Want to be a Leader? Don't be a Pharisee - they're no fair you see

This is similar to my personal blog post, but has a weird beginning, you might think, given the title. It will make sense eventually.

Our site shows the Gospel right away, with a more detailed description elsewhere. Our radio show page hopefully draws quite a few people. However, one page which needs lots of development is our YLTI page. It is about starting student-led, student-initiated prayer and devotion clubs in public schools - which are allowed as long as other clubs are allowed. However, it is also, like this post, about being a leader in general.

By being a student who is a leader among peers, or leading us to one, you can help us build that page. That’s because what we need are young people who will step out in faith and change their communities for the better, being Christ-like and helping others to be, too. starts soon, and with that, the chance for young people to be part of changing their culture by letting God use them

Not being a Pharisee - the world's system is much like the Pharisees and not as good as God's perfect system - is just part of it. This has tips for anyone who is trying to let God use them to bring revival - or even who is just trying to figure this world out. :-)

School is very stressful, as I noted in this post on my personal blog, where I share that young people can certainly change the world by trusting the Lord to guide and help them do it.Young people can certain start prayer and devotion clubs as long as a school has other types of extra-curricular activitie. They just have to be student-led and student-initiated.

However, we have to avoid being Pharisees. Such a leader needs to be kind(Eph.4:32), let God build the Fruits of the Spirit(Gal.5:22-23) in them, etc..) That means letting God work in your heart to change you on the inside. Jesus taught that the Pharisees weren't perfect because of what was wrong with their hearts. They were too quick to criticize when, for instance, Jesus healed people on the Sabbath. Anyone was allowed to do what was necessary on the Sabbath. They just wanted to appear righteous by not working, and that meant they didn't even want God to work. (I suspect, for instance, that someone like Josephus, a great historian of his time, would have noticed and mentioned it if no babies were ever born on the Sabbath. But, they were.) The Pharisees' system went against God's absolute right and wrong which has existed since the foundation of the world.

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

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

. This can be easy for some, too; some people are naturally more able to reach out to those who need a friend, ignore cliques, and so on. Others may need more help. Even as a young person, you can help them learn to be more resilient through your friendship, etc., although it's also important to have adult youth leaders who can help at times like that, too.

So, how does one become a real leader for the Lord in their schools, communities, etc.?

Youth Leader Training Institute - More Than Just Facts, Because God is Personal

It is vital to know and follow sound doctrine and on the Preserved Word of God. However, knowing all the facts about these things isn't enough. A robot can do that, but God doesn't want us to be mindless robots. He wants us to love Him because we choose to, and then to show that love to others.

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

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

That's because there is a penalty for sin. That penalty is separation from God forever in a horrible place that He does not want you to go. He created it only for the devil and his angels(Matt. 25:41), but people choose to go there when they fully reject His love and forgiveness.

We all need changed on the inside. Too many people try to work their way to Heaven, but salvation is by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:8-9) Once a person is saved they are then saved unto good works that we can do God's will in making this world better, showing that Godly compassion, etc..

That change on the inside happens when you call on Jesus by faith to be saved from your sin and made new inside. You need to invite him into your heart to make you new. Then, He comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit.

How? You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life, life that begins at the moment you call on Jesus by faith. Here's a more detailed explanation like that on our site.

Once you have done that, you have a personal relationship with God and can go to Him anytime for wisdom, guidance, comfort, etc., at any time. He provides a peace that passes understanding, and wants to bear our burdens. He also wants ut to care about others and help them through things, too.

 This means YLTI understands that we need to train our hearts and minds to be willing to care about others and show that concern through being there for others, praying with them, etc.. it's also important, though, to remember that true compassion means not always doing what the world says(like when the world says to lie or cheat). True compassion sometimes means standing for what's right and understanding consequences, and then explaining to others in love that those consequences are there.

Learning to show compassion

Learning to show and have compassion - not just pretend to - is one of the keys to being the kind of leader who will bring change. it is the key to encouraging repentance revival. We can't just talk about it or go through the motions.

