A Christian Nation

The more I study this subject the more adament  I am of my stance that our nation was established as a Christian nation.  

We may not be that any longer but there is no denying that our Founding Fathers did establish this great nation as a Christian nation and never intended censorship of the Christian expression of faith nor any others.  However, what has been the foundation of making our country great seems to be slowly eroding away into the background.

 Our CPA always sends inspirational readings with his mailings. I've collected these over time:

The preambles of all 50 states mention God (and they weren’t talking about Allah!)

 34 times – Almighty God

 6 times – God

9 times – Creator/ Supreme Ruler/Divine Guidance

1 time – Religion we owe our Creator…to practice Christian Forebearance, Love, and Charity

George Washington:  Do not let anyone claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics.  It is impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible.

John Adams:  The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of  Christianity.

James Wilson, signer of both the Dec. of Independence and the Constitution:  Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine...Far from being rivals or enemies,  religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.  Indeed, these two sciences run into each other.

Alexis de Tocquevilee French observer of America in 1831 author of Democracy in America:  The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other.  Upon my arrival in the US the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that stuck my attention and the longer I stayed there the more did I perceive the great political consequences resulting from this state of things, to which I was unaccustomed.  In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom pursuing courses diametrically opposed to each other, but in America I found that they were intimately united, and that they reigned in common over the same country.      

Benjamin Franklin  :  The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth:  That God governs in the affairs of men.  If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?  We've been assured in the sacred writings that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain.  I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in the political building no better than the builders of Babel.

This is the one that really stood out to me:

Patrick Henry:  It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that our great nation was founded, not by religionists but by Christians: not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity and freedom of worship here.

How can you not say that the original intent was to be “one nation under God?”  An editorial in the Columbia Tribune excellently pointed out that our Founders wanted tolerance for all religions.  Although the term separation of church and state was never mentioned in the Constitution , it is implied, but we must go back to the original intent.  After reading all the quotes from our Founding Fathers, can it possibly mean to not allow the nativity scene on the courthouse lawn or the ichthus on the war memorial? It is not about censorship but about freedom.  If a Jew wants a Star of David or a Muslim wants a crescent on the war memorial, fine.  If Muslim students need a place to pray at school, fine.  But it has begun to be more about censorship of mostly all things Christian.  What next?  No Thanksgiving?  No Christmas?  No crosses on the graves in Arlington National Cemetary?  Are those who are free to exercise their faith in our great country going to be “offended” at the many monuments in our capital of Washington, DC that mention God and insist that our history be 
sandblasted?
                                            

I am happy to live peaceably and worship alongside other faiths as was intended. But we must  recognize that the Muslim influence is becoming stronger as our world becomes smaller. And we must recognize that it is a fact that the Islam religion is based on the Quran telling them to persecute those who do not believe in Mohammed and the Quran.  Many Muslims may not even know that, but are allowing those who do to become stronger.  In the face of that, we must not forget who United States was meant to be  and what we stand for.

Irwin Lutzer pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago writes in his book The Cross and the Crescent that there are no examples in history of Christians living in Muslim-dominated lands being granted anything that even approaches equal rights.  In the United Kingdom there are now more than 1,700 official mosques many converted from former churches.  The once strong Christian presence in Turkey has essentially disappeared.. He points out that with the rise of the Muslim influence in the west we may expect many more requests that  Christian symbols be removed.  US officials in their effort to be politically correct are bending over backward to accommodate Muslims who are offended by symbols of the Christian faith.    But what they are really doing is censoring expressions of the Christian faith while freely  permitting the Muslim viewpoint which is to eradicate any infidels who do not practice their faith!  We do allow Muslims to work and worship in the United States in peace.  But we must not allow that voice to censor our history.That is where we MUST go back to the original intention of Amendent 1. Many faiths have worshipped alongside one another freely for the history of our nation.   Are we going to allow a continual but stealthy erosion of the voice of Christianity that was foundational in establishing that very freedom they enjoy?

 Personally I don’t want to become militant over whether the ichthus remains on the war memorial in Columbia, Mo which is the latest target of censorship that prompted my research. But what I do want is to remember on what the United States was founded. These quotes leave no question.  And what I do want is for Christians to not allow their faith to be censored and for our fight not to be just over symbols, but to exercise our right to be known by their love of all and freedom for all, including the Muslims that live and work peaceably in this nation.     

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.  These nations have progressed through the following sequence: 

   from bondage to spiritual faith

   from spriitual faith to great courage

   from courage to liberty

   from liberty to abundance

   from abundance to selfishness

   from selfishness to complacency

   from complacency to apathy

   from apathy to dependency

   from dependency back into bondage

I  fear if we are not careful we may be entering the last of that sequence.  I offer my own decidedly Christian voice as one that is for freedom for ALL and a  call for Christians to grow stronger, not in militancy, but in their faith so that whether we have symbols in the town square or not,  our influence of peace and love may continue to be a voice in this great nation. 

