“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
     And His sovereignty rules over all.”  (Psalm 22:28)

“Every person is to be in subjection
     to the governing authorities.
     For there is no authority except from God,
     and those which exist are established by God.”
     (Romans 13:1)

“Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake
     to every human institution,
     whether to a king as the one in authority,
     or to governors as sent by him for the punishment
     of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”
     (I Peter 2:13)

“The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
     And bestows it on whom He wishes
     And sets over it the lowliest of men.”
     (Daniel 4:17)

“The king's heart is like channels of water
     in the hand of the Lord;
     He turns it wherever He wishes.”
     (Proverbs 21:1)

“He removes kings and establishes kings.”
     (Daniel 2:21)

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers,
     petitions and thanksgivings,
     be made on behalf of all men,
     for kings and all who are in authority,
     so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life
     in all godliness and dignity.

“This is good and acceptable
     in the sight of God our Savior,
     who desires all men to be saved
     and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
     (I Timothy 2:1-4)

God's Word makes it clear that we are to obey our government's authorities.

 •  Pay taxes.
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s;
and to God the things that are God’s.”
(see Matthew 22:17- 21)

 •  Obey the law.
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake
to every human institution,
whether to a king as the one in authority,
or to governors as sent by him
for the punishment of evildoers
and the praise of those who do right.”
(I Peter 2:13-14)
(See also Romans 13:1-7 and Titus 3:1)

 •  Exception
When obeying the government would actually cause you to disobey God, chose to obey God instead.
“But Peter and the apostles answered,
‘We must obey God rather than men.’
(Acts 5:29)

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Understanding our national heritage will help your family appreciate the privileges and responsibilities of citizens.

The freedom that we now enjoy has its roots in history.

 •  Ancient Civilizations
This includes the Jewish system of law and justice based on the Law of Moses given by God, the Greeks’ ideas of order and justice, and the Romans’ concepts of duty, authority, and rule by law.

 •  God’s Word
The Bible is referred to by our founding fathers as “the great political textbook” giving us our ideas of morality, justice, spiritual liberty, and the sanctity of law.

See a chart of the influence of Biblical thought on America's legal system with Bible references.

 •  The Magna Carta
This agreement between King John of England and his subjects (1215) included three freedoms that are very similar to Amendments IV, V, and VI of our Constitution.

 •  The Reformation
Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible into English, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, and Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press enabled individuals to break the chains of illiteracy, spiritual ignorance, and civil tyranny.

 •  Religious Freedom
The Edict of Nantes granted the French Protestant Huguenots religious liberty in 1598.  Although not fully enforced, it paved the way for our First Amendment.

Many Americans do not realize the extent of Christian influence on our nation’s founding, especially since it has been “written out” of public education textbooks.  Others either deny our Christian foundations or seek to remove their memory or our connection to them.

However, this nation has a rich Christian heritage, and Christian home-school families should be especially diligent to thoroughly acquaint their children with it.  It is very advantageous to use Christian curriculum in this area.

 •  Christian History Textbooks
A Beka Book.  Bob Jones University Press.  Christian Liberty Press.

 •  WallBuilders.  Online articles, such as “The Founding Fathers on Jesus, Christianity and the Bible.”

 •  Read the Christian testimonies of Washington and Lincoln.

 •  Christian Heritage Week. Promoting our nation's Christian foundation with many links to other sites.

 •  A Nation Adrift DVD. From Christopher Columbus to the present, showing God’s sovereign hand behind the history of our nation.

Voting is the process designed by our Constitution whereby our government is directed by us, “the people.”  Ultimately, all parts of our government are affected by our voting.  It is a privilege and a responsibility of every citizen to participate in our government on all levels and to take part in the direction our nation is going.

Yet a significant percent of Americans do not register or vote!  This should not be true of Christians.

Christians can impact our society and nation if we all make a concerted effort to cast informed votes guided by biblical truths.  We should also seek to influence others to do the same.

 •  Be sure you are registered to vote, especially after a change of address.

 •  Help your children register to vote as soon as they turn 18, or if they will be 18 on the next election day.

 •  Encourage friends, support group or church members, and neighbors to register and vote.

 •  Help distribute Christian voting guides if they are available in your area.

 •  Vote in every election, great or small!

 •  Register Online To Vote

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The family is recognized as the basic building block of our nation. As your family lives Godly lives, you will be making a strong and solid contribution to our country.

Your children's salvation is your first priority. Then follows spiritual growth through loving dedication and obedience to God, knowing and speaking to God in prayer, Christian fellowship, and ministry to others.

Teaching and training your children at home provides the optimum opportunity for your children's spiritual training and character development, as well as their social and academic welfare.

 •  Make personal application of Scripture and guide your children's behavior through example, teaching, discipline, and training throughout each day.

 •  Pray for your family's spiritual growth.

Teach your children that God's Word is the final authority for our faith and practice, and teach them how to look up what God says about any given thing, using Bible study tools such as a concordance.

“And do not be conformed to this world,
     but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is,
     that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(Romans 12:2)

 •  Read, teach, and discuss God's Word in many situations when you are together throughout the day.

 •  Systematically study God’s Word together (perhaps a formal Bible study curriculum), and help your children memorize and meditate on God’s Word.

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The primary method of effecting political change is through prayer.

“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity.

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

It is ultimately God who can “remove kings and establish kings”  (Daniel 2:21) and influence their actions: “The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.”  (Proverbs 21:1)

All of our political action is in vain if we do not recognize God’s workings in the affairs of men and call upon Him to help us and our nation.

 •  Pray for officials by name; for their salvation, wisdom, and integrity. Find your state representatives, local officials, and election results online.

 •  Pray for the election of a President who will honor and follow the Lord and lead this nation in His way.

 •  Pray that God’s will be done regarding specific issues that face our nation at this time.

 •  Pray that godly men will be elected in all levels of government.

 •  Pray that Christians will register and vote according to the Lord's will.

 •  Pray that the election will be fair and free of fraud.

“If My people, who are called by My name,
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The main benefit of political action is not the comfort of our freedom to do as we choose during our brief life on earth, but the ability to spread the Gospel for the eternal salvation of others and “that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity.”  (1 Timothy 2:2)

The proper perspective is that of eternity. "God our Savior would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth."

We are blessed with the freedom to worship God, to spread the Gospel, and to teach our children at home in godly ways.

True and lasting change will only be brought about when the people that make up the electorate, and those that govern, both love and obey the Lord God.

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  (Mark 16:15)

This is the Christian's great commission and should take priority over any political action in which we are involved.

 •  Discuss ways your family can become involved in personal evangelism.

 •  Examine different careers, including Christian service, and encourage your children to consider how the Lord would have them serve Him.

 •  Witness to neighbors, friends, and relatives.

 •  Take tracts with you to give to those you come in contact with.

 •  Contribute to missions and encourage your missionaries.