel, we Gentiles have been grafted in, receiveing the spirit of adoption by God. In addition, Jeremiah 18:5-10 proves this promise is also for Gentile nations.

So, God is willing to forgive us. We see through personally receiving forgiveness and sharing it with others  that God forgives people; He'll forgive our nation, too. But, it's up to us. And, it's a choice we should make for a few good reasons.

First, forgiveness wipes out the sin debt which we have. Our national debt is horrible, but it is really nothing compared to our sin debt. The judgment which would come down upon this country if we didn’t seek god’s face and turn from our wicked ways is huge – remember that absolute justice requires that sins be paid for somehow.

Some might argue that our nation doesn’t deserve forgiveness, but remember, neither do any of us. Jesus didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. That may sound confusing at first because there is none righteous, no not one.(Rom.3:1) however, what He means when he says this is that He isn’t going to grant forgiveness to those who don’t think they need to be forgiven. He won’t force us to trust Him. He lovingly woos us.

In the same way, this nation was self-righteous and didn’t feel it needed forgiven for a long time.People were only Godly when they chose to be - in other words, not against minorities or poor people or whatever other people they didn't like.

Such an evil attitude is why I often emphasize that repentance means turning away from sin.it's agreeing with God that one's sin separates one from a perfect and holy God and letting God take that sin upon Himself.

Therefore, we must - as a nation - seek forgiveness recognizing that this means turning away from our sins and turing to a Biblical way of treating others with love, kindness, compassion, etc. regardless of what they look like or where they are from.

We can't just pick and choose what of God's tenets to follow, but we can simply turn back to God and trust Him to heal this land by trusting Him to reveal to us what our stances need to be on certain things to be right with HIm. This, of course, understanding that it's important to focus on what we stand for, not jsut against.

That verse in 2 Chronicles calls for God's people to do these things, not a leader. He wants moral, Godly leadership, but first we have to want it, too. The way to get it is not by following the establishment - which is man-made and filled with sin - but it is also not with forsaking the establishment with a totally unGodly person, either. (More on that problem later.)

Instead, the solution is for us to call on Jesus in prayer and urge others to as well, turning from our sins and trusting in God to heal our land.

He still can. He takes no pleasure in punishing the wicked.(Ezek.33:11) however, time may be short. We don't know how long we have, but we do know that God's love is waiting for us to call on Him to forgive. And, he will remove our sins as far as the east is fromt he west and restore us. Maybe not to the worldly standard of superpower, but remember, we should build our treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust cannot corrupt and thieves don't break forth and steal. For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.(Matt.6:20-21)

The "good thoughts" to focus on for a better world (Phil.4:8)

God gives us lots of great things to think about and look forward to when we know Him. We should be the most joyous people of all. This is why I've said we must focus on the positive and share what we are for,  not just what we oppose. The world loves to be negative, but we have a message of unconditional love to give people.

As stated before, God doesn't want to ruin our fun. God wants to enhance it. Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly.(John 10:10) So, when God's Word gives a list of things to think about, he is showing he wants us to have the maximum possible true enjoyment, not the false joy of the devils things.

This is why at the end he lets it all out in Philippians 4:8. If there is any virtue at all, if there is any praise at all, go ahead and think about these things. There are so many things that are wholesome, good-natured, and so on, which we can focus on.

Of course, we did not always do this effectively. However, society was much more wholesome way back when, and when we are committed to calling on the Lord to heal our broken country in repentance revival, He will help us and save us. But we should do our part in working to focus on the things mentioned and trust Him to help us to continue to do so, to be our strength when we struggle..

This is only one reason why Philippians 4:8 is so helpful. The importance of the thinds mentioned for a repentance revival will be apparent. These are things it can be hard, with our fleshly nature, to focus on ourselves, especially with the world so filled with the opposites. Yet, with God's help we can, and as we fill our hearts with them more it will be easier.

The verse starts with "finally." What came before is important but this starts a new thought. God the Holy Spirit inspired this to be written so we could see that by focusing on the items we would really benefit. These things help create the peace that passes understanding of the previous verse, the confidence that "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me," and so on because we focus on them. (As I've mentioned, using the terms in the KJV)

The first listed to think on is whatsoever things are true. It is wonderful to know that in all the problems of this world, there is absolute truth you can rely on. There is absolute love, for instance, unconditional love that we know God has for us. Then, there are facts such as this: You are fearfully and wonderfully made. What a great truth to think about when tempted to compare yourself to someone else. Our looks are fleeting, but God looks at the heart and He can help you to have a heart that is more loving, kind, gentle, and many other wonderful things.

