Saturday, December 11, 2010
"General Principles" Part IV
First From Julie's Keyboard:
As
I sat down to think on some material for the blog this week, it seemed
that my mind kept going to the 37th Psalm. This Psalm through David comes as a contrast between the estate of the wicked and those that will
place their confidence in God.
As we take a path through those verses we'll notice many good verbs to give us an indication of what's going on there.
Verbs like (trust, delight, commit, rest, cease from, and fret not).
After reading through these passages, it's clear to see there are good things in store for the man who places his confidence in God, but on the other hand, there's nothing good waiting for the wicked man who forsakes Him.
How do things stand with you today, reader? In Whom do you place your trust? Do you believe in the God who inspired the writing of His Holy Word through varying authors such as David?
If not, there's no time like today to be sure of your eternal destination and how you live out the remainder of your days on this earth. His provision for your ability to walk in His ways, such as the things listed in Psalm 37, is yours for the taking. If you've never asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, I pray you will not miss out on His greatest Gift to the world.
We're going to celebrate His birth soon, and as we know the time of year we've chosen for this celebration likely isn't the correct birth date. But, it shouldn't matter. We should celebrate His coming to this earth always, each day, and everything He provided in between.
I pray you to read through the following Scriptures and ponder them. They will certainly bless you.
Psalm 37:1-11
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildores shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Have a super blessed week,
Julie
As we take a path through those verses we'll notice many good verbs to give us an indication of what's going on there.
Verbs like (trust, delight, commit, rest, cease from, and fret not).
After reading through these passages, it's clear to see there are good things in store for the man who places his confidence in God, but on the other hand, there's nothing good waiting for the wicked man who forsakes Him.
How do things stand with you today, reader? In Whom do you place your trust? Do you believe in the God who inspired the writing of His Holy Word through varying authors such as David?
If not, there's no time like today to be sure of your eternal destination and how you live out the remainder of your days on this earth. His provision for your ability to walk in His ways, such as the things listed in Psalm 37, is yours for the taking. If you've never asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, I pray you will not miss out on His greatest Gift to the world.
We're going to celebrate His birth soon, and as we know the time of year we've chosen for this celebration likely isn't the correct birth date. But, it shouldn't matter. We should celebrate His coming to this earth always, each day, and everything He provided in between.
I pray you to read through the following Scriptures and ponder them. They will certainly bless you.
Psalm 37:1-11
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildores shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Have a super blessed week,
Julie
**************************************************
"General Principles" Part IV
This
week I want to look at another post by Anonymous and try to address
again some of the misconceptions applied to (his/her) thinking.
Here is what Anonymous had to say in one of the early posts:
{Thomas Jefferson interpreted the 1st Amendment in his famous letter to the Danbury Baptist Association on January 1, 1802:
"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that acts of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and state."
Some Religious activists try to extricate the concept of separation between church and State by claiming that those words do not occur in the Constitution. Indeed they do not, but neither does it exactly say "freedom of religion," yet the First Amendment implies both.}
The point is in General Principles, our government and institutions were founded on the general principles of Christianity as stated by Mr. Adams.
I presume that Anonymous is attempting to say that by acknowledging that fact we are somehow crossing the wall of separation of church and state, somehow establishing a religion. This is absorbing thinking. The 1st Amendment is clear as well as Mr. Jefferson's Letter. In the 1st Amendment "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, . . ." which means, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
It does not say, Congress shall make no reference to the faith of our Founders, the influence of that faith, or infer in any way that our laws are based upon the general principles of Christianity.
As to Mr. Jefferson's letter, he was reassuring the Danbury Baptist that the government was not going to show favoritism to any particular denomination and by force apply punishment to any other by the legislation of law. "Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty: that Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious opinions, [and] that the legitimate power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor." - - - - Letter of Oct. 7, 1801, from Danbury (CT) Baptist Assoc. to Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, Manuscript Division.
Mr. Jefferson in the letter referred to by Anonymous closes by saying, "I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect and esteem."
To reciprocate means, RECIP'ROCATE, v.t. To exchange; to interchange; to give and return mutually; as, to reciprocate favors.
Mr. Jefferson was returning
mutually the prayers to America's God, the common Father, and Creator of
man. Here Mr. Jefferson as President was acknowledging that America has
a God and this God was the Creator of man and common Father of us all.
He did not try and get Congress to make that a law, but because of the
1st Amendment to which Anonymous referred, he had the freedom as
President to make that acknowledgment. The Founders felt it was the
duty of our nation to make such acknowledgments.
President George Washington, who presided as President over the Constitutional Convention made this proclamation: "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now, anonymous said at the beginning, "Some Religious activists try to extricate the concept of separation between church and State by claiming that those words do not occur in the Constitution."
If anonymous takes issues with my posting in "General Principles" must not (he/she) also take issue with President Washington's acknowledgment of God, and His recommendation that the people of the United States set a day aside for public (not private) thanksgiving and prayer?
Congress did not make that a law, but the President and Congress did recommend it, and that recommendation was completely in line with the Constitution and Jefferson's interpretation of the 1st Amendment which he referred to as the wall of separation of church and state.
It seems (his/her) understanding of the separation of church and state was not the understanding of church and state, that President Jefferson & President Washington had. Again, when I have to choose between what someone says President Jefferson believed or President Washington believed, or any Founder believed; if it disagrees with what they have said, I'm going to go with what they said every time.
May God bless each of you,
David
President George Washington, who presided as President over the Constitutional Convention made this proclamation: "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now, anonymous said at the beginning, "Some Religious activists try to extricate the concept of separation between church and State by claiming that those words do not occur in the Constitution."
If anonymous takes issues with my posting in "General Principles" must not (he/she) also take issue with President Washington's acknowledgment of God, and His recommendation that the people of the United States set a day aside for public (not private) thanksgiving and prayer?
Congress did not make that a law, but the President and Congress did recommend it, and that recommendation was completely in line with the Constitution and Jefferson's interpretation of the 1st Amendment which he referred to as the wall of separation of church and state.
It seems (his/her) understanding of the separation of church and state was not the understanding of church and state, that President Jefferson & President Washington had. Again, when I have to choose between what someone says President Jefferson believed or President Washington believed, or any Founder believed; if it disagrees with what they have said, I'm going to go with what they said every time.
May God bless each of you,
David
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