How to be on the right side of changing culture, end times

I haven't posted lately since not only has the news lately been very sad and depressing, but I have been very busy otherwise.

Still, I wanted to encourage young people that they have a voice. Not everyone can have a radio show like young star Kacey Fifield has or even start a blog. Everyone can do something however. Even if it is helping just one person. Indeed, you can be a spiritual leader, as I show in this free blog book.

We lack the strength to impact the world on our own, and even together, we imperfect people can't create a perfect world, only God can do that - and He will. Even adults lack the total foreknowledge needed. None of us knows every fact about a situation, since that would include peoples' hearts. We only know this nation has a major problem with evil hearts - but God can use us through intercessory prayer to change that, as I noted earlier.

I debated about how to start and what to include. You can check out other posts here about avoiding the coming Great Deception which will bring false peace or about how we're all equal or the keys to stopping violence. There is plenty on how to have peace,the need to unite in truth and how, the need to value life, how souls need saved for things to change, etc., I won't link to all of them. gthere is plenty on repentence, forgiveness, etc. you can find yourself, even one on what to do if many disappear.

I will simply say this.

Some are trying to use their voice to push for things that there are major arguments about. I don't want to get on either side right now, because my main concern is the hearts of people. I want our young people to feel safe. People can't make bad guys stop being bad, no matter how hard they try. However, God can and will put a stop to all this evil and violence.

He is personal, loves unconditionally, and will fix your stress when yo trust Him. As noted in a few posts, if a person claims they follow Him and don't act like it, they don't follow Him. It's just like if I say I'm the king of Belgium and whatever I do it has no impact on the real King of Belgium.

God is trying to draw people to His side right now before it is too late, so they can be saved from their sin. Because there is so much sin going on in this world.

Will you be on the right side? The winning side? You may say you think so because you support this position or that, but think of the following....

1.None of us is perfect. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Rom 3:23) We are on the right side in some issues at times and not at others. For instance, if you drive and someone cuts you off, your first reaction might not always be forgiving. They might have to speed to the hospital to see a dying loved one, but we don't always think of those possibilities. We think only of how it impacted us.

That attitude of selfishness is normal, but it's also sin, just like lying, cheating, impurity, etc.. But, that okay, because...

2. God must punish sin, but took that punishment on Himself. God is holy and just, so He must punish sin. It wouldn't be fair if God just kept letting sin go on, would it? He gives grace and mercy by not destroying sinners right away, but He does make sure that sin has a price.

Yet, He wants us to live forever in His perfect Heaven where we will be free from sin. How was He going to do that?

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Rom. 6:23)

God gave us a free gift. It is hot earned or deserved. We can't work our way to Heaven. Because we would still have that sin in oyur hearts.

God God God came to this world in the person of Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man. He was perfect - He never sinned.Yet He became sin for us.(2 Cor. 521) He bore our sins in His body. (1 Pet. 2:24) On Him was laid the iniquity of us all.(Isa. 53:6)

Yes, my sin, your sin, everyone's sin, was laid on Jesus.

But wait, you ask, that doesn't seem fair because some people still keep sinning. That's true, becuase it is not mere head knowledge. Knowing this fact isn't enough. Many who claim to be Christian aren't becaue they think it's about words and supporting certain things, but it's not.

It's about turning from your sins and letting Jesus make you new inside. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, behold all things are become new"(2 Cor. 5:17) So, is is trusting Jesus to make you new. "Whomsoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Rom. 10:13)

3. To be saved from your sin, call on Jesus by faith to save you.

Just sitting in a chruch won't save - neither does believing one particular view or one particular part of culture. Not believing something won't keep you from being saved, except for not trusting Jesus to save you.

God wants us to be known by our love for others. He does this because of His love for us. Since we are loved by Him, we ought also to love one another.

Being saved from your sin is as easy as ABC - Admit, Believe, and Call/Choose. \\Think of it this way. It is like you are drowning. There is a life preserver thrown your way. You must make a choice to take it and put it around you cto be dragged to safety. You can't just choose some other way.

Trusting Jesus by faith will let Him come live in you through the Hily Spirit. He will be a constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more. He promises the peace that passes understanding.

