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.

Because it's a heart, not a political problem - getting involved for revival

 Something like this may eventually go in my personal prayer call blog,but it's similar to other things I've posted there, plus god's laying something else on my heart for it. So, this is here.

The recent death of Justice Scalia proved several things. First, the 24/7 news cycle has become so thirsty for news that some people don't take time to honor the life of a man before discussing his replacement. Second, this election is vital, meaning we should be active. And, third, and most important, only God can truly solve our problems - meaning we must be on our knees figuratively speaking consistently. Repentance revival is possible, but we need God's help now. Our activity won't help alone because at its heart this is not a political problem facing our country.

The problem America faces is a heart problem. This makes it spiritual and not physical - of course, I don't mean that America has a physical heart condition.

Even though it can't be fixed by actual physical medicine, there is a solution, though. You can be part of it, in fact.

It may seem much harder, if not impossible, to solve suvh a heart problem in others. However, it isn't as bad as it sounds. After I expand upon how we know it's a heart problem, I'll provide the solution.

How do we know it's a heart problem?

It is easy to identify a heart problem by what the Bible says about such times, andby the things that aren't working.

People of all political parties, of every political persuasion, have ideas. To some extent, all have been tried, just not in the most extreme way. At times it feels like we are just repeating the same things over and over.

If there was a human solution, we would see improvement. However, the example of political correctness is a perfect way to show this is a heart problem. The proper words for things continue to change, as people try to eliminate insulting comments and behavior. And yet, such things continue.

However, if hearts changed, people would not mistreat others no matter what word was used. There would be no hurtful comments, so there would not be a need to create such societal rules.

I could cite many other examples. For instance, poverty still exists long after the pledge to end it. And, if all guns disappeared,  people would make them and use knives and swords in the meantime. Or, if everyone had equal things, some would still take others' stuff out of a sense of entitlement.

Imperfect man cannot create a perfect system. It would be like someone who does not know the first thing about piloting an airplane trying to teach someone how to fly a major commercial jumbo jet without the computers, and with just the instruments. Even if this person knew something about flight, or even knew something about letting the computer run things, they couldn't teach about all of the instruments and everything that was needed unless they actually knew how to do it.

This means that when laws have been written enforcing really strict things like Prohibition, they haven't worked either because it was still imperfect people trying to change the outside and not change in the heart.

So, there is clearly a heart problem which no candidate will solve, no matter what party they are in.

However, there is a solution.

How do we solve it?

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new."

We must repent, turning from our evil ways. However, we can't bring revival on our own because the heart of man is exceedingly wicked. We can only impact the outward appearance. And, that's not good enough for God.

In other words, just having all moral laws won't bring this nation back to God if we don' also trust Him to change our hearts. it would be just like Prohibition days.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God promises "If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will answer their prayer, and I will heal their land."

Notice what order these are in. first is humbling oneself in prayer. Second is seeking His face. Only then comes turning from wicked ways.

What are we praying for? For God's forgiveness and also His healing for our country, His changing of hearts. Our turning from our wicked ways is a sign to Him of our commitment to live by the principles of His Word - honesty, faithfulness, unconditional love, and so on. Accepting all as equal before the Cross and abandoning our racial animosity. Things like that.

Some will say this promise is only to Israel, but remember we have been grafted in, adopted by God into His family whereby we cry "Abba, Father." that "Abba" is a term of total trust and endearment, like a small child saying "Daddy."

But, even if that verse was only for Israel, it doesn't matter. God has another set of verses where He promises to heal even the heathen nations.

They are in Jeremiah 18:5-10. God promises to bless the heathen nation that turns from its evil ways.

Now, by making that commitment to follow Him, this is where we get involved. This is where we say, "Lord, we will follow the candidate You lay on our hearts.

But, before that, we must seek God to change not only our hearts, but those of others. Repentance begins in with the Church, but we also need God to move int he unsaved, too, so many people will come to know Him.

Since not many churches preach the Gospel anymore, that could mean lots of people going to the Internet with sites like Godlife, or a variety of places like Child Evangelism Fellowship. it could even mean that if you trust Him to, the Lord will lead you to people who are ready to be saved if you will just share with them the clear, simple, plan of salvation. They just need to see you are genuine and really are seeking to live for the Lord yourself. You don't have to be perfect, but we do need to be striving - as Paul said, pressing toward the mark of that high calling.(Phil.3:14)

So, in other words, turn our hearts toward the Lord and seek His forgiveness, seek Him to heal our nation and change hearts to turn back toward him, and then commit ourselves to Godly principles as a way of showing that we truly do want this nation to have His blessings.

Then He will hear from Heaven, answer our prayers, and heal our land.

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.

Answered prayer, God's plans, rebuilding programs, and more prayers, pleaseain))

Thank you for your prayers. God provided us a minivan for a great price with which we can transport at least a handful of kids to different activities.