There has always been a tendency to focus on the outside because of human nature. For instance. constant testing, which ignores individual learning styles and special needs is just one way modern Pharisees act. Hence, understandingthe problems of the Pharisees and how to avoid repeating them will help young people understand the modern world. This shows how relevant the Bible is to everyday living and how we need to embrace god's system instead of being caught up in the world's.

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

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

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

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

For people to do that, they need to see a caring Christian community. That starts with each of us listening and caring about others and lovingly guiding them to Jesus, showing how He can help them make the change needed by workign that work himself and them trusting Him and taking those steps of faith needed for Him to do it - like getting rid of images or other thigns that may tempt them to sin, for instance.

After all, when God's Word says "be strong in the Lord," that is a continual strengthening from outside that can only be done by God Himself.

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

Showing Godly compassion, not the false kind

There also needs to be a brokenness for sin, a need to really want to avoid the problems of this world by following the Lord. We can't be perfect in this world, but we can try, as mentioned above, to not fly off the handle, to talk with others and not berate them, etc..

The false compassion that some show is false compassion for the same reason that not warning someone of a hot stove is false compassion. We can pretend that stove is not hot, and there is no problem. However, that does not stop the stove from being hot. It does not prevent us from getting burned if we touch it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Actions Must Speak Louder

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

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

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

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

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

Uniting in God's Word - and the word "begotten"

You might wonder why "begotten" is called all-important, but first, a question. Are people united to commit crime united in a good work? Of course not.

Speaking of unity, this is also going up on my own personal blog site which I link below, for those wondering why they see this twice. :-)

Examples of when uniting wonderful

Jesus often asks questions to help listeners think about the answers to their own questions. While it is not the focus of this post, the parable of the Good Samaritan is a great example - we often ask, "Who is my neighbor?" Muslims are one answer to that - we need to share with them how to have a personal relationship with a loving, gracious God who gave Himself for them, so He can save them from their sins and make them new inside. This post shares good tips and resources that are vital to "snatch them in pity from sin and the grave" as the hymn - and much more sensible title - goes.

Of course, there is a wonderful way to show how to unite for positive things. The Jews and Samaritans couldn't stand each other in those days. I don't know if it inspired him, but Daryl Davis has made a life out of befriending people who don't like him.  However, we do need to be careful to be united in a Godly work, such as peacemaking.

I've said many times in this blog that God's Word proves we are all one race, the human race - something acknowledged in secular media, too. However, there are times when we can't pretend there are no differences. this is why that word - "begotten" - will come up, because it doesn't just mean "only." it means of the same essence, the same substance.

Clearing up misconceptions

This is a misconception that Muslims have about Christians. Let me start by pointing out a few things from the post I linked.  Some people think Muslims and Christians worship the same god, but we don't, and "Sonship is one big reason. Muslims say Allah had no son because they only think of physical relationships when they think of a son. They don't realize that Sonship In the Biblical sense is the Arabic "ibn" - this means a perfect likeness, having every attribute of the original.

This Arabic word, "ibn," shows that Jesus is a perfect likeness, He is God in flesh(John 1:14, etc.) because in Him(Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.(Col. 2:9) There is also a way or two to explain the Godhead which will help. Here is a site that might help with a few misconceptions. Also, simply explaining "I am a father, a son, and a brother - one man, three attributes is a start. The point is that we can agree that God is one god, and go fromt here to show how He manifests Himself.(As that first one does with talking about how God manifested Himself to Moses, etc..) As this site on answering Islam shows, unique is even a better translation than "only," since monogenes has no direct translation into English, but "only" is surely incorrect. Only begotten is even better, though, than unique, because Begotten means having all the attributes in a way unique doesn't.

So, clearly there are times when we have a truth to stand on - what "Sonship" means - that needs to be explained to eliminate misunderstanding. It wouldn't do to pretend that difference doesn't exist, because bringing it to light improves understanding of what the Bible says.

