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.

Keep praying - God still works miracles

I mentioned earlier how prayer works and how our prayers can do many positive things; not because of us but becasue of God's love for us and willingness to move when we pray with a right heart attitude.

I thought of titling this "Christ's resurrection power," but there are many bad things about our past we wouldn't want resurrected. However, quite a few of those are still around, it's just that the oppression is more subtle in many cases. Mankind's solutions haven't changed hearts the way god can in His miraculous way.

We do want to see the good stuff resurrected, and it is that same incredible power that not only can bring back the good stuff but also change hearts to remove the bad stuff. As noted, major revivals have happened which have caused many people to suddenly stop drinking alcohol, stop cheating, etc..

The reason for this is that God works miracles. He will always be in the business of working miracles.

There are different kinds of miracles, of course. At times, we call it a miracle when what it is instead is God's perfect timing. Take, for instance, the story of a missionary in the heart of Africa years ago. A mother had died in childbirth, and this baby needed a hot water bottle to stay alive. There were no modern hospitals, and nthere was no outside communication. Even if there was, there was no way a hot water bottle could be delivered in time.

Still, the missionary prayed. And, after quite a bit of prayer, a box arrived that had been sent five months earlier from a church. Guess what one of the kids in a Sunday School class had put into it? Yes, a hot water bottle. There was no logical reason it would ever be needed, but God had stirred this kid's heart months earlier, perhaps because of this prayer - remember, God hears outside of physical time. And, this premature infant's life was saved.

FGeorge Mueller's story of caring for orphans in Britain contains quite a few of these isntances, too. In each of our lives, there are cases like that as well.

However,

Of course, that kind of thing is not as much of a miracle as the healings and other things that Jesus performed well here on earth. Those miracles we're clearly things that where totally unexpected, because the people were intelligent back then, and they knew that things function in a certain rational manner. So, when jesus healed people, the Pharisees were upset and the regular people were overjoyed.

We don't see many of those kinds of miracles today because of two things.

First, even physical healings in Acts came because they further the gospel. While not a physical healing, a similar type of miracle - the supernatural opening of the cell doors in Acts chapter 16 - was done because the Philippian jailer needed saved and the Apostle Paul's time was not yet come. Sadly, many Christian martyrs today do not see cell doors opening.

The second reason is that the miracle healings today are spiritual, which is the most important thing anyway. So, the change in someone after they get saved, such as going from a foul-mouthed, bitter person to a pleasant, happy person who does not swear is a wonderful miracle that comes because God the Holy Spirit lives inside that person and works in their heart to make that change.

This second is what concerns us, because it is that kind of miracle which will need to take place for God to heal America. It's the kind that we need to pray for. This is not saying that physical healing can't happen. It can. But, God wants our focus on Him and rewards in Heaven. We are to be in the world but not of it, not so attached we can't stand to let go of any of the world's things. Hence, i've said we must repent of our actions and attitudes in many cases.

So, why does God heal souls and broken hearts and cause people to change through the Holy Spirit? Because these things are necessary for us to function while we are here doing God's work. It glorified Him to work such miracles. God will heal our nation for the same reason. "Not my will, but thy will" could be replaced by "not my glory, but thy glory."

In other words, we should not pray for God to heal this country only to bring it back to the glorious place it was years ago. We should not be focusing on where America is in the world, so much as where America is in God's eyes. if god chooses to make us a strong world leader again, he will, but as Psalm 84:10 says, it is better to be a doorman in the house of the Almighty.

So, what will this miracle we term repentance revival look like? let's look at what others looked like and see.

Past revivals were known as much for people returning to godly principles as they are 4 people getting saved. Of course, many people do trust Christ as Savior during Great Awakening. But, more importantly, there are many people who choose to start being more honest, pure, caring, and so on toward others.

The way society is headed now, it would clearly take a miracle for it to turn back to the way things were. However, on the bright side, God is willing to do that. He just needs a lot of people to pray and seek His face, because there is such intense spiritual warfare, the devil has such a hold on things.

Of course, a person can't do that well unless they are saved. Which is why revivals also find many people coming to trust Jesus as Savior. However, it's also why revival needs to start with us.

What else would happen? As noted in other posts, such as here, we would return to Godly values. However, they would be administered fairly. Things like love, justice, mercy, forgiveness, honesty, integrity,  purity, etc. Would be demonstrated regardless of who someone was. It should have been common sense to show these attitudes toward everyone back then - and it was to those who truly followed the Lord with all their heart.

I imagine a number of readers think "That would take a miracle, all right." But, that is why we trust God is the first place. "It is He which hath made us, and not we ourselves."(Psalm 100:3) God is in the miracles business.  He says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.(2 Corinthians 5:17.)

So, since He has given us all our talents and abilities, and whatever food, water, clothing, etc. we need, then we can trust Him to help us. It doesn't mean everyone would have thsoe values, but it does mean many more people would, and the results would be wonderful.

The values we have should reflect that desire to see that others matter, as I have shared in numerous posts. However, it should reflect something else as well. That something else is a desire to please God not for our own righteousness sake, but because of our love for him. After all, despite our sin he did not abandon us like he could have. He has consistently loved us even though we turn away from him so much.

He promises to bless the nation which honors him. Remember, well 2nd Chronicles 7:14 could be only to the Jewish people, it is also true that Jeremiah 8 contains verses that speak to Gentile nations. In other words, God will bless us when we return to Him.

Now, have we lost blessings and rewards because we are not following him? As a nation, yes. Although, each individual can still have his or her own for what they have done. But, the important part is that God could restore some of the blessings to our country. And, even if He doesn't, remember that God is no respecter of persons. He looks at the heart, and He will bless us with riches that aren't measurable such as peace, good harvests(which are in some ways measurable, but aren't noticed the way power is), respect, and so on.