This is the proclamation George Washington made of the first Thanksgiving:

Whereas both Houses of Congress have… requested me to recommend to the people of the US a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed.

May we join together in a historically accepted thanksgiving for our free nation regardless of our expression of faith.

I Lift My Eyes Unto The Hills

                                    I Look Unto The Hills...

     Though there is snow on the ground outside now, I just came across vacation 
     pictures of  a sunny day in June where I was on vacation in the mountains of 
     Idaho.  In the midst of a  hectic fall, I look back to the time of perfect peace 
     where I sat out in the cool mountain air and was moved once more to poetry 
     as being the outlet for my heart running over.

     This always happens when I'm in the mountains.  Their beauty somehow
     restores me. I can't fathom anyone not thinking of  the Creator when looking
     at their vast majesty.  It happens also when I'm at the ocean or even under
     an open sky at  dawn or sunset.  It's there that I lift my eyes above the 
     mundane dailyness that  often  steals my focus. It's so easy to see only what 
     is in front of us - the world of  routine, of the practical, of the work of living. 
     It's so easy to get our mind so full of the next meal, chore, event, hurt, 
     or disappointment. 
 
     For truly, His creation speaks clearly of His invisible nature, His eternal 
    power and deity.  Surely there is no one, regardless of their belief, that
    hasn't stood under a clear night sky or a beautiful view of rolling hills without 
    feeling a sense of  romance, a  stirring deep within. But to some that sense 
    of romance may remain loverless, a  mystery they may not even understand 
    is spiritual. 

    The bible tells us:  For since the beginning of the world His invisible nature,
           namely His eternal power  and deity has been clearly perceived in the 
           things that have been made.  So they are without excuse, for although 
           they knew God they did not glorify Him and thank Him as God.  
                                                                                                       Rm.1:20-21 

     How sad that many may never look into their soul to find the Savior and 
    Creator that is  the author of  that sweet stirring. And how sad that many of 
    us who have welcomed our Saviour into the deepest recesses of our heart, 
    and know Him through His Word and our experience, go many days without 
    really lifting our eyes  to His glory, failing to glorify and thank Him.  

    For I know, that though we must accept some days as routine and mundane,
    I  don't have to take a trip to the mountains or the ocean to find His glory. 
    Surely, gazing upon the  splendor of His creation is heart-stirring.  But I can 
    lift my eyes to the hills sitting on my couch, waiting for Him to illuminate a 
    passage that lights up my heart like the most  beautiful of sunrises. 

   I may have to wait on His timing that isn't always as regular as the sunrises, 
   but is as sure.  And I must be patient because some dawns are signals of a 
   storm on the horizon. But if I wait on Him He'll lead me to passages that I've 
   read over and over but can shed new light into the present storm clouds in
   my life:

   When I've  needed  to change my default of withdrawing: 
                  Speak the truth in love. Eph:4-5                                                                                                                  
   When I've been hurt and want to lash out: 
                    Be angry but do not sin.  Eph. 4:26

   When I've been disappointed by someone: 
                    Not all have faith, but God is faithful. 2 Thess. 3:2-3                                                                               
   When I'm suffering:  
                   In this you greatly rejoice though now you have had to suffer
                   a little  while...these have come so that your faith...may be proved 
                   genuine... 1 Peter 1:6-7                                                                                                        
   
   Maybe it's not a mountain-top experience I need for restoration.  Maybe it's 
   just a change of perspective: His.


   I lift mine eyes to the hills .
   He restoreth my soul.
   When the world closes in,
   There my broken pieces are made whole.

   For the dark one is prowling,
   Desiring us to fall.
   But if we become still,
   We can hear the whispering call.

   For His still small voice
   Resides within.
   Flowers sprout from rock crevices
   Then the darkness will begin...

   To fade over into 
   My soul's horizon
   And the glory of daybreak
   Will bring forth the light rising...

   With the dawn of knowing
   He is ever with me.
   No matter what the darkness 
   He holds the key...

   To the perspective of safety.
   No matter what may befall
   He will walk us through it 
   For He is Lord of all.
   
   
   
    
      

    
     

Up the Creek Without a Paddle

How many of us have felt the icy fingers of fear? When circumstances surround you that truly threaten to overwhelm, and you feel like you’re drowning and will be taken under for the last time, it’s an emotion common to man. Your flight or fight response kicks in. Some of us want to withdraw and pull the covers over our heads. Others have the default of lashing out at anyone that might be in the way or have a different opinion or perspective on the situation. Your mind perseverates over options like a whirlpool threatening to suck you down as you pluck at solutions on the way into the abyss producing grating notes of panic like a broken record of discordant sounds.