Philippians 4:2-3 - where Paul tells two ladies, Euodice and Synteche, to be of one mind "in the Lord." However, that phrase, "in the Lord," means to put aside petty differences and follow Christ. Their argument might have been heated - Paul asks others to help them, those who were perhaps able to help to mediate the dispute by helping them talk things out. But, they were not disagreeing about fundamentals of the faith.

In other words, just like explaining Sonship above increases understanding by pointing out what truth is, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, clearly insists elsewhere that we must be unified in sound Doctrine and not allow false Doctrine to enter our churches. Because, sound doctrine increases understanding.

This post from a ministry blog I do goes into more detail after a while about the sound doctrine we need to hold fast to because the points are connected with God being a personal, loving God who took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross and rose again. It also has more links to our radio shows - which can be found here - though this post in the blog you're reading has different things regarding supporting what we believe and support, not just what we are against. So, both are good to read.

However, I'm going to come at one in particular from an unusual angle, because it will help to end confusion in a number of areas.

So, what's with the word "begotten"?

So, you might be thinking, "Okay, so the point about "begotten" is that it points to Christ's Deity." That's a major part of it, yes. The meaning is so much deeper than something simple like only.

Begotten shows that all attributes of God were passed on. Jesus had "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."Col.2:9 We are adopted as children, as Romans 8, John 1;12, and others show. However, we don't get every single attribute of God, we don't become all-powerful for example. We will never have that kind of attribute. There are a few which we don't have on earth because of our sin nature, but in Heaven we shall become sinless, have perfect love, etc.. However the Lord will never share all His attributes Jesus Christ only has all of them because he is God in flesh.

And yet, in His love God does give us the power to become the sons of God if we believe on His name(John 1:12) - that is, trust Him and call on Him by faith to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Begotten, then, shows the difference between a believer and the Lord, yet also shows the Deity of Christ and allows us to, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath given ucto us," that we, too, can be called the children of God.

This incredible love is something people in other cultures often don't understand or even have access to - people all over the world seek freedom from sin, from guilt, from shame, and from fear. These things leave them in bondage to the world's system, one that tries to work one's way to Heaven.

"Okay," you might say, "the Deity of Christ, God's love for us, and the freedom we have in Him are wonderful to unite behind. They are all present in that word Begotten the way they are not in the word only. But, is that the only problem with versions that don't use begotten?

No, and that's the big problem.

Stick with the Antiochan Greek

 When you use "Begotten" you're using a word translated from Greek. Gotquestions has a good explanation here. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew(Old Testament), Greek(New Testament) and a little bit of Aramaic that is not important for this discussion.

the original Greek manuscripts, from Antioch, were written first, with Greek from Alexandria used a century later. That Greek from Alexandria made changes that confused thigns and caused problems with doctrine. the King James Version is the only one straight from the Antiochan texts. Here is a great post from someone else about it.

To sum up what the above link says, other versions - which take from Alexandrian texts - have many problems like this. We as Christians aren't perfect, as I noted in another post. We are all still growing closer to Christ and needing Him to battle our flesh nature. Salvation is an instant event,(Rom.10:9-10,13; Acts 16:31; etc.) but as this show reveals. (This is why one must beware of modern Bible versions that use the Alexandrian text, modern texts do things like changing 1 Peter 2:2 to make it sound like you grow in your salvation when the King James, from the original Antiochan texts, shows clearly growth is through the Word of God and is only in one's sanctification.

 Another good link that shows what some other big differences are is here. Our Youthquake site even had a book noted which founder/director Sal Varsalone wrote exposing a lot of problems - see "No Counterfeit Bibles" here.

One of those esy to notice is in Luke 2:33 and Luke 2:44, where the King James says "Joseph and Jesus' mother."Mary was, biologically, Jesus' parent, but Joseph was not. to say "Jesus' father and mother" is also an attack on Jesus' Deity. While it's true that Philip says "the son of Joseph," he is merely making a human mistake because of his excitement at finding the Messiah. He wasn't taking time to think that Messiah had to be God in flesh. Those verses in luke, though, are part of something the Holy Spirit is revealing to us as Scripture. Luke was inspired to write - in his very meticulous style - "Joseph and Jesus' mother" becase that's what God wanted people to understand, that Jesus was not related biologically to Joseph, and that He was born of a virgin.