Indeed, some of tried to measure national happiness, and so if you want to go that far, maybe the ways would be measurable after all.

That peace, after al, would include a decrease in crime, too. But, that means the Holy Spirit must be at work guiding our thoughts as well. When people stop focusing on what they can get instead of how they can help otehrs, they will be happier, because we can "be content with such thigns as ye hve."(Heb.13:5) When we stop seeking to fill our own lusts, then we will be more content. It may seem hard to understand for some, but that is why it's known as a peace that passeth understanding.(Phil.4:7)

Can we go back tot he days of the 1930s? I pray for God to raise up a generation of youngsters who will be moral leaders in good, wholesome entertainment. And, He can do it. But, the battle will be much more fierce.(Perhaps I will post about that someday soon, too.) However, for now, that can jsut be part of that general need for repentance revival in our country.

God can do it. he is still in the business of working miracles - not only getting people saved but turning those who are into people who truly live for Him as we put Him first in everything. After all, He came that we might have life and life more abundantly.(John 10:10)

In new year, pray, trust God the Holy Spirit to guide nation

I've often written about how many problems occurred in what many call the "good old days."

As we pray for God to work mightily in our own hearts, lives, families, communities, and ultimately nation, it's great to recall the War Room movie which has done so well. It shows very effectively that we wrestle not against flesh and blood.(Eph.6:12) We are fighting God's enemy, the devil - as noted, the devil was a created being with "untested created holiness" who chose to rebel against God.(Isa.14:12-15,Ezek.28, etc.) The devil's end will be hell and the lake of fire. He wants to take as many with him as he can.

Most readers here are laypeople, but that isn't a problem. Laypeople can and should be determined to go to God to pray for revival; in fact, God deserves all the glory, anyway, since He alone is worthy - we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. So, just as in 1857 a concerned layperson began a prayer meeting that led to a great revival, you can, too.

 The Holy Spirit's Work

It's our job to be Christlike and lovingly guide people to trust Christ as Saviour so they can go to Heaven instead. We have the Holy Spirit's help - how God lives in each believer. In "War Room," for instance, the father's heart is moved because he apparently has trusted Christ as his Saviour already, and so he has the Holy Spirit in him and is convicted of some sins he is doing or about to.(Hope that doesn't spoil anything. :-))

However, Jesus promises(John 16:7-12) that the Holy Spirit is also here to convict unbelievers of their need for repentance, of the need to do what's right - and how we all fall short of God's perfection - and of judgment on those who don't trust Jesus to forgive them. The Holy Spirit is free to do that because at the moment of Christ's death on the cross, atonement was made for all mankind's sin, and the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.(Matt.27:51) The Holy Spirit was free to roam around the world and indwell believers and work in nonbelievers.

So, when we seek God's face for revival, after repenting of our own sins - those over the last 350, not just the last 50 - we can do two types of things. For each believer, pray that they follow Godly principles,stay faithful,put others first, especially family, etc.. And, for each nonbeliever, pray that God convicts them and that they come to know Jesus as Saviour and let Him change them on the inside, but in the meantime, also pray that they do what is right, not be corrupt, accept responsibility for actions, and so on.

it's not our job to convict of sin or to force others to do what's right, but it is our job to pray and seek God Almighty to intercede on our behalf. And, to know the Bible so we can know what those Godly principles are, of course, such as how to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) and thus pray for others to, also. Because, Jesus says we'll be known by our fruit.

That fact, by the way, is why it's easy to trust God's Word to show what it means to be Christlike - loving, caring, gentle, meek, etc. - and when people aren't acting like Him.

Two problems - Counterfeit Christians and Heads Versus Hearts

The post before illustrates how to do things nationally by using the example of revival efforts in Los Angeles ,and ways the Holy Spirit can work and ways the devil counterfeits it. Now, let's examine something else the devil counterfeited - actual Christians. Mankind's meddling improved some things, and changed others on the outside for a while, but it has not gotten to peoples' hearts, and that is why there is still so much more evil and why what was there has gotten much worse.

Originally, there were many things we did right in being Godly examples. We respected others, were thoughtful, courteous, compassionate, and so on. However, we were like that poem about a little girl, often thought to be a nursery rhyme. We were either very good or horrid, and there was little in between. We were often only good when it suited us. However, God's Word instructs us to see everyone as equal and to look on the heart. God says to ignore mankind's system, because the world's system - the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life - ignores God; it will pass away someday and mean nothing.(1 John 2:15-17)

We have improved in some ways, as noted. Our laws prohibit the terrible brutality, injustice, and segregation of the past. In other words, the counterfeits of the past don't have legal authority to act in the way they did. However, these things merely impacted head knowledge. Oh, it has helped a lot, there are far fewer people, because of education and being able to live and work together, who think the way people did a century ago. However, while hearts were impacted in that way, we have not improved the heart in the most important way - too many people think mankind can dream up any system it wants and ignore God.

This ignoring of God's laws is what has caused so many problems. While injustice and oppression aren't supposed to happen, laws haven't prevented cases like Tamir Rice's. Without as many people praying and seeking His Holy Spirit to move in peoples' hearts, people more and more act unjustly, and the love of many waxes cold, people are without natural affection, and other signs that Jesus is returning soon.

Another example is in how society was never this vulgar decades ago, because we all felt a responsibility to others. however, because we have ignored God, we now have a nation of people who hound the good ones with their awful vulgarity and tear others down consistently instead of building them up.

There are many other examples, but the key is to seek God's face to end the horrid stuff and heal our land. Then, the meanness, hatred, and so on will diminish not because people have to, but because people want to; because they want to serve the loving, living God who graciously saved them from their sin. And, the spirit of Godliness will be caught by those who don't believe.

