Part of Repentance Revival - trust God to use us to heal the racial divide, show all are equal

I've written much in my personal blog - and a similar post to this will go there, too - about how we must trust God to heal the many divides in America, and that repentance must occur for tthere to be true revival with this happening.

We are all one race, descendants of the same man and woman. However, I will speak here of a racial divide as it relates to the current climate in America (and elsewhere, I don't know how much it exists elsewhere, though). This is one of the numerous divisions which sinful man's ways have created, since imperfect man can't create a perfect world - we must rely on God's perfect plan.

Christian ministries should address such division, especially a Ministry like ours where the key is fostering spiritual growth. That growth should lead to Repentance Revival, as God's people band together.

We are clearly not together when people look down on others because of race or economic situation or anything else. God tells us to be of one mind in the Lord(Phil. 4:2-3) (put aside differences except for doctrines which are essential for salvation and fellowship together equally in His Word). God strongly criticizes those who look down on the poor.(James 4, etc.) We are all one in Christ Jesus.(Gal. 3:28-9) We must never puff ourselves up with pride and claim supremacy over others - pride cometh before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction.

Man's best is still inherently wicked compared to God's Perfection. That is because people are selfish; it is a heart problem that can't be fixed completely by laws. As we grow in Christ we should learn to become less selfish and recognize others as our Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Plenty of people try to do this in their own power and give of themselves, but when they do so they are at best helping in ways that are not nearly as good as God's ways, and at worst are doing so only to show how good they are in front of their fellow man, just like the Pharisees did.

This is the problem with quite a few in the Millennial Generation, from what I have read recently, trying to be kind in their own strength and without God's perfection as a guide. For such people, as well as for everyone, it's important to realize none of us is perfect - all have sinned and come short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23) - but there is a way to be saved from the punishment for our sins.

Trying but failing to always be kind in their own strength is a good definition of people at their best. At their worst? "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) God knows what is in us. Thoughts of superiority are just man's sinful boasting about being better than someone else in ways that God doesn’t look at or that are just inventions of that wicked heart.

The ways people try to solve such inequality can be problematic, too, though. I seem to remember it was Tom Seaver, one of the greatest pitchers ever, who said something along the lines that every Major Leaguer should spend a week in the minor leagues every 2 or 3 years to appreciate what they have in the majors. Whoever's quote that was, it means that people should look at others and be thankful for their status, but not to the point of feeling superior. His idea was not that everyone should be sent to the minors, but merely that it was important to have an appreciation for everything that major league baseball provides - airplane rides in huge stadiums versus bus rides and attendance in the hundreds sometimes, for instance. Actually sending every big league player to the minors for a couple weeks every 2-3 years would be very cumbersome and impossible to apply fairly between teams.

The point is that trying to help others in our own imperfect wisdom, won't work because it doesn't change the heart. Say that idea somehow became a baseball rule. It might give some players appreciation for what they have, but others would refuse, teams would be upset about losing a star at a crucial time, etc..

This doesn't mean that we should stop working, of course. The work of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s was long overdue in allowing blacks and whites to share the same drinking fountains, restaurants, and so on because we are all humans. However, it didn't change everyone's hearts, and getting the "right leaders" in power won't either because in the end, this is a problem for God the Holy Spirit to fix.

We should, as born-again Believers, have a part in it, of course. We should be at the forefront of Godly change, relying on God's principles which he lays out in his word, the Bible. We can also take stands when appropriate as individuals.One great symbol is how a Kent States team reached out during the national anthem recently, going into the stands and each player standing beside a person of a different race. That is just part of the concept of befriending others, listening to them and their concerns. It can be very sad to imagine that racism makes one fear getting shot for no reason. Some news stories have sounded more like they were from 1916 and not 2016. Indeed, as a handicapped person I have some of the same fears black people do about getting mistreated since it would be easy for someone to decide to bully me and not be able to respond. (Of course, visualizing everything as I hear about it doesn't help.)

We can easily reach out and listen and share and come to an understanding of how to work together to still encourage everyone to follow the Lord and trust Him to ultimately make things better. This world is a wicked place, and it won't be perfect for any of us until we get to Heaven. However, we can certainly band together and be part of showing who Jesus really is, and the compassion he always has for the oppressed. We want to be Godly example so they, too, want to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and follow Him with all their hearts.

The best and most important thing we can do, once we know Jesus personally, is pray. And, we should be praying with those of other races so we can all praise God for the good things He has provided along with trusting Him to bring about change in this country that is true change because it is on the inside.

I mentioned talking with each other, but getting together as different races and holding a prayer meeting would really be great. God inhabits the prayers of His people, and He can work in hearts yet once we turn from our sins and trust Him.

