Encouraged

 A few days ago I wrote a post "We Can't Always Win". I wasn't real confident in what I wrote. I was talking about how Christ lost and I don't know that I have ever heard that from anyone before. I am afraid of starting a new theology. We already have so many denominations in our land. So a lot of times I lack confidence in myself. Most of the time I am meditating on something that I heard or read that stood out to me.  But I just listened to Andy Stanley's video, "Not In It To Win".  After listening to him I feel I was on the right track. I feel it was a confirmation of what I had written. Now I am still a "One Talent" writer compared to someone like Andy Stanley or his father Charles Stanley that has written many books. I consider them to be "5 talent" servants, way above my league. But it did encourage me that I was on the right track. As I listen to his video and I would encourage you to listen to it also, I feel I was on the right track. He is much better at articulating his thoughts than I am. Charles Stanley also encouraged me recently, don't discount the small things God has given you to do. Christ lost that we might win. The win we want is in eternity. We can win by accepting Jesus into our hearts and lives as our Lord and Savior. But as Christians, I think we need to follow Christs' example to lose. Everything in our world today seems to focus on winning.  Get everything you are entitled to. How often do we hear about winning? Our political parties are focused on winning at any cost. It is not Christ's way. We are dividing ourselves politically and losing our country. The church is choosing sides and we need to continue the battle to win lost souls to Jesus. We have chosen political sides. Yes, it is the right thing to do to vote your conscience. We are a representative type of government that depends on people voting their conscience. But we need to not choose sides in the church. Run for office obeying your conscience, serve people of your community in that way. It is the right thing to do. But churches need to continue to serve their communities in the best way they know-how. Christ did not come to set up a ruling order on earth. He wants our hearts. Our ultimate goal is to make heaven our home and take as many with us as we possibly can. I voted my conscience in this last election and I have been somewhat disappointed. But our focus is not to be on the political party of our choosing. We need to be Christian first, democrat or republican conservative or liberal should be way down on the list of descriptors for us. Much of what I heard in the last year from former Black Pastors makes me think they are Democrats before they are Christian. And in the white churches, I sometimes feel the opposite is true. Republican before they are Christian. No matter what happens in the political arena of today Christians should still be united. I don't think we are. I think we want to win when sometimes we need to lose to keep relationships healthy. IF this election was stolen as many think, people still need to come to know Jesus. It could be God's plan to bring revival to the land. I don't always understand what God is doing. God is still sovereign.  My focus should still be to convince others to follow Jesus. Sometimes I think we need to lose more so we can win at the end of time. Whatever happens, God is still on his throne. God is still sovereign and he at least allowed it to happen.  Is our hope really in God or in a political party? Is our hope truly in God or in a certain President? We need to be able to lose and still be the same towards God.  God bless, LVZ.