At various times and seasons, we try to inform/teach/encourage the citizens of our communities by providing information, lessons, discussions, and sermons regarding our faith and our involvement in the "affairs of men" ~ politics, volunteering, legal wranglings, etc.  If we are to be salt and light to a rotting and dark world, we need to know and understand our place, our power, our history, and our need to be and stay involved.  

We have not been taken from the world; we just are not supposed to blend in and be like it.....

 

Other interesting sources of Church History, American History, Government, Civil Involvement, etc.    

The Pulpit Freedom Initiative ~speak up, protect & promote freedom of religion, in the churches & the public square.         Elections That Shaped America

The history of pulpit restrictions ~the history of pulpit restrictions             Pastors and Patriots: Silence is not an option! ~Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel Project  

The American Minute ~Bill Federer     Faith In History Podcasts ~ Bill Federer & TCT Ministries      Wallbuilders~Presenting America's forgotten history & heroes  

Hillsdale College ~free online courses in the Constitution, public policy, economics, etc.    

Taxes: The Four-Part Series   The history of US taxes that were once promised to never climb above 7% ...

The StartChurch Advisor  a great site with much help and advice to negotiate the IRS & the culture safely & proactively

Lessons for US ~ a website promoting Christianity, teaching US history, & explaining the Christian foundations of the US government, free enterprise, & Christian ethics in business & life in general.    

What Churches Legally Can & Cannot Do Politically  ~  Intercessors for America.  Just a note-Pastors & Leaders are not bound by these laws, just the church as an entity. Legally, a pastor can endorse, support a member’s campaign, etc., as long as it’s not done with church resources. There are no limitations on the pastor individually. 

 

 The Question of Obedience ~ On this Day the Declaration of Independence was Signed in 1776  Deacon/Lay Leader Joshua Justice   2 July 2017

As we prepare to celebrate the American War of Independence, I think we should tackle the difficult question; “if rebellion is wrong, was the American Revolution ok? Why or why not? Why should we, as Christians, care?” Romans 13 addresses this very situation. Politics, like so many other areas of life, impacts our ability to DO. (Jas 1:22) If you are a doer of the word, anything that can infringe on your ability to do impacts you. Thus, politics are important and inextricably linked to religion. Listen as Deacon Joshua clarifies the role of governments, kings, authorities, and rebellion vs true obedience, especially to a higher authority. Our response to any tough situation is "A Question of Obedience."     sermon notes

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15 Sept 2013  Building Blocks of a Republic  Elder Phil Justice   A republic is a different system than a democracy, and yet many confuse the two.   In this discussion, Phil Justice lays out a foundational explanation of the two and just where we in the United States find ourselves.

The Speak Up Movement and the Pulpit Freedom Project....    An informational website with youtubes and other information to teach, share, and support pastors and parishioners who believe that God is greater than human government, and the Constitutional protection of association, religious expression, and freedom of speech is greater than any following law or bureaucratic ruling.

A Star Spangled Sunday, 14 September 2014 (200th Anniversary of the writing of the National Anthem)  Celebrating Francis Scott Key, our National Anthem & some history from the War of 1812 

 

How to work with unrighteous leaders and maintain your righteousness -- Genesis 14:13-24  Lot Delivered  Pastor Clawson  Lot had problems, mostly from mixing in the world a bit too much...but his situation is often like ours in this world.  We get pulled in by the trappings. All of our enemies--political, physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, and our own poor choices as well as the world systems and the devil himself-- are equally defeatable, when we trust in the Word of God to route the enemy and keep us safe while working with the tools at hand, whatever and whoever that might be. Remember that when dealing with the citizens and political/government involvement.  Learn the wisdom of how to work with unrighteous kings but maintain your righteousness.   Don't end up like Lot.  Choose to emulate his uncle, Abraham.

 

1 Kings 9:10-15  Solomon Drifts!  Pastor Clawson    This lesson is a sobering reminder that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it...

 

5 October 2014   Stand Up!    Lay Leader/Deacon Joshua Justice on Pulpit Freedom Sunday       What if Elijah had refused to talk to Ahab, or Jezebel?  What if Noah had never confronted his culture those 100 years before the flood, or if Jesus had hidden from the Pharisees, or Godly men and women throughout the ages did not deal with evil and corruption they saw around them? This is a special day for many American churches ~ it is Pulpit Freedom Sunday! The church and the pulpit is to be the bringer of truth, the applicator of salt to preserve the good, and bearer of  light to illumine darkness... for years our pulpits served that purpose, but political correctness and threats of IRS intervention and anti-religion attacks have eroded this stand over the last century, and yet to not fulfill this role is to deny Christ.  Deacon Joshua Justice brings the Word today, and looking through history, brings this role to the fore showing God's response to those who bring the salt, bring the light, and bring truth to a world that prefers political correctness, doesn't mind turning rank, and is quickly growing dark.  Come, listen, and see how challenging the wrong in culture brings truth and light to your life, and just might fight that silly political correctness...