Awakening from Our Stupor

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network. It is time friends for the church to wake up from his stupor for the light a fire with your host scholar and cultural commentator Dr. Michael Brown your voice for more savvy and spiritual clarity reports route to get on the line of fire and now there's your host Dr. Michael Brown friends to the line of fire. This is Michael Brown back at my home away from home in Dallas, Texas be here in Texas all this week.

First three days of Christ for the Nations Institute in two days at spiritual leadership school in Fort Worth was a lie to be with the student body at CF and I hungry, thirsty for many nations around the world.

So what brings joy to my heart and it is great to be with each of you same phone number to call is always 866-34-TRUTH 866-348-7884.

Do I have your permission to shoot straight today.

Do I have your permission to tell it like it is. Do I have your permission to speak the truth in love, even if it's not what everybody wants to hear. Well I hope so because I have God's permission to do it.

So that's exactly what I really do it and I believe if you're listening you're not listening to have your sickle not not to this broadcast not to yours truly, not the line of fire. You're here to be confronted with truth, you're here for me to talk through the controversial issues as your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity and confusion with face interest and courage and not to cater to people's opinions. I do not want to offend you in myself.

I do not want to be offensive by being hypocritical or self-righteous or judgmental or mean-spirited or lacking in compassion or wisdom. I don't want to offend you by by being me in the flesh, but if the truth offends let it offend if the truth challenges us, let us later challenge us as is that fair enough. That's what I want when when I asked my wife Nancy to talk to me about something that I've written. She may hurt my feelings. Fact most of the time. She does because if if it's 10 pages long, and she thinks it's tremendous, but I've got a couple bad paragraphs.

That's what's all highlighted in red and that's what she wants me to fix and that's why I asked her when or where our daughters were younger. Maybe they were teenagers and they put on an outfit. This hemolysis make me look fat. Yes, mom or my feelings and she's fun domestically. If you don't ask. I will tell you, but if you ask him to tell you the truth so as is that fair enough. I am not your life coach. I am not here to give an inspirational message every day just to put a smile on your face and make you feel better and get through the day. There are others that do that.

I'm here to break down the difficult cultural moral societal issues in the biblical perspective and to speak the truth in love. Alright, so all that is intro a new book is officially out today.

You can order of Amazon.

The e-book got delayed and should be up there any day but can order it now if you read the book ready for get an advance copy. You can post a review on Amazon.

We encourage you to do that if the book blessed you also take a picture of it for yourself about social media talk about it. I believe it's a critically important message. The political seduction of the church. How millions of American Christians have confused politics with the gospel. Alright I been talking about these themes increasingly for a number of weeks as we get closer, but I'm gonna go back through some history today and not everybody's gonna like it. In fact, when I began to address some of the issues surrounding the 2020 elections the way some believers. It's as if their whole world crumbles when it seemed that Donald Trump is not reelected unless it is a strong folder right when I saw the chorus of prophecies that did not come to pass and people not willing to be accountable for that. When I saw people moving into a a fantasy realm.

When I saw the embrace of chewing on conspiracy theories when I began to address those within a couple of days.

I didn't count exactly, but I noticed pretty quickly probably lost 10,000 people in our Facebook page within a couple days and some of them.

Dr. Brown Leventhal you for years but that's it.

I'm outta here and your weaker you go on left or your walker your reverie are communist or rhino is a Republican in name only a matter post is an independent who largely goes Republic but in any case, it was shocking to see the reaction ON I got a few pages in the political seduction church were right.

I go I go through the the very things that were posted by believers on my social media accounts. I mean you you would not believe you think I'm making this stuff up. It was that ugly for daring to address some of the things I've addressed so please hear me on a go back through history and talk about this right first. When you give another side of the story. For those of you who say how could you be a Christian and a Trump supporter. The man was file. The man was nasty. The man was divisive. The man was narcissistic. He had such an immoral past. He he was a wheeler dealer. He was, not Christian. Anyway, how could you as a Christian vote for him, but let me explain that first right because I may end up offend people on all sides. Today the so my goal. My goal is to get us focused on Jesus. My goal is to help us see where we weave the body of Christ. We message you think we made serious mistakes where and how we heard our witness and how we can get things done better now while staying involved in politics. I'm not saying we should drop out should be involved did not Jesus say that you are the salt of the earth, his disciples in the light of the world.

