How Christians Can Always Win in Politics: (Leslie's 3 minute video)

Like you, I’m tired. Weary. I am not sleeping these days. But—-here is great comfort and powerful truth. Do you have Three minutes! Here’s the secret to how Christians can win every political battle. (Text is below.)

How did Jesus do politics?

Jesus’ politics were so backward, so upside down no one got it. No one understood what he was doing.

Everyone thought he was fighting THEIR battle for their nation, Israel. And then----at the end---here come the soldiers to capture him, in battle gear.

And Jesus said--"Am I leading a rebellion?"  And Peter grabs a sword, his disciples begin to fight back. They’re probably thinking, “Here it is, finally! We get to fight!”

in the midst of that battle Jesus keeps doing as he's always done: "Lay down your swords." He heals the man with the severed ear.

And just a day later, while handing on the crucifixion tree, in his very last words, he announced the end of the only war he came to fight.

 "It is finished."

 It was finished. The battle against sin, the war against death----was over.

 Everything his followers hoped for---political power; religious power; their own personal power, ruling with him----died with him.  It needed to.

 There's only one battle going on that matters: only one.. We're not fighting for the soul of our nation. Jesus didn't die for a nation. He died for people. We fight for the souls of people. We fight by waging peace, and our weapon is love.

 How powerful is our weapon?

 My father used to make fun of me for being a Christian. I ran from his neglect and mental illness for 30 years. In the last two years of his life, Jesus called me back to him. To forgive him. To fly from Alaska down to Florida to be with him. to share the good news of Jesus with him. To love him.

 Jesus turned my hatred into love.

 That's the power of the gospel. That's the power of peacemaking.

 And you know—-when we serve the One and Only King, some will hate us for this. And that's okay. But if we're going to be hated, let us be hated for our love. Not for our anger. Not for our politics.

 We win by losing. We bring life by dying.

 Whatever the outcome, win or lose, we're at peace. We don't need government power. We already have all the power we need.