Recently I had a few days where I felt like that. Thankfully it was only a few days until I got a hold of the Lord’s hand and have let Him walk me through the possibilities and the truth of the situation. I’ve also walked with a friend who is going through a much more significant reason for fear. My prayer list reflects the knowledge of many people around me struggling for sanity in the midst of much more dire circumstances that have sent me into a tailspin.

Recently my bible study (thank the Lord for women to study with and teachers insightful that gave me new insight into 2 Corinthians 12.) This is that familiar verse where Paul boasts of his weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon him (vs. 9). How counterintuitive!!! Weakness so that power may be revealed??? He goes on to say that he has repeatedly asked the Lord to take away His thorn but the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” (vs. 7,8,9) And Paul concludes: For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak I am strong. (vs. 10).

When I am weak, I am strong. When I am weak I am strong. Not an easy concept to tell your panicking mind in the throes of your weakness careening you into the black tunnel of fear.

Recently I was in a study on Gideon where we saw that when he was most panicked about fighting the Midianites, Gideon sought the Lord passionately and was led through to victory. The Lord even had him reduce his army to only 300 men in order that there would be no question that the victory was the Lord’s! But we saw later, in Gideon’s plenty, he did not hear God speak into his life because he no longer clung to Him so desperately.

And so, when thrown into the turbulent river where fear threatens to overwhelm, we have to do what Paul and Gideon did: lift our eyes to heaven. Lie back in the waters and hold onto the oar that is our only hope of getting to safety; not to panic like the drowning victim that fights his rescuer, but to go with the flow of whatever situation is happening, waiting on the Lord before you take a step or give a response. WAITing on the Lord. WAITing on the Lord. Not trying your own quick fixes and trying to struggle out of the circumstances, but WAITing until He gives you a nudge that you confirm seems to be a word of guidance rather that a quick response of panic. Resisting your impulse to fight and struggle, or to despair and give into hysterics, but to surrender to GO WITH THE FLOW, knowing He can see where this raging river turns into calm water. And that He will bring you there with Him. He always does you know. He always HAS you know, if you but think back to similar situations.

That acronym of False Evidence Appearing Real, is so true. The devil wants us to give into our paralyzing emotions, where we lash out and we see the worst case scenario looming like the edge of the waterfall we envision falling over screaming in terror… which might not even be part of this stream of circumstances!!!

Priscilla Shirer in her study of Gideon makes this amazing statement: WE WILL EXPERIENCE MORE VICTORY IF WE CHOOSE TO SURRENDER. In my life coaching materials, we have a Surrender Exercise that is vital to the process. SURRENDER. Lying back in our Rescuer’s arms even as the waters threaten to overcome. Listening to His voice (that means getting in the Word!!!!); when all you want to do is talk about it or think about it until the solution comes out of the barrage of lament, instead of getting quiet and waiting for His still small voice that we have heard so many times. It is so hard to get quiet enough to listen, especially in the face of calamity.

But I have seen that face be faced. I saw it at the head of a casket recently with a wife’s sweet smile across a crowded sanctuary of mourners, often comforting others who came to comfort her. The worst had happened; her husband was taken way too soon. A vibrant, giving man with an obituary a mile long of accomplishments and service to mankind, snuffed out like a bright light in a storm. But despite the sadness, there was a smile and a calm that spoke volumes about the heaven she was envisioning for her loved one and believed with no question.

And at bible study, I hear prayer requests shared from deep within aching hearts, yet with a peace and calm in the face of many different traumas of life, with the sweet restraint of trust and belief in the power of prayer. Some of these requests are shared once again, still sending sharp shards of pain, even after years of laying the request at the feet of Jesus and walking away in a quiet knowing that if he won’t change the circumstance for reasons beyond our comprehension, He will change our heart and its ability to love and cope in the midst of the storm.

He is our Rescuer. Only when I allow Him to rescue me can I hope to have any strength at all. When I am weak I am strong. I’m beginning to get it.

Power is Perfected in Weakness

Power is perfected in weakness.

So then where, Lord, is that power?

I’m overcome by powerlessness.

Fear abounds hour after hour.

It rises up within me,

Threatens to paralyze.

My mind is held captive

By the devil and His web of lies.

Up the creek without a paddle…

That’s exactly how it has begun to feel.

But then I remember the acronym:

False Evidence Appearing Real.

I know You are always with me.

But You feel nowhere near.

So I try to lay back in your arms

And refuse to give into the fear.

I know all things work together

For good, no matter how bad.

You’ve always used hard times to grow me.

If I’m honest I’ve never been had!

No matter how dark the valley,

You’ve always taken me through.

Why should I doubt this time?

That is exactly what You will do.

So as my boat is capsized,

I don’t panic, let go of the oars.

