Bassett-Brody writes, "I think there would be a tremendous impact on the Christian community if they were aware that physical proof exists for their faith. I know that for myself, I had been a Christian for 17 years before I realized there was tangible evidence that the Biblical stories were historical."
LaBerge writes: "It's time for Christians to get back into the conversation, not so we can give people a piece of our mind but so they might have the peace of the mind of Christ."
Mike Huckabee's new TV show launched this weekend on TBN. Huckabee brought a high level of energy and fulfilled his promise to both inform and entertain the audience--intermingling discussion with a tax policy expert with a segment on Pietown, Arizona. And Huckabee kickstarted the show with a lively interview he had taped with President Trump in the White House.
Evangelical politicians who are "more sophisticated" to the point that their edges are dull need someone to remind them that the end game of going to Congress isn't to be a Congressman. It's to represent their constituents and to act like something more important than their re-election is at stake.
In contrast to the idea that New York City -- and Manhattan in particular --is a monolithic morass of secularism and near-mothballed Mainline edifices, did you know that seven out of ten Evangelical congregations in Manhattan were started since 1950? And four out of ten were started in the decade after 9/11?
We get angry at the world," Jump says, "where the direction is going, what Washington is telling us we have to teach our kids, all of these sorts of things." But as in the case of Jump's two deacons, "if we would win a seat on the local school board, then that board determines the superintendent, curriculum, funding and direction of the school. If every church in America would make sure the majority of the school board were members of their church, the world would be a lot better place."
Chris Hughes believes Christians who look to make a real difference in the public square need to change their strategy of involvement. Too often, he says, Christians get worked up and busy just a month or two before an election--only to disappear from the trenches after the election. "Somehow, we've got to train these guys and tell these pastors that they need to be involved, but not just when they're in the spotlight," Hughes said. "They need to realize there is always another election, and not leave the process for a few more years until there's another hot issue."
Due diligence also means not blindly voting for a party. "You can't just vote for the person because they're a Democrat or Republican," Jim Lembke said. "As a Christian, I believe that we are called to be engaged in the process -- to use our minds. The Lord has blessed us with a Republic and that means it's our job to hold on to it -- as one of our Founders stated."
With the next primary less than a year away, Mark Riggins looks forward to being in the thick of the race once again. And with the solid name recognition he earned in 2016 combined with a lack of an incumbent to defeat, who knows what may happen the second time around?
Let us not only greet one another with a "Happy 4th" or "Independence Day, but may we have a deep gratitude and appreciation for those who sacrificed for us to have them. May we also be keenly aware of just how volatile our liberties and freedoms are. They must not be taken for granted, but stewarded with respect and a sense of responsibility -- lest we find ourselves losing the very things we have so cherished.
The way we're going to serve him is by not sitting at home when it's time to get out and be a voice and go vote. We're going to be intelligent and we're going to vote for the candidate that most closely aligns to what we've professed that we believe. And we will encourage other people to do the same.
Twenty-five years ago today in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, former mob boss John Gotti received his sentencing for a laundry list of crimes he had committed. There's no evidence that Gotti turned to God while in prison.
Hughes writes: "It is time for Planned Parenthood to stop taking federal funds or get out of the business of influencing federal campaigns. If the Russians had spent over $800,000 to influence a race, we would never hear the end of it."
In the end, Campbell says it is about being called to servant leadership. "There's no glory. There's just hard work--and you have to have a heart," Campbell said. "And humility! Like Gideon, who said, 'I'm the least of the tribe, and I'm the least of my tribe. Why are you talking to me?' That is a key component of a Christian being involved in the public square."
"Do you know where a lot of people hang out who are pro-life, pro-family, hard working, and business oriented? He asked, "Where?" I said, "At the churches. I would like to challenge your committee to reach out to the churches to have at least one time a month to register voters. You don't have to tell them 'Register Republican.' You can just lay out the party platforms."
Richard Watson's golf game and trophy fishing mounts might not stack up to other men in East Texas--but he has certainly done more than his share to lead and improve his local community.
"We are a nation that solves things by conversation. We disagree ...but we don't solve it this way. And we cannot." --Senator James Lankford
Col. Steven Chealander served as a military aide to President Reagan from 1986-88, including numerous historic trips abroad. He was in Berlin with Reagan on that historic day. But even more special for Chealander was that his own parents were in Berlin too, as special guests of the White House. You see, his father helped save the city as a pilot during the Berlin Airlift.
Given that Mr. Gingrich is both a historian with an earned doctorate and also a former Speaker of the House, he brings a unique perspective on any topic he chooses to write on. Combining historical awareness with public policy wonkishness, his prose sounds just like he talks -- which is to say, both interesting and informative. You may disagree with his politics, but Mr. Gingrich won't bore you.
Christopher Drexler--born 20 years ago today--we remember you. May reflecting on your brief, snuffed out life lead us to national repentance.