You can hear shows about the Deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, and other vital doctrines in our shows here.

The Bible is totally reliable, though, when you look at the original texts, as this site shows. And, one of the most important parts of that is that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for each of our sins and rise from the dead. He was the perfect sacrifice that was necessary to pay the entire price for our sins. And, each one of us must simply trust Him by faith, calling on Him to save and forgive them from their sins. Here is a more detailed explanation of God's simple plan of salvation.

The world's system versus God's system

As we near Resurrection Sunday, it's good to look at the world's system versus God's system - which values the individual in a unique way. What is the difference and how does this battle fit in with our part in repentance revival?

Parts of this might be in my personal blog sometime  in the future, as well as this ministry one, in case you see similarities.

Don't worry, this won't get as complex as a college philosophy course. Simply put, the world's system ignores God and deems imperfect people able to create perfection on their own. God, however, states that imperfect people require a perfect Saviour to save them from their sin. However, once saved, they may choose to be part of His perfect plan. And, He places high value on us, loving us before any of us ever knew him.

These definitions help in understanding a few things.

1. Our sin nature causes the world's problems.

People like to think they are either perfect or can become perfect. However, "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)

The system people create will never be perfect because of our sin nature. We can try to legislate it out and there will always be people doing evil no matter how much we try to stop them. We can try to try to talk people out of it and some people will insist on doing evil no matter how much we reason with them. (And God did create a perfect reasoning and logic, butGod doesn't choose based on things people value like strength and looks and other things. As 1 Cor.1:27 says, "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"

Our problem isn't just that we're imperfect, it's that this imperfection goes against a perfect, holy God who can't allow any sin into His perfect heaven.

We all have an idea of what justice is, and we hope it comes to this world. Many political leaders try to ensure justice is done, and some do a very good job, while others don't. There is always so much arguing over which are doing which, but the point is, only God can produce perfect justice because only He knows every detail of every heart and how they match up against His standard of perfection.

That standard - "Be ye perfect, even as My Father in Heaven is perfect"(Mat.5:48) - means nobody can escape punishment for their sins, unless they are forgiven.

Forgiveness is something else we like to do, but often we like it only when it pleases us as people. I explain here what forgiveness is, but put simply it's letting go and no longer punishing the person. Sometimes people are more apt to forgive if the person is useful to society, or of the same class, or something else, but perfect forgiveness means something different. It means cancelling all one's sin debt.

That seems like it'd be impossible to combine the two - how can justice be meted out if everything is forgiven. However, God made a way.

2. Absolute, perfect justice met absolute, perfect forgiveness at the cross.

 Ravi Zacharias has said that there are four things all people have a concept of, even if it is not an accurate one - love, evil, justice, and forgiveness. In Romans 1 and 2, we see that even without the Mosaic Law, people consciences and attitudes cause them to be a law in and of themselves, and that people don't always follow their own standards. Even if they did, though, they wouldn't measure up to what God did.

God's love is perfect. It is unconditional, as discussed here. He defines perfect love because it is not based on any attribute that a person has. God simply loves because he loves. This was evident at the cross.

Perfect evil was also present. A hatred of all things good, the trial and execution of a Man, jesus Christ, everyone knew was innocent, one who had never done anything wrong. Even Pontius Pilate said he found no fault in Him. Yet, god allowed the evil to come upon His Son - called that because Jesus Christ is God in flesh - two of our earliest shows (1, 2) discuss Christ's deity, with others later as well, such as this showing how doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses go against what the Bible says.

Perfect justice was meted out in that all of the world's sin was placed on Jesus Christ - He was made to be sin for us, even though He Himself knew no sin.(2 Cor.5:21) he bore our sins in His own body.(1 pet.2:24) 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, becasue 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 our 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 are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life - life that begins the moment you trust in Jesus to save you. You can call on him to save you right now, in fact.