Think about that. You can have peace in the midst of all the turmoil.God will give you His peace, and He will help you cope. Yes, you can still impact the world, but you will be doing it for Him, not for yourself or even others. You will be doing it to show Godly love.

He can come again before you know it. You jsut need to pray something luike this, believing with your whole heart as you pray.

"Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know you died for my sins and rose fromt he dead, though. You took my punishment because I can't get to Heaven on my own. Lord, today I trust you to save me. I call on you by faith to to come into my heart and life and make me new inside. Lord, thank you that you took the whole punishment for my sin, and I pray you will work in my heart to make me new inside, and new every morning. Thank you that your mercies endure forever. In Jesus' name, amen."

If you truly meant that in your heart, then Jesus has saved you. You could go here and learn and grow in the Lord and even talk to a Christian who will help you grow in Him.

God Will See You Through

No matter what happens, though, you can have peace about the present day's problems.

Yes, there are problems with many things, but our evil hearts need to be reached by God for there to be major change.

New laws are opposed by some and supported by others. Some programs may work for some and notj others. But, God is universal. His ways are heigher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

What this means is that we won't always know the right solution for a problem, but God will. People can use the Bible in so many different ways for their own ends - I'm surprised we never hear gun opponents using the Bible with "Some trust in chariots (weapons), some trust in horses, we trust in the Lord our God."(Psalm 20:7) God gives us the right to defend ourselves but we also can't trust fully in our own strength (or our own weapons) either.

What this world needs is for all sides to realize that a Holy Ghost Heaven sent revival must take place for people to truly change. That means souls getting saved.

Then? If souls are saved, there will still be battles, but you will be on the winning side.

So, see how to avoid being fooled and make your stand in a loving way for what is right so others can see that Christlike love in you and want it, too.

Keep the Spirit - from the best gift ever- going to prosper

It has become almost a cliche to say that we must remember the reason for the season. As this world focuses so much on getting, it makes sense that we would say giving is more important, to the point where we ignore calls to remember what God gave to us. They are drowned out.

So, instead I want to encourage people to pray - which makes sense because that is the title of this blog - for true change in our hearts.

After all, simply remembering the reason for the season during the season doesn't help us after the season. Nor does it help us do anything about it. Sure, I can ask people what they're most anxious to give or what they enjoyed giving the most. That helps a little. But, truly acting on the reason for the season means being  Christ-like long after the season.

Treating others with compassion

One big thing Christmas shows us is how to care about others. Whether it is volunteering to help the poor or just putting something in a Salvation Army kettle, if it is visiting an elderly neighbor or just sharing gifts with your family, there are many things we do at Christmas because there is a spirit of giving. However, these are things we should be doing all year round  if there is truly a spirit of giving in us.

As one example, standing against bullying is a sign of Christmas cheer. Putting an end to taunting and calling others names is something we can do to help. It also goes along with New Year's resolutions if one does these things. However, we can resolve to do better at any time. Christmas and New Year's just happen around the first of the year so it is a logical transition in people's minds.

This is what repentance is - turning from our own fleshly ways and turning our hearts to God's way. We as human beings often struggle with our fleshly nature.

Oh, some people are naturally more compassionate. Some people are naturally sweet and considerate and caring toward others, though even that has to be taught to some extent. They find it easy to follow those models of empathy and kindness, though.

Our culture likes to talk about a general spirit of Christmas causing this. However, we don't truly have the spirit of Christmas unless we have the Spirit living in us that we can because of Christmas.

That is because if we try on our own we might succeed sometimes but we will be doing it for ourselves or for others, rather than to honor the God who gave us that gift.

Think about it. It makes sense. Even if you think Christmas should be more about getting those presents, you need to be thankful for the present. Because, a person chose to give it to you out of kindness.

We don't earn presents; they wouldn't be presents if we did. They would be wages. A gift is something you don't learn - it is given out of the kindness of one's heart.

Just like the kindness of God's heart that gave us Christmas.

Receive the Best Gift Ever

The gift that keeps on giving. It can be used over and over. It changes your life for the better.

These and more describe what would be the perfect Christmas gift as a worldly thing, it would be something different for each person.