What the Spirit's Movement Would Look Like

For the Holy Spirit to work, there must be a conscious effort to let Him  work in us first. We should be "filled with the Spirit"(Eph.5:17) - that verb implies a continual action, which can only happen if one is relying so much on the Spirit as to be controlled by Him.(Yes, the Holy Spirit has qualities of a person just like the other parts of the Godhead.) We can't do that in our fleshly natures, but we can continue to strive for it. And, when enough people seek the Lord in prayer, great things can happen.

As to what it would look like, both War Room and the 1857 Prayer Revival link show great examples. Not only do people trust Christ as Saviour in a revival, but people get right with the Lord. Businesses stop being crooked, people stop harming others, and so on. These are spiritual blessings, after all - God can't suddenly give everyone a million bucks because God's nature is to focus on the eternal, although he will reward those who He knows will use that in a way that will help others or help them grow closer to Him.

The increase in honesty, respect for others, and so on will in turn, end oppression because those doing the oppressing will be following Jesus instead. Yes, there will still be sinners around, but thepower of the Holy Spirit will move people to do right.

So, why doenst it now? Isn't God just as powerful? Yes, of course He is; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. However, He is a gentleman and won't go where He's not wanted.

God wants you to want Him to move in this country.

As to how to pray, we've discussed numerous key points in this blog. As the new year starts, just reemember that each believer has a personal relationship with God. When we pray with a repentant heart, we're showing that we understand God doesn't have to honor our prayer requests, but He chooses to when we are right with Him becasue of His love and peace.

So, for  saved person, it would mean unselfishness, concern for others, putting God first on the throne of your heart, etc.

For those who have not placed their trust in Jesus yet, please still pray. As you seek God with all your heart, you will find He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(Heb.11:6) You will find He gives you total peace and comfort when you trust Him - He gives peace that passes understanding, in fact.(Phil. 4:6-7) he gives perfect, Godly wisdom to anyone who asks.(James 1:5) There are many other promises in the Bible of His goodness to you. No matter who you are, you have been fearfully and wonderfully made by Him(Ps.119:14) - I have numerous handicaps myself but He has still used me for quite a few great things. He will relieve your burdens - His yoke is easy and His burden is light.(Matt.11:28-30) It is simply a burden of following Him and sharing the Good News of His salvation, and he will give you the strength to overcome - He will be your strength, in fact. he will cotinually strengthen you.(2 Tim.2:1)

I've missed quite a few promises and even of those I did, I may have missed some cites, but if you want a really good, encouraging short video on who He is, this is an excellent one. The important thing is that one must simply call on Jesus by faith to save them from their sins, trusting that he is God in flesh and died to take the punishment for their sins and rose from te dead in order to be saved.

We won't just spend our time praising God when there's a revival, though. As noted in the 1857 one, many people repented of their wicked ways, people started to behave justly, families would be restored and many other great things happen in a repentance revival, too, with people treating others as they should, with love and respect.

There will be evil until the Lord returns, of course. However, seeking Him can allow us to truly see thigns change as the Holy Spirit moves. Right now, it is as if God is saying, "This is a big job, a problem that only i can solve, do you want Me to work or do you want to keep trying it yourself?"

We keep trying it ourselves, and it doesn't work. Let's do like that man in 1857, let's get together in the new year and start praying fervently with others. It's a much bigger nation, meaning more problems and mroe of a need to see the Lord work. However, we serve the same God who spoke the world into existence, and He do wonders here, too.

Praying the devil not counterfeit things, planned Los Angeles revival shared as illustration

This post is about prayer, spiritual warfare, and - believe it or not - counterfeiting.

Whenever God creates something, the devil tries to counterfeit it for evil means. Indeed, he even twists Scripture, like when tempting Jesus in the wilderness(Matthew 4, Luke 4) The devil was created as an angel, like all the others they had untested creature holiness, meaning they hadn't yet chosen whether to accept or reject God. Then, however, the devil rebelled(Ezek.28:11-19,Isa.14:12-15),taking a third of the angels with Him.(Luke 10:18,Rev.12)

Thankfully, we still haveGod,all-powerful,all-present,all-knowing, manifesting Himself in three ways and 2/3 of the angels of Heaven on our side.

But, how do we stop the devil from drawing people away with a counterfeit, and more specifically, what counterfeit should we be watching out for?

I've shown how the whole armor of God is vital in spiritual warfare. You know the battle is intensifying. However, the battle has several facets, and one is making sure there is no counterfeit revival once the Lord sends it.(In other words, having one's loins gird about with Truth.)

God can send revival anywhere, at any time. However, there is one place in particular I will use as a case study. It will be in Los Angeles in early April, 2016. Please pray for it specifically and as a model for others, in what to do and what to be cautious of - plus, how to combat it if you see it.

After all, we want to see God heal our communities, neighborhoods, cities, and ultimately our country. That means we have to be ready for God to call us at any time, to do anything for him. We can't just put God in a box and say He has to work in this manner. However, we also must make sure that it's the Gospel being put forth, and true repentance, not just flashy things with no sign of changed hearts. Things must still line up with what Scripture says, because God's Word is Truth.(John 17:17) He can't lie, and so won't go agaisnt His Word.

How to Pray: Why Los Angeles as a Case Study?

Los Angeles is filled with an incredible array of communities. People will run into many different situations and need the Spirit's guidance as to what to say and how to present the gospel in a loving way.There will be potential dangers and obstacles. And, the devil will have the opportunity to counterfeit thins without God's hedge of protection around it. So, spiritual warfare will be intense.

In other words, it's like anywhere else, but on an immense scale. Readers in small urban areas, and even small rural areas, face a few things, but they will face bunches.

So, while people should both pray for and attempt to reach their own areas, and spread the word on doing that so others may also do so, I also ask that you please pray for God to use this for His honor and glory, and to bring healing to Los Angeles.

