The Elections - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

The Elections

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage.” (Romans 13:3-4, The Message)

Every four years in American politics the voting age population has a choice to make in the selection of the one who will sit in the presidential office seat. Voting for our elected officials is one of the many freedoms that our founding fathers fought so hard to obtain, and many, many since then have fought to maintain. The freedom to choose is not found in all nations. But in this country, since 1776, it has been one of the great freedoms we have as a people.

Sad to say that too many choose not to exercise this democratic freedom. Since I turned the voting age of 18 in the early 70’s, I have not missed a presidential election, going to the voting booth every time. I am proud, if I can say that humbly, to have done that.

The opportunity taken to vote or not to vote was never a decision I considered not doing. As a citizen of this nation, while I still abide here, I will always feel it is included as one of my basic responsibilities. No doubt I will continue to vote at every opportunity I have. If I am going to pray for our government leaders (not as much as I should), I believe it is also my responsibility, every time I am given the choice, to also vote for the ones who adhere to the principles I stand for. I find it hard to think that other believers often choose to not participate.

How can those who say they are walking in the Lord’s ways not also take the time to know the candidates and then vote for those they want to see lead our local, state, and national offices? Even if our choice we voted for does not win, at least we can say we participated in the process.

Believing that the Lord sets in place those in authority who govern, He also wants us to take part in bringing that about. We are not just to sit it out and say that whatever will be will be, or to glibly say that our actions do not matter in the outcome, so why bother? Does the Lord not tell us to be a light on a hill? Is not the government realm another area where that light is so sorely needed in our time, where we can participate in taking His principles into all areas of life? Even to this one area.

If and when you are given the opportunity, take it, and do one more thing in extending the Lord’s kingdom on this earth. As an American, do the right thing, and vote for those who will act on our behalf. As a big election block voting in unison, we carry a lot of influence, and can do a lot of good. Many have gotten elected because of us. Others have lost because we have not done our part.

If we don’t exercise this freedom, we cannot rant and rave when the darkness even more so penetrates the halls of our government buildings.

We can participate in what the Lord desires to yet do in this nation. This is one opportunity He freely gives you and me to do, as we go to vote, with His wisdom and guidance leading us.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 07.22.16 - #262 –“The Elections” – Friday at 7:40 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

New Shocking Poll Released on Evangelical Pastors' Involvement in Politics - BOB ESCHLIMAN CHARISMA NEWS

Pastor Rob McCoy of Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, Calif., not only encourages his congregates to be politically engaged, he's run for office twice himself. He's currently a local city councilman, but according to a recent survey, he is in a very small minority of conservative evangelical pastors. (Reuters photo)

New Shocking Poll Released on Evangelical Pastors' Involvement in Politics

10:00AM EDT 7/14/2016 BOB ESCHLIMAN  CHARISMA NEWS

Our religious liberty and foundational freedoms are at stake, biblical marriage is under constant attack, the LGBT agenda is advancing at a worrying pace and evangelical pastors are backing away from politics?

That was the findings of a new survey conducted by the Barna Group on behalf of the American Culture & Faith Institute. Barna called the results "nothing short of astounding," and he didn't hold back in his critical analysis of the findings.

"In an election year where nothing has been normal so far, the apparent choices of conservative pastors may be the most abnormal thing of all," he said. "This is clearly a time when Christian and conservative voters need their spiritual leaders to help them make sense of what is happening and how to respond biblically to the chaos and uncertainty.

"The fact that tens of thousands of conservative pastors—even more than during the mid-term election cycle—are planning to ignore this crucial election and have followers of Christ play little-to-no role in the electoral process is shocking. The message that conservative pastors are sending to congregants is their Christian faith should have no influence on this election and therefore they should be passive bystanders while people with opposing worldviews and values make critical governance choices for Christians.

"With all due respect, that is both a mind-boggling lack of leadership and a startlingly bold example of poor citizenship."

First, the not-so-surprising findings:

• By a two-to-one margin (44-22 percent), the conservative pastors interviewed felt that Republican nominee-in-waiting Donald Trump is likely to defeat his likely Democratic counterpart, Hillary Clinton.
• However, more than one-third (35 percent) said they did not know who is most likely to win.
• As for their personal preference, they preferred Trump over Clinton by a 6-to-1 ratio (60 to 10 percent), while the remainder preferred someone else (13 percent), refused to vote (6 percent), or were still undecided (11 percent).