God provided us with one gift, however, which is even better. It is so special we need to not only receive it but tell everyone about it. Because it can be received any time, not just at Christmas. It matches all of those above sayings and then some, as it is the best gift ever.

We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. But, it was while we were still sinners at odds with God that H e chose to come to this world as a baby. Not as a rich King somewhere, not even as a prince in a palace, but as a humble baby in a lowly stable.

We all hear the stories, we love that part of it. But, do you have head knowledge or heart knowledge of Jesus?

A good question to ask others - and yourself - is this. If you were to stand before God and He were to ask "why should I let you into My perfect Heaven," what would you say?

We can only rely on what Jesus did to get us there. You need to have heart knowledge because head knowledge doesn't help. It is like knowing a chair will hold you and standing next to it, claiming all the time that you can sit in it and it will hold you up but never sitting in it.

That faith is as easy as ABC. Admit you are a sinner, that you aren't perfect so don't deserve to be in God's perfect Heaven. Believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty for your sins and rose from the dead. And, Call on him to save you from your sins.

You can pray a simple prayer like this, or lead someone in it. The words are not what saves, what's saves is when you put your whole faith in Jesus to save you. Talk to God and tell Him something like this.

"Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know I can't reach your perfect heaven on my own. But I know you died to take the punishment for my sins. And, you rose from the dead. Lord Jesus, I pray trusting you to forgive me and make me new inside and save me from my sins. Lord Jesus, I trust you with all my heart and call on you to come live in me. In Jesus name, amen."

Once you have made that decision, of course, it is a matter of trusting the Lord to help you daily. He will be a constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more.

That's because it is a relationship with God that is the real gift of Christmas. He wants to guide and direct you through life.

Overcoming obstacles because Jesus knows all about them

We all face so much stress in our lives. We need God's love to get us through. Thankfully, that special gift of God coming to Earth is the key to that.

Remember, this means that Jesus knew what it was like to have homework, to go through the struggles of growing up, to have all sorts of different situations in His life. No, He didn't have video games or other modern things, but Jesus did have different things that could have distracted Him.

That is the key. He had those things in His life. And yet He never sinned. Jesus never had a sinful action, word, or thought. That is how He could be the substitution for our sin.

That also means that He can be our guide when it comes to life's problems. He is the wisdom that we need and with Him living in us through the Holy Spirit, we have access to that. And, if we do sin because of our fleshly nature, He is always there to forgive us.

I work with some inner-city youth. It is very hard for some of them to understand how He can help. One girl in particular has been bullied and realizes it is a spiritual battle to keep from retaliating, but it is hard for her to recognize God's power in her to rejoice and to let God be the strength she needs to get through things. Please pray for her, that she will learn to pray consistently and that she will start to grow in the Lord. She struggles also with pouting when she doesn't get her way, she is working on that but doesn't realize yet just how much power God can give her to overcome that.

There are also a couple boys who struggle with name calling because they don't realize it hurts her even so they talked about how it hurts. Please pray for them to stop bullying also and to behave better in general because they have many problems that have erupted over the last half year or so for some reason. It may be as simple as a spiritual battle but I don't know. Pray for that whole family, please.

 The whole ministry needs prayer in fact, so please pray as the Lord leads you about whatever situations may erupt.

These are the kind of things we need to talk to God about. When we don't, God knows the needs but we act as if we can handle them ourselves.

"Sure, Jesus could handle them when He was a kid," you might say. "But He is God." And, that's true. But when you know Him, He lives in you and you can turn to him for anything. From the biggest to the smallest.

That is what our country needs. For everyone to turn to God for help, because He is an ever-present help in time of need. That's why it's so important to know Him here, not just to be saved from sin but to be guided through this life filled with people who do not know Him.

Sharing his love so others can know

We share Christ's love so others can know Him and have Him living in them. We do it through our words but also our actions, by helping others and being Godly examples. Then, when people see how different we are they will realize there is something to what we say.

In other words, we aren't just saying it, we believe it and show it by living it.

That is showing the spirit of Christmas all year long. That is what this country needs. It is a relationship. It is not religion because religion is all about me and trying to reach up to God. However, none of those work. God had to reach down to our level and we just have to trust and call on Him.

