You won’t find me agreeing with Newt Gingrich on much, these days. Since he laid down on the tracks in front of the Trump train, I’ve developed a distinct distaste for his rhetoric.

His current status as Trump surrogate aside, when he speaks up about something that’s near and dear to my heart, I’m willing to listen.

In a well-received video to the growing “Pastors and Pews” group headed by evangelical organizer David Lane, the Republican thought leader said, “You’re at a moment in history that is as defining as anything in the Old Testament.”

Gingrich spelled that out as a threat by the left to impose “atheistic values,” and reduce religion in America to an hour at Sunday services.

The “Pastors and Pews” group is a move to encourage pastors and faith leaders to enter the world of politics and to run for public office.

Pastors and people of faith involving themselves in the political process is not a new thing. At least four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were full time pastors.

Perhaps the difference we’re seeing in today’s culture, as opposed to previous generations, where the church and people of faith were held in high regard, and were, in fact, counted as important parts of the political process is the coarsening of society, pushed forward by subversive, liberal ideologies.

The church is not without some blame. Quite often, we who claim allegiance to a Christian God have not always been the brightest lights for Christ to a dark world.

Scandals that are more in line with the world than the Kingdom have rocked the Body of Christ.

We’ve pushed in areas where we should have approached with open hands and open hearts.

We’ve remained silent and sat in our churches, listening to preaching about the world, rather than stepping out and ministering to the world.

As a result, liberal secularists have gained a foothold of influence and they have waged a holy war against people of faith.

They see faith in a Christian God as “outdated” and oppressive to their core philosophy of moral relativism – wherein morality is a personal concept, so if it feels good, do it.

This is the same concept that punishes Christians for refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding, but thinks forcing little girls to share their locker rooms and bathrooms with strange men is a “right,” and if their parents oppose, they’re bigots and need to be silenced.

The idea that Christians should be forced to shut up and sit down in a society that has its roots in Judeo-Christian beliefs is ludicrous, therefore, it is well past the time for men and women of faith and courage to stand and be counted in the public arena.

Through Pastors and Pews, part of Lane’s American Renewal Project, he has helped get some 200 evangelical pastors to run for local office, and even more are planning to run in upcoming elections.

In the current election, he has established a ground game to push evangelicals to the polls, making 200,000 phone calls and knocking on another 200,000 doors. He has a goal of 1 million calls and door knocks by November 8th.

No particular candidate is being promoted, nor should they be. No man is going to fix this nation. That being said, changes can be made from within by representatives who adhere to principles of faith, and voters who go to the polls with a sincere desire to honor God with their vote.

Said Gingrich in his video:

“A lot of these left-wing secular judges, left-wing secular lawyers, and activist groups are trying to coerce Americans into giving-up the beliefs that made us famous. Forget that the Pilgrims came here for religious liberty, forget that the Jamestown Colony, which people think of as secular, actually had church services fourteen times a week, forget that the core of America, as defined by Lincoln, and redefined by Eisenhower, is a nation under God. That has been the heart of who we are, our rights come from our Creator, they don’t come from some random thing,” said the former speaker.

He told the pastors, “You’re at a point where some people have to have the courage to witness for Christ, some people have to have the courage to stand up and tell the truth to their flock, and some people have to have the courage to get into the public arena themselves.”

Just as secularists infested our society and brought us to the point we are enduring now, it is well past time for an infusion of fresh faith.

Will it be an uphill battle? It absolutely will.

Will it be worth it? No doubt in my mind.