If we are not involved in politics, then where is the salt where is the moral conscience where is the preservative if we are not shining brightly in politics to where is the light it's just more and more darkness. We should be involved in every area of society where there is an open door, and those things that are all out sinful that are totally sinful themselves, or our job there is to shine the light of the gospel and bring people to Jesus but for those who say how could you possibly vote for Donald Trump is gonna be talking about the other side a lot here in a moment how you possibly vote for him. It really came down to some very, very simple things in our view, there was an X substantial battle over some fundamentally important issues here in America. In our minds. There was no sin greater than the shedding of innocent blood, but I was just watching African-American pastor talking about this the other day only. So the beginning of his talk a big Baptist Church and he's just talking and said I just tell the truth about this and he reads from Proverbs 6 how God hates the shedding of innocent blood.

Success abortion but you like it or not that's abortion they said the world says it'll woman's body. Her choice you have a right to tell a woman what to do with her body. Instead of using a response. I use which is what about the body within her body heat.

He had an even stronger answer. He said God has a right to tell a woman what to do with her body. He was he was pulling no punches alright frosts that was the number one paramount issue got site that he hates the shedding of innocent blood, and that there's no more innocent blood being shed than in abortion. And since Donald Trump would be so radically different than then Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden abortion that was a major, major factor for us. That was a life-and-death major factor. We felt our religious liberties were under direct attack and that the preservation of our liberties is a constitutional right and for the good of the coming generations was massively massively important and and therefore when we knew that Pres. Trump was going to fight for us, which he did and he came through in his pro-life promises. Also, more than any other president and in the in the pro-abortion' weight error right did more to change things and then Ronald Reagan did or the George W. Bush to George W. Bush. The same with religious literacy for trust and we knew that Hillary Clinton Joe Biden on the opposite side with that as we I was witnessing now under present but that was massively important to us week.

We also felt that that standing with Israel was very important that sin against Iran nuclear deal is very important that pushing back against world terrorism was very important that standing up to communist China was very important.

We we also felt that the Trump would do a better job in terms of of some of the family issues.

LGBT Q plus activism, things like that. And these were T-square Big East very very big. They remain big issues to me to this moment and and therefore even though we didn't like a lot of Trump's characteristics of the way we throw people under the bus and demonize people's divisiveness said these are excess which is kind of like it like this to your war right you are you in a world war and and the enemy is invading your country and there's one general who's a very nice person and every sibilant never use profanity and never drinks and is is nice to the people that work with him and that all really like him and his family like some.

He's is not good in terms of military strategy and get another general who's nasty who smokes and drinks his own family doesn't like him, but he will win a war. That's the guy that you put in charge when that war. That's how many of us felt we felt it was existential and and therefore for the good of the nation for the future the nation and also in the midst of dirty politics in the midst of biased media result. We need someone who will fight and will fight for us and therefore we voted for him. I don't believe that was the mistake that many millions of American Christians make. I do not believe that voting for Trump was the mistake. I fully respect those who say sorry. I can vote for him for the following reasons I fully respect that right. I do not respect those who cellular vote Democratic and I'm pro-life under the vote Democrat and a profound negative vote Democrat and I'm a pro all these things that I have an issue with right just shoot straight with you. I'm an issue that will not judge your salvation, your walk with God save your voting knowingly for candidates that are pro-abortion knowingly voting for candidates that are pro gay activism, a transient wretch was knowingly voting for for candidates that are going to stand against religious liberties. I have an issue but I don't believe the problem was voting for Trump. I believe the problem was how looked to him and how we became like him, and how mix politics with the gospel point of marrying a holy on that major eight you can talk to me 866-34-TRUTH 784 if you differ your way and if you agree talk.

This can start the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown got on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH. Is Dr. Michael Brown interact with me if you like whether you agree or disagree, you might be if you all will do me a call. Let it out 866-34-TRUTH you want peace and preach it man amen this needs to be heard.

All I know is before people even got hold of the political seduction, but the moment they heard the title.

They wrote to me leaders different believers and said thank you. This needed to be addressed. Thank you. We had to talk about this art so my issue is not with us voting for Donald Trump. I understand the reasons why I did in 2016 and 2020 and given what I knew then right so prior to the elections.

I would do the same thing. Do the same thing if I was reliving things based on what I knew. Up to that point right so all along, though I raised concerns.