These perceptions of the current state of the 2016 presidential election were the basis for responses to questions about how these pastors were specifically taking action to prepare their congregations for November. This would be the shocking part of the findings.

Each pastor was asked about eight specific courses of action they may have taken during the 2014 mid-term election, and could take during the 2016 cycle. They indicated "limited" activity in 2014, and even less of each activity in 2016:

• Sponsor a voter registration drive at your church—21% in 2014, 12% in 2016
• Actively encourage get-out-the-vote efforts—9% in 2014, 7% in 2016
• Invite candidates to speak at your church prior to the election—5% in 2014, 3% in 2016
• Preach at least one sermon about a public policy issue—37% in 2014, 21% in 2016
• Offer printed or online voter guides to your congregation—45% in 2014, 36% in 2016
• Include election-related information on your church website—5% in 2014, 4% in 2016
• Encourage members of your church to get actively involved in a campaign—29% in 2014, 20% in 2016
• Speak to your church about the importance of voting—78% in 2014, 62% in 2016

Barna, asked about why there is such a lack of engagement by conservative evangelical pastors in 2016, was equally frank. Pointing to the Rev. Franklin Graham's comments made prior to an event in New York earlier this year at which Trump later spoke, he said many pastors do not want to be judged for supporting a candidate who is morally imperfect.

"But the truth is that none of us—these pastors included—are morally perfect, which is why we need Jesus to save us," he said. "Both of the major party candidates this year are flawed, but all candidates have always been morally flawed—they're human! In the meantime, we need to work together to elect leaders who will allow the church to follow Christ with as much freedom and as little government interference as possible.

"Pastors should not ask congregants to place their full and eternal trust in a political candidate, but rather to choose the best person for the job since someone is going to be elected whether we participate in the process or not. How can conservative pastors justify sitting out the election when so much is at stake for the church itself? And please notice that theologically liberal churches are much more engaged in the electoral process."

Barna also stated the 2016 election is, in many ways, the easiest for churches to engage in going back more than a generation. He said the policy differences between Trump and Clinton—particularly on social, moral, and religious issues—are "more distinct this year than at any time since the Reagan-Carter election in 1980."

"The fact that conservative pastors choose to not get involved, while also refusing to preach about the biblical foundations for thinking about the major issues, suggests that perhaps our church leaders do not know what they and the Bible believe on these matters," he said. "Why else would they not exploit the opportunity to use the election as a reason to engage, instruct, and challenge God's people on His truth?"

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How the Current Wave of Anti-Christian Sentiment Could Backfire

 6/9/2015 JEREMY BURNS  charisma news

Voting booths (Facebook)

With everyone from pop culture icons to the mainstream media to Internet memes to the president himself seemingly bashing Christianity, is there no hope for a resurgence in the cultural battle?

According to one analyst, the widespread anti-Christian campaign may be ultimately be its own undoing. In a recent TIME magazine article, Dave Carney offers a compelling argument that the religious bullying and persecution could be the factor that unites and mobilizes Christians to once again become a force to be reckoned with in the public arena.

Despite findings that the percentage of those who identify as Christians has dropped sharply over the past decade or so, Carney points out that evangelicals have only seen a 0.9 percent decline. Further, while Christian denominations in the cited study lost 7.8 percent of the religious "market share" between 2007 and 2014, the fact remains that roughly 7 in 10 Americans still identify as Christian.

Though arguments could be made against the strength of conviction or faithfulness to Christianity for some of those self-reported respondents, the fact remains that—despite years of cultural leaders hammering against Christian beliefs, traditional values and religious freedom—the vast majority of Americans still chooses to identify as such.

Politically speaking, there is tremendous untapped potential for Christians to exert influence and power over the nation's direction. Unfortunately, much of the reason that potential remains untapped is Christians' own fault.

"Even before this troubling trend was reported, too many Christian voters had dropped out of the political process already," Carney writes. "In the past decade, about 78 million U.S. adults self-identified as evangelical in their beliefs, but reportedly only about 46 million were registered to vote, and only about 28 million cast a ballot in the 2004 presidential race."

