World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

A very blessing article…I agree with Mr Peter Youngren…Christianity is about restored relationship with our Father in Heaven..

thank you pastor peter for your insight.

The last commandement of Jesus was to Love one another
So there is no Love without compassion. There is going to be only one Judge at the end
So, I can say that : “Father, forgive all these Christian Judges as for they know not what they do”

The two commandments that Jesus gave us,” The New Covenant”, are the guiding force of my life. To love the Lord thy God with all my soul and all my mind and all my might, and, To love one another as I have loved you.
Jesus loves us unconditionally. He loves us when we fall short and we all do, being human beings. We ALL fall short at one time or another. All sin gets between us and God. To judge another, be they Christian, born-again or otherwise or of another faith does not honour the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in my opinion. It is my task on earth to serve my fellow man, no matter what, with no conditions on that service. I pray the Lord will give me the wisdom and discernment to follow Him in His service and to love my fellow human beings as Jesus loves me. ” Faith is a journey, not an arrival” and not one of us should tell someone else how to go about that journey.
It is between them and God.

Thank you .this article really made me think.
Jesus told us not to judge.

love this blog Peter.. as a gay follower of Jesus Christ the defining moment for me in my spiritual (and not religious) journey was while in hospital under suicide watch 2 years ago, when a faithful Christian gave me a book on God’s Grace…. the scripture that spoke to me and was my defining moment, is taken from Romans 3:22-23 (New Living Translation) - We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are (including gay men and women and all those who have been marginalized by religion) For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. This is what started my journey of writing my story, God Loves GAY Men Too, A Journey to Freedom (in Christ alone, not religion)

You are so right. I only wish more christians would believe this.
Churches would become different places.

Hello Peter, you couldn’t have explained it any better than you did.
In fact most Christians, today, think that their church is the “gateway” to heaven.
Their reason being, they practice the right doctrine of “if you sin you are going to hell”.
What happened to grace; what happened to the un-conditional love that Jesus poured on us. These are hidden truths not yet revealed to many.
Yes, you couldn’t have put it any better than you did.
I’m sending above article to my Christian and other friends.
Thank you for allowing me this slot for my comments.
Ebe

Pastor Peter - without a doubt that was one of the best articles you have ever been inspired (by the Spirit of Jesus Christ), to write.
The greatest proof that God is for us and not against us - that he is really madly and wildly in love with us - is in what happened with Jesus at the cross!
If we hear anything else, we can rest assured that it’s man’s vain philisopical reasoning, and has no bearing in reality.
God wasn’t motivated by his holiness to save mankind, on the contrary, LOVE was the motivating factor! As John 3: 16 says—‘For God so LOVED the world, that He gave up His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Oh hallelujah! Praise his name, forever!
Thank you, Father! Thank you, Jesus!

Pastr Peter
Blessings in the name of th Lord Jesus Christ
You are perfectly correct with your answer.
For the sake of the many vewers, I would like to add 2 scriptures that must not be overlooked:
Philippians 2:13 which says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Romans 8:14, “For as many as areled by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.”
It is the Holy Spirit who empowers the believer to do what is right and trueand pleasing to God (John 16:13)
There are those who have bee restored to the Father who are still walking in the flesh (their own strength).
In Love
Anthony

A lovely essay, succinctly reminding us of what it means to belong to Jesus. 
Thank you.

i hope n pray ur doin well, remember me for india, i heard ur commin 2 india this year? is that right?
regards, preetu(alumini world impact bible school)

Good one Peter

George Whitfield (1714-1770) said “ God showed me that I must be born again or be damned! I learned that a man may go to church, say prayers….and yet not be a Christian…God soon showed me, for in reading a few lines further, that “true Christianity is a union of the soul with God, and Christ formed within us” and from that moment, and not until then, did I know that I must become a NEW creature.”

