Saturday, February 12, 2011 "From our earliest history"

Saturday, February 12, 2011

"From our earliest history"

First From Julie's Keyboard:

Hello Friends,

What a beautiful day of sunshine today after all the dismal cold and icy weather lately.  Thinking along these lines reminded me of the Scripture passage stating how the Father sends "rain on the just and the unjust."  Which tells me for one thing, at least, that if you're not a born again believer in Christ today, the weather doesn't change for you necessarily.

Then on the other hand, unless one who has the Spirit of God within should exemplify some "Elijah like faith," the weather will not likely change for him either.  So, just what was He telling us in this passage of His Word?

Listen prayerfully as you read these verses from the amplified version of Matthew 5:43-48

 "But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, to show that you are the children of your father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers alike.  For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do that?  And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing?  Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?  You, therefore, must be perfect (growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity), as your heavenly father is perfect."

Now it seems my words should stop and time for my own personal reflection within these verses needs it work.  My prayer would be that this place of "love" that is within the nature of my Father for others will also be found within me, and you.

Thank You Father for the day of beautiful sunshine!

May we be more like our Master,

Julie
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http://spiritualheritage.blogspot.com/

"From our earliest history"

"Whereas, the people of these United States, from their earliest history to the present time, have been led by the hand of a kind Providence and are indebted for the countless blessings of the past and present, and dependent for continued prosperity in the future upon Almighty God; and whereas the great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it eminently becomes the representatives of a people so highly favored to acknowledge in the most public manner their reverence for God: therefore, Resolved, That the daily sessions of this body be opened with prayer and that the ministers of the Gospel in this city are hereby requested to attend and alternately perform this solemn duty." - - - - Reports of Committees of the House of Representatives Made During the First Session of the Thirty-Third Congress (Washington: A. O. P. Nicholson, 1854).

It is going to be hard for me to commit on that statement, our history is so clear and concise concerning our faith it is difficult to read it and feel compelled to have to try and explain it.

The closer you get to the day of the Constitution the more faith you find, the further you get away and closer to our time in history the less you find. When you do find it today it is ridiculed and suppressed by the very source that once promoted and embraced it.

Lets take a closer look at this House report:

". . . the people of these United States, from their earliest history to the present time, have been led by the hand of a kind Providence . . ." Now we must presume that religious faith was not 100%, but in general, here speaking, Congress recognized that the people of these United States looked to and contributed their direction and destiny to God, in whom they viewed as being kind and favorable to their purpose.

". . . are indebted for the countless blessings of the past and present, . . ." Here Congress acknowledged that our society felt indebted to God for the countless blessings to which they were enjoying then and had enjoyed in previous generations.

" . . . and dependent for continued prosperity in the future upon Almighty God; . . ." We as a nation in general viewed our prosperity and our future to be dependent upon Almighty God. We were not prideful in our greatness, not accounting it to our own resources or some superior ability as a people, but upon God and our faith in him.

" . . . the great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, . . ." This is the most profound statement thus far, as it defines for us which god and which faith "Providence" and "Almighty God" is to be referenced. It also defines for us the great place it held in our existence. It was not a small part, a great part, or even a vital part; this faith was viewed as "(the) great vital and conservative element in our system"

" . . . it eminently becomes the representatives of a people so highly favored to acknowledge in the most public manner their reverence for God: . . ." Here we see something which is almost none existent in our society today, the public acknowledgement by our governing leaders of their reverence for God. I suppose we must conclude their is no such reverence by those who remain silent today.

". . . therefore, Resolved, That the daily sessions of this body be opened with prayer and that the ministers of the Gospel in this city are hereby requested to attend and alternately perform this solemn duty." It was determined to accompany this acknowledgement, a daily dependence upon prayer and ministry of the word by the clergy to encourage this boldness of our government leaders.


What a wonderful system that allowed our people to acknowledge and express their faith both in public and private. Not by coercion, but freedom of conscience. This freedom has been lost today to a great degree. Where then the minority choose this freedom of conscience to express their non-religious views, they are in the majority today. It seems though, now the minority which is of faith, are denied their freedom of conscience and their expression of a public faith. It is now suppressed by the incorrect application of the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution and misapplied concept of separation of Church and State.


Until we return to the original application and intent of the Constitution our freedoms will continue to degrade. As we continue to drift away from the faith of our fathers, our ability to return to this original state becomes more and more difficult.


This faith spoken of by the First Session of the Thirty-Third Congress in 1854 is the source and inspiration of this great experience of freedom, as we drift further away, our ability to understand who we are and what we are about becomes more and more obscure.


May God bless each of you,

David