Get freedom by turning to God for salvation, strength

I promise not to discuss how much better the world seemed when I was a kid. You've heard - or told - all the stories. (The world changes so fast a grade schooler might tell them to a preschooler. :-)

Rather, I encourage everyone - especially those going to school, who can relieve their stress with God's unconditional love- to be specially bold in the Lord's love, just as I urged youth early in this blog to take back their inner cities, and in this free blogged book to take the lead in families or with friends where there's no spiritual leadership. I've blogged about all the freedom we have in Jesus to help, care for others, be kind without worry, and so on, and how that freedom is so much different than what the world has to offer. You can read these posts at your leisure.

You can claim God's promises and let Him provide you freedom from all of the problems and then declare independence from this world's system of corruption, evil, hatred - Jesus says we are all equal with no distinction between races - and so on. Yes, that system that ignores God is to blame, as several posts here show.

First, claim God's promise of salvation and a relationship with Him

It's hard to find lifelong commitments today. Thankfully, God will give you one. He will give you perfect peace, comfort, strength, and so much more. whenever you turn to Him, because He promises to come live inside you. This relationship will free you. Some call this relationship dangerous, but that's because they don't have your best interests at heart. In fact, only God can have your best interests at heart because He knows all things. Take a baby who wants to put something poisonous in their mouth. Obviously, you say, that child doesn't have their own best interests in mind.

It can be true of adults, too. Just by not following a map, you can end up in a totally different part of the world, or where you don't know the language.

Sin is not following that map God created for our lives - it also offends God, too, of course. Look how lying, for instance, can hurt others, lead to anxiety (what if it's found out?), lead to bigger sins to cover it up, etc.. Sins like racism, cruelty to others, etc. aren't done by everyone the way lying ot selfishness are, but the point is, we've all sinned, we've all acted agaisnt that map God has for us.

There is a penalty of sin, a price Jesus paid when He died on the cross for our sin and rose from the dead. Of course, we have freedom to reject Him, but like with anything else, we must understand the consequences of rejection of His free gift of salvation.

Accepting His free gift of salvation is as easy as ABC. 1. Admit you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, that you can't save yourself becasue your sin separates you from God so you can't get to His perfect heaven on your own; 2. Believe Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins and rose from the dead to take the punishment for your sins; and, Call on Jesus to save you, Choosing to trust Him completely to forgive you and make you new inside, to change your "want to." You can do that right here reading this blog, as can anyone you share this with.

Rejection of God's free gift of salvation means separate from Him forever in a horrible place that He doesn't want to send anyone. It was created for the devil and his fallen angels. In God's great love, He clearly spells out that He doesn't want anyone to go there and how they can avoid going there.

Because God loves us, He wants us as His followers to share that love and salvation with others You can share it like above, use the Gospel here or in a tract on another page on the site, send them to abundantlife.godlife.com, etc.. But, for it to work, remember they must believe you, so don't be a Pharisee.

I'll share some other ways we can have freedom, and joys through it, in the last segment of this post, but read all of it to help you grow in the Lord once you know Him, or just to understand more.

Drawn to God's love to gain freedom

He wants to draw people to that love so they can have freedom.

This is where those who call a relationship with Jesus dangerous are wrong. They do not have your best interests at heart. They have their own. Sometimes, it is for selfish reasons such as wanting to have control of you. Other times, they don't want to have consequences to their actions, even though there will be no matter what they want. Just like that baby who wants to put poison in his or her mouth. It will hurt them even if they don't want it to.

God tells us in His Word - which we know is fully reliable - how much He loves you. He draws you to His love by giving you that comfort, perfect peace, nurturing, understanding, and so on. However, he alsoshows it by letting you know that sin has consequences and how to let Him take those consequences on Himself. It has consequences even  if someone doesn't want or believe in them.

So, there is freedom from the penalty of sin. There is also freedom from the power of sin.

