CHRISTIANS ENGAGED BLOG
Monuments, Memorials, History and Life
Have you ever known someone who is adopted and has no information regarding their family bloodline/history? This can create a big void in a person’s life. There are important things in their bloodline…
Repairing Our Ruined Cities
We are living in a time that is unprecedented in our cities and nation. I know we are all concerned.
We are seeing riots in the streets, our police officers being scorned and spit on, and vandals destroying private property...
How Do We Choose Between Imperfect Candidates?
”How do we choose between imperfect candidates?”
This is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Christians Engaged. How do we pick between flawed candidates as Christians…
Do Not Give Up, Stand Up!
Have you been watching the news and feeling like things are hopeless? Have you thought, “What’s the point? It feels like a lost cause now.” Maybe you have been tempted to isolate yourself to escape the madness…
A Call to the American Church
It is June, 2020. Much of America is in the throes of race riots, even as our country continues to contend with the coronavirus. Economically we are in deep distress with companies going bankrupt, accelerating unemployment…
National Day of Prayer Resources
The 2020 National Day of Prayer is on Thursday, May 7th. Christians Engaged has compiled some resources related to this important day.
May the 4th, the Force, or Better Yet, the Lord be with You!
I am a huge fan of most all of the Star Wars movies. With nostalgia, I remember seeing that first film like it was yesterday. I remember that extraordinarily powerful and now-so-familiar theme song, Star Wars. Can’t you just hear it…
On the Other Side of FEAR
There are people waiting for us on the other side of our fear.
As I was reading Mark 4 the other day - the story of Jesus calmly resting in the middle of the storm, I was reminded that sometimes we have to make a choice to go over to the other side…
A Tipping Point Moment
In a new book titled The New Era of Glory, author Tim Sheets writes, “Tipping-point moments or defining moments are decided by who defines the moment. King Jesus has called His ekklesia, His ruling and reigning Body, His governing intercessors to rise up and define this moment…
Census 2020 – Much More Than You Thought
We know the story in Mark 2:1“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world” and in verse 3 it says, “And everyone went to his own town to register”.
Our Constitution requires a census every ten years found in Article I, Section 2 which states “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.”
Full Text of the President’s Proclamation on the National Day of Prayer
Full text of the President’s March 14, 2020 proclamation on the National Day of Prayer in response to the coronavirus.
Engage: The 4th Box of Liberty
In a previous blog, I quoted Frederick Douglass who said that there are 3 boxes that defend our rights:
· The Ballot Box
· The Jury Box
· The Cartridge Box
Gary DeMar writes that the late Congressman Larry McDonald said that there was a fourth, the Soap Box. The Soap Box is…
FROM PRAYER TO ENGAGEMENT: Political Parties - Should Christians Get Involved With Them?
This is the second blog post in our ongoing educational series, “FROM PRAYER TO ENGAGEMENT: EDUCATING CHRISTIANS ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS”
What is a Political Party?
A political party is an organizational tool that is used to put forth ideas and to move agendas forward. Ordinary people join together in political parties to better define themselves in relation to the voting electorate and to make their message clear.
The people within the parties connect around issues, belief systems, and even personalities—leaders or candidates. When committed Christians are involved in a political party…
Vote & Engage: Romans 13 and the 3 Boxes of Liberty
Romans 13 commands Christians to be subject to the governing authorities.
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
(Romans 13: 1-2).
This passage is frequently invoked by pastors and laymen alike as an excuse to avoid civic and political activity. But what is the responsibility of an individual citizen of a republic when the government becomes oppressive?
Does Power Corrupt?: Some Thoughts on the Hidden Enemy of Pride from the National Prayer Breakfast
Part of our call within Christians Engaged is to help political activists spiritually navigate through what is sometimes the muck and mire of political activities and how to ever watch over our own hearts and spiritual lives as we engage as salt and light in our culture. To this end - I share my own heart cries concerning my latest trip to DC. I pray it is a blessing to you.
Most of us have heard this quote:
“Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
It is from Lord Action, a British historian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
I pondered this quote last week as I wandered around the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC.
I was very honored that my Member of Congress had given me his only available ticket.
The annual Prayer Breakfast is an exclusive gathering of ministers, dignitaries, elected officials and thought leaders gathered together by a group called “The Fellowship.”
It’s Not A Cruise, But A Rescue
It is easy for Christians in American to find themselves busy, confused, and misdirected. We live in a country where the median family ranks among the top decile of global wealth. We are told we can say what we want, live how we want, eat what we want, and believe what we want. Between family duties, attending church, performing various roles of service, and work obligations, we feel like…
FROM PRAYER TO ENGAGEMENT: Party Conventions 101
This is the first blog post in our new educational series, “FROM PRAYER TO ENGAGEMENT: EDUCATING CHRISTIANS ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS”
“I want to get involved in my party of choice, but I don’t know where to start.”
Is this something you’ve thought about or talked about with friends or family? There are various ways to be involved in your party like volunteering on campaigns or joining a local political club, but one very effective and satisfying way is through the convention process…
Profile of a Public Servant - Richard Sanders
This month, I lost a dear friend, County Judge of Henderson County, Richard Sanders. He truly was the gentle giant as people described him.
Richard was a football player in high school, real estate developer, regional representative for Congressman Jeb Hensarling for 8 years, and then a two-term County Judge, the top administrator, for the county that he loved.
Throughout his career, Richard embodied the ideal public servant, and was a true example of why good, Christian people are needed to help navigate the muck and mire of local, county, and state government.
My hope in sharing this profile is to not only testify of what this humble man meant to me, but to inspire us all that public service is a worthy profession. We need more men and women of character and courage to step up and serve.
Engage
After doubling up on homeschooling so we would have extra vacation days the week of Thanksgiving, I was ready to be done with any form of studying! Instead I sat down to work on this new project - Christians Engaged - and immediately put myself back into study mode. I decided that I wanted to know more about what the word ENGAGED meant. If we were going to ask people to “engage” - what was it and what were we hoping to see occur? What would be our messaging? …