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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning to show compassion

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

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

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

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

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

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

Receive God's compassion and forgiveness

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

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

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

Showing Godly compassion, not the false kind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Actions Must Speak Louder

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

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

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

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

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

The reconciliation to God needed for repentance revival

I used to link an incident or two at the start of a post, but so much happened in the last few days that would be very hard. It's better to just start with what is needed to solve it. After all, everyone can tell we have a big mess on our hands.

The Bible speaks of a type of reconciliation that doesn't just involve person-to-person, though. We must be reconciled to God so we can have that proper relationship needed to be the loving, caring people He made us to be.

Yes, we can care about others without Him. However, that is a selfish kind of caring, puffing ourselves up, not God, who is personal and loving and desires a relationship with us. We fall short of His perfect glory, and have a sin nature, but he wants to correct that problem through what he did for us, and then work in us to show His love and improve the world.

We can't  rely on ourselves to fix it because there is such a sin problem, a problem that grows when we fail to focus on God and His perfect ways. We instead try to do thing on our own strength and isntead mess up. The Dallas police protecting a Black Lives matter protest and getting shot provide a perfect example - here were people trying to unite for peace, the police were protecting peaceful protesters, and yet the devil still broke in riling people up outside of it to do mean stuff. (Okay, I linked to one - these police and protesters were working together in what seems to be a Godly fashion. It just shows that we can't rely on people to do this themselves - we need God to be our victory.)

As people, we struggle with things like evil. Not everyone will be tempted to be as violent as some of the people in the news lately. However, we all fall short of the mark of perfection. And, we can't make ourselves perfect. The world's system tries, but that system is much better, as this shows from my ministry blog.

God's justice is better, his forgiveness is better, his mercies last forever. So, how do we receive that if we can't do it ourselves? How do we become reconciled to God? Because, that is what needs to be done for there to be a repentance Revival.

New on the inside

First, one must become a new creature in Christ. As I have mentioned often in this blog, each of us sins - even if we don't commit every type of sin, we still are not perfect. So, we must be made new on the inside. It is being a new creature that allows us to be reconciled to God. It's as easy as ABC - Admit you're a sinner, Believe Jesus died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead, and Call on Him to forgive you and save you from your sin, Choosing to trust in Him completely as having done all that was needed to make you new inside.

That reconciliation allows God to have a personal relationship with us. God reconciled us to Himself by taking the punishment for our sins when he came to this Earth as a man, fully God and fully man, died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead. It Is by trusting Him, calling on Him by faith to forgive and save you, that you become reconciled to Him.

When you do this, Jesus comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is how he works in you to help you grow more Christ-like in things like the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. He will help you be kind and tender-hearted, like in Ephesians 4:32. You can learn to focus on the many positive thigns of Philippians 4:8. Many other verses which show God's perfect love.

Once a person is reconciled to God, so they know they can go to heaven, they will have life more abundantly here on Earth too, as I speak of here.

More importantly, they will have gain the ministry of reconciliation so that they can be ambassadors for Jesus Christ and share his love with others.

Represent God With Love

An ambassador's job is 2 represent his or her country in another country. An ambassador will work too ensure that businesses have the help they need and working with that country. And, more importantly, the Ambassador will work to ensure his or her nation's citizens are not mistreated and provide help where they can. They speak to the government for the citizens.

As Christians, our role as ambassadors fits perfectly into the admonition to be in the world but not of the world. An ambassador cannot represent his or her country without going to that country. And yet, they also would not be doing their jobs if they broke off contact with their home country and decided they were going to become a citizen the country they were in. That would be laughable if they did that.

Romans 12:1-2 says, among other things, that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That means continuing to allow our minds to be made more in the image of Jesus Christ in our love, compassion, and so on.

We need to care for non-Christians as well as Christians. Ultimately, God wants everyone to come to know him as Saviour. It's just that we fail sometimes because that old fleshly nature wants to do other things. It wants to seek revenge or spout off angrily or do other things that will hurt people.

Thankfully, of course, we are fully reconciled to God and will not lose our Salvation. However we will lose blessings and rewards if we don't take advantage of that relationship and let God work in us to help us to grow spiritually and glorify Him.

So, the key is to reconcile others to God, leading to the Gospel. Gospel is a word that means good news. We have good news to tell people, that the God of love has reconciled us to Himself despite our sin. In His perfect Heaven, we will all gather around the throne and celebrate forever no matter what we do. That is, members of every tribe and kindred and tongue and nation.

In other words, we will all be equal in heaven and that equality should start here on Earth. God is personal and only looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.(1 Sam.16:7) We must put aside differences - while standing firm on sound doctrinal facts that are from the Bible, sharing with others that Jesus save, not man's works - and come together in the spirit of unity.

The answer must involve remembering God's love

It is in the spirit of unity we need to realize that all lives matter - black, blue, green with red polka dots and orange swirly thingies, whoever you are, you are special to God. You matter to Him, and you are special to people here on Earth too. We should see each other as special.

The problem, of course, is that some people, on both sides, don't seem to recognize that. There are too many people acting in anger and frustration. That is a spirit of the devil witch comes only to destroy, rather than to build up. That verse where Jesus promises to give us life more abundantly is in the same place as Jesus warning that the thief does come only to tear down and destroy. That life more abundantly comes as we encourage others and let God encourage us in our walk with him to be more Christ-like in our love for everyone. After all, we are all created in God's image.

In order to do this, we must remember that God is still in the picture. In many ways, we have sadly chosen to ignore God. There are many times when people will only do that which is right in their ownsight(Jud.21:25) , instead of the common sense God gave which allows us to realize other people matter and that we can't simply do whatever we want. True freedom can only come in Christ and what He did for us.

It can sound like a broken record, of course, to say that we need to share with others how they are creations of God and should not be tempted to do violence - and how we need to realize that ourselves so we do not feel tempted to do it to others but instead recognize that God loves them and does not want people to be acting rashly against them.

There are, of course,  bad things in this world. However, that should not cause us to act in a rash manner. As the Bible says in ephesians 4, be ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. In other words, don't let anger fester and turn into sin. Instead, make things right by working together in love with those who hurt you. Do good to those who persecute you, and you will heap burning fire upon their heads. This means that if they do not get saved it will torment them that they did not show that kindness and repent. And, if they do, Jesus Christ will have taken the punishment for their sins, just as He did for yours.

We need His help, however. Just as being strong in the Lord means strengthening from the outside, this work of coming together must come from the Holy Spirit working in us and in the country. And, He can. Jesus says the Holy Spirit isn't come into the world only to dwell in saved people. He came to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.(John 16:7-12)

So, be reconciled to God, and as discussed elsewhere in this blog, pray without ceasing and encourage others to be, also, so that God the Holy Spirit can work int his nation and bring repentance revival. And, if the devil attack like he did in Dallas, just remember, God has already won the final battle. We just need to help people see His love and feel His perfect peace and comfort here on Earth.

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.