This is a wonderful promise. It means we can withstand all the evil of this world, though only through the power of the Holy Spirit in each believer. Yes, we are flesh, too, so we will still sin, and we must put our full trust in Jesus to be our strength so we don't.  However, the Word of God is a valuable tool in doing this, because it is the major way the Lord speaks to us. The Spirit teaches us how to apply it to our lives. He will show us how to avoid sin.

This avoiding of sin is needed because sin is what enslaves us. Sin can only be escaped through God's mercy, through what Jesus did for us. This is why the Bible says the truth will set you free - Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6.

Indeed, Jesus will one day save is from the very presence of sin. That just shows, though, that all that sin will be somewhere else. A place you want to avoid if you're looking for your own best interest.

It's not just in Heaven we can have that great peace, though.

Life More Abundantly Here, Too

I've posted before about how we can have life more abundantly here on Earth(John 10:10) and indeed that there is a even a verse speaking to those who would love life, 1 Peter 3:10-11.

This can't be done on our own, of course. We can't bring the Kingdom in ourselves, as discussed on shows 115 and 116 here. That's because some aspects are impossible for mankind to create in the Millennium, such as all animals being peaceful or no more war occurring. It's also because in Heaven, nothing will grow old or wear out.

 The way we have life more abundantly here is through the joy the Lord gives each of us when we are clsoe to Him, and the tenderness with which He treats us when we wander , being slow to anger and rich in mercy.

Being strong in the Lord in the Bible is from a Greek verb meaning a continual action from the outside. We need Jesus to work in us to provide that strength, because we can't fight the intense spiritual warfare ourselves.

It may seem rough because this world has so many problems. There is so much injustice. There are so many charities that need support, so many spiritual needs people are trying to fill on a shoestring, especially because inner city ones like this don't get church support.

It's pretty silly to say to imagine something with what I'm doing next: Quoting part of 1 Corinthians 2:9 - "eye has not seen, nor ear heart, nor has entered into the heart of man" the wonders that God has prepared for those who love Him. His mercies are new every morning. He loves to make all things new, and He will create a totally new world one day. Imagine the incredible beauty of colors that are much more dazzling than anything we have ever seen.

 But, we can have joy in other things, too. It's not just in looking forward to what is to come.

Other joys God gives when we receive His freedom

Sharing that message of God's free gift of salvation with othersgives great joy when we know we have a part in God's plan. It's vital to pray first, of course, nd let Him guide us, since as noted He knows what's right in each situation. WHen we mess up, we must admit our wrong right away and confess and forsake it to God, but even that shows growth just like a batter who sees and corrects a flaw in his mechanics so he can improve.

Knowing God will make everything right and end injustice helps so much; our sin nature is such we always make things more of a mess when we try to fix things, as numerous posts here show. We can't hope to re-create the awesomeness which will come.

However, the devil will try to seduce us, which is why I've noted before we also must avoid the great deception which will come on the world. that's SO vital I made this which should be spread everywhere if millions disappear. If you put your trust in God, though, you'll be safe, and just imagine what's in store.

You can have joy in good, wholesome entertainment. You don't have to do evil or mean or raunchy things or even tell such jokes. You're free from having to tear others down; you can work to build them up, as Jesus tells us to do.

 You can enjoy the freedom of knowing whatever life brings - even the frustration and pressure of tests and grades, and all the popularity stuff that is just false pride - it doesn't have to define you.

Instead, you can trust in what God says about you - that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that He is a personal God who desires a relationship where he shares with you His unconditional love, no matter who you are, no matter what happened on some day in school.

You can stay away from those bullying sites, for instance that tear you down, and you can lead others away, too, by helping them realize they are special to God and to you. You can be an encouragement, you can be someone for whom other people matter.

There are so many other joys and promises, but just get alone with God and pray each morning that He will use you to impact lives for His honor and glory, to bring them to salvation. (There are many good tracts you can hand out if you don't feel comfortable talking as well, search for them on the Ineternet or ask your local church - oens with itles like the above "God's Simple Plan of Salvation" which was linked, or "Amazing Love," or "Who Can Enter," ones that minister to others and can be ordered in some cases for free. Just be sure you use the King James version if you can, becasue it's fromt he original Antiochan Greek, as mentioned elsewhere in this blog and here.)