It's great to see God at work. We will continue the radio show, because this is a great way to encourage others to serve the Lord. And, who knows, perhaps some people are being saved who listen to it.

Now, I'd like to share some comments with a little bit of what we plan to do now that we have a minivan. Because, we need leaders. Young people are going to listen to the Lord more willingly if wthey have the opportunity to see other youth who are already actively involved. Peer pressure is often seen as negative - and, in the Bible is certainly is, such as the crowd turning against the twit spies with faith - Joshua and Caleb - and believing the twn without faith, and of course the crowd which was egged on by the Pharisees to demand Jesus' crucifixion. However, it also has a good side, that being whe4n a strong leader emerges to bring people back to God.

We are clearly in a rebuilding phase after 2.5 years without a van. These youth need to see quality youth who are on fire for the Lord. One in particular especially thrived in Youthquake even though several different things prevented him from regularly attending a good Gospel-presaching church till recently. however, while he might have been able to lead a prayer and devotion club with a few more years of Youthquake and getting into that church's youth grou sooner, without those intervening 2.5 years of club he really  has struggled.

Hope is not lost for him or the others we find, though. that one young teenage boy still has the eagerness and enthusiasm that made him a great prospect, to use a baseball analogy. He just has trouble hitting the curveball.(Those being the fiery darts of the wicked that the devil throws our way.) or, perhaps he's the pitching prospect who lights up the radar gun but couldn't control that breaking pitch, either way then missing a year with injury and rehab. Whichever analogy you wish to use, he's still got the enthusiasm to let the Lord overcome through him.

But, he really needs prayers! So, please, pray for him.

We are rebuilding, but we still have great prospects. of course, the main reason is because God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think.(Eph. 3:20) However, also, others will be coming to our first club meeting on Feb. 13, in addition to him and whatever friends he brings. one who plans to come has a great testimony and was featured on this show. She is graduating but has someone in mind from her youth group who may be able to start a prayer and devotion club in her school.

Others could eventually come, but the key is, with only 5 kids able to ride in the back, we can't do the big rallies we used to for a while, although eventually as we get Yyouthquake prayer and devotion clubs in the schools we can again. Instead, the minivan can be like a mini-YLTI - Youth Leader Training Institute - helper, and our club meetings can become like YLTI training. If a kid brings 1-2 unsaved friends, or invites them and they come some other way, then it would just become more evangelistic that day.

We want young people to be ready to lead their friends and classmates to Christ. We want them to be ready to take the ball and run with it, to be able to identify when the Lord is leading.

Of course, that means listening to the Holy Spirit, which means a right relationship with god. And, that's where it comes back to the youth who are good examples, who are able to triumph over all the problems in life, wherever those battles may come from. In an open letter on our site to our young people when the van finally bit the dust 2.5 years ago, I noted that our young people had to step up and be the club, because they were the life of the club, they were the reason for the club,and it was always they who would be needed to grow the club and reach other youth with the Gospel. Now that we are starting to rebuild, it may feel to some like we're almost starting from scratch, but god knows the future, and He has given us a vision to reached the many unreached youth of our area. And, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think.

What is said of our missionaries overseas is equally true here. Of course, God is the real provider, but of the things we can provide to help, while it is ministry funds that get us there, it is your prayers that keep us there. Speaking of funds, we'd welcome any donations, as our site shows, we're raising funds to get underprivileged kids to a great church camp this summer, among other thigns. However, most importantly, we need your prayers. That boy I mentioned needs them, our club meeting and basketball on Feb. 15 need prayers(especially with weather concerns), and so much else does, too.

this has been more of an open prayer letter, but I hope it's been an encouragement to see that no matter how small, the Lord can bless any endeavor to serve Him.

Youth and others, let God bear your burdens

This post is for everyone but especially for young people. I will mention a few specific stresses youth face. It'll help as we pray for repentance and revival in America or wherever.

Much of this was originally in a personal blog encoruaging repentance and revival in the U.S.; so, if you see this again or saw it before that's why. A specific Youthquake blog will be put up after this, but I thought this would be an encourgement to young people no matter where they are.

First, let me say you are "Fearfully and wonderfully made," according to God's Word.(Ps.119:14) Before you were even in the womb, God knew you and had a special plan for your life. I have a number of physical handicaps and maybe a bit of a developmental one, but that hasn't stopped me from being part of God's great plan. You can be, too, if you have a relationship with Him - you'll see how at the end of this post - the "To Know God" section talks about it.

The devil wants to destroy, so there is a lot of attacking in our culture today.. However, Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly.(John 10:10) Those fiery darts of the wicked must be quenched with fiaht and trust in God to protect us. And, it is through God's provision that we can overcome those burdens.