Be part of the solution by dedicating yourself to the Lord. You can share something like this which can be freely printed out and used to lead others, or this where you can talk to volunteers about growing in your faith. you can get little pieces of paper known as tracks from Child evangelism Fellowship or the American tract Society or like the four spiritual laws to give people and use yourself. Posts in this blog cover numerous subjects such as the end of times and avoiding deception, God's justice being better than man's, overcoming obstacles, ending oppression, having victory over things, and much more.

 So, as one of them says, be the role model that many people need. So many need someone to look up to, and while Jesus is the one they should be, they need someone here on Earth to be that example so they can see how it is time.  you may be the only example of Jesus Christ they have ever seen. Don't shirk that responsibility. Many people need someone just like you. People need you to be christ-like and share the gospel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, how will God help me?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To Know God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Always special to someone - especially God

Christian philosopher Ravi Zacharias, at a recent conference, described time as a canvas where a story is painted. We, in our own parts in time, can't see the whole canvas, but like that painting, our part is connected with others. And, since we have an impact on others, it's important to uplift others, not tear them down; to show they are special. Because, each of us is special to someone - especially to God.

 This may seem like an odd topic in a blog dedicated to calling America to pray for a repentance revival. Sure, I've discussed spiritual leadership before - even mentioned the free blog book I did on it for those without strong leadership in their home, so even kids can do it. But, a whole post here? Don't worry, eventually it'll make sense.

It's not just that we are all special to God - though that is a major part of it. The main difference between how quite a few think of themselves today (man's esteem) and how God thinks of us (God's esteem) is this: Man's says "I matter to me alone/to me more than anyone." God thinks of us so we can say, "I matter to others." Realizing, of course, that we are special to God most of all, for each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.(Ps.139:14) So, we should not think of ourselves pridefully, considering only what we want, but should take others into account, since they, too, are fearfully and wonderfully made.

It's great to make a difference

God's way isn't drudgery - we get to matter to others! We don't have to be tigers roaming the wild with nobody to care about us. Sure, some people aren't always totally efficient socially because nonverbal stuff is confusing at times - myself included, though God's given me courage to constantly try, ability to improve, and great friends to encourage me. But, even someone who developmentally finds it really hard - much harder than I do - can be special to people in other ways.

Because you matter to others, what you do impacts them. It can be good or bad. Most of us know someone who can brighten a room when they walk into it, and just those little things to brighten someone's day can mean so much. Other people are really bitter, or bullies, or act in some other way that hurts others. Either way, these are things that last beyond what one might call the moment of impact; something mean can tear a person down, being kind will edify, it'll build them up.

Of course, in the extreme, such things can live on beyond your own life. For instance, instead of spending money on a lavish car which will one day wear out, something as huge as adopting or at least sponsoring an orphan in a faraway country way down to such simple acts as treating people to dinner can provide help which will be remembered and have a positive impact on the community in the way just owning the fanciest car can't.

And even just a little act of kindness can make a huge difference compared to a mean one There are stories of kids who were new in a school and felt totally unwanted being ready to quit until another kid befriended them, invited them to come and play, and eventually that kid rose above all their problems and became a great success.

The root of the problem

You might guess I'm saying the attack nature of society, how it tears others down so much, is something we need to pray that God changes about our nation. Yes, that is true - it also dovetails into that need for repentance for our own sin, such as that example I often use of how some curse the person who cut them off in traffic when the person was rushing to see a loved one they just learned is in the hospital. And, being more forgiving would help a lot - as the Psalmist writes, "Search me, O God...See if there be some wicked way in me" and forsake it.(Ps.139:23-24)

However, that attack culture is just a symptom of something larger which should be a focus in prayer as well, praying the nation  change and - once we have gotten our hearts right - praying for and encouraging that change in others.

The root problem is people using man's esteem and not God's. This doesn't just impact how we think about ourselves versus others.  Consider the many problems we've had. Violence, police brutality, unjust courts, mistreatment of women and children, all oppression and abuse of power. It's all based on that man-centered esteem that says they have freedom to do whatever they want regardless of the consequences and no matter who gets hurt. It says that because they have power, or anger, or frustration, or bitterness, or whatever, they can do whatever they want. So, that thought life impacts how people act and react.