Our 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)

3. God gives us a Done system, not a Do system.

 So, with people always trying to come up with their own ways to make things better, we are trying to do things. That was the rich young ruler's mistake when coming to Jesus in Luke 18 - he asked what he could do rather than admitting to God that he couldn't do it on his own and needed His help. Countless other people accepted that, we even see a prayer in the Bible, "Help thou my unbelief"(Mark 9:24), a prayer answered "yes" to because God rewards those who humbly come to Him for help.

 The Bible says we must have faith like a little child because they trust completely. They know they have to rely on others for things. That, of course, is why I've emphasized so much elsewhere things like the need to be a good role model.

Because we don't have to do anything to earn God's favor - only trust Him - we are free to do as we should without fear of failure if we fall short. A person who follows Christ should not purposely sin, but we have that sn nature that we will fall into sometimes in small ways, and if we're not careful in big ways. We recognize we are just sinners saved by grace. We can't do anything to please God ourselves. God loves us simply because he is love. We love him because He first loved us.(1 John 4:8,19)

Though we don't have to do anything to please God, we should still work to please Him - not because we have to but because we want to. It is our reasonable service, as Romans 12:1 says in part. Think of what all Christ suffered to save us from our sin and the penalty for it, eternal punishment in a place only meant for the devil and his angels(Matt.25:41). We should want to follow Him and do all He says out of our love for Him out of gratitude. He doesn't send anyone there - people go there when they reject His forgiveness and salvation..

4. God's System respects people more

I mentioned that God's system respects the individual in a unique way. It really repsects others more than the world's competing, person-centered systems.

Of course, 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.

God considers each of us, though. 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 is love? What is true love? Four types of love and the most special

There are four kinds of love - well, at least in the Greek. And they say French is romantic! :-)

The first type of love in the Greek language is the word eros. This word is more appropriately called lust because it only deals with the outside.

We say this not just about people but about things. We say I love pizza but we don't have anything more than and attraction based on our favorite foods. Some pizza, if enough yucky stuff is put on it, might not be very appealing. It could still taste good though. Others might look really good, but tastes really bad if someone doesn't make it right. This just shows what the Bible says. Man looketh upon the outward appearance, but God looketh upon the heart.

When we say we love pizza, it doesn't cause too many problems. But when we use that eros love to describe how we feel about another person, it can often leads to disaster. Even if it doesn't, broken hearts still take time to mend. And, God doesn't want that for us.

God wants us to have a wonderful, close relationships that lasts forever, because He loves us. So while there are people who joke that they would marry chocolate, it's not really something when was marry. And yeah, when they say that, I found it's a good way to lead into explaining about not following youthful lusts. I often joke that blend you look at your crush, ask your self if you would still love that person when you were both in your nineties, wrinkles up like prunes, with no hair or teeth, and probably other physical problems. If not, you should not be with that person.

Another way to put it is, be so lost in your love for God that your mate needs to seek God with all their heart to find you.

The next type of love is phileo. This is the root of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. BFF, which stands for best friends forever, is a good way to describe this kind of love. The Bible refers to it as a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, the way that Jonathan was with David.

This type of love is very deep, but it is not as deep as family love, let alone God's love. Yours truly recalls growing up with grandparents who were best friends as well as a married couple. That is the way a couple should be. That is why the comments above about making sure you are best friends with the person who will be your future mate are so important. The love a couple must be more than just about outward things.

The next kind of love is storge. That is what families should be. Obviously, a husband and wife are not related until they are married. Unless you were a Hapsburg Royal in the early modern era, but we won't get into that. The point is that this is another reason a couple should be such close friends before considering marriage, so they can easily build that storge relationship.

Families should love each other unconditionally. God created us to be loving, caring people who help each other and help young people grow and learn in a safe environment of unconditional love.However, by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so that deth passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.(Rom.5:12) People choose to turn against God sometimes, and that hurts people. Thankfully, God provides help through others. Quite a few people have been known to be an "emotional family" for others, or siblings known to be the emotional parent for a younger sibling, or something similar.