I hang onto your promises

And wait til you open the door

Of heaven and come down and rescue,

Again and again and again.

Now I see my panic

Is truly a form of sin.

So I keep my wits about me.

Though capsized I go with the flow.

I wait for that quiet knowing.

I lay back until I know

Your arms are tight around me.

Though turbulent waters threaten to drown.

For when I’m weak you are closest

If I but look up and not down.

Thank you heavenly Father

For speaking once again to this child.

I am strong though I am weak

As long as we’re reconciled.

-by Sherrill Schlimpert,

based on the wisdom of my friend Sarah,

who is an earthly example of weathering the storms of

life with grace and dignity and strength.

Our Treasure Within

Our Treasure Within

       Has it been a year since I last made a blog entry? What  a busy year it has been, so many blessings.  And yet I've seen so much pain in so many people around me.  And thinking back, besides a new grandbaby and wonderful trips and visits with the family who are all healthy and prospering, there was mono last winter and shingles and of course a sinus infection that slowed my tracks for months.
       And so what do I feel moved to blog about?  Back to the problem of pain.  Why does God allow suffering?  It's in finding the answer to this problem that we either become His followers or wallow in our own journey trying to find answers and antidotes.
      But the answer is written over and over throughout the scriptures! There are so many SO THAT verses, verses that tell us we suffer SO THAT we may bring Him glory in the way we do it:  Praise be the God of comfort...who comforts us in our troubles SO THAT  we may comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Cor. 1:3.   I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, SO THAT you will know I am the Lord...who summons you by name. Is. 45:3  Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ SO THAT you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  I Pet. 4:12. 
     I marvel every time I see a SO THAT verse of which there are so many more, because suddenly in the midst of the confusion of life,  the Word shouts the truth in simplicity -  that we so easily lose as we walk through the next episodes of our journey - the reason we need the sustenance of the Word daily, lest we forget.
     None speaks louder to me than 2 Cor. 4:7-12:  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power if from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.   We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, SO THAT the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, SO THAT his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 
     It seems so clear today in the warmth of my living room in front of a warm fire with the snow painting a picture of beauty outside my window.  But what of my friends?  One undergoing brain surgery today- a single mom with 2 small children, another caring for a dear one with stage 4 rectal cancer at age 49 who doesn't know the Lord,  or of the young mother suddenly cast away to be a single mom of two little ones?   Suddenly the warm fire and the tranquil scene outside is not enough beauty to stop the stab of fear that runs through me. When will it be my turn again?  I may not have suffered such dramatic encounters with pain. And yet pain is pain, regardless of the reason, big or small. For we are, as the scripture says, jars of clay, weak beings that suffer scars the moment we are put into the world - disappointments, unanswered prayer, sickness, worries, even just daily hassles of time pressures and setbacks.
      But what beauty there is when these jars of clay shine the beauty of their faith through the fissures of the brokenness that pain has left them marked in one way or another!  There is nothing more beautiful than seeing the light of  hope shine through the faces of those who SEE the SO THAT even through their tears, who accept that this life is but a stairway to heaven - one full of detours to the next step - and yes, full of beauty when we reach the next one of blessings, those times where we can bask in thankfulness for the manna given to go on.
     Yes, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing those who show us how to go through  trials fulfilling the command of Phil. 4: 4-7:  Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice:  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and you minds in Christ Jesus.  Even the secular media loves those stories - we do see stories of courage and hope and perseverance occasionally sprinkled in the midst of the bad news -  they just don't see the source of their power within.
    That peace that passes understanding - surely there is nothing more beautiful.  And there is nowhere I see it  more clearly than from the dear clay pots around me that shine it out through their suffering. And I thank God for them, role models of followers that show me the way.  The problem is to remember this - to keep it in our minds when they get clouded by our disappointments, setbacks and fears.  But that is a blog for another day.

The Song of the Valley

When they walk through the valley of weeping,

 it will become a place of refreshing springs.  – Psalm 84:6

Many are the plans of a woman’s heart. (Pr. 19:21)

But when your plans differ Lord, how do we start

to process our pain?

The psalmists show how.

We flail and cry, until our head we bow

to the Author of our story.

He always knows what’s best.

Though we can’t see how, we must surrender and rest

by remembering His deeds

when He’s touched us before.

When we look back, we see how He opens the door

To hidingin Him.

We don’t need to fear.

He was with us there. He’ll be with us here.

We can trust in our tomorrows

because He’s touched our yesterdays.

So through the valley of weeping, we must cling til the praise

rises up within us – and we see where we are…

Maybe not where we planned to be, but

 with Him walking so far,

holding tight to His hand,

knowing He is our fortress

and in any onslaught we can stand…

if we remember His touch,

  hide and  cling,

we’ll learn, even in the valleys, we can walk and sing.

- by Sherrill Schlimpert, April 2010