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

Yes. And, you can be part of the solution, too. Which means 'walking the walk and not just talking the talk.When you live for the Lord, some might still complain about hypocrites. Who knows, maybe you have problems with them, too. But, think of this. If I say I'm the King of Belgium, I'm lying. But, if I say that and go around doing... whatever, that has no relation to what the real King of Belgium is like. Or, what's your favorite pet? Either one you have or wish you had.? Now, say you hang around a bunch of people who claim to have that type of pet. Yet they show you pictures and it's just them, they walk imaginary animals, you know they're just playing "I got a pet." Is taht going to make you love your pet any less? Of course not, what they're doing should have no impact on you.

Still, while you shouldn't compare yourself to others and just let your own light shine, it is essential that you act like a Christian, too, and not just talk about Him.

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

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

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

So, how will God help me?

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

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

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

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

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

1. Pray God's promises. This is pretty simple, trust God for the right answer, His perfect timing, etc.. Seek His wisdom. Don't be afraid to ask "why" with the purpose of understanding what God is trying to show you. Remember that He knows everything and so His best answer is sometimes "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes "wait." Although, even "no" is more accurately, "I have something better for you."

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

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

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

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

      Some people turn to gangs because they don't have the positive role model they need. gangs have become a way for some in the inner city to interact, but they need to turn to God instead, because God promises to be that strength, courage, etc. they need without the terrible violence that can come from gangs. God teaches us to respect all human life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      But, how is God going to fight for us if we're fighting Him? He's got to work in us first to make us more Christlike. People need to see there's a real difference. that means no vulgar stuff, treating others with respect, not turning the opposite sex into objects but treating them as people. Not being selfish but instead being selfless. In other words, not being hypocrites, as mentienod above.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To Know God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Sharing the Gospel should be this easy

"What are those" is a meme where, from what yours truly learned of it recently on ESPN radio, someone points at your shoes and says (or maybe shouts?) to indicate they're not "cool." (If you're reading a blog you likely know what a meme is :-), but in case you didn't it's a saying or pictures that becomes part of Internet culture like a catch phrase, and can spread to the outside world. People say it many times for the same reason a catch phrase is repeated at random, including in one famous recent one when it was said to Michael Jordan.)

Things like this spread like wildfires and disappear just as fast sometimes, a sign of the rapid chagnes of society which I mentioned in the last post. However, this will only touch on the speediness of 'Net culture. (There is actually a culture of sneaker collecting, "sneakerheads" as some call them in some areas, which this is supposedly tied to, in fact.)

 It also isn't to dwell on the need for compassion for those who may be too poor to afford good shoes. However, it should be said that the original is *very* rude and inappropriate, given who was being interrupted at work. (Granted, it could have been set up, but still sends a poor message) On the lighter side, though, the idea that anyone would say it to Jordan, who can presumably afford the very best shoes and made them a major industry with his, is quite funny.)

Instead, this is meant to discuss how rapidly we should be spreading positive things, and can be - not to draw attention to oneself but to God.

Not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

People love to be noticed. This 'Net culture has allowed those who had no voice to suddenly be heard by anyone. They are sometimes very funny, but other times they are simply bizarre or downright disgusting. Too many lists of most popular videos on Youtube exist to mention just one, but the mere title implies that it is a channel for everyone.

Of course, there are those who can't figure out how to upload - yours truly included.  The Gospel can surely be proclaimed in many ways - even a vine could have 6 seconds of writing/symbols, such as the Gospel bridge, though 140 characters seems impossible - or is it?

Of course, even if an explanation is hard, John 3:16 itself would be doable putting "4" for "for," etc..

The point is that it's very simple and easy to explain the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God in flesh, as having taken the entire punishment each of us owes for our sins. Of course, the hearer should see evidence of that in the life of the one presenting it, so they can see a reason to believe. But, you don't need to worry that you don't have an amazing testimony. Actually, since it's the Holy Spirit that really works in a person to get them to come to Christ, it really only requires that you hand out a tract or give someone a Bible - or post something online.

Of course, there you still have to avoid being a negative example, but these are ways you can easily reach people without knowing them. For instance, if you leave a tract at a restaurant you should also leave a good tip.

The point is that we should never be ashamed of God's love for us. It's so sad that, with all God has done for us, that we don't share the Gospel more.

Greater Canton Youthquake, which is the ultimate sponsor of "Quest for Truth" since we are a ministry of Youthquake's, is dedicated to not only sharing the Gospel but also to helping disciple young people so they can better share the Gospel through their actions as well as their words. We often tell our young people that they may be the only Bible someone will ever read. That is a huge responsibility, of course, but we are not fighting that fight along - believers have the Fruit of the Spirit, indeed the Holy Spirit is there to be a constant Comforter, guide, helper, friend, and so much more for the believer, just as Jesus was for Hid disciples when he walked on the earth. And, many of our young people need that because the ones we minister to are not being reached by churches, sadly many are not hearing the Good News of the Gospel around this country.