Big Push

Yes, revival is being attempted in Los Angeles in early April. A Christian college is going down, as a whole group, the way we should be praying over our neighborhoods and going out and reaching people with the Gospel.

This push will be of monumental proportions - a whole Christian college! But, the devil won't take this lying down,a nd will fight it tooth and nail to distract, to destroy testimonies, to do many things to thwart God.

Without prayer, the devil will either stop them, divert attention, or counterfeit things. If we let him do so, we'll be distracted from the real spiritual battle and be sunk. We don't know when the Lord will return, after all, so every battle is crucial from here on out in the Age of Grace. Anything from transportation to awful weather to violence to illness to a number of other things could keep people from going and/or  being used by God once there. Rees Howells was an incredible prayer warrior and intercessor during World War Two. While a few things early in his biography are wrong doctrinally - an intercessor can't literally "take on" a person's infirmity - only Jesus Christ can do that because only He was sinless - they can merely empathize to an incredible extent. Also; there is talk of penance which is not Scriptural in the book, because Jesus paid the entire prrice for all of our sin. However, this doesn't take away from the fact he was a mighty prayer warrior who spent many hours in prayer with his team of prayer warriors before each major battle of World War Two. His biographer's mistakes were simply cases of not totally understanding the Word of God.

however, such misinterpretation can happen elsewhere, too. This is where our problem is. Because it was basically churches that already believed one had to live holy lives to be saved - rather than salvation being by grace through faith - that brought about the problems.

 But, salvation is by grace through faith - it is never by works.(Eph.2:8-9) And, we can't keep ourselves saved - Jesus must do that. And, he is able to keep us from falling.(Jude 24) Nothing can seperate us from Him.(John 10:28-30,Rom.8:36-39,etc.) Each believe is sealed with the Holy Spirit.(Eph. 1:13-14) and so on.

So, since if anyone is in Christ, they are new creatures - old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new(2 Cor.5:17) - that means there is incredible potential for God to change lives.



Big Potential

There is huge potential here. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." And, there is much light to shine in the darkness.

For instance, the racial problems in our country can end with black and white mingling and worshiping together. This happened in the 1906 revival.

Gangs are the family many members never knew. But, God's love can unite people into a better family of unconditional love without the violence involved with gangs otherwise.

Violence can stop in many other places, and people can begin to build others up and help each other, without wanting to see what's in it for them. In other words, people can put others first consistently, one sign of a changed heart which is necessary in true repentance revival.

Many more signs of changed hearts can also come. There can be an end to much of the sin in that area. There was a famous preacher, Billy Sunday, who it was joked would shut the saloons down just by his preaching. Of course, it was really the Holy Spirit at work. People were convicted of sin and they trusted God to change them and make them new inside and they turned away from that sin.

As with the prayer at the end of this, here have been mentioned just a fwe of many changes which God has the potential to bring about. However,  the big potential means there is also a major problem which could occur if we don't stop the devil and his wiles.

Big Problem

The devil has counterfeited things of God from the start when made Eve doubt what God had said.  He lied and convinced them they would be gods. He has tempted people to rule in very corrupt, nasty, and cruel ways instead of the loving way God leads us. And, many other things. The parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13 shows he'll even convince people they can be religious and looked just like Christians on the outside, when in fact they are not. Only someone who has trusted Christ as Savior - meaning they have called on Him by faith to forgive them, save them from their sins, and make them new inside - has salvation.

It is not just false Christians, however, that this is about. It is instead about false signs and how some distract from what is true repentance revival.

The Azusa Street Revival was a wonderful work of God begun in April, 1906. And, it is an example of how the devil can take something Godly and turn it to his own selfish advantage. Hence, it's a cautionary tale for those who pray for this revival.

The spreading of the Gospel was a wonderful thing:
1.People of all 'races" mingled together praising God, showing the truth proclaimed many times here, that there is only one race - the human race - and all are equal before God. This occurred at a times when normally such people were very separate.
2. There was repentance, tears were being shed, people were weeping and asking God for forgiveness, something noted repeatedly here as being necessary for revival; Revival isn't just a bunch of people getting saved, it begins with Christians getting their hearts right with God. As noted before, the relationship is always there, but when it is strained He can't work as He wishes.
3. Reportedly, people were speaking in the native languages of immigrants who had recently come to the area, even though those people didn't know the languages before. In the Bible, "tongues" always refers to known human language and is used to communicate the Gospel in the other person's language.

However, those who believed in holiness as being necessary for salvation, or that one could lose one's salvation, saw the devil able to twist their already erring doctrine to make it appear that one *had* to speak in tongues to be saved, when this is clearly false doctrine. Salvation is by grace through faith an taht not of ourselves, it is teh gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.(Eph.2:8-9)

Remember the difference between the Fruits of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) and Spiritual gifts. Think of it this way - every healthy fruit tree bears fruit. Not every fruit tree gets the pleasure of a bird building a nest in it. That's a gift. True, everyone has some spiritual gift, but everyone is given different ones. This is why 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the body - everyone has a different gift just as the eye is not the ear, nor the hand the foot. The big toes seem much less important than the heart, yet they are essential for balance.

So, there is another error that the devil used to influence people in the wrong direction. Not only is it not essential for salvation, it wasn't even a gift given to everyone in the Book of Acts.

Another thing the devil does is that those who believe in tongues, many times, become puffed up with pride over the gift rather than focus on reaching people with the Gospel. The experience is their focus, when in fact experience and feelings should never be placed over Scripture to define one's believe. After all, while in prison John the Baptist, who earlier had said truthfully that Jesus was "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world"(John 1:29), began to doubt.

