For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth...Eph 5:9
Winter 2004 Volume 5, Issue 1 |
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In Daniel 4, king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon shows a dream he had of a tall and fruitful tree. Birds dwelt in it and animals underneath it. Then a holy one came down from heaven and ordered to chop down the tree. The stump was left, bound with a band of iron and bronze. The stump was to be wet with dew and it would graze with the beasts. Then the imagery changes from a tree (and “it”) to a man, saying “his” heart would be changed from that of a man to that of a beast. The king did not understand the dream, so he called in Daniel to interpret it. Daniel showed the king that he was to suffer horribly until he learned “... that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses...” (Dan. 4:19-27). It was a year later before these events were fulfilled, after which he made this confession: “...at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar...blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever...Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice...” (Dan. 4:28-37). If Nebuchadnezzar lived in America, he would have been unconstitutional, according to an infamous recent court ruling. Years later Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian Empire during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar's grandson. Dairus the Mede was the king who brought down Babylon. He understood many things about Daniel and His God, admiring both. Later the Mede king was tricked into condemning Daniel to the den of lions. The prophet survived and the king had his conspirators thrown to the lions. Afterwards, Darius made a great “unconstitutional” confession: “...I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel...” (Dan. 6:25-27). This man was wise enough to see that ultimate success comes from acknowledging God's hand in the affairs of life. While Darius could not make a decree for future nations, he wanted his words written down that other nations might learn what he learned. The Holy Spirit included these words because He wants America to learn the same thing. What About the Declaration of Independence? |
On July 4, 1776, The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. It was a declaration of separation from the tyrannical power of Great Britain. This is well known. What is not so well known or accepted today is that it also made a declaration of dependence upon God, because the writers knew that our nation is under God. In the first paragraph, Congress declared: “...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them...”. In the second paragraph, Congress affirmed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights...”. They focused upon being created equal and that their Creator endowed us with inalienable Rights. It is this belief that led to the Bill of Rights, found in the Constitution. Sadly today we have to remind our fellow Americans that we are equal because we have been created and that we have inalienable Rights because the Creator endowed us with them. The closing paragraph, begins with dependence upon the One whom Abraham called the Judge of all the earth in Genesis 18:25: “We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world...”. That same paragraph closes with these obvious words of reliance upon God: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” Is the day coming when a reading of the Declaration of Independence in the schools will be unconstitutional? The Declaration of Independence gave birth to the Constitution. If the Declaration of Independence becomes unconstitutional, which it should, if the court is consistent, what will happen to the Constitution? After the Soviet Union broke up, America and Russia started trading places. They are moving from atheism to theism and we are moving from theism to atheism. The time is coming when we will be forced to practice our religion only in our homes and church buildings! Don Ruhl | |
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