Tag Archives: Faith and Politics

Isaiah Daniel

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    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  James 1:17 (ESV) 

Speaking of good and perfect gifts from God – Here’s Isaiah Daniel…

Isaiah

Isaiah was born on Wed, October 29, 2008.  A whopping 9 pounds and 22 inches long – he’s got long hands and feet – can anybody say “the next Michael Phelps”?  He’s beautiful in every way – praise God!  Just in case you’ve lost count – this is number four for the Sayler clan (8, 6, 19 months, and newbie). 

Isaiah Daniel, as you probably guessed, Bible names.  Isaiah means “Yahweh is Salvation” and Daniel means “God is my judge.”  Child #4 is comes as a reminder of both Salvation and Judgment.  Without judgment, there would be no need for salvation, and unless we are found in the Lord’s salvation, we will be found in judgment.  Maybe God laid this name our our hearts as a reminder of both judgment and salvation – maybe we just like how they sounded.  Either way, praise God for all His blessings.

In light of all the other stuff, economy, politics, etc… (which quite frankly pale in comparison) remember this from Isaiah 6  “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:1-3 (ESV)

In the midst of uncertain times, even worse than what we’re experiencing today, Isaiah was reminded that God is still on His throne, that in His sovereign grace He reigns over the heavens and the earth, and that His praise and glory will continue to advance.  Let not your hearts be troubled.  God is good.  All the time.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

Grace and peace,

SDG
 

 

Separation of Church and State??

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I was doing a little study in Charles Hodges’ Systematic Theology when I came across this passage.  I find it incredibly relevant to today’s political climate which demands the so called “Separation of Church and State” (which is never found in the Constitution, and is in fact a Marxist ideal), even though this was written in 1872. 

The Demands of Unbelievers are Unjust

The demands of those who require that religion, and especially Christianity should be ignored in our national, state, and municipal laws, are not only unreasonable, but they are in the highest degree unjust and tyrranical.  It is a condition of service in connection with any railroad which is operated on Sundays, that he employeee be not a Christian.  If Christianity is not to control the action of municipal, state, and general governements, then if elections be ordered to be held on the Lord’s Day, Christians cannot vote.  If all the business of the country is to go on, on that as on other days, no Christian can hold office.  We should thus have not a religious, but an anti-religious test act.  Such is the free thinker’s idea of liberty. (A free-thinker is a man whose understandig is emancipated from his conscience.  It is therefore natural for him to wish to see civil government emancipated from religion.) But still further, if Christianity is not to control the laws of the country, then as monogamy is a purely Christian institution, we can have no laws against polygamy, arbitrary divorce, or “free love”.  All will demand that we yeild to the athiests, the oath and the decalogue; and all the rights of citizenship must be confined to blasphemers.  Since the fall of Lucifer, no such tyrant has been  made known to men as August Comte, the athiest.  If, therefore, any man wishes to antedate perdition, he has nothing to do but to become a free-thinker and join in the shout, “Civil government has nothing to do with religion; and religion has nothing to do with civile government.”

Hodge,Charles.  Systematic Theology, Vol III (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pub, 1982) Page 346.