So comma let's do that, let's get together as 1 people, One race, and pray for an end to racism, for an end to white supremacy, and for people to turn to God to change them on the inside. Because that attitude of Supremacy is really a selfish one that comes out of a lack of contentment. And, because contentment is one mark of a Godly person, when people become more Godly in he will focus on him more then their racist attitudes will end.

Will some focus on worldly things? Sure, we all do that, it doesn't matter who we are or what our background is. From time to time we all sink into that habit of wanting what is in the world even though it will disappear some day. We are to have property and it is helpful to have money and things like that, but we should not be coveting it or mistreating others to get it. The same Commandments which show personal property is supposed to exist - Thou shalt not steal and thou shalt not covet - also tell us not to want what someone else has in a greedy way.

When we are covetous, we should simply repent of our own covetousness and just agree that being of a certain race or background should not give someone priority, so we can pray against the false pride of some Then, encourage others to also accept others as equals. The problem is that so many people have been taking from the poor and from the minorities in this country in an attitude that is totally against God. There has been lots of oppression and we need to pray that people will realize that there should be no difference at all between us no matter what our backgrounds. All are one in Christ Jesus.

When people see this, then they will realize there's something different about us and want that same Godly spirit. That is getting our hearts right with God, which is necessary for a repentance revival.

There are, of course, other problems which we must all repent of. Sure, some cculture have things in them which are unBiblical, but we should focus on what God's word says and realize we have done the same thing. People talk of the violence and degradation of women in rap music, but there are heavy metal and even lighter music lyrics that also showcase mistreatment and objectifying of women and other satanic things. The horrible vulgarity of some is equally bad among all races. People talk about the way certain people wear their pants, but they refused to talk about their own immodest ways.

The key, then, is that we should all be united to work together to turn from our sins as a nation, to repent and follow the Lord, because it is God's ways that are important and not our own. Where a culture does not violate God's ways we should accept it and where it does we need to first look at our own culture. Jesus says that if a person has a mote in there eye, we can't take it out unless we remove the beam in our own; then we can see to remove the most in the other person's eye.

If we fail to recognize our own need to repent and trust Jesus to save us, of course, it will be all for nothing. What matters is our eternal destiny, the things of this world do not matter in light of Eternity. So, why use selfish, foolish pride to appear better than another culture when in fact that stuff doesn't matter to God. What matters is what we do for Him that is also according to His principles; if we try to do something unGodly and say it's for Him He will not receive it well, it will be burned up as 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 show..

So, we must certainly be accepting them sitting next to us in our pews or our neighborhoods, just like we need to accept anyone new who comes in to hear the Gospel and/or grow in Christ. That Gospel is the most important thing, after all. One day we will all together gather around the throne to celebrate, every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ personally to save you from your sin, you are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away. You simply must: Admit you're a sinner and come short of God's perfect glory with thoughts, words, and actions; Believe Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take your punishment for your sins and rose from the dead; and, Call on Him to save you from your sins, Choosing to repent - turn from your sins - and trust the Lord to make you new inside. For if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away, all things are become new.(2 Cor.5:17) You can go here for a more detailed plan of salvation - here in Spanish - and visit our radio show page for great shows on doctrine, spiritual growth, etc..

Let God give you life more abundantly, and make the most of what He gives

In John 10:10, Jesus says He came so those who trust in Him to save them from their sins could have life and life more abundantly.

This post is meant to encourage people to see a  certain aspect of our culture the way God sees it. If He says He'll give more abundant life, then it makes sense to get that, since it'll be more plentiful, fulfilling, etc. than what we could have without Him, right?

Odd start, I know; it sounds like the middle of one of these posts. It's important, though, because like anything Godly, the devil wants to counterfeit it and try to trick people into following the counterfeit. But don't worry, if you see on my personal blog a similar post it's just me doing one geared toward thankfulness, etc..

"Make the most of life" - the right and wrong way

That societal aspect is wanting to get the most out of life. We hear slogans about it all the time. Of course, we want quality out of life, not just quantity. John 10:10 and other verses promise that Jesus will give us both. This is not just eternal life in Heaven. Eternal life begins right here, at the moment you call on Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, as this explains, and make you new inside. As I discussed in this ministry blog post, people have constant contact through the Internet but it doesn't provide the unconditional love and depth of relationship that a personal relationship with Jesus provides.

The idea of living life to its fullest can be used to make sure one gives all for the glory of God and tries not to miss any chance to glorify Him whether eating, drinking, whatever they do.(1 Cor.10:31). In this way, "making the most out of life" means using that life that we have for Him.