If you followed me over the years, you know that in 2018. I wrote the book. Donald Trump is not my Savior. This is was a Trump folder because I wanted to shout out to the world. Jesus Jesus Jesus. Only Jesus they say to me, Mike Brown, you are not being fair because none of us worship Donald Trump because none of us thought Donald Trump.forces because none of us made him into a God. Do you think that we talk about idolatry that I mean that you had like a portrait of Donald Trump or your home and you bow down to it as a friend. Let's all pray tour leader. Do you think that I thought that there was any church in the world that took communion in the name of Trump or that saying hamster Trump… Obviously not obviously not idolatry is much more subtle than that but something happened along the way where he went from the man we voted for some of us with trepidation.

So the said you know we held our noses. We voted specially in 2016 would know what to expect or hope we would know what to expect that that we went from from that to making them into some type of political superhero because he did what Augustus didn't do when he was bold and he stood up and he kept his promises.

He did many exceptional extraordinary things I'm grateful for that. Roe V Wade without up and overturn about Donald Trump. That's massive that's the truth. At the same time, we began to look to him in unhealthy ways to the point of him becoming a political Savior hired Christian leaders to this day say is only can save America and were not electing a pastor electing a president missing the point of what went wrong, mystical, and I really prayed for anointing of wisdom writing this book to the point us in the right direction and I'm going to do that as we go on in the show right.

I believe at the end, even if I ruffled some feathers to be encourage will be done. I believe the end of the broadcast. You say okay I'm with you, as a follower of Jesus. I'm with you not follow Jesus on the world went, but ultimately which of your follow Jesus. That's the biggest right so wherever Donald Trump is on my Savior. I then had a subtitle in Evans and evangelical leader speaks his mind about the man he supports his presidents are supportive as president subtitle, but what I'm shouting to the world, Jesus fell on the Jesus follower of Jesus follower and I will not compromise my ethic, my commitment to Jesus to support political candidate right and at the end of the book. I had seven points that we needed to follow if we were going to get things right. Moving forward, then in 2020, before the elections. I put out evangelicals at the crossroads will we pass the Trump test.

What was the Trump test is these words I was using is what I mean by the Trump test number one. Can we vote for Donald Trump without destroying our witness in the process.

Number two. Can we unite around Jesus.

Even if we divide up Trump.

How did we do on those two points failed miserably. Listen, the left is going to attack. I understand the left-leaning media skin attacks. There it there to make all of especially for white and into white supremacists insurrectionist Christian nationalists wanted to take over the country and in a violently that the cellular paint a picture you voted for Donald Trump to be demonized.

If you're black you voted for Donald Trump.

Some are you to be a white supremacist of what I'm I'm not worried about what does say who mock our values and stand against us and have a very different agenda.

I'm a mother win them in this arm. I want to win them to the Lord. But the other perspective. I'm not responding to that. I'm not.

I'm not trying to please those that reject fundamental values that I hold. Do you think for a second if I said I now regret that I voted for Donald Trump do you say that CNN or MSNBC. While these other outlets would now say only Dr. Brown.

Please tell us what you oppose abortion Dr. Brown please tell us what you don't recognize same-sex quote marriage as being valid.

Dr. Brown please tell us what you stand against transgender activism. Now they still consider me a radical right, so consider me a dangerous fundamentalist is still brand-new, falsely bites on my current retro press impress those I will win them to the Lord that you change your perspective on different issues, but on the trying to impress them but I will I watch friends with my own eyes, and if were honest. You remember this to.

I watch this with my own eyes. I watched Christian believers and social media pages in-person conversations get far more passionate about defending Donald Trump than they were about defending Jesus. I watch people move much more identified with a political party and a political agenda and Magdala. Then they were identified with the cause of Christ and they were shouting it to the world we are maggot they are shouting. It's a little Trump is our man in an we are were Christians upcoming subheading. I sold my loss. I saw believers act like animals towards each other on all sides on also. I watch the daily I watch people get consumed with Huron's conspiracy theories. I had ministers of the gospel guaranteeing me I'm I'm not like God is my witness, guaranteeing me that Trump would not that God would not be inaugurated.

The Trump would be inaugurated then once blood was in its any month now. It's an infants smart know it's it's a poblano it's it's made know it's you know by August August is the date the military is going to depose Joe Biden and install Donald Trump and that he is actually ruling and reigning as president from our Largo and in heaven. I saw the post I interacted with some of the people I saw one prophecy after another saying this will happen that the red states. The blue states will turn blue of the blue states will turn red and and judges will overthrow this and Trump will be reinstated by the state and it didn't happen. They didn't repent and I confronted that they wouldn't talk to me but try to reach out to them privately. They were in touch. I watch this with my own eyes, friends, I watch good people get obsessed. They were praying more fervently for the elections than the overturn the elections believe they were sober they were store-bought. God knows I don't know you don't know for sure God knows that wasn't the issue. It was as if the whole world crumble and when I began to address things friends I live this out okay. When I began to address things graciously trying to be helpful.