Dear Peter,
  An excellent article.  I have been dealing with the terrible ‘unchristian’ things, professing christians have been doing to ‘other’ christians for years!!  I am one of the ‘lucky’ ones who didn’t give up and stop believing in God.  Thousands of others sadly ‘did’. The bruised victims of such unchristian christians number in the thousands. They have been called the ‘army of the walking dead.’  When Jesus sends these wounded victims our way, we can give them a real word of life, mercy, love and compassion of Jesus.  We can do that Peter, because we are ‘real.’  My Muslim neighbours are God’s precious creation.  I refuse to look at them in any other light!  As christians we are Graced.  We are not superior. Thank God for his Grace, that He has given us the Grace to be ‘real’.  it’s not convenient ‘being a real christian.’  but it’s the ‘only way to be.’  No goody goody two shoes/ Polly perfect unchristian christianity for me Peter.  I just want the real thing, Jesus the real Person, and EVERYTHING that He stands for.  He is real. And you are real.  I want to be real too.  No matter what the cost.  AMEN!

I’ve had many years experience with religion and faith, lack of faith and back to church again many times over… I believe the church is too superficial these days… I also have yet to find a church that I agree with, so I sleep in on sundays…
I’ve seen homosexuals with more grace and unconditional love than many so called “born-again” Christians. God’s love is unconditional; His Salvation is contingent on His love for human beings. God reconciled hiimself with the world through the shed blood on the cross of Christ.
the only thing that matters is love (and not the fake conditional love displayed on Valentines day…don’t get me started…lol). God’s love for us. Our love of God, neighbor and self.
I believe Jesus is Lord, yet I find church painfully boring at times… am I a Christian? I have struggles, I have issues… I’m messed up just like everybody else… am I a Christian?
I really enjoyed reading your blog pastor Youngren.
Thanks so much :)

When we have Jesus living in us and He is in the centre of our life, it will come out and show other people,who Jesus is and the rest is up to Jesus to decide.

God died on the cross to FORGIVE us for our Sins. No one is perfect in life. Jesus is the only one that is perfect.

I agree with you Peter even though it is very hard to love some people. God will ask us - Did you feed the hungry, did you clothe the naked?....

I almost agree. Yes, the main point is, that we have admitted that we are sinners and has turned our hope and faith to Jesus, who died in our place to pay our debt of sin.
But it does not free us from responsibility - in the sermon on the hill Jesus adresses, that our Father is perfect, so we should be perfect. And in various accasions he said go away, and from now on sin no more.
We must approach all sinnerss with love, and of course none of us is without sin - he who claims to be is someone who is too proud of himself or out of connection with reality. We must by our best effort strive to live a life in accordance with God’s law, but because we can’t do that by ourselves, all of us are totally dependent of God’s mercy and the work of The Holy spirit in our lives.
But the day we forget, that God loves the repenting sinner but hates the committed sin, we risk to be the sheep that run away. Since we have nothing to proud of, because the our rightiousness is only a result of God’s mercygift, none of us have any right to condemn one another. The judgment belongs to the almighty, and our job is to show God’s love and compassion through our lives.
Many of us have to do as the prodigal son daily, repent our sins, place them at Calvary, and receive God’s forgiveness again and again.
“I cling to the cros in times of temptation
I cling to the cross in every distress and fight
I hold unto the cross, my comfort through distress
I hold unto the cross, and I’m victorius when I die”

Dear Pastor Youngren,
I appreciate your stand and view points on all of this issues. I think you are an informed, knowledgeable, solid, and compassionate man, a true man of God, with powerful anointting and deep insight in your life. I love the fact that is about our personal relationship to Christ, and not about religion. Too many religious zealots that turn off unbelievers. YOU bring people to Christ. I speak of you often in my circles I travel in. I try to watch your program every morning, before my gym class and then off to work (as a real estate agent) I would love to attend one of your Isreal tours.
Do you accpet divorced women on your tours? Is there a chance that you would ever be in Vancouver?  I may have missed you in Victoria last year…yes?  I do also recieve your recorded messages on my phone.
I highly respect and admire you.
Blessings
Diana
I have been watching you (and praying for your ministry) since you opened up ln Grace TV.

This document is very edifying at least in the social context; but the question about who is or isn’t a real christian was not well concluded; the father was interested in the restoration of a broken relationship but also about the keeping of the rule. He broke no rules while showing mercy to his son.He did what he would have done to the older brother if he was in the same situation.