Above all, remember to make much of the Lord Jesus, and He'll make much of you. Becasue, He truly wants you to know Him and to be a great force for change in your world, to reach out to the hurting and share that message of His hope and salvation.

Be thankful for life, let Jesus give life more abundantly

Though the posts have been fewer, I hope many continue to pray and spread the word on praying for revival. This post - on Memorial Day, when we remember those who gave their lives - is very appropriate because it concerns how our society loves life on an individual level.

Like Jesus does at times, I'll start with a question to make readers think. Since Jesus promises to give life and life more abundantly than the world can(John 10:10), then it makes sense to get that, since it'll be more plentiful, fulfilling, etc. than what we could have without Him, right?

Our society loves to "live life to its fullest" - we hear many slogans about this. And yet, as I discussed in this ministry blog post, people have constant contact through the Internet but it doesn't provide the unconditional love and depth of relationships that a personal relationship with Jesus provides; He is personal. It is far more rewarding than just the physical, which as valuable or special. For example, this recent ministry post shared how a relationship with Jesus can help a child in a very difficult home life to feel loved - and how we should come alongside, a focus of shows 114 & 117 on the Youthquake site's radio page.(You can probably guess parts of this will be on the ministry blog, too. Please pray for such kids at Camp CHOF and elsewhere - sponsorship for underprivileged kids are always helpful.)

To have a true repentance revival in our nation, we need to take hold of that "life more abundantly" that Jesus promises first, since I've noted before that it must begin with us. Jesus wants to forgive each of us and save us from our sins. Forgiveness is something we all need, as this shares.

Then, let's consider how to pray for and interact in this society that is always giving messages about loving life, and for our nation as a whole.

To those who will love life - 1 Peter 3:8-11

I have, in my immediate family(counting retirees and spouses) more than a handful of doctors, nurses, and physical therapists. You can imagine I've heard much about how fleeting life is and living each day to its fullest. These occupations naturally cause one to think about that.

And yet, that is something even children can understand. As one example, my uncle was moved to be a doctor after seeing a Life Magazine article on kids with club feet at age 8.

Such things breed thankfulness, a desire to cherish each day, and so on. However, in that desire to enjoy life to its fullest, it's easy to forget God if we're not careful.

God loves and cares for us as His creation - we are each "fearfully and wonderfully made."(Ps.139:14) He wants us to pursue the dreams He gives us - just like He made sure my uncle saw that article and gave him that compassionate personality to know he wanted to help people. He took hold of what God had given him, and God blessed him. He has certainly lived life to its fullest, helping untold thousands of people.

It would have been terrible if he'd refused to think of others and instead done what some of his generation did. He'd never have helped all those people. "Enjoying life" has to mean more than just pleasing oneself - life is about helping others in a Christlike way, as noted in this post. And yet, there are some who think it's better to please themselves and only think about what they can get out of something, not what they can give.

Therein lies the problem. 1 Peter 3:10 addresses those who would "love life," and brings in verses 8-11 as well on being compassionate, doing good and eschewing evil, etc.. If a person turns away from a life of loving their neighbor, being kind to others, and so on, and turns to evil instead (for instance, throwing away a promising career with drugs or lustful behavior), they'll miss out on the great opportunities God has for them.

This is where we must be careful of the devil's wiles, so we don't follow a counterfeit. The idea of living life to its fullest can be used to make sure one gives all for the glory of God and tries not to miss any chance to glorify Him whether eating, drinking, whatever they do.(1 Cor.10:31). In this way, making the most of the one life we're given means using that life that we have for Him. However, "you only live once" has been usurped by the devil, as explained by Chris Townsend, to get people to think that they, and not God, have ultimate say in every aspect of their lives.

In other words, instead of adding 1 Corinthians 10:31 as a reminder to do all you can to spread the Gospel and show Jesus Christ's love through your actions, many take the idea of having but one life to mean one may do whatever they want, in blatant disregard for God and His eternal truths, because they are led to believe there are no consequences to sin.