Speaking of experience, the devil counterfeited it in another way, too. He allowed people to start speaking gibberish instead of what the Bible says is tongues. And, this gibberish isn't the only thing which comes from what some people call tongues - barking, even vomit has been said to come from these things, and it is most disorderly, just like the church at Corinth was corrected for. It's clear from the Bible that vomit is not going to be a work of the Spirit - these false tongues are not part of the Spirit becasue the Bible clearly states, against, that tongues are always referred to as the Greek "glossalalia," meaning human language.

(Side note: Romans 8:26 is sometimes used to describe a "private prayer language." the word used here is not "tongues," it is groans and utterances, but first, even people who use this term generally agree it is a private thing between the believer and God since it "can't be uttered," and second and more important, this is the Greek word "stenagmos," a deep sigh, according to Strong's Concordance. So, it is not tongues and, if anything, should be called prayer.)

The problems of counterfeit tongues doesn't even get into whether tongues actually happen - as the one link showed, it's very rare if it happens. If you know of someone who - as an example few readers likely know - didn't know Danish and they suddenly walked up to someone and said "Thi således elskede Gud Verden, at han gav sin Søn den enbårne, for at hver den, som tror på ham, ikke skal fortabes, men have et evigt Liv."(John 3:16 in Danish) then that is a miracle along the lines of others which have happened. Perhaps we will all speak in tongues in Heaven - it makes sense that we'd be understanding others in our own language. For now, though, I believe tongues have ceased. If they are in existence, it is very, very rare and - as noted - always human languages. And, such miracles do not just happen for little things, but - just as in Acts - always for the spreading of the Gospel.

But, remember that the big potential for repentance revival must be our focus, and not the false doctrines. So, here is a final link to a radio show discussing what was said here on tongues in more detail, and now on to the chance that we have if we persevere, how to pray, and a long but helpful prayer like what we can pray in our own words.

So, that coutnerfeiting of tongues and other miracles is our big concern. Which is why we need you and everyone else to be mighty prayer warriors before, during, and after this revival.

Big Prayer

I've seen a church service where hundreds come forward to pray for repentance, after a bunch of things this church went through and the Spirit healing rifts, etc.. Tears are shed for repentance and crying out to the Lord, and it's real. Peoples' hearts can turn back to God, but we must pray the Lord brings true repentance revival.That is how He will change things, end oppression, and so on.

I'm going to finish by posting a *long* sample prayer. Remember, Jesus warns us never to pray in vain repetitions in Matthew 6.You'll probably say, of course, that this is too long to be repeated :-) ) However, if you choose to read and pray in your own words, you can, or you can just read it and pray as long as you're believing as you pray and not just saying words.

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"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for your love for us. Thank you for your free gift of salvation, that it is instantaneous the moment a person believes and calls on you to save them from their sin. Thank you that Bethel has such a desire to see you bring people to you in Los Angeles.

"Now, Lord, I come to you humbly asking for your hedge of protection around the young people going to minister there. May they do only what is Godly, and not be drawn away by temptation. May they be true ambassadors for Christ, sharing the Good News in a loving way and allowing people to see your awesome grace and how it blots out so much sin in this nation's past as well as their own and the sin of those they come in contact with .

"Lord, please help them, as the Bible says, seek a more excellent gift, that of the Gospel, because if we have not charity, if we have not your love for others, then we are not going to do the job effectively that you call us to do.

"Lord, they will come in contact with people from many backgrounds. Lord, to those who have been abused, may they.share the wondrous Healing Touch of Your hand upon their hearts and souls. Because healing it is not just physical, for you use me with my handicaps to be a great inspiration to others and to do other things I could not have done fully sighted, but healing is foremost spiritual, and emotional, and so much is that is needed in our nation.

"Lord, to those different faiths, please give them the wisdom to know how to explain that wonderful relationship we can have with you, our Creator, our sustainer, the one who came to this earth and took the punishment for our sins, the just for the unjust, dying for me on the cross and rising from the dead. Lord, may they be able, to express in words those people understand, the love that you have for them. And the fact that with each religion there's something they're doing to reach Heaven, but instead you came down to this earth and ask only that they trust in you to save them instead of doing it their own way, which will ultimately fail because it is the ways of man. Whereas only youcan save , for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved except for that of Jesus Christ.

"Lord, some of these people will have wrong impressions of the Bible or of Christians.  Lord, give those in this mission trip wisdom to know how to answer each in a loving way. How to explain to Muslims that Sonship does not mean physical relations, but instead it means that you have all the attributes of God Lord Jesus, for you are God in flesh. They can see an example in how you call James and John the sons of thunder because of their personalities. Like the Arabic word ibn, and not walad, because walad means physical relations, but ibn is that perfect likeness.

"And Lord, for those who have negative opinions of Christians because of what so-called Christians have done, may they explain successfully that's just because one calls themself a Christian doesn't mean one is one, that we must be known by our fruits. And, there are many who called themselves that over the years but not been in Christ. For if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.(2 Cor.5:17) Just as if I say I'm the king of Belgium and do all sorts of stuff, that has no impact on what the real king of Belgium is like.

"And Lord, may they be able to share your love without any interference from the outside world or from the devil. Lord, the devil is going to throw so many roadblocks in their way if they are not protected, things that only serve to divert the conversation from the gospel. Lord, please protect them from these things, and may they share your love and free gift of salvation openly and freely. Please, Lord, quiet the dogs, calm the crying infants, prevent the phone calls and other things which can distract, and overall may your hedge of protection allow each person the ability to share the gospel in a way that each person they encounter will understand.

"And, Lord, please use this endeavor to bring repentance revival not only to Los Angeles, but to our nation. Lord, we don't know how much longer we have, so in this time remaining they would be about your business. May this endeavor be one that brings millions, literally, into churches shedding tears and crying out in prayer to you in repentance and calling out to you for your healing touch upon our nation. As you promise in 2nd Chronicles 7:14, and if that is just for your people Israel, as you promised in Jeremiah 18:5-10 when you speak of the nations meaning the heathen. And you prove that promise true in how Jonah spoke to Nineveh and they repented.