Storge love means family members should always be there for each other and be willing to give anything for each other. One example would be how an uncle, when one of his kids was in the hospital, took time to stay with him rather than take advantage of a special golf outing with Arnold Palmer he'd had the chance to go on.

Those with phileo love give for each other do give for each other, but even that love is not as deep as the giving a family should do. That married couple's love should grow each year, so the phileo and eros work together to create a deeper storge love each day - but only storge allows one to truly love unconditionally, to truly stay together "for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part." Only that storge love allows a couple to care for a severely handicapped child his or her whole life. And so on.

There is, however, a love even deeper than that.

It is called agape love.(Pronounced "a-gah'-pay)

Agape is the kind of love God has for us. While that family love grows over time, God's love is there for us even when we don't know Him. First Corinthians 13, called "the great love chapter of the Bible," is filled with wonderful things about love. It truly does bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. And, while that's what family love should be, God's love is special because he loved us like that before we even knew Him. In fact, while we were His biggest enemies.

God gave us freedom to choose so we wouldn't be mindless robots who just did thigns automatically. He wanted us to choose whether to follow good or evil. So, man chose evil and sin came into the world because people chose to disobey God? They chose to turn against Him and do mean, hurtful thigns to each other, to themselves, and to Him.

We do that, too. Yet the Bible says, "We love Him because He first loved us."(1 John 4:19) It was "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8) God Himself loved us so much that though we rejected Him, He still came to this world in flesh, Jesus Christ. he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, yet suffered and died to take the punishment for our sins, His blood was shed to atone for what we ourselves had done. And, he rose from the dead the third day! He is alive and always making intercession for us.

it is by faith in Him and Him alone - calling on Him to save you from your sins - that any of us enter His perfect heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears, no sin can be there. Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us. And, you can simply call on Him right now to forgive you and saved you from your sins, trusting that he took the punishment for your sins. Here is a good summary. 

But, God not only will save you and get you to Heaven, Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly.(John 10:10) Eternal life with Him begins the moment you believe in Him and call on Him, trusting Him to save you. He will be a constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more.

That is true love. He will never leave you or forsake you. You can e-mail our show with questions - I know this might be read anywhere in the world so if you want we can even try to help you find a good church. But, most importantly, a relationship with Jesus is forever. He lives in each believer through the Holy Spirit. And, any holes in your heart that have come from past problems, you can be sure He will fill with His unconditional love.

Because God's agape love is true love, the best love there is. It is the definition of real love.

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.

Constant contact with no need for constant texting/tweeting/Facebooking

The last post was topical. While it won't air till September, you can hear our show on the Iran nuclear deal and Ezekiel 38-39 here as well as all our shows on the radio page at gcyouthquake.org.

I was pondering the incredible size of Facebook and Twitter recently, along with how people seem glued to their phones while texting. And, I got to thinking. It may not be a mere fact caused by our global society, but a symptom of something else.

While I'm sure we're not the first to suggest this, please let us take a moment to explain, and to share how to have a wonderful bond that will never break. With it, whether this desire for constant contact - yet at a distance - is a symptom or not, our young people today can feel peace and assurance that will never end.

Society at breakneck speed

The first person to say, "Stop the world, I want off" wasn't born in the 21st century or probably even the 20th. It might have been when railroads began to connect faraway places, or when news that took days to arrive could suddenly reach one instantly by telegraph. It may have been before then, in fact.

Whenever it was,the pace of life has only sped up since. This leads to a couple of things which may be causing the intense increase in focus on computer screens(personal computer and cell phone ones) as opposed to normal bonding.

One is the vast amount of information available. It can be overwhelming at times, to the point 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 saying we're real close to the end - Dr. H.A. Ironside was saying the same thing about the last days decades ago.)