But, if we have people who are willing to just randomly shout out memes such as "What are those," then we should also be just as willing to go up to someone and being a conversation. Even if it has to start with something silly like, "Did you know there's this guy who began a blog about God by talking about that "What are those" meme? (And if you get sidetracked, just work your way back to the Gospel as fast as you can.) hey, we're human just like the rest of humanity we do goofy stuff.

in fact, we should have the most fun of all - good clean family fun - because we are redeemed from our sin.

That Gospel is so simple. One must simply Admit they're a sinner - they come short of God's perfect glory - Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for that person's sins, the just dying for the unjust, and Call on Jesus Christ by faith to forgive them, repenting of their sins and choosing to invite Jesus into their hearts to make them 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)

So, one's testimony doesn't have to be amazing - just that God has saved them from their sins and that they have a relationship with Him now, and He helps them each day through the problems of this world, giving them much more peace, love, hope, etc., than they could have imagined. Because He promises, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer - I have overcome the world.(John 16:33)

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.

How to respond to marriage decision? Don't forget to focus on the Gospel, prayer

In the wake of the Supreme Court decision on marriage, many will take sides on what is right and wrong. God's Word states very explicitly how He created the world and created them "male and female" (Gen.1:26-28), with the male and female perfectly complementing each other in the God-ordained covenant of marriage.

However, I wish to instead emphasize what is most important to God. That is salvation of souls, because this world is not our final stop. He is longsuffering to usward, willing that none perish but that all come to repentance.(2 Peter 3:9) He continues to patiently love us despite our turning away from Him, and we must be active in sharing the Gospel with others of God's love and forgiveness.

There will doubtlessly the people who claim America is headed for judgment. Well, that is up to God, but in the meantime, let us remember that when we pray for repentance revival for this nation, we must recall that we, too, are sinners. We had problems with people who refused to accept that we were all one race - the human race - in Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston, etc., as well as for decades and decades before that. So many painful things have gripped us because of the sins of the last four hundred years that it would be an insult to God if we pretend we were righteous until the last 40 hours, or even until the last 40 years. The Bible says in Romans 3:10 there is none righteous, no not one.

So, let us unite at the cross of Jesus Christ. Because, it is the cross of Jesus which will draw believers to the cross of Christ through God's perfect love.

See, each of us needs the cross. Yes, it extends to those who are too young to understand the need to be saved. However, for all of us, that cross is what we deserve for our sins. We should never pretend one group of sinners is worse than another. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. And, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.

It was while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.Romans 5:8. He expects us to come with a penitent heart, and to accept that we are sinners in need of His salvation, and cannot get saved and cannot go to Heaven without him.

So, I ask a simple question. It is a question you can ask people who want to spark arguments about marriage, so we don't diverge so much and keep focused on the Gospel. That question is this: Suppose you were the only person alive? Now, sin can be against other people too, but I want to use that as a starting point. Have you ever unjustly accused someone? Where once you knew the facts you understood they had a reason, like cutting you off in traffic because they were rushing to the hospital to see a sick relative? I have, maybe not the driving one but something similar? Have you ever told a lie? We all have. Ever been angry with someone without a cause?

Sin is everything we say, think, or do that displeases God. We are all guilty, and a price had to be paid. Thankfully, Jesus Christ bared our sins in his body.1st Peter 2:24.

This is what we must be telling those on all sides of the marriage debate. Let us pray that people will come to Jesus. Because, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new. 2nd Corinthians 5:17.  Once that person that's Jesus change them on the inside, doesn't it make sense that if they are being truly humble, and the Bible says that it is wrong to have sex with the same gender, the Lord will convict them of sin and lead then to forsake it? Of course.

Should we stand on the truth of God's word?  Most certainly. But we must also remember that our job is to be ambassadors who have the message of reconciliation.(2 Cor.5:17-21)

In other words, we must urge people to be reconciled to God as we have been reconciled, even though we were enemies of God because of our sin. We must guide them to become reconciled by receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, and how He died on the cross to take the punishment for their sin and then rising from the dead so they could be reconciled to Him. But, it is God who does the work on the inside of the person. It is God who convicts of sin. The Holy Spirit is even on the earth to, among other things, convict the world(unbelievers) of sin,(John 16:7-12) so we don't even need to do that. Our job is to preach the whole counsel of God(so the Spirit can move in His Word and have that impact), but they are far more likely to trust Jesus Christ as Savior because they see the love we have for them, and in turn the unconditional love God has for them.

Because, for this nation to be a Godly nation, we must be dedicated to living for the Lord, and to being examples of Jesus Christ. Repentance revival doesn't begin with laws, any more than salvation can come because of the law. Repentance revival begins with the Church falling on its knees before God and repenting and turning back to Him.

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.