"And, Lord, do not allow the false tongues or false manifestations to occur, but only allow your Holy Spirit to reign freely and overwhelm this are and the nation. Please forbid any of the gibberish and things as disgusting as even vomit from occurring, for while we know that when we come in contact with you we are but flesh and we cannot stand without your help, you do give us strength to stand when we trust in you, so let the people instead be as Isaiah, feeling undone before a holy God in chapter 6 but not drawn away by distractions that divert from the Gospel. May the focus be on that and true repentance, healing spiritually and emotionally, communicating the Gospel however you mean for them to, with whatever words you intend.

"So, please, Lord, prevent the devil from putting anything counterfeit into this revival.  May people instead be focused on getting their hearts right with you and going out and sharing your great salvation, not being jealous of any particular gift and not feeling puffed up because of certain gifts, but instead desiring to know Christ and Him crucified. May it be clear to people that you are at work and not the people, that Jesus Christ is saving souls and healing this land, through what you say in your Word.

"Because, Lord, we need not just Revival but a Great Awakening of your love and the truth of the gospel. Lord, may that Great Awakening come; may people turn back to you by the millions - not just to be saved but truly let you work in them to make them more Godly, loving, gentle, good, with self control and peace and humility. And with all the other fruits of the Spirit of Galatians 5:22-23. Cause the people to stop worship in all of their false gods and that includes not just other religions, but the false gods of pride and power and money and lust and so many other things we as a nation put ahead of you. Make it so that people burn their pornography like those in Acts burnt their occultic stuff - and cause them to burn that stuff too if they have it. Lord, cause them to end the vulgarity, the looking at people as objects, and to speak words of love and joy.

"Lord, bring all people home to You, and May the nation turn back to you in a way that is truly miraculous, and may the power of the media that supports such ungodly agendas be broken, and may the powers of darkness that have hold of our politics be broken, and may many, many people turn to you. Dear Lord, raise up a Josiah who the people will rally to support in the 2016 election, if Lord willing we are still here.

"Lord, turn the hearts of the people toward the children, born and unborn, to support them and show them Godly love, and where there are no adults who are willing, may the young people themselves take that spiritual lead and follow you and guide their siblings, cousins, friends, neighbors, and everyone to follow you as well.

"Lord, may the gangs they encounter in Los Angeles disband in the way of being mean, embittered young people, and turn them away from the violence, infidelity, and lust, causing them instead to become people who will show love and compassion to others instead, being part of the family of God.

"Lord, of course there are so many more, who will need you. I do not even begin to tell of the addictions that some in Hollywood and elsewhere have. They need you to cure them all, to free them and change their metabolism and their very brains Lord, because that's what addictions do is change the brain. But you can heal people of that, I pray that you will.

"Lord, there are probably many other things I'm not thinking of, but these things and all the others I do pray that you will bring this nation true repentance revival and use this occasion to spread true repentance revival and do not let the devil have his way in confusing things. May they go in your power, and prepare hearts beforehand and may pockets of Revival even be breaking out before then so that when they come things will be all ready for the Gospel to be spread, and may you not allow anything to hinder it. And we will give you all the honor and glory for it. In Jesus name I pra, Amen."

Why prayers don't work without repentance

In the wake of the horrible San Bernandino attack, one hashtag which trended for a bit was that prayers don't work. This post will explain why some prayers don't work.

It all has to do with repentance, and it's pretty simple.

We Have A Friend in God

God is personal, He desires a personal relationship with each of us. First John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God is always willing to forgive us, He just wants us to come to him and accept we need forgiveness for our sins. That word cleanse helps to explain why repentance is needed by our nation, and why if we harbor sin in our hearts God won't hear our prayers - because truly turning from our sins lets Him cleanse our hearts.

Let's use a personal example. Most of us have had arguments with friends but remain friends. Let's say  one friend asks a favor of another, say helping them to move. The one says okay but then brushes it off and does something they think is more important but put in reality could have been easily put off, and doesn't seem to care they broke a promise.

Now, they remain friends but there would be something between them. The one promises to do something and doesn't care that they really inconvenience the other. If they had wanted to do something different, it would have been easier to just say no I can't do it, although the words I can't bring into question whether its true. For instance, if we're talking something like babysitting and the child is old enough, the kid could come along and entertain the moving person's baby or help to sort small things. But, "Sorry I can't this weekend" usually is just accepted among friends.

Anyway, so if the one that had to move is asked by the other friend to help them, that friend who moved is likely to say, hey, "ait a minute dude, I had to move and you promised to help and then didn't and didn't say why or anything". Ignoring the different layers of things (the reason, difficulty of move, etc.), in general the other should just have to apologize and - being friends - it would be forgiven and things would be back to normal.

The Part Repentance Plays in Prayer

It's the same way with God and our prayers. The first prayer He'll hear and answer "yes" to the person praying it is the sinner's prayer of repentance, which establishes that relationship. The person realizes they're a sinner in need of a Saviour. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Rom.10:13) That is, calling on Him to save them from their sins and come into their heart and make them new inside, as clearly shown from the context of the previous verses.(This is why not all who cry "Lord, Lord" are saved, they say it with their mouths but don't trust Him to save them with their hearts.)

You may ask, "What about that prayer I prayed that He answered before I knew Jesus?" There could have been someone else praying, or he did it(saved you from ana ccident, helped you do something, etc.) because he knew it would bring you to Him. John 16:7-12 shows the Holy Spirit is at work even among thsoe who don't know Jesus, after all. There are also Muslims who have had dreams where Jesus appears, often after they pray asking God to reveal Himself to them. This is proved by Hebrews 11:6, that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.It usually won't happen where the Word of God is readily available, but yours truly, when global Media Outreach, had a chat experiment, had a person from a Muslim country say he'd just awakened from a dream and needed to receive Christ. Likely, that person had been to a site like Jesus2020.com and had been pondering it.