There are consequences, however, to all sin, including especially the fact that Jesus Christ had to die to take the punishment for our sin, and then rise from the dead.

So, how do we make sure we're on the right path, and looking at that life we have as we should?

How To Be Transformed

Part of this show "Quest for Truth" did - on connecting with the culture - discussed those verses in 1 Peter 3, though of course there wasn't nearly enough time with all there was to cover.

To put it succinctly, we need to eschew evil. Whereas this society has become very coarse and uncaring, we need to be the opposite, and "be not conformed to this world" but rather "transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."(Rom.12:2) Because, as this post shows, eliminating that coarseness but instead extending that forgiveness as Jesus has done for us will help make that life more abundant - and pleasant. First Peter also discusses suffering for one's faith, after all, so there is plenty of pain already without us adding to it. We should be showing Christlike love and forgiveness.

In so doing, we can pray for our country to do the same, for people to change on the inside and value the eternal rather than selfishly follow their own desires - to think about those good thoughts to think on from Philippians 4:8. Things that are true, just, lovely, and so on are certainly part of life, and can easily be thought about. Indeed, God can relieve our pain when we "think on thsoe things" and praise Him, just as the Psalms often start with anguish and end with the Psalmist praising God.

The world doesn't know how to accept sacrifice. When people only think of themselves and what they can get out of life, they can end up missing very important things, even if they know Christ as Saviour.

For example, a man I know, and his wife, didn't have peace about accepting a promotion he was offered to what he thought would be the job of his dreams, so he didn't take it. As it turned out weeks later, had he taken that promotion, he wouldn't have been home nearly as fast and his wife may have bled to death at the end of a difficult pregnancy, and the baby might not have survived; even if he had been home the transfer they'd have had would have mean they'd have been an hour away from a good hospital, not a few minutes like they were. God then gave him a better job a few years later. What a great testimony to God's Spirit working and helping us, as well as to what those aforementioned relatives would say about making every moment matter, family being most important (next to God of course, who as we see here provides for that), etc..

There is a great need for repentance revival in this country. And, it's not just because some people are putting jobs, money, and other things ahead of God - at times it's because some people are choosing to follow a life filled with lusts, selfishness, and other sins.

The evils of the world won't last, though. Neither will anything in the world, even the best things; Jesus says Heaven and earth will pass away. Jesus promises us something much better with those eternal rewards, because they can't grow old, rust out, etc., and nobody can take from from us. And, where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.(Mat.6:19-21)

So, a good part of the secret to loving life is building treasures in Heaven. That's because the life that matters isn't here on Earth.

The Life That Matters Is the Eternal Life God Can Give

 The man I mentioned, a follower of Christ, is certainly very grateful that God led him to decline the position and thus probably save his wife and child's lives. However, had he decided on his own to decline it - though such a decision wouldn't have made sense from the world's perspective - he could still say that at least he put his family first, right?

Sure, that's why we have to remember that the life that truly matters is the eternal life God promises to those who trust Him to save them from their sins. Because, without that, we have to suffer for our own sins, and God doesn't want us to have to do that. We could love what we have till we die physically, and it could be somthing like family or relationships or helping others. However, it is by grace - a free gift - we are saved through faith, and "that not of ourselves, if is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph.2:8-9)

In other words, a person who always puts their family first, always cares about others, and all those other good things is still a sinner in need of a Saviour - if they sinned only 3 times a day that's still over 1,000 a year. Without calling on Jesus and receiving Jesus' free gift of salvation that person would also die spiritually.

That eternal life is the life Jesus gives that is much more abundant than what we have now. It isn't just the fact God can guide a man to turn down something worldly in order to save his wife and child because He knows the future and we don't. That's just the icing on the cake, the benefit of a personal relationship with God. The main part of that abundant life is that life Jesus Christ gives a person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ to save them from their sins. Only when one does this does one have eternal life. He who hath the Son hath life, and he who hath not the Son hath not life.(1 John 5:12) Just living a Godly life is not enough, one must know Christ personally. Eternal is much more special, much more abundant.