Indeed, to have that peace that passes understanding, we can focus on that promise and many other promises that God has for us when we trust in Him. The world tries to tell us to conform to it and its standards with all the vulgarity and meanness and cruelty. however, we know we can focus on God and His Word and be sure of His truth. Being honest, not cheating, putting others first, and so on will pay off even if such things don't right away.

Things which are honest are listed next as things to think about. What is the difference between that and things that are true? The "true" part focused more on absolutes like I discussed above and on God's promises. "Honest" refers to personal honesty, not deceiving people but always being a person of your word. Lying and cheating have become far too common in society, and we should be different. As we pray for God to heal this nation - and this is one big area where it must begin with us - the Holy Spirit will convict more and more people in their consciences, even the unsaved, and society will be more honest, forthright, etc..

The next part, whatsoever things are just, reminds me of a few other posts on how we have neglected to do justice so much in our country. We are supposed to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God(Micah 6:8), but, but we struggle because of our sin nature causing us to focus on ourselves. Thankfully, we must simply commit ourselves to doing it and then letting God change our hearts so that we can. The four C's of making Godly choices which have been spoken to youth are just as important to adults. 1. Consider the choice. 2. Compare it to God's Word. 3. Commit to Godly principles. 4. Count on God's protection and provision.

Ravi Zacharias notes that perfect justice is one of those absolutes that everyone has in mind. This is where Romans 2 talks about how everyone has some idea of justice in their minds, and one thing that condemns us is that we do not adhere to our own ideals of justice in every case. The fact that there are so many different ones shows why that perfect justice must come from God, because otherwise two people can have very opposing views of what is just.

Perfect justice requires that there be a penalty for sim.

Thankfully, God's perfect love was also present at the cross,  so as Mr. Zacharias says, perfect laws, perfect goodness, perfect evil, and perfect justice came together there, when thankfully Jesus Christ took our punishment, dying on the cross for our sin and rising from the dead, so we could call on him for salvation and have that wonderful relationship with God He wants us to have. What an awesome Savior! Anyone can call on Him right now to be saved from sin if they haven't.
 

Of course, it is not just that we should think about, but as noted first, the justice that should be done to everyone. Because, God truly sees everyone as equal before the cross,but we should do what's right and just for others, too.

The next one is something that our society struggles with perhaps more than any of the others.

We should focus on whatsoever things are pure.

The word actually means without stains, without interference from sin. We all sin and come short of the glory of God, of course, but there was a wholesomeness to life in the past, not just to entertainment. We need the Lord to return to us the joys of it by trusting Him to make that change in our hearts.

This is where the way our culture uses it is creates a huge importance for us to think on things that are pure to have repentance revival. 

Our culture makes too much of the sensual. There are many reasons for this, and to keep this family friendly, I'll just discuss things in general and how they show thinking about pure things is better. After all, there is a wonderful, wholesome place for one aspect of it, and that is between a married couple, just as a lawnmower is a wonderful tool to cut the grass but is not meant for trimming hedges or deadheading geraniums.

First, the Greeks have four words for love - I go into detail about them in this blog on another blog on this site. If we focus only on the external we miss out on the deeper, more lasting,  forever love that is unconditional.

That often can be traced to a lack of such unconditional love early. It doesn't have to come from those connected biologically, though it should. When some people feel they've missed that they turn to the superficial rather than to God's unconditional love, just like the woman at the well(John 4) kept turing to men till she met the Saviour, Jesus.

Jesus will fill all those holes in their hearts if they just turn to Him, however. And, when people respond to His Spirit's wooing, He can work in those people to be the family they never had to one who craves such love. Or, just friends who fill little needs, those best friends forever who a person can turn to if they don't feel like going to family and who can be like family.

Some, of course, simply fall for youthful lusts the way David did. King David doesn't seem to have had family problems except for brothers who taunted him, but even that wasn't as bad as some people have. Also, some brothers do that because they want their youngest brother to succeed through very hard work. It is even possible that his brothers tried to warn him away from the battle with Goliath to protect him. So, his home life was probably pretty good. Suffice it to say that there is a reason the Bible warns so heavily to flee youthful lusts. They can become very addictive and even rewire the brain if one is not careful, just like any addiction, even for someone from a very healthy background. This includes not looking at certain things, and also being modest in appearance.