It's okay look at all these prophecies haven't come to pass. Trump is not in the White House, a no-no he really is and that's not really Biden site. What happens were believers were followers of Jesus were sober minded people. What in the world happened to us.

When I began to address it.

Go where Stanek where Joshua and Caleb. You're one of the 10 spies full of unbelief. What are you talking about or you're just week now we know your true colors. Brown I don't care about being attacked my role in the Lord is is to be like the dartboard where everybody gets to throw their darts so we can see what's out there. My role, my calling is to be the lightning rod that attracts the criticism in the attack and the junk in the muck and the mark that so you see what's there. That's part of my role so I'm grieved like a zombie attack. But because this is in the body. This is the body of Christ. These are my brothers and sisters. These are people that I love from Jesus.and were supposed to be stepping hard but were just like the world was divided. The sorrel without doubt Trump strong were to be struck got preachers as mean-spirited and nasty. It is Trump where not take on his image and that strong try to speak the truth, but we were just week what is on not screaming because I'm not holding up a gun is on talking is on that wrapped in the American flag 70 on the pulp and I watch this with my own eyes, friends, I saw the rallies with the preachers say time for the militias to rise now across America.

In Jesus name. I'm watching this happen when I begin to address it now before the inauguration. This is premature. You can talk about what else can happen. I got guaranty I a new beginning of December. The Joe Biden would be inaugurated a new attorney and ate a prayer retreat. I waited for the right moment. The day the storming of the capital express it is over. Donald Trump will not be in office for years that we don't know but I'm just telling him he is not to be inaugurated, generally 24th. It's not going to happen. I guarantee it. I know it.

I wait until after the sixth book. It's too soon. Don't you talk about your father believe you're so I wait till after January 24 when we hear the door.

It's it's too soon to bring it up were hurting too much were hurting too much which are sensitive okay then.

I wait a while.

I bring it up while you print there, beating a dead horse. Of course, we could never talk about. We never talk about the issues we never talk about the failed prophecies we could never talk about the church is torn apart over this I hear from people I member running forward for friends book Joe Matera spoke about prophecy and he said I'm a local pastor according them in my 40s. It I'm a local pastor is it we are pick up the pieces of all these false prophecies pick up the pieces of all the people go off the deep end. I just got an email from a Christian political activist told him the front lines fighting battles by church went completely off the pastor went completely off the bonds all the false prophecies you want to chew or not. Now is try to put another spin on this was massive deception. Like I told Ruth Graham for New York Times. It was the worst deception I seen 49 years north and half and how hot it can't deny it happen. I did have, how can we make sure it never happens again. This one here friends serve the political seduction the church would like a little the phones so the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown got on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown) for on the line before if you'd like to weigh in if you are listening, watching, and you passionately disagree with me you think I'm missing it and I don't understand.

Sure your thoughts. I'm not trying to beat you into a call. I want folks to hear differences I want to give people opportunity to challenge me or to talk things through which it simply air another point of view. If you think, man, this is exactly how I feel. Dr. Brown you are speaking my heart. You are my voice today but give us a call as well. Love to get your perspective, 866-3487 84 is the number to call hate just a quick note we have been telling you for weeks now that seating is limited on our Israel tour we were able to open up some additional hotel rooms and some extra bus space so seating still is limited but we just got to move the ceiling up and and get some more space. So if you want to go to Israel with us in May 2023 now is the time to sign up because I think were about to get a flood this week sure about the trip in a few different places and then we will hit our limit, but we got room.

We've got room where we just got news today from Jerusalem that we got extra room that we needed for extra hotel rooms etc. so go to the website asked her to Brown asked Katie her brown.orc structure. Brown.orc you see it right on the homepage first to see some information about the new book political seduction of the church and then you see info on the Israel trip to your friends. It will be by God's grace. The trip of a lifetime and don't leave the website to sign up for emails we can make sure that we stay in regular contact with you get to the latest announcements latest resources and things like that okay let's discover the phones and then lose it when Leslie referred to the fonts and then I want to give your vision of the church will give you vision of the transcendent calling of the church. I want to paint a picture of how far we transcend politics. How far above politics.