Still, part of that life we can love is in how we are living here on Earth, those things we are doing for the Lord, rather than pleasing ourselves. Instead of the evil motto of "do what thou wilt with no care for the things of God," following Godly principles is the way we love life and make the most of it.

Making the Most of Life by Glorifying God, Pray Others Do the Same

So, as with other things mentioned in various posts here, for there to be repentance revival in our country, there is a part we play, so we can get to the part where we pray.

That part we play is by making sure each of us, individually, knows Jesus Christ as Saviour. This "God's Simple Plan" site above is great, this with the four spiritual laws is also an excellent summary.

Then, we let the Lord transform us continually by helping us to put away those selfish desires and "whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God."(1 Cor.10:31) We use our talents, abilities, and opportunities to glorify Him and to share His love with others. This is something those who do not have eternal life can't do. They can only glorify themselves, and if they give glory to God it is not because He is their savior, it is because they are simply paying lip service or believing in some vague force and not in who God is, a personal God who must punish sin but has done so by taking the punishment for our sin, dying on the cross for each of us and rising from the dead.

At the same time, we need to be careful not to look like the world. Look at 1 Peter 3:8-11 again, that life more abundantly includes eschewing evil. Going back to my earlier examples, if a person chooses to do something selfish - getting into drugs, following their own lusts, being cruel, etc. - they are not loving the life God has given them. They are not glorifying Him. It is impossible to turn from God and say, "I am glorifying God" in the same way it is impossible for a person to put on bathing trunks near the ocean, get all read to swim, and then go into the desert with no water around and say "I am swimming."

Not everyone reading this will be a celebrity or even famous in any way, but these are some good examples in the next paragraph because they involve the images that we see int he media. They can, however, be analogized to anyone - for instance, a factory worker (and there are still some left) can consider how he or she relates to others and making sure they are being a Godly example. And, they can make sure they aren't overly critical. At times, it appears that those who criticize, for instance, baseball players for showing off may themselves crave the spotlight by bringing so much attention to the matter instead of being more forgiving, as was mentioend before, and accepting the different culture.

So, if, for instance, a performer is singing, acting, or whatever in some secular role, they can still glorify God by being light in the darkness. They can choose never to use lyrics that are vulgar or suggestive, but instead ones that uplift. They can encourage things like in Philippians 4:8.(Focus on a song's words forward, not how some used to talk of stuff backwards or even the type, things which distract from the real issue. Frank Sinatra's "My Way" may be the most often quoted secular song by pastors - used in sermons on false pride - and it doesn't even have a guitar.)  They can make sure the focus is on God and what He can do, not on themselves. Songs about relationships can be about loving ones with no sex till marriage and fabulous stable ones afterward. (Kenny Rogers' "Through the Years," for instance.) The performers can refuse to do songs about forcing oneself on someone or sinful lusts. They can, in other words, eschew evil.

Why is that important? Those who try to have everything for themselves are never satisfied. They can't find fulfillment and so they keep trying to find it in pleasure, sometimes drugs, and usually in things that glorify themselves. However, if they are never satisfied, they are truly getting the most out of life, are they? They know something is missing, but not what.

This is the way the devil feeds them. It's a lie that says that they can please themselves with no consequences and that will be sufficient. They might trick themselves into thinking they will be happy if it's always all about them and what they can get. However, they wind up not being happy and that sin has consequences, all the way to a devil's Hell if one doesn't trust Jesus Christ by faith by calling on Him to forgive them for their sins and make them new inside.

So, to love life, focus on the right kind - make sure you have made that choice to accept Christ's free gift of salvation by calling on Him by faith to save you. Then, live for Him, so you can have Him work in you and give you that fulfillment.

 Then, of course, pray others do the same. Pray God will move people through His Holy Spirit to come to know the Lord and then start to be less coarse and more forgiving, less selfish and more caring, and so on.

It takes time and effort. But, it is very much worth it in the end.