Anyway, so when someone has trusted Christ as Saviour and invited Him into their heart through the Holy Spirit, they have a relationship with God. Jesus call His disciples "Friends," just like God called Abraham "Friend." And, let's say - like that example with the friends above - that person harbors sin in their heart. Maybe it's hatred of some group, or trying to push God away, or lusting after someone while trying to pray.

All of a sudden, God's like that guy who was moving and his friend wouldn't help him. When he or she goes to ask god for something in prayer, It's like God saying, "Dude, you've got something in your heart/life that's come between us. We can't be close again till you get rid of that." We're still saved, but that relationship is strained, just that like guy who wouldn't help his friend move after promising to, then asks a favor of the friend who moved.

Of course, we're all sinners in need of a Saviour, and we will be till we die because of that old, sinful flesh/Adamic nature. We don't have to confess every sin each time we pray - if we did, those quick emergency prayers for wisdom or the words to say to someone or whatever else wouldn't be possible. God *wants* to hear and answer those prayers, just like any others. He knows each situation, and understands sometimes there are times you have to just shoot up a prayer.

Say, for instance, someone told you they just found they have cancer and you pray for the right thing to say. You don't have time to ask God to forgive you for snapping at someone foolishly and not apologizing to them. (Of course, if you let that anger fester, it can turn into sin in another way - you won't be trying to think of how to offer words of encouragement because you're too busy fuming about the other problem.) However, if you're kneeling in prayer over a bunch of things, and plan to pray for several minutes, that's when you need to let the Spirit remind you to repent of that foolish fury and, if needed, apologize to the person you offended.

Application To San Bernandino, etc.

So, that brings us back to San Bernandino and prayers in general for our country.

Remember that prayer involves a lot of spiritual warfare.I've posted about the whole armor of God as just one of a number of messages on that warfare.The devil doesn't wnt people to get saved - instead he wants people to be as violent and mean as they can and to take as many people with him. So, what's his strategy going to be with the saved world, those who can't be taken from jesus because He is able to keep us from falling(Jude 24) and nobody can pluck us out of His hand(John 10:28-30) and nothing can seperate us from the love of God(Rom.8:36-39)?

The devil's strategy, since he can't have our souls, is to block our prayers. Because prayer changes thigns, but if he blocks our prayers, he can have his way a lot more.

And, that's just what he's done. To prevent evil like San Bernandino, it takes lots of prayer warriors calling for these thigns to be exposed and calling on the Lord to protect us and to revive our nation. But, our country has a problem - we have turned so far away from God that national repentance is necessary. Only then will God heal the land - and, even if 2 Chronicles 7:14 is only about Israel, Jeremiah 18:5-10 contains pretty much the same promise to Gentile nations.

Mucch has been written in this blog before about praying not just for forgiveness for the last 40 years, but for the last 400. Indeed, we also must pray for God to change our hearts - we need to turn from our wicked ways, not just say "I'm sorry" but just keep doing them.

Thankfully, He understands how hard it is. He knows we are just flesh, and that we need His heelp to cleanse this nation. He is still longsuffering toward us, and just waiting for us to turn our hearts toward Him; then, he can be the one to point us int he right direction.

the next post - as long as nothing else intervenes - will discuss one place they are trying to have revival, and also a warning of how we need to pray the devil not counterfeit it. For now, however, just remember that God wants to heal our land. he is always waiting with open arms, just like the father of the Prodigal Son.

The question is, are we willing to answer the call. Not so we can just change overnight, but so the Lord can change hearts once we trust Him to forgive and save us. Only then will He pour out His Holy Spirit and convict people of sin and bring more people to Him and give them that perfect peace, love, comfort, wisdom, etc. he offers to all who trust Him.

it doesn't have to be millions at once praying. But, it does take consistent prayer, with people praying like peter and John in Acts 4-5 that the Lord would intervene and move in the nation despite what leaders want, because we ought to obey God rather than men. And, when you look at the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23) you see that against such there is no law.

So, let us go tot he Lord in prayer and seek His protection regardless of what leaders want. They have tried to remove Jesus from public discourse. Let us pray and call on the Lord to return, not jsut by saying Merry Christmas, but by actively seeking the Lord and turning from our sins ourselves, being the kind, peaceful, tenderhearted, temperate(self-controlled), meek(power under control), wise, joyful, etc. people he calls us to be. Not by our own strength, but by Him working in us.

Only then can we - in the Lord's strength - bring about change and end the oppression in this country.

Prayer - the strongest connection possible

The world has lots of chaos outside the U.S., as well as inside. We know God has it under control. Here, for instance, is a good illustration of how the Bible tells us of the coming wars - not necessarily in order - which will occur, though it's possible the war of Ezekiel 38-39 will be during the Tribulation or that Isaiah 17 is telling about Damascus being destroyed naturally. But, Jesus also tells us that in Him, we can have peace - in this world we will have tribulation, but we can be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world.(John 16:33)

That connection with Jesus comes through the Holy Spirit, which is how He promises to live in each believer.(John 14-16, Ephesians 1:13,14,etc.) God is one God who manifests Himself in 3 persons because He felt it was the best way to make Himself known; this is the Godhead(Col.2:9) Those who know the Lord personally can talk with God anywhere, anytime, about anything through prayer. We can share with Him the innermost fears, triumphs, anguish, joy, heartbreak, everything. Look at how Jesus calmly accepted Mary and Martha's rebukes after their brother Lazarus died(John 11) for instance.