We are so how we get involved properly. I just say this and then we will go to Don so last week Pres. Biden gave a speech that caused outrage in, and in many circles around America. Strange background people referred to blood red background and it was terribly divisive. Factors can play a couple of clips for you, but I can apply those clips today, but terribly divisive language. Language that the famed millions and millions and millions of Americans right I have for years spoken out when I believe Trump did things that that I differed with that I didn't like as a trump order right that I I wanted to distance myself from because the most important thing for you and me is not who we vote for, but how we live. Most important thing for you and me is how is our testimony being If I have to compromise my ethics in order to get someone in office or to stand with a particular person or to do a particular job that I can't do it.

I have to say no to that. And yes to the war. That's just the way it works in the kingdom their choices you make every day right.

Sorry I can't do that so I will partake in this white because of a follower of Jesus, so when I would say I appreciate what Donald Trump did, but I don't like this I was doing that not to be critical of the man right nuts always throw darts at them because I voted for him and I was supporting him and I was appreciatively was doing, but to say have a follower of Jesus, and I don't like that and I want to be clear on that. So just imagine now if prominent Christians across America stood up for Joe Biden speech.

How how would they the how would that make Jesus look to other Americans how it make them as ministers of the gospel.

It would make them look partisan. It would make them a compromise less what happened with Christian leaders across America, though I know for a fact that some of the pastors who were on the presidents faith advisory Council were anything but yes men didn't hear them speaking publicly about the president but you heard them speaking privately. If you were there to his face, and challenging him and he were rebuking him II know this for a fact, a little horse's mouth, not the president's mouth of you knows me from Adam, but some that were very close to him and others. Is it oh yeah, I heard those interactions, but the public to the extent that we rallied around a man and were known as trump trump trump it hurt our witness.

So what about we rally round for pro-life pro-life is pro-life or steady for the life of the unborn, that's pro-life over steady for a candidate for party it's it's all mixed this flesh mixed in with it and then will be exalted. Prison for our hope of the church as we have no nonsense used to be that everything was weighed by what we did with Jesus that became in the recent election cycle. Everything was weighed by what we did was trumpet one If you voted for trump you when saved in the other camp. If you vote for Trump you want say the think there were believers. What matters is Jesus. What we do is Jesus. Are you for B-cell lymphoma say to get a let's go to the phones that will start with Dawn in North Carolina walking to the line of fire. Yeah, I really like the picture wrote that book and it explains exactly what happened. I guess I haven't read it with trumpet but my feeling is that it is a political science major in college and we would analyze why did this happen. Why did well respecting Christ fearing people become this way. I mean, are we have we become that desperate are we that scared of the left that we felt we needed to catch herself of this part of the phenomenologist takeoff.

I mean these are regular we had people from our church actually get on a boss, you know, and go to Washington and it just was amazing. It's like were scared of all that is media stuff we we hear a lot. Day in and day out from her getting preached 200 on Sunday that the these things are in Christ exactly what you said but somehow we just felt like this was our last resort we needed to hang onto this week needed to put that all yet you Donna. I appreciate that and these are questions that we have guessed that the only reason I raise these things is to be constructive is not to say I told you so, because I voted for trump twice and I don't like the way that we got this drop Donna I don't like the way we ultimately behaved around them. So I I voted for him in that sense I'm part of the problem but based on everything I knew. Up until the 2020 elections still thought that was the right choice, and if I was back in that time without further hindsight say it was the right choice to vote the way I voted, but let me ask you question. But let's commit it from the same and then I want to share some edifying of building things at tomorrow. By the way, Jonathan caused the birth return of the gods comes out. Many of you love.

Jonathan spoke some haven't read them every different view, but he gets swamped with interviews, so he contacts me months in advance. Say would you like to have me on when the book comes out.

So he honors the line of fire by giving us an interview on the day the book comes out for a full hour so it's mostly pretty intense show and we got surgery is Thursday and then you request is regressive price on.

I'm not hammering on this point every day this week and come next week. I'm sure some things, but removing on okay so I'm not constantly try to relive the past, but we've got to learn some lessons got to grab hold of something so slick if you really feel that the elections were stolen. She really believe that and I know people of the massive research and believe, and others very different conclusions. But if you really believe that if you believe that the left is so radically opposed to some of our Christian values and is actively censoring us on social media, shutting down our accounts.