(It should be noted a secondary meaning concerns understanding the Book of Daniel itself and Jesus as Messiah. It's important to always interpret Scripture with Scripture to understand it, and also when in doubt to go to the original languages of the  Greek and Hebrew; the quote is from the King James Version, from 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.)

This vast amount of information available means people are constantly trying to use it - Googling anything from directions when lost to the lyrics of that song that's on the tip of your tongue to what that thing on the New Orleans Saints helmets is.(Fleur de lis, a French royal symbol, so you don't get interrupted looking for it.)

It also allows others to provide "information" themselves by posting it, so anyone can share their favorite recipe with the world, announce a special event, or just let people see that cute picture of their puppy carrying a baseball-shaped salt shaker and trying to get you to throw it for him.

Society losing richness, depth of relationships

The second problem is that this constant movement and increase in information can lead to overload, but also to the problem of relationships not being as deep as possible. This is just as significant, in a different sense, as the point about how much trouble one can get in posting the wrong things online.

It's a problem because centuries, even decades, ago we humans valued close, personal relationships. We were meant for such things, in fact.

I(Doug) have trouble reading nonverbal expressions due to a few handicaps - a nod to me is just "yes" for instance, and I can't discern between what I've heard are numerous types. While that and a few other little things may be due to my brain processing things a bit differently, for quite a few young people it seems they enjoy internet communication more than talking.

There may be other reasons, but mostly, they 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 problem of depth perception, one might call it, also leads to problems with understanding things such as privacy and what should be posted online, in fact.

Jesus provides a calming, loving answer

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

Jesus bears our burden for more than just sin, though with only a 30 minute show it's understandable that was the majority of our focus in that one. He wants to help everyone, and in fact, 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.

If you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can pray anywhere, anytime, about anything. It doesn't have to be really fancy wording. It's just sharing your heart with God. That 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. tThose 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, and so on. Maybe you can't save the world but you can save one person, for instance. Maybe you can be the spiritual leader for someone else and it will take your mind off your own circumstances, and let you focus on the positive - that relationship with God who will see you through everything.

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. 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.

Fill your hearts with God's love - thoughts on Charleston

I don't know about you, but I thought of the great spiritual battle we are in when I heard of the tragic shooting in Charleston, and the great hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" came to mind. In the interest of full disclosure, if some of this looks familiar, I, Doug, have a personal blog a fair amount of this is taken from two posts from that one; it was begun soon before the National Day of Prayer as the Spirit led in the wake of Baltimore, etc.. I don't know if any will see this who saw the other but it's possible so I'm mentioning it.

So often, we try to imagine a world where in our own strength we can just be positive and good will come. But, there is a war going on, and the second stanza says more clearly than I can just how futile our own efforts are at ending such evil. "Did we in our own strength confide, the battle would be losing./were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing./Dost ask who that may be?/Christ Jesus, it is He..." That stanza goes on to state He is the Lord of Hosts (yes, that's what "Lord Sabaoth" means, literally calling Him head of the whole army of angels in Heaven) and He is the one who must be relied on if we are to win the battle. (Hence the imagery of the army of hosts of angels.)

It's been said that there is a God-sized hole in each of our hearts that only Jesus Christ can fill. Sadly, Charleston shows what happens when one fills one's heart with the bad.

 The evil attack in Charleston demonstrates how the devil hates God's love and goodness, and will rile people up any way he can. Even the fact that race is emphasized when in fact we are all one race demonstrates that he has ways to seep into our hearts and minds with us not paying attention to the real problem. Sure, there have been many evil deeds done over the years to different people groups, but we are all of the human race, so race should be used as a term to bring us together, not tear people apart.

The problem is a culture which claims to abhor violence yet which does so little to turn their own hearts around so God can cleanse this nation. Hence, a call for repentance revival must go out and begin with us.

The attack was what Charleston's mayor calls "pure evil." And, that is what it boils down to, no matter whether we are talking about that or other acts of wanton violence. However, there is a reason people are into such evil in these days while the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit, is still on the earth. It is because the concepts of evil and violence that exist are allowed to fester in some minds and combine at times with actual following of the occult. These things cause people to do such horrible things as this and the beheadings which have occurred even in the U.S., showing it's not just guns, but a desire to do evil that cause this insanity.