This is an especially understandable motto if you're like me and influenced by several relatives in medical/physical therapy professions who see much suffering and, less often, dying (orthopedists thankfully don't see it as often as nurses). It can certainly be used for good then. It is quite logical to merge "you only live once" - used often online with the hashtag YOLO - into that.

However, this is one of those mottos the devil has counterfeited to a great extent, taking something innocent on its face and turning it into evil.

This is where we must be careful of the devil's wiles, because "You only live once" has been usurped by the devil, as explained by Chris Townsend, to get people to think that they, and not God, have ultimate say in every aspect of their lives. Instead of adding 1 Corinthians 10:31 as a reminder to do all you can to spread the Gospel and show His love through your actions, many take the idea of having but one life to mean one may do whatever they want, in blatant disregard for God and His eternal truths, because they are led to believe there are no consequences to sin.

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

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

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

Part of this show we at "Quest for Truth" did on connecting with the culture, discussed how 1 Peter 3:10 speaks of those who will love life in a positive way - saying they should keep their tongue and lips from speaking evil and guile, thus avoiding lying, gossiping, etc. Indeed, while we didn't have time to exegete it all (one great thing about using this blog), this brings in the previous two verses - on being compassionate, not returning evil for evil, etc - and the next verse, which speaks of doing good and eschewing evil.

So, for us to truly do this, we need to eschew evil.. We need to be the opposite of the coarsening society around us, and "be not conformed to this world" but rather "transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."(Rom.12:2)

So, clearly it is proper to love that eternal life believers are given, if done according to Godly principles - being transformed by the Spirit into someone who values eternal life, not what the world gives. This is especially apparent when we realize 1 Peter aalso warns that one may have to suffer a lot for their faith. Even if someone's lot is not to be martyred - and there are many who are elsewhere in the world - we will all face adversity. Jesus says "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world"(John 16:33). Even if not everyone will be martyred or even horribly persecuted, the devil will fight us, and our own fleshly nature will be a battle, too.

This is where we see the battle form between looking at life the right way and the wrong way. In persecutions and the storms of life, a follower of Christ - even if not horribly persecuted - will lose opportunities from the world's perspective. However, God will give opportunities which are better from an eternal perspective, which is the important one. His opportunities will be ones that earn Eternal Rewards, or which will lead to things that will earn Eternal Rewards.

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

I could go a variety of different directions on this, of course. You can too, I'm sure. That idea of eschewing evil itself is one that isn't practiced much nowadays, as the world becomes worse.And, it's not just because some people are putting jobs, money, and other things ahead of God - at times it's because some people are choosing to follow a life filled with lusts, selfishness, and other sins.

The evils of the world won't last, though. Neitehr will anything in the world, even the best things; Jesus says Heaven and eath will pass away. Jesus promises us something much better with those Eternal Rewards, because they can't grow old, rust out, etc., and nobody can take from from us. And, where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.(Mat.6:19-21)

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

The Life That Matters Is the Eternal Life God Can Give

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

Sure, that's why we have to remember that the life that truly matters is the eternal life God promises to those who trust Him to save them from their sins. Because, without that, we have to suffer for our own sins, and God doesn't want us to have to do that. We could love what we have till we die physically, and it could be somthing like family or relationships or helping others. However, it is by grace - a free gift - we are saved through faith, and "that not of ourselves, if is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:8-9) In other words, a person who always puts their family first, always cares about others, and all those otehr good thigns is still a sinner in need of a Saviour - if they sinned only 3 times a day that's still over 1,000 a year. Without calling on Jesus and receiving Jesus' free gift of salvation that person would also die spiritually. And, god doesn't want that for anyone; people choose it when they reject Him.

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

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

Making the Most of Life by Glorifying God

We use our talents, abilities, and opportunities to glorify Him and to share His love with others. This is something those who do not have eternal life can't do. They can only glorify themselves, and if they give glory to God it is not because He is their savior, it is because they are simply paying lip service or believing in some vague force and not in who God is, a personal God who must punish sin but has done so by taking the punishment for our sin, dying on the cross for each of us and rising from the dead.

So, adding some of these talents and abilities to 1 Corinthians 10:31, one can see that whether you are a public speaker, writer, performer, or anything else,  that should be used to glorify God.

 This is how we can have life more abundantly here, not just in Heaven. It also brings those verses from 1 Peter and the exhortation to build treasures in Heaven into things.(It's neat how the Bible comes together like that - four different books written by different people in different places. The Bible is internally consistent when you look at the context of everything, because God the Holy Spirit inspired the writers to write it, He just used each individual person's personality and style. It's just like a child colors with a crayon, the child is creating but that crayon is using its individual hue.)