This street preacher I know with over 500,000 on his YouTube account got removed the band really shouldn't preacher is preaching is a whole other stuff this on YouTube that is allowed to stand right and people getting sensor colleagues abide having their social media pages removed. That's about nonpolitical pages. Just pages for doing with homosexual activism of the things etc. so you've got all this going on.

If you really believe that the nations being taken from us that were never have free elections again that if you open up the borders and get a flood of immigrants that generally speaking, the first generation is going to vote Democratic. So you have that that student numbers going to shift then the elections can be rigged. That is over if if you generally believe that you believe trump was the only one that could fight for. I could understand how people got caught up with things except for the fact it's not the perspective of a believer because a believer knows that God is bigger than office and that flesh only reproduces flesh and to the extent that we get caught up in the flesh, and do not fight with kingdom values and with spiritual weapons. We are just like the world when Sampson has his hair cut.

What's the deal.

He gets his hair cut and he is just like any other man. That's what happens when reduce ourselves were more concerned with winning the elections than winning the lost when we become an appendage to a political party on either side with when we exalt a leader in earthly leader into the one that can save the nation.

We have now lost our high and lofty calling here let me share something with you from my book. It's the second chapter of the book the church of Jesus is transcended.

Let me let me say this when I was writing the book. I told Nancy something doesn't feel right. Something is missing and then I wrote this chapter, and I made it the second chapter of the book address: that's what was missing after painting an initial picture of what happened in the days leading up to the storming of the capital and and some of the Christian rallies leading up and some of the insane rhetoric. I mean, dangerous, insane rhetoric, some of it coming from Christian leaders in DC after painting.

That picture saying how did this happen. How did this happen. I then felt paint a picture of the glorious church paints a picture of our high and lofty call paint a picture on who we are to be in Jesus and that that will expose how wrong it is when we get married to the political system always involved. Yes, but like everything else were in the world and not of it.

We, as a heavenly party living on the earth.

We, as a heavenly people living on the earth have a kingdom influence not get married to a physical system is a big difference if we can get hold of this is for America should the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown got on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown thanks friends joining us on the line of fire right and encouraging. Can I build you up. Can I bless you. Here is an excerpt from the second chapter of the political seduction of the church call church of Jesus is transcended church of Jesus, meaning the community of believers worldwide through all generations is utterly transcendent.

It is been purchased at the highest imaginable price the blood of the son of God, and consists of hundreds of millions of redeemed men and women from every background and ethnicity in color. Those were part of this blood brought community living every nation on the earth that their ultimate citizenship is in heaven and the words of Prof. Gerald Spitzer, rather than being resident aliens.

They are alien residents there in this world but not of those of us who were part of this community are united not by any earthly creed or national anthem. We are united based on our shared citizenship in God's heavenly kingdom and our joint status as sons and daughters in his heavenly family and our real home city is not the city were a natural birth return earthly dwelling. Rather, it is a city that is quite literally out of this world. He was 12 2224 you have come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering into the assembly of the firstborn are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect entry. Jesus the mediator of the new covenant to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. We are even called the bride of Christ. In Scripture, meaning that corporately we are joined with him in spirit is a husband and wife are joined together by mutual love.

As Paul explained, Jesus the Messiah love the church and gave himself up for that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the words that he might present the church to himself in splendor that spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5 2527. What a bright future which the sacred community believers the future and which will be completely holy and without fault or blemish of any kind. We are also like into a body. The body of Christ, meaning that we become one with him extensions of his three-person function is world is his hands and feet and eyes and ears now solicit to quote Paul again prescriptions 1227 now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. The look at what Paul writes in first Corinthians 6 Juno that your bodies are members of Christ as we do not know that your bodies are members of Christ. Shall I then take the members of his mate of Christ and make them the members of a prostitute never would you not know that he was joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her for as it is written, the two will become one flesh, but he was joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him flee from sexual immorality. I mean it's a very strong word from Paul, do we grasp the seriousness of these words really believe what Paul is saying we recognize that our physical bodies belong to God, the part of the body of Christ. We understand that if we had sex with a prostitute or with anyone not married to. We defile both ourselves and our board. I hear Paul shouting to us again to be sure he has our attention chiller then take the members of Christ make the members of a prostitute never. So he tells a second Corinthians 6 universe quarters to chapter 7 verse one come out from them touch. No unclean thing, since we have these promises.

Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion and the fear of God. This is this is God's calling on us as believers Peter rights first Peter two as you come to him. Jesus, a living stone, rejected by men but in the sight of God, chosen and precious. You yourselves are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ continues.

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation of people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called drive darkness into his marvelous light soap so this is this is our lofty: this is our sacred vocation.

This is the responsibility we carry not only of the Messiah's family size, bright children of God. Citizens of eternal heavenly kingdom and members of the Messiah's body were also chosen race royal priesthood holy nation, a people for his own possession, so we live in this world but were not of this world our spirit is different or mentality strip. This is all written in the political seduction of church our greatest goals are different methods are different. Even our ultimate allegiance is different, since for us. There's something higher than the national flag or the team model or the company slowed Jesus and Jesus alone is our Lord, we do not bow the knee to anyone but him that it is this very thing that makes our passionate political alliances so grievous we join the heavenly with the earthly the sacred, the profane sure with the polluted, thereby lowering ourselves or even prostituting ourselves, which means that in a sense, we lower prostitute our Lord.

The paraphrase Paul's words earlier. Shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of the political system never expressed by Alexander social Neeson is commencement address to Harvard University June 8, 1978 we have placed too much hope and politics and social reforms only to find out that we were being deprived of our most precious possession, our spiritual life is trampled by the party mob in the East by the commercial one in the West about a warning from from Russia social Neeson to be clear on my book.

We should have political involvement is politics intersects with culture and culture intersects with morality kingdom of God intersects with politics and culture and relative but we interact as citizens of a heavenly kingdom not owned by a party or politician standing for causes and issues rather than people or parties. We are above politics. You will be vote in lobby and work within politics. We breathe a different spirit and carry a different identity when that is beyond party affiliation is for a wooden strike communities. We are to be far better known as followers of Jesus. The supporters of a candidate yet all too often, the opposite is true. Everyone knows who are voting for. But far fewer know who we worship the size of our front yard sale always to the hats and T-shirt we wear and the bumper stickers on cars we shout our support for Trump or Biden or by or Hillary or Obama, Biden, Hillary. We want the whole world to hear will be virtually whisper our solidarity with Jesus. You must use wisdom's worst of all, would become just like the political system and its worst crude accrual, boisterous, bigoted, divisive and demeaning, merciless, and mock tell me I'm wrong, friends, the saw what happened in 2020.

Tell me, as I read it happen again in 2022 and 20, 24, tell me things haven't got even uglier so you don't get you all realize about her face.

I realize I been on the front lines of the culture wars here.

I begin warning in 2004 that LGBT activists which didn't have the tea is strong, but that gay activism was the principal threat to freedom of religion, speech and conscience in America 2004.

Our shouting and others were shouting at lobby for me.

I been on the front lines of the culture wars for quite some time.

I know what's at stake in the larger worldwide political issues of the balances of power, I am no expert on on on politics in general or sociological studies worldwide work economic bounce is not my area of expertise Domino's but I fully understand. As a follower of Jesus that stakes are high, but the nation shaking that we could fall off a cliff. I been shouting its revival or we die for well over 30 years right.

I mean, shouting, revival, or we die. Go back and read things written the late 80s and in the same message hasn't changed hasn't changed it it it's that intense.

It's burning in and I believe that the elections are very important but I believe it is infinitely more important that the church be the church that we as followers of Jesus hold true to our witness that we proclaim Jesus more loudly than we proclaim political affiliation that we proclaim Jesus more loudly than we talk about a candidate that we proclaim Jesus and live out a Jesus model in the world that shows that we are different we don't get dirty like the world gets we speak the truth but we don't get nasty. We rebuke in love but we don't get carnal people see a light layer Jesus Christ and hypocrites.

What he did that because he loves them. He spoke the truth is another enemy died for them that we want to excuse our mean-spirited, nasty, immature behavior, as if will reveal a Jesus door that were like babies like babies.

If we must speak the truth. Let us speak it full of the spirit that is speaking in love with a broken heart and then let us pray fervently for those even fast for those that we differ with the goblet open their eyes and have mercy on them. Let us be moved by love. Instead we just think the angrier I am very sound. The more I talk about secular and the rights of the, the strong ram and Jesus knowing the spirit the world we can do better friends. I know we can. I know we can together with me to church yes vote this get involved.

This make a difference. Let us do it as followers of every popular political seduction. The church talk about on social media's review on Amazon must another program powered by the Truth Network