Some bullies are like that, but if they learn to put others first they will have compassion and make the world better that way. However, other bullies act that way because they are secretly hurting because they feel so unloved, or because some very bad things happen to them. Such a person needs to learn that God loves them no matter what, and that God will be the comfort, peace, etc., the friend that they need. he will provide all their needs if they only ask and trust him to forgive them and save them from their sins. (The other type of bully needs this, too, but more emphasis should be placed on falling short of God's perfection & the penalty for that. Whereas someone who has been mistreated needs to know it wasn't their fault they were mistreated, while still overall being sinner in need of a Saviour.)

Now, consider if people were using God's esteem, and seeing other people matter. That person who felt so angry or frustrated would have asked God to heal them and remove that instead of taking it out on someone, because he or she would realize others matter. That man who mistreated a girlfriend or wife would talk calmly with her, considering her feelings. That officer would use non-lethal force unless absolutely necessary and would remember that every human life is important. And so on.

Many things, of course, require Godly wisdom, but people would use that wisdom knowing: 1. They're not perfect while God has perfect knowledge; and, 2. God loves each of us equally and sees every life as special.

How our loving, personal God sees us

This gets into how God sees us. He is a personal, loving God, not transcendant.

God loves you more than you can imagine. He made you special for a reason, giving you whatever he did becasue he knew it was how you could make the world a better place and glorify Him - after all, he wants us to love, to build others up, etc.. He knows all our thoughts and feelings, everything ee say and do. He knows those times we have fallen short of his perfection because of sin. He gives us freedom to make our own choices, because He loves us and doesn't want us to be mindless robots. And yet,  our sin causes us to be separated from God. We can't get to God's perfect Heaven because of our sin.

That hurts God more than you can imagine. He's not waiting to strike us down - he's wanting to lovingly call us back to Him when we stray.

So God made a way for us to get to Heaven. Since sin must be punished, He came in the flesh, to take the punishment for our sin. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, and then died on the cross for you and for me and for everyone. Then, he rose from the dead the third day. All religion is man trying to reach up to God, but God lovingly came to our level because we couldn't reach Him.

He would have come for you if you had been the only person ever on the face of the earth. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."(Sonship here doesn't mean physical relations, it means having every attribute - Jesus Christ was fully God and man.)

You are whosoever. You can put your name in the blank instead of the words "the world." That is how special you are to God. That is how special each of us is. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Romans 6:23.)

You can trust Jesus to save you right now, you don't have to be in church. Just talk to him and in your own words admit you are a sinner, that you can't reach His perfect Heaven on your own works, but that you know He is God in flesh and He died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead. Then, call on Him to save you from your sin and trust Him to forgive you and make you knew inside. Turn from your sin (repentance), and trust him as your Savior.

God created   some absolutes - as Ravi Zacharias says, we all have ideas of what absolute love, justice, evil, and forgiveness are. And, they all united at Calvary, when God - despite our sinful state, falling short of His glory - forgave us perfectly, all we need to do is receive it, by taking on Himself the justice we deserve for our sins, showing His perfect love for each of us.

So, since each of us is so special to God, once we trust Him to save us from our sins, He lives in each believer through the Holy Spirit and works in us, making us more and more like Him as we trust Him to do it.

Putting it all together

So, seeing others as important is essential. And, if any person, church, community, or nation wants to see revival, it has to be a vital part.

It can't be just helping others in a man's esteem-centered so people can see us doing that, though. Why? Because that gets back to man's esteem. It's saying, "Look at how special I am because I am helping others." Not only is that false pride (like the Pharisees had), it's also how the terrible cruelty and injustice existed in our nation for hundreds of years. When people did things only based on their own desires, it allowed them to imagine themselves as somehow better than some other group. Whereas, if people had used God's steem, they would have constantly viewed everyone else as equal before God.