This is because there is an element of selfishness in those "lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life" that 1 John 2:16 warns about. They cause people to only want what they can use for themselves and not how they can help and give to others; true love is ultimately all about giving, not getting. I've mentioned in several posts that is one of the big problems in our society, one that God must heal for us to have repentance revival, which means confessing and forsaking any and ourselves and then in our nation as a whole.

Instead, think on things that are pure. This lets you to focus on that unconditional love and to keep your mind on things of God. It allows you to focus on giving, which is more blessed than getting anyway. It also causes you to stop worrying about yourself and put your mind on following the Lord and His perfect wisdom and plan for your life. God will provide someone special in His time for those without someone. But, the Bible says being single is a gift also, because one can focus totally on Him.

There are many other things that can be included in things that are pure, however. Pristine, beautiful nature, for instance is so wonderful to observe. It is exquisite. It is lovely.

We should think on whatsoever things are lovely. The above is not the only thing that is lovely. It is just something that more people might think about nowadays.

When we think about things that are lovely, we think about anything that produces the right kind of pleasure. the kind that brings great joy internally that lasts, instead of the very temporary things involved in what came in the examples before.

The best things in life are free, such as that unconditional love. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above, from the Father of lights.(James 1:17) Also among those lovely, precious things are the Fruit of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering(patience), temprance(self-control),etc.. Those are thigns that last. Money, fame, etc. are fleeting. It is those warm, family memories, those joyous occasions, that are lovely and should be focused on. This, in turn, helps us to avoid focusing on the bad - the fights, the battles, and so on.

Whatsoever things are of good report is sort of a general, catch-all phrase that captures whatever wasn't mentioned before. I suppose a wonderful, home-cooked meal or your favorite food at your favorite restaurant could be called lovely, but I tend to think of it as more of what fits here. "good report" just means that it is something that causes one to grow in favor with Godly people, to increase in reputation as a person who is reliable, dependable, hard working, and so on - all things that allow God to use them more and more for greater and greater things.

King David, for instance, had a couple things that prepared him for killing the giant, Goliath. One was that he obeyed in taking meals to his brothers in the field. That showed a caring servant's heart. He had also killed a lion and a bear that were trying to get at their father Jesse's sheep.

When it comes to entertainment, getting back to a previous subject, a "good report" can still be comical or involve a mistake, but it will be one with humility. My great grandmother lived to be 95, and she always said the secret to long life was "at least one good belly laugh a day." but, that involved good, clean humor, not crass, vulgar stuff that belittles people. I love laughing at my own mistakes nd making fun of when iImisunderstand things, because I have lots of self-confidence, I know that when i mess up it doesn't mean I'm some awful person.

So, it's really just humility. having fun with life instead of being so critical about everything. A teenager who called my office had that. He was trying to call a consulate in a foreign country, but did a country code wrong and so when he asked for that consulate, having had this happen to me once before, I started laughing and told him what he'd done. Now, had he been sad I would not have gone further but reassured him, but because he started laughing, too, I went on and said, "Your friends are going to tease you so much."(He was there with some sort of school group.) We both had a very good, lighthearted laugh over his "7,000 mile wrong number" as we spoke for a moment before he hung up. To this day, several years later, I'm sure that he looks back on it with his friends and laughs, and it has become part of their shared experience. It is something of good report, an honest mistake that was a real whopper, which ultimately showed that we are only human. We need to know when to be serious but also to look at the bright side of life and accept when thigns come our way that are not what we expect.

So, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. Like the above, this is a catch-all term that means to focus on that positive. Accepting our failings with humility

There are plenty of things that have praise from the world's viewpoint, but of course this is praise from God's perspective. Still, as noted, that covers a wide range of things. There is a wonderful list of things we can focus on while staying sober, laughing, having fun, and so on.

So, instead of covering the world with meanness, vulgarity, anger, sensual stuff, and so on, focus on the things which build others up, which last forever. Focus on the positive. And, focus on the things of God - the promises of comfort, peace that passes understanding, etc..

Because, God wants you to be more confident and positive. He says so in His Word - a merry heart workth good like a medicine.(Prov.17:22)

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.