Saturday, April 21, 2012 "The Judges"

Saturday, April 21, 2012

"The Judges"

First From Julie's Keyboard:

While reading through the wisdom of the Proverbs today, this one caught my eye in a special way.

Proverbs 8:18 "Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness."  KJV

This week I was reminded in study of a passage in Matthew's Gospel that goes along with the proverbial declaration regarding "riches and honour."

Matthew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also."  KJV

One may ask, "What does He mean by "treasures in heaven?"  Treasures are things which are deposited, usually in a place for safe keeping.  When we hear the term, we may think of untold fortunes, or the great chest of treasures so often sought for in the pirate movies, etc.  Yet, here we find a treasure discussed that can't diminish.  A treasure that could never be stolen, decayed, nor perish in any way. 

You see, there's an explanation for this.  We're speaking here of a treasure that's committed to the kingdom of heaven.  The custodian of the treasure is none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Could it be great revenues of silver and gold that are included in this treasure?  I dont' know.  It's questionable whether there will be any need for such things in the eternal kingdom.  Obviously, we can't send such tangible items on to this eternal abode.  But, we can make generous deposits by being faithful to the One who has called us as His own.

Even in the Proverb we mentioned, He speaks of "durable riches."  This certainly indicates that's theres a serious counterfeit for the true riches.  If we belong to Him, we're operating with a much different system of banking than the man without Christ in his life.  We know that we must use this world's goods as a shrewd steward to make the most productivity for our eternal kingdom.

The question for meditation this week would be in two parts:  "Where is my treasure? and What is my treasure?"  Is the focus on preparing to finish well the days here on this earth, or is there a constant application of using the blessings of our lives for the advancement of His kingdom?  Truly, this is something that each individual must resolve within.

Will there be treasure waiting in heaven for you?  He's given us the instruction needed to be sure this will be true.  He told us, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."


Have a blessed week,

Julie
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"The Judges"

In 1970 in Walz v. Tax Commission of the City of New York, it was said the purpose of the First Amendment was to enhance non-religion and to promote pluralism. 

"[O]ne of the mandates of the First Amendment is to promote a viable, pluralistic society [one which acknowledges no religion or system of belief above any other] and to keep government neutral, not only between sects, but also between believer and nonbelievers." ~ Walz at 716, Douglas, J. (dissenting).

Really? I would wonder where they got this understanding of the First Amendment?  Surely they got it from the authority of those who framed it!  Surely, this would be the case! 

Having read that I thought it good to go the source and see if this understanding remained Consistance with those before us.

First let's consider what Justice Story would have to say:

"The real object of the [First A]mendment was not to countenance, much less to advance Mahometanism, or Judaism, or infidelity by prostrating Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government." ~ Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (Boston: Hilliard, Gray, and Company, 1833), Vol. III, p. 728, 1871.

Joseph Story's understanding of the 1st Amendment was the exact opposite of Justice Douglas! As I sit here and type this I am left to wonder myself where Justice Douglas got the authority for his statement?  It certainly did not come from the Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States by Joseph Story in 1833!

Next let's consider a thought from Mr. Franklin:

"History will also afford frequent opportunities of showing the necessity of a public religion . . . and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern." ~ Benjamin Franklin, Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania  (Philadelphia, 1749), p. 22.

Let's also consider the thoughts of the original Chief Justice of U. S. Supreme Court:

"[O]nly one adequate plan had ever appeared in the world, and that is the Christian dispensation." ~ John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, editor (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1893), Vol. IV, p. 52, to Lindley Murray on August 22, 1794.

From there let's here from Noah Webster:

"[T]he Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence." ~ Noah Webster. K. Alan Snyder, Defining Noah Webster: Mind and Morals in the Early Republic (New York: University Press of America, 1990), p. 253, to James Madison on October 16, 1829.

If you think this subject of a non-importance, please hear the contrast of the statement above.  The statement of Justice Douglas we began with would have us remove what Mr. Webster above would call the very source of (all) genuine freedom in government; a source of which a republican form of government like ours cannot long exist without. 

Our society today is bombarded with statements like that of Justice Douglas, those in authority and those who have the reigns of our justice system and legislation of our laws.  They would have us believe this understanding is the original intent of our Constitution and the goal of our Founding Fathers. And to a large degree our society is educated in this understanding by our institutions of learning.

Yet I am perplexed to find any of our Founding Fathers supportive of such understanding of Constitutional principles.  Our society is quick to tag the name of our Founders on their ideas, yet refuse the listen to their words.

"From the day of the Declaration, the people of the North American Union and of its constituent states were associated bodies of civilized men and Christians. . . . They were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledged as the rules of their conduct." ~ John Quincy Adams, Address Delivered at the Request of the Committee of Arrangements of Celebrating the Anniversary of Independence at the City of Washington on the Fourth of July 1821.

"The Declaration of Independence cast off all the shackles of this dependency. The United States of America were no longer Colonies.  They were an independent nation of Christians." ~ John Quincy Adams, An Oration . . . on . . . July 4, 1837, p. 18.

"[T]he ethics, doctrines, and examples furnished by Christianity exhibit the best models for the laws."  ~ Dewitt Clinton, Introduced the Twelfth Amendment.

"Christianity. . . . was the religion of the founders of the republic, and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants." ~ House Judiciary Committee. B. F. Morris, The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States (Philadelphia: George W. Childs, 1864), p. 323.

May God bless each of you,