Indeed, there is one judge for all, and there no one person on earth who is sinless. There is forgiveness for all who sin, otherwise His death on the cross will be meaningless and grace woun’t be effective anymore. We need,  however, to confess our sins (1John 1:9). There are sins that leads to death that John asks us not to pray for any brother who commits that sin (1John 5:16-17). Other than that, I believe that Ted Bundy could have been in heaven if he had truely confessed his sins.
After all we were dead in our sin when he came to save us to show us love.
“We LOVE, Because He First Loved US”
Ebe

I’ve never read a better or more inspirational blog. I am sure that many people will be touched and uplifted by reading it.
I know I was.
Thank you Pastor Youngren

Thank you Pastor! I am blessed

The main important things is: how strong is you faith; how close you are with the Lord: do you hear is voice; do you love your brother the same as Jesus love you? 
You will be surprise at the rapture who will leave this earth to celebrate with Jesus Christ and who will stay here to have party with the anti-christ!

Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  NO man cometh unto the father but by me.’ John 14:6
This passage in the bible tells us that we must follow Jesus to get to heaven.  As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built overnight, and as born again Christians, we are the clay and the Lord is the potter.  We all come short in the glory of God and we must ask forgiveness everyday at least 70 times.  As someone said in one of the responses, it is between us as individuals, and God.  Unless we learn to be obedient, we will keep stumbling in our path to righteousness.  Jesus tells us to continue in prayers daily, and any man who is a believer must love the Lord with all his heart, his mind, and his soul.  That goes for all of us.  Jesus didn’t come to earth to judge, but to save.  We must do likewise.  God didn’t create us to be judges of others but to help one another, and love one another.  Love being spiritual, not carnal.  Since hell was mentioned, I believe that hell should be mentioned more often because it is a terrible place to end up in when one dies without having Jesus as the Saviour.  Yes, Jesus loves us, and He was nailed to the cross so we wouldn’t end up in hell.  He does not want anyone to go there and that is why John 3:16 is so often recited.  If we love our fellow man, we have to warn them about hell, and tell them what the love of our Lord means.  Yes God loves gays and lesbians too, but He would have them turn their lives from that lifestyle.  If we love the Lord as we claim, we must follow His teachings and get into the Word every day.  God bless you all, brothers & sisters in Christ.  We all share the same blood, the blood of the Lamb.

We talk about faith vs. relationship vs. holiness
In my worldview (and I’m convinced the bilical worldview) we cannot separate the three.
On the contrary both our faith and our holiness should grow when we have relationship with Jesus. And through that relationship we encounter, that the Holy Spirit convinces us of sin in our lives. We have to admit the sin and strive not to commit sin. Paul says, that God looks at the good will…
But hey, didn’t Martin Luther say we have no free will to do what is good? Actually he said, that the will is only free because of God’s preventing grace - preventing meaning that grace preceeded the free will - without God’s grace the will wouldn’t be free, but tied by Satan.
God asks us to be willing to let the Holy Spirit transform us for the better - holiness is not something, that we just can choose to do all by ourselves - we can only be willing to make the change, surrender our fallibility to God and let the Holy Spirit do the action.
The problem comes when we surrender to the devil and accept that the sin becomes habitual - it is not an excuse, that I was born this way…
I was born this way because our first parents, Adam and Eve allowed sin into their lives, and therefore mankind was corrupted. but I must choose to fight sin in my life - when I give in to any habitual sin and quit fighting it, I have surrendered to Satan. That does not just count for practised homophily, adultery and pornography, but for any sin we choose to accept as a part of our life instead of repenting it and laying it down at the cross. The Bible clearly states, that it is not God’s will, that we ignorantly live our lives in sin. We must run to win the race and receive the crown of victory!
Thus said, practiced homophily is NOT worse than other sins - it is just as bad. You are NOT a Filthier Sinner because you practice homophily, but as any sinner you need God’s grace, repentance and man’s neighbourly love - of course you don’t need man’s condemnation. Honestly, anyone of us struggle with something in our lives - at least from time to time - because none of are perfect or sinfree.