So, if, for instance, a performer is singing, acting, or whatever in some secular role, they can still glorify God by being light in the darkness. They can choose never to use lyrics that are vulgar or suggestive, but instead ones that uplift. They can encourage things like those things we should think on in Philippians 4:8.(Focus on a song's words forward, not how some used to talk of stuff backwards or even the type, things which distract from the real issue. Frank Sinatra's "My Way" may be the most often quoted secular song by pastors - in sermons on false pride - and it doesn't even have a guitar.)  They can make sure the focus is on God and what He can do, not on themselves. They can, in other words, eschew evil.

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

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

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

Why God's justice, mercy better than man's

I don't watch TV news anymore; too much violence, too many mean people, etc.. Radio & Internet are enough. Still, news of a recent Million Man March caught my attention when i read about it the day of it, especially one of the slogans on Twitter and probably elsewhere, "Justice or Else." It inspired this blog post, which - as I disclosed with another - in the event someone should read both - is on a personal blog with similar wording in places.

It's easy to see, given the injustices in this world, why some would use such a slogan. However, we must seek to make sure the justice system runs fairly, but there are reasons why we must pray and let God deal with the details instead of we ourselves.

The phrase "Justice or Else" reminds me of numerous Psalms, Psalm 2 - "Why dot he heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" -  being just one of many. Indeed, it is very satisfying to know God will have them - those who oppress and do wickedly, - in derision. He'll hve the last laugh as He triumphs over them. A number of others promise the same thing, so much so that reading/studying through Psalms is something I automatically do around election time and at other specified times lately s our nation and the world turns away from God. There is so much evil in the world, and racism is one of the biggest human rights issues. It's so sad, because we're all one race - the human race. Racism is just an excuse invited by people to selfishly try to get their way, ignoring the fact we are all equal in the eyes of God - man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.(1 Sam. 16:7)

This problem, however, shows why justice from man, woman, or any person, is not as good as God's justice. We all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.(Rom .3:23)

I have one example I use in a context showing why we must repent ourselves - perhaps to regular readers I use it too often, but here it will at least seem a little different. It is that of being cut off in traffic. We often criticize the person who did so without bothering to think that they may have a loved one in the hospital who has just been hurt seriously and who they are worried may be dying. Of course, it would be wrong to try to seek justice or revenge on a person who is rushing frantically to see a possibly dying loved one. Yet, in our selfishness as people, we end up doing so if only our justice is used.

We are all guilty, myself included, of jumping to conclusions and being too upset at someone, not knowing the pain they were feeling. (It's harder for me because with my handicaps I can't see their gestures as well to know if something might be a problem, so I try a lot harder to be nice, but I'm still human.) This is why we should not be thinking we must have justice on others in a rash manner, but must look at our own selves first and, then, seek the Lord. He states several times that vengeance is His, and that He will repay. He'll do a much better job than we ever could.

Why? God knows our hearts. He knows what each of us is thinking at any time. "You know my thoughts afar off," as part of Psalm 139 says. He knows exactly when we should have compassion on someone and when we should seek justice. He knows who is hurting terribly and who may realize they have done something wrong but just needs us to kindly speak to them and show forgiveness. And, he knows what needs a tough response.

America has had a lot of horrible things go on in its history. I've always said, we need to repent not just for the last 40 years, but the last four hundred years of our history. It could be argued that God's justice is deserved, but we also need to remember God's mercy.

The Bible shows God is love many times. Even when His people turned from Him so much, even as they crucified Him, He cried out, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34) So, one of the big names of God is love. He is a very personal God who desires a personal relationship with each of us. He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.(2 Peter 3:9) Sometimes His divine justice contains so much wrath against sin many innocents would die unless He waited and gave people time to repent. Thankfully, he provided a way to mete out that judgment and still save us, if a person will simply call on Him by faith to forgive them.

Jesus made full atonement for us on the cross when He died, then rose from the dead. This way, punishment was handed out for our sins, and yet He also showed His mercy. Since Jesus was God in flesh, He went to the cross willingly for each of us. It is our job to share that mercy and grace and love with others.

We all need His mercy because of our sins. Not only that, but when we do repent and trust Him by faith, he will reward us and hear those prayers. for our nation, for justice to finally prevail. And, as we grow closer to Him, He will help us to be more loving and forgiving, and to trust Him more, knowing He will one day reign, in the Millennial Kingdom, with everything running perfectly and justice truly being done for everyone.(By the way, on our "Quest for Truth" page here you can listen to a whole series we did on the Millennium and what comes before.)

 I don't know what exactly God's plan is for our country, but He wants you as a great prayer warrior. We do need them a lot in the United States. Just remember, God will prevail. yet, when considering that justice, it's important to remember God's divine mercy, too, so we ourselves can share that mercy with others in our actions as well as with our words, so they can believe us when we speak of His love for others.