With barely one-third of all evangelicals exercising their right to vote for this nation's leadership, it's no wonder that Christians' voices have continued to be silenced over the past decade—we've often chosen not to speak up when it matters most.

Identifying several recent escalations in "Christian-bashing" across the country, Carney believes that we are close to reaching the breaking point where Christians will eventually say enough is enough.

"These attacks on Christianity have the potential to create a populist movement across America, uniting Christians who have become disillusioned with government institutions and political leaders, and who are fed up with the attacks on the Christian values that built our nation," he writes. "The candidates who speak to evangelicals and their values, and who actively seek their support will find a massive latent block of voters waiting to be excited."

With the mounting attacks on faith and traditional values building seemingly daily, Carney thinks the looming 2016 presidential election may see a massive demographic shift in who turns out to the polls, one with massive consequences in the way Christians in America operate, and how the nation itself will treat people of faith.

"Those looking to forecast the end of the evangelical voting block should take a careful look at one of the lessons from Barack Obama's 2008 election—who comes out to vote matters," Carney writes. "Just a small increase in the turnout of the evangelical vote could change the political landscape dramatically.

"It is just these type of studies and reports on the demise of the religion that will drive even more public debate about the need for Christian values. The logical result will be a clearing of the pews on Election Day."

Faith & Freedom: Who's Best for America's Future?

By David Brody

CBN News Chief Political Correspondent

Monday, June 23, 2014

WASHINGTON - Potential presidential candidates recently gathered in Washington, D.C., for the Faith and Freedom Coalition to talk about the country's future.

The annual event is an opportunity for politicians to make their case in front of a very important voting bloc in America: evangelical Christians.

One by one, they came to the stage, weaving a message of faith and freedom. Some of them were possible presidential candidates, like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Others, like the new House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, came preaching a message of conservative unity, despite the disputes over the direction of the party between the Tea Party and establishment conservatives.

Backstage, in an exclusive interview with CBN News, McCarthy played up the harmony theme.

"First and foremost I want to make sure that we're united. But we want to change the country. We want to change the direction," he said.

"I want to restructure government itself, these agencies have become too large. They need to be streamlined. There is too much duplication in it as well. We want to unshackle what has held us back for so long," McCarthy added.

Division Over Iraq

McCarthy and GOP leadership in both the House and Senate will also have to confront a divide on what to do in Iraq.

Some lawmakers, like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., say decisive military action needs to be taken. Other Republicans aren't so sure they want to get involved in this fight. Rubio feels that's a mistake.

"They're wrong," he said. "We're going to have to deal with ISIS."

"The choice for us is not whether or not we're going to have to deal with them. The choice is do we deal with them now while they are still kind of scattered or do we deal with them in 10 years or five years when they own a piece of land and they have their own country and they use it to plan and carry out attacks that kill Americans here and around the world," Rubio explained.

Rubio will surely play up his hawkish views if he runs for president.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is also considering a run for president. He came touting his pro-life credentials, complete with a video before his introduction. He's a bit on the defensive after he recently said how Republicans might need to agree to disagree on social issues.

"I don't want to change our party. We need to be the pro-life party, the pro-traditional marriage party. But can we accept people, some people who don't agree with those issues in the party?" Rand challenged.

"I think that if we are not so strident to push people away, maybe having some people in the party that don't all agree with us, maybe we'll have some chance to persuade them. And we'll be a bigger party," he concluded.

Clinton-Obama Administration?

One item all these speakers seemed to agree upon was that religious liberty is under attack, whether through Obamacare here at home or abroad, where Christians are being persecuted for their faith.

They also agrees that they don't want to see a Hillary Clinton presidency. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., said that would be a nightmare.

"She will be Barack Obama's 3rd and 4th term, fundamentally transforming the United States of America away from the principles that the founders bled and died to give us," Bachmann warned.

It is those founder's principles that the Faith and Freedom crowd are fighting for.

The goal for them now is to mobilize other voters of faith to make a difference at the ballot box. The polling shows that when evangelical Christians show up, they can make the difference.