So, how do we respond?

As noted, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."(Eph.6:12) This is, as noted, a spiritual attack. We must use the full armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6:13-18, and focus on how we can co-operate, as one race, to win the true battle for the Lord instead of fighting each other. We are, after all, on the same side if we choose to be on God's side.

This is not just thinking nice thoughts, though. We are powerless against the devil's wiles, just as we would be powerless against a lion; the devil "walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."(1 Peter 5:8) Just as the attacker let his mind be controlled by evil. Supposedly, one of his quotes seems to show he focused on the evil, satanic concept that races are separate. This is a lie an must be pointed out with the certainty of God's Word. We are all one blood and all from the same place. We are made in God's image, and He makes it quite clear in His Word that we are made in His image and are commanded to love everyone because of that.While we must take stands against sin, we must still love the sinner, and realize that every single person is made in God's image and therefore must be loved - Jesus commands it, and His Word says "He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."(1 John 4:8)

Love comes from God, though; at least, the unconditional type that is spoken of here. So, one of the big things for us to do as we repent and seek God's face and turn from our wickedness is to call on the Lord to help us love one another better. This is crucial, because for us to seek God's help in doing that, guess what we have to do: Be willing.

That's why there is so much falsehood in some churches, because they don't have that love of others in them. How are they going to bring repentance revival to their communities when they are not loving on each other, let along loving those outside the church?

So, in short, the way we should respond is simple. Love one another. Love with that unconditional love God provides for us. 1 John 4, 1 Corinthians 13(where the King James translators wisely translate it as charity because it is the type of love that is always giving; the original Antiochan texts are only used by the KJV and this is but one example of how the word is much more descriptive) John 3, and others all show the importance of that kind of love.

How do we stand against sin while showing that love?

That is the big question, because I've said that we must also take a stand against sin.

The key is to look at things like John 4, John 8(woman caught in adultery), etc.; instead of stoning the person, have compassion on them, be willing to understand where they are coming from.

For instance, that guy who cuts you off in traffic may be rushing to the hospital to see a dying relative. That kid who plays raunchy music that degrades women, glorifies violence, or both, and drives you up the wall with it may have grown up in a home with such terrible violence it would make your skin crawl. In the first instance, you forgive and pray for them. In the second, you can forgive and share with them how God has a better way and he can fill those holes in his heart with much more pleasant things. It might take him a while to come out of that dark place where his mind is, but that's where that heart-mind change comes from the Bible tells us about in 2 Cor.5:17(new creatures) and Romans 12:2(transforming/renewing the mind continually).

It is something only God can do,but the reason Greater Canton Youthquake exists is for our young people - and everyone - to grow in Christ so they will see His goodness and want Him to do that work in their hearts. People will only want to let Him it when they see there is a difference and that we have something wonderful that they will want to have for themselves. They will want to become conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ in their kindness, love, compassion for others, and so on.

That means being kind, friendly, considerate, etc., and listening to others so they can see, "Hey, you know what? That's a mighty nice life they live following Jesus Christ, I want to be part of that. I want what they have."

Some people are just plain rebels, of course, and won't listen to that love because they want their own way all the time. But, we need to be willing to communicate and understand why people are doing what they are so we can help them see how, deep inside, they have holes in their hearts that only Jesus can fill. The problem is they fill those holes with other things - even the rebels. But, when we do show that love toward them, some will realize they've been living wrong and start letting God transform them. And others, well, Romans 12:19-21 reminds us that vengeance is the Lord's to do, not ours, and that by loving our enemies and blessing those who persecute us, we heap burning coals on their foreheads. It's like if they don't repent, when they die they will forever regret not following the way of unconditional love they were shown here on earth.

Let's stop filling our hearts with hatred like we saw in Charleston, but filling them with God's unconditional love.