According to Lord Jesus Christ as written in the bible:
1. The Christians are those whose teacher and master is only one,  Lord Jesus Christ (Mat.23:8&9)
2. The Christians are those who solely live to Hear, Understand & Do all the words of Lord Jesus Christ (Mat.13:23 & Mat.7:24-25)
3. Accordingly, on the contrary, those who do not Do all the words of Lord Jesus is not Christian (Luk.6:46)
Christ Bless You
Job

Religions don’t solve the problem. Every person is born with a fallen nature, that’s why God sent Jesus To save us and restore our relationship with him but when we are born again, we begin as babies and he expects us to grow in knowledge of his word and of him (1 peter 2:2) to walk our life guided by the holy spirit in a very close relationship with Jesus and the Father.

Christians are mistaken. They believe that, they have the monopoly on God.
Christianity does not have the monopoly on God. Islam does not have the monopoly on God. Judaism does not have the monopoly on God. Etc. We ( human beings)  are spiritual beings and each of us is capable of developing spiritual understanding without having to align ourselves with a specific religion or doctrine. Even atheists and agnostics can develop spiritual understanding, as spirituality is not limited to religion.

Comment to Hagere
Atheists and agnostics are not saved and therefore 1 Corinthians 2:14 would apply to them.
As for “We ( human beings)  are spiritual beings and each of us is capable of developing spiritual understanding without having to align ourselves with a specific religion or doctrine; 1 Corinthians 15:44 and John 3:5 should open your understanding concerning these matters.
In Love

@ thegateway2heave: That 2000 years old book has been used to explain away anything.
I can come up with different interpretation regarding the passages you mentioned above. But, I refuse to use the same manuscript that fundamentalists use to make a point. One can make the Bible say what ever one wants . It comes down to what we want to believe. Do we all agree that God is Love?
Then, love has no boundaries to dogma or doctrine. Because Love ( Agape Love ) is capable of revealing Himself anyone. Regardless of religion, dogma or doctrine.
  You said: “Atheists and agnostics are not ” Saved” Really? ~  What if…If you find out that, God has already completed salvation history, and restored His presence to mankind!?

@Hagere: No one should force anyone to believe a certain doctrine, just to do so. But the beginning line was: Who is a christian?

The simple answer is: Everyone who believes the one, trinitary God - who loves God by all his heart, strength, mind and soul - and who loves his neighbour as himself. In the Bible it states that there is no other way to to God, than through Jesus Christ.
Many christians acknowledge, that jew and muslims believe in the same God, and as such christians does not have monopoly on God, but without Jesus Christ, there is no salvation in Judaism or Islam from a christian worldview.
Of course you can believe whatever you want to, but as a believing christian it is my duty to tell you, that you are in high risk of being condemned. If your house were on fire , and I did not try to help you or whoever is in the house to get out, when had the opportunity, I would be a murderer. In a christian perspective, your house (your life) is on fire, if you haven’t accept Jesus Christ as your saviour - consequently telling you the truth - as I see it - is my sole duty. Then it is your choice, if or how you will react on the information.

Statistically it can pay out to be a christian: If christianity is the truth, I’ll get my reward - if there is no god I will simply perish and never know, but I had the comfort in life - and if there is reincarnation my strive to be good will pay out in my next life, if I don’t reach Nirvana… ;-)
On the contrary, an atheist or a believer in reincarnation will be disappointed, if christianity is true and he didn’t cease the day and grabbed it - if there is no god he will not benefit and didn’t have the comfort in life - and if there is reincarnation his own-mindedness might have a negative effect on the next life - do you want to become a fly or a low-cast human?

Btw. Aser-believing normans either hope for a eternity of repeating fight in Valhal, if they die in combat or a low-life in Hell - the norse equivalent to Hades
This one of the reasons why I won’t have a meaningless life without Jesus Christ in my life. “I have tasted, and seen that the lord is good!” Do you dare to give him a chance, Hagere?

Hagere, You remind me of a man named Nicodeus, John 3:1-5
If yu read that passage you may understand more about salvation.
In Love, Hagere

Daniel and thegateway2heav: I respect your opinions I see that we are on a different journey. That is ok.  I understand that.