Of course, that doesn't mean everyone has to be the same. We are all part of the body - some people are better at some things, just like the eye is better at seeing than the ear, and the ear better at hearing. Some are stronger, more powerful, or more important - your arm is more useful than your earlobe. It's just that - while the earlobe wouldn't rise up and say, "I demand to be used as an arm," your arm also shouldn't take something and start bludgeoning your earlobe. The Bible uses the body in the same way as an illustration(1 Corinthians 12), so we can see how we're all supposed to work together and not be envious, jealous, or bullying of others, all things man-centered esteem - the kind that demands to be the most important thing - causes. We must instead consider ourselves part of a team.

We have solved some problems, but only on the outside. We also - because we focus so much on the outside than we should, though some of that is because we realize inside we can't change people's hearts. But, we do know realistically that it's worse - to use the body analogy again - for the arm to grab a hammer and start pounding on antoher part of the body than it is for the arm to just insult that part.

Getting away from the silliness of body parts acting independently, this is where hearts need to be changed, and where we need to trust God to change hearts in America.

How to pray for God to make us others-centered

So, we should pray that people focus on others more. One way we can pray God changes hearts is that He causes people to respect human life again. There were less than 500 murders a year in the whole country 100 years ago, according to some statistics, because people saw human life as important. it ws regularly taught, so people wouldn't dream of doing things like that or even threatening it - but we can't just police it out of people, god must change our hearts so the Holy Spirit is again actively convicting people of sin before they say (or tweet or text or think) it. That includes life changing things, too, like texting while driving or drunk driving - if there's the potential to do serious, permanent harm to someone else, why do it? Again, hearts need changed so people will stop, and that requires the Spirit at work.(See previous post for look at some ways the Holy Spirit works, as noted in John 16:7-12)

Another is that He will show them that they matter - not just in words, not in trying to make everyone the same, but instead in tring to make sure every part of the body is appreciated as that part. So someone might be first and another last, but it's okay because there will always be something we do better than someone else, and always something we do worse than someone else.

It's okay to be negative, but we can be negative without attacking viciously. At the same time, we should be willing to look at the bright side of things. A recent sports example is that someone commented that because a person was not considered among the top five quarterbacks of all time, it was a "shot at him," when in fact one can still be a great one, even an all-time great, and just not in the top five.

In other words, we should pray that people stop taking everything as an attack; people have the right to tell the truth in love.

Another way is praying that the intense vulgarity of society end, and we get back to speaking the truth in love without all the cursing that goes on. Again, the Holy Spirit will work in people in that area.

Plus, we can pray that God turn our hearts toward Him so that we follow what He wants for us - because he has perfect wisdom and the perfect plan for each of us.

Of course, it's fine to have dreams. Many people dream of stardom and use their talents and what they accomplish to do many wonderful things. If God calls you to be a preacher, one noted minister once said, don't settle for being a king. However, when one plays sports, sings, acts, or does anything else for the glory of God and He has led them to do that, He will bless them; they just need to pray He leads them in the right direction and for His help to stay away from evil influences.(In other words, not falling in with the wrong crowd who can get them to do things that harm their career, to do things that make them good role models, etc.)

God created us to need a break from all the stresses of life, after all, and that is what entertainment is for. The point is that we can be thankful for these things and still behave in a way that edifies others, building them up instead of tearing them down. A vacation from the frustrations of life should be a time to relax and get away from things, not an excuse to take out those frustrations on others. When we do that, or only do things to draw attention to ourselves, we are using that man's esteem mentioned above. When we help others, build others up, etc., we are using God's esteem. So, while i always cheer and encourage people at sporting events, some people might choose to boo and that's fine. But, the hatred that some people show is totally wrong. The song says "if they don't win it's a shame," not a tragedy.

Of course, there are many other things which I haven't mentioned. But, all of this - not being in attack mode all the time, being more pleasant, and so on - can be combined in one thing. that is the fact that others matter, and we need t be praying that God turn our hearts to where we look as responsibility, not just rights.

After all, those who oppress and do evil are in need of a change of heart. But, so do all of us. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

The great thing is, once a person has trusted Christ as Saviour, they have access to God Himself, to go before His throne and seek His help for their country, whichever it is. And, His Holy Spirit will move mightily in the world when people simply turn to HIm with all their hearts and trust Him to make thigns right. Things won't always be perfect, but Jesus promises that while in this world we will have tribulation, we can be of good cheer - He has overcome the world.(John 16:33)