I-20 Eric ✝️

Muslims have a plan to make America a Muslim nation. Marxists have a plan to make America a Marxist nation. Secular Progressives have a plan to make America a Secular Progressive nation. … but Christians seem to always have a plan to keep Christianity from further influencing our nation by discipling people into either: 1) Political apathy (“God is sovereign, back off”, “we don’t get political, just do evangelism”) 2) Political ambiguity (“Jesus isn’t a Republican or Democrat, neither Right nor Left” = primary application of gospel to culture) If continued, this will have very predictable (and disastrous) results in coming years, and a few conversations with pastors in deep blue cities / states trying to build churches, pastor people, and raise Christian families will help you realize it.

Just so happens that today my daily study in the Word was 2 Corinthians 12. The Corinthian church was in an area where they were surrounded by many religions that infiltrated the social fabric of society and even the church there. Paul had noticed the problem that the Church at Corinth was still worldly and not fully devoted to Christ. He had previously warned them in letters and also sent others to provide warning and instruction. Could we apply this to the American church overall? Yes indeed. In Corinth, Paul identified the following and I too see the same traits in many churches now. That's not to say we don't have faithful and obedient congregations. We do. But a warning needs to be given. Here are his conclusions in 2 Corinthians 12 starting at verse 20 and to the end of the chapter. 1. Relational and church-life sins (verse 20) He fears things like: Rivalry and quarreling Jealousy Angry outbursts / fury Selfish ambition Slander and gossip Arrogance / conceit Disorder / chaos in the community These are the kinds of behaviors that tear a church apart from the inside—people fighting, taking sides, talking badly about each other, and acting proudly instead of lovingly. 2. Sexual and moral sins (verse 21) He specifically worries that many who had earlier lived in: Impurity Sexual immorality (fornication) Debauchery / licentiousness (reckless, indecent living) …have not repented. These were not just past mistakes; they were continuing patterns that had not been turned away from.⁠ Why this matters to Paul Paul is not issuing a cold threat. He speaks as a spiritual father who loves them and has spent himself for them. He says that if he arrives and finds these things still going on: The visit will be painful for both sides. They won’t find him the gentle, encouraging Paul they might prefer; he’ll have to deal firmly with the problems. God will humble him in front of them. As their founder and teacher, seeing them still stuck in sin will bring him personal grief and a sense of failure. He will have to mourn over them—the word carries the idea of deep grief, like mourning the dead. Unrepentant sin grieves him because it damages both the individuals and the church.⁠ The heart of the warning Paul’s main concern is not that people have sinned (he knows everyone does). It’s that some have not repented. True repentance means turning away from the sin, not just feeling bad or continuing in it. He has already written and sent people to address these issues; now he’s giving them one more clear warning before he comes in person. If the problems remain, he will confront them directly for the sake of the church’s health and purity.⁠ In short: Paul is pleading with them to clean up both their relationships with each other and their personal moral lives before he arrives, so the visit can be one of joy and building up rather than grief and discipline.

We'll have full election results breakdown / reaction on next Live Free episode, but some quick thoughts... 1) The Sovereignty of God over all things is a deep comfort. As the old Christian saying goes, "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow." “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.” (Psalm 47) 2) It is sad and grievous. Romans 1 says God’s “passive wrath” is when he “gives them up” to their sin and evil desires – when He stops restraining a people from destroying themselves and lets them have the evil things they want. The United States intentionally chose things like max-boosting infant murder up to the moment of birth, legislated sexual perversion that will wreak havoc on a rising generation, the expansion of Islamic influence on our nation, elected leaders openly hostile to Christianity, and in at least 2 cases (TX and Kansas) chose what the New Testamant would define as (and I do not say this lightly or flippantly) demonic, apostate false teachers to lead them. This is an example of Romans 1 playing out before your eyes. 3) There is no political solution to a spiritual problem. Politics cannot fix what politics did not break, and Mankind was broken long before any political system. The hope of the world has been and remains Jesus Christ, reformation and revival in our nation that has the ability to reach inside the chests of men and women and make them new men and women who want (and vote for) new things. Christ is the only way out of the chaos. 4) Important lessons to be learned for conservatives. Wisdom would not be to blame *everything* on "dumb / evil voters." Basic leadership: "Face the brutal facts (learn and adjust), maintain unwavering faith." 5) Sadness is ok, but despair is a sin. "Therefore, we DO NOT lose heart" (2 Cor 4:16). Head up, chest out, knees down, glory up... do not grow weary in doing good, we build and fight (Nehemiah). What are we going to do? Get up with joy in our eyes, love in our hearts, steel in our spines and keep assaulting heaven for an outpouring of God's Spirit, sharing Christ, planting churches, making disciples and deploying them in all areas of society in eager anticipation of the next Great Awakening in our land. Tomb's still empty, y'all :) 6) We do what the people of God have always done in time of need: WE PRAY. See you at Encounter tonight at all Lakepointe campuses at 7pm, doors open early for you to come and "pray for the prayer meeting."

Be early. Be loud. WEAR RED‼️