Social justice,  compassion and generosity is the very heart of the Christian Gospel. Unfortunately western Christianity turned it Into sin management &  moralizing programme.  But, currently;Christianity is on the peak of a new reformation. I think a powerful shift happening in the world - Like the clouds of darkness parting and a new energy of peace, hope, and universal love beginning to dawn on the horizon. Let us keep spreading the love.
Have a blessed day all. Thanks for the discussion.-:)

In God, we move and live and have our being. God is all in all.
Peace and blessings to all.

Peter , we enjoy your teachings very much we watch encounter every night. We also are looking forward to going to Israel this May. Is Art Henkil stiil around we havened seen him for a while. 
God Bless Allan & Valerie

@Hagere: “Unfortunately western Christianity turned it Into sin management &  moralizing programme.”
I think I understand, what you mean.
First;  sin, as well as redemption, is the core of christianity, since according to the gospel, Jesus died to pay for our sins.
Second; once Martin Luther attacked the sin management &  moralizing programme of the Roman Church, where you could pay money or goods for redemption, and thus continously live your life as you want to not caring about your neighbour. Thanks to him the western church (read protestantism) turned into what it is today - with good and bad consequences.
If you by a new reformation mean, that the issue called “sin” is put into the garbage bin; then it won’t happen without turning christianity into non-christianity, simply because: if there is no sin, there is no redemption - and without redemption Jesus died in vain. And then why would God need a son in the first place, if not to redeem the world. And what a liar Jesus would be, since he said he came with this purpose. It’s plain logic, that if there’s no redemption, if Jesus died in vain and if he was a liar, then christianity would not be christianity.
The center of the protestant reformation was and is, that sin is not a matter between you and your priest, or between you and a saint - sin, redemption and religious life is a matter between you and God - just as it is described that 2000 year old book you don’t accept discussing from. Church provides some means (sunday service, sermon, sacraments, diacony etc.) through which God’s mercy can be accepted, but if nothing happens in your inner life - in your relation with God - it is all outer-worldly vain with no effect.

Despite what some neo-lutherans or liberal-theologist claim - there is no salvation in sacraments (baptism, firmation, last supper) without faith - at least not if christianity is christianity. You don’t get saved by water on the head, hand on the head and earth on the head. It demands decission and commitment from you and I.
We might be seing a dawn of a new age - it might be spiritual, but certainly not christian - we’ll see the rise of Anti-Christ, the tribulation and the war of Har-Megiddo before we’ll see the millenium of peace, that God Almighty provides.

Sorry to share that prophecy with you, but the end-time is also a christian issue since we await the world to come.

Thanks Peter Telling us about what a Christian is alwesome
God Bless you and your ministry, will see you this May on the tour

Thanks Peter,

Beautiful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless you

We just love your programs and your comments Peter. Is that fellow that played Mr. law still around?

A Christian is a brother, born of the Spirit and doing “the work of God” (John 6:29).  Every Christian is a brother but not every brother is a Christian.
Anthony

I have just recently started attending church after many years.my faith was almost destroyed because of a person whom I thought was a good friend and “christian”.I asked myself"is this what a christian is all about?”“if so I don’t want any part of it”.Then from prayers and conversations with true christians i know the difference.This woman hides behind the church so she can benefit from it.Shekeeps the churches donations to help people in distress for herself and claims she has given the money to the one in need.This has been brought to the pastors attention but I dont think it will go anywhere.I’m not on a vendetta because I was one of her victims. i just don’t understand how a true “christian” can do this to poor people and especially steal money from a church which isn’t rightfully hers and attend church every Sunday with a smile. What kind of a “christian is this?” I am totally confused with this.Comment would be greatly appreciated.

In the Bible it says that we are to Love One Another. I cannot look at someone, and judge them or condem them for what they do. My wife and I say that you have to love that person no matter what they do or have done. We love the person, but hate the sin that is in their lives.Each one of us is accountable for our own actions, even if we are a christian. We know the diffrentance between right and wrong. All I know is that when I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins, I was given a clean slate. Now if other Christians cannot do what Jesus has done , by not looking at my past then maybe they are still holding onto something from their past, that they have not giving to the Lord.