Nowadays, people seek connections which are much more temporary and at times much more shallow, as in the incredible size of Facebook and Twitter, and how people seem glued to their phones while texting.

Some is just the pace of things. The first person to say, "Stop the world, I want off" wasn't born in the 21st century or probably even the 20th. There is a much more intense increase in focus on computer screens(personal computer and cell phone ones) as opposed to normal bonding. And, that's understandable with the vast amount of information available - anyone can easily Google something they have a question on via their smartphone, or simply provide information or even entertainment to friends and family or to the whole world.

In fact, the Bible prophesied this. Daniel prophesied 2,500 years ago something which is no doubt true today - "Many shall go to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."(Dan.12:4) That "going to and fro" implies a constant flitting about like a hummingbird with a caffeine rush, going from place to place at a ridiculous pace. The increase in knowledge implies a continual increase, exponential growth in fact. This is certainly true today, with what we know doubling every 22 months a few years ago and less now.(Not that we're real close to the end - Dr. H.A. Ironside was saying the same thing about the last days decades ago. But, we're a lot closer than we were.)

(It should be noted a secondary meaning concerns understanding the Book of Daniel itself and Jesus as Messiah. It's important o always interpret Scripture with Scripture to understand it, and also when in doubt to go to the original languages of the Antiochan Texts. Here is a good example of how not doing so hides the richness of God's Word in the different lessons which may be drawn from it.)

Jesus - the calming, loving answer

This constant movement and increase in information can prevent relationships from being as deep as possible. We were meant for interpersonal relationships, but some don't feel a closeness to others because they are, in some sense, too wary because things seem to come and go so often, but also, trying to interpret the depth of things is so difficult at times because they are hit with so many other things, they feel an intense amount of pressure to do so much that they are, in a sense, backing away by having only computer contact. This lack of depth perception, if you will, leads to other problems, such as not grasping the need to keep some things private and not online.

The wonderful thing is that God provides an answer for every situation - and, His Word will give you security even int he most troublesome times.

Jesus bears our burden for more than just sin. He'll provide constant contact just like an online situation, except His love is so much deeper. That's the reason He promised that the Holy Spirit would come and live in each believer, in fact. God desires a relationship with us. This world was made perfect with no sin, but we lost that fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit when sin entered the world.(Gen.3) Once it is restored upon our trusting Jesus Christ as Saviouir, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us andwe canf ellowship with God the way we were meant to. Sure, things can come between us like sin, but when they do, he lovingly points them out and we can forsake them easily if our hearts are tender enough. This "Full House" fanfic, an AU where Michelle's accident is worse, is a great illustration of how the Spirit can work while praying and how such really heartfelt prayer can work.

This is why repentance is so vital for revival to take place, but also why I say it should be easy and anyone can do it. It's just talking to God. . Prayer doesn't have to be really fancy wording. It's just sharing your heart with God.

Sharing one's heart might feel hard for some people - which could be another reason some prefer online communication so they don't have to share what may be very painful memories and intense feelings. But, the key is, God knows what we need - He just wants us to be humble and willing to admit we need His help. that's why we pray when He knows our needs. If we don't pray for something we are saying, "I can do this myself."

The problem is, we are powerless against the spiritual warfare that is out there combating us, and we need His help. Those intense feelings that you might have, those can be shared with God and He will give you strength to cope, He'll give you a strategy for making things better - maybe the circumstances won't change but you will be changing so things can improve for some, such as an older sibling becoming like a parent in a home where parents are emotionalhy absent. and so on. Maybe you can't save the world but you can save one person, for instance. If you are that older teen, for example, maybe can lean on God as the spiritual leader - when you focus on others it takes your mind off your own problems. Indeed, I blogged a free book here on doing just that, being a spiritual leader in the home.

There is so much turmoil out there because of modern life, we need Jesus more than ever.

He will be the answer when you ask how to get through something; he may not heal all your physical ailments (I've had numerous handicaps since birth) but He will heal you spiritually. He is also the answer when you want a friend who will be there forever.

Jesus  called His disciples friends

Yes, He called them friends, and will call you friend, too.

This does *not* mean you can just ignore who He is - He is the sinless, holy, all-powerful, etc. Creator of the Universe. he must be approached with respect and reverence, but at the same time, He is willing to hear that prayer for a puppy or kitten that is hurt, all the way up to a scary battle with cancer you or a loved one face, or anything in between.

And, He will be beside you all the time. He will live in you through the Holy Spirit,a nd will never leave you or forsake you.(Heb.13:5,Jude 24,Rom.8:36-39) Each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life, but that eternal life begins at the moment you trust Him to save you by calling on Him by simple faith to do so, believing He took all the punishment for your sins when he died and rose from the dead.

That constant contact with the Creator of the Universe is possible only because of His amazing grace, not anything we have done or could do. Once it's received, then of course like any relationship communication is key, but that will be so easy. You can share your deepest thoughts with Him and know He will never leave you or forsake you. You can read His Word and He'll speak to you, you can hear His still, small voice through the Spirit, and many other things I don't have time to get into. Just remember, anything you take in must agree with His Word, or it can't be from Him.

So, I pray you will use this chance while we are in the Age of Grace to develop that relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants to have a relationship with you. Indeed, His love for you is far beyond anything mankind could imagine, even the people of a century ago who constantly had those much deeper relationships.

To let Him be that constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, etc., it takes that single, sincere prayer of repentance something like this, remember the words don't save, it's Jesus who saves when you trust Him: "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I can't reach your perfect heaven on my own. But, Lord, I know you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I believe you took my punishment on the cross for my sins. Lord Jesus, today I choose to call on you by faith to save me, come live in me and  make me new inside. I turn from my sins and I trust you completely as my Saviour. In Jesus' name, Amen."