DOUBLE Dog Dare Ya!
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks
Xoie on a freezing day, goes for the double dog dare!
*amazingly . . . her tongue did not stick.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
DOUBLE Dog Dare Ya!
DOUBLE Dog Dare Ya!
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks
Thursday, November 26, 2009
LIMITING GOD article by CR Dickey
LIMITING GOD
Among the magnificent peaks of the Absaroka Mountains in Montana there are many beautiful lakes. Some of them are nestled in the very top of the peaks. Shimmering there in the shadows of clouds and trees, they create the illusion of having wafted out of the heavens through rainbow mist to crown the gleaming, snow-capped mountains with halos.
One of the most interesting of these pools in the sky is Mystic Lake. It is thousands of feet above sea level and men have not yet been able to plumb its depth. But men did become aware of the dormant energy hidden beneath the surface of its deep placid waters. In order to use that energy, hardy engineers hauled machinery up the mountain and built a power plant to harness and distribute the vast resources. Then they released water from the lake and sent it tumbling down the steep, rugged slope. Energy thus created now supplies electricity and irrigation for many square miles of fertile valleys below. The process continues year to year, but the lake itself remains calm, and its resources apparently undiminished, after meeting the requirements of numerous homes and fields.
One of the things about this great power plant which particularly fascinates an observer is the ease with which the unleashed forces of nature can be controlled by man’s mechanical skill. A foreman delights to show the visitor how quickly he can manipulate the mighty forces at his command; by touching an electric button, he sets levers in motion that shut off the power entirely, or release it in any quantity desired.
Mystic Lake is a miniature illustration of the unknown, limitless resources of God. Certainly man has not measured the power of God, nor has he ever used it except in a very limited way, although it is not God who does the limiting. Man will not apply himself to learning the secrets of tapping spiritual energy with the same determination and assurance of success that lead him to the mastery of dynamos and other methods of producing physical energy.
A few years ago Charles P. Steinmetz went to Wellesley Hills to visit Roger W. Babson. In the course of conversation, according to a report in Utica Observer-Dispatch, Babson asked his guest, “What line of research will see the greatest development during the next fifty years?”
The scientist was quiet for several minutes. “The great discoveries,” he answered finally, “will be made along spiritual lines. We scientific men have spent our lives studying physical forces. And now --- having made the most sensational discoveries in the history of the world --- we learn that our knowledge has not brought people happiness. Material things will never bring happiness. Scientists must now turn their laboratories over to the study of God, and prayer, and the spiritual forces. Here is the field where miracles are going to occur. Spiritual power is the greatest of the undeveloped powers, and has the greatest future.”
Coming from a man of science, that is a remarkable statement. Spiritual power is the greatest of the undeveloped powers, said Steinmetz. What an unconscious rebuke to all of us who confess to be followers of Christ! Why is spiritual power still undeveloped after nineteen hundred years of Christianity? The answer is couched in Psalm 78, verse 41:
”Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”
They --- the people --- God’s covenant people --- limited Him. The entire Psalm reviews Israel’s mountain peak experiences for the very purpose of showing the many times and ways they limited the operation of God’s power and thwarted the consummation of His great plans for their future. The Psalmist reminds us:
”He [the Lord] established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.” (Ps. 78:5-8.)
Furthermore, the writer declared that the children of Ephraim had been defeated in the day of battle because:
”They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law; and forgat His works, and His wonders that He had shewed them.” (Ps. 78:10-11.)
When the covenant was confirmed at Mount Sinai, the people vowed, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” The Psalmist testifies that even though God, being full of compassion, had marvelously kept His part of the contract, Israel was notoriously faithless except for brief periods of repentance after severe chastisement:
”When He slew them, then they sought Him and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant….Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Ps. 78:34-41.)
It is obvious from a study of Psalm 78, and many other chapters, that obedience to God unlocks floodgates and releases His power through men; conversely, disobedience limits the power of God to energize, enlighten and bless mankind according to His expressed desire and purpose. We can find little to condone the failures of Israel in the distant past; and, if that be true, surely there is even less excuse for limiting God in these latter days when He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and manifested His power through the Holy Spirit.
Human limitation of Divine power began in the early morning hours of recorded history. Limiting God was a cardinal sin in the earth long before the Israelites provoked and grieved Yahoveh in the Wilderness. It began in Eden, when our first parents dared to oppose the Divine Will, thereby frustrating the advancement of the original perfect order which its Creator had pronounced good. In so doing they shut off the glory of God’s illimitable power and consigned their posterity to “shallows and miseries.” We suffer the consequences to this day. On the other hand, the bow in the cloud has illumined the sky with prismatic beauty since the time of Noah, as a reminder of one man’s complete obedience to the holy purpose of God.
As individuals we continue to limit God. Notwithstanding all the compassionate efforts of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to show us the way, we have not recaptured the knowledge of utilizing the Father’s boundless resources. We accept the idea that “with God all things are possible,” forgetting that He permits us to limit Him by the exercise of our free wills. Each of us can shut out the Spirit of power from his own life, much as the engineer can control the volume of energy which flows from the mountain lake.
Doubtless, unbelief and disobedience are the most common obstacles to the development of spiritual power today, as in the time when the poet wrote Psalm 78 --- so little has the heart of man changed during the intervening centuries. Disobedience is usually the result of unbelief, since one rarely disobeys with willful intent until he first comes to doubt God’s Word. “All things are possible,” said Jesus, “to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). What man has sounded the depth of that statement? Who is strong enough in faith and courage to test it fully? Jesus Himself is the only one who never limited God, yet He said to His disciples:
”He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” (John 14:12.)
There is one truth in the New Testament which is emphasized by all its inspired writers, and that is no man can appropriate spiritual life and power save through his acceptance of Jesus Christ as the resurrected Son of God. Again Jesus declared:
”Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” (Acts 1:8.)
Now upon whom does the Holy Spirit come? We know that He comes only upon disciples who have first confessed their faith in Christ as the Son of God. When Christ becomes the author and finisher of a man’s faith, he is then ready to receive power from on High --- power to become --- and power to overcome:
”As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (John 1:12.)
“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:4-5.)
What amazing forces any humble man, woman or child can release from the throne of God by simply believing and doing all that the Bible teaches!
We are prone to reject spiritual forces because we cannot see and understand them. How inconsistent! One does not refuse to turn on his radio, although he can neither see nor explain the power which makes it work; one does not turn a deaf ear to the music of a great organ, even though he cannot see the wind and understand the electric energy which drives it so harmoniously through the pipes.
Someone has related a little story that illustrates the point. A tourist in Arizona accidentally backed his car off a bank into a deep hole. As there was nothing else to be done, he walked to the nearest garage for help. The place was close to a railroad track and, while the traveler was away, a work train came along with a big lifting crane. The train stopped and the crew let down the crane, picked up the automobile, lifted it out of the hole and set it in the road. Then the train went on its way. What was utterly impossible for one man was just a little amusement for the trainmen with their mighty steel lifter and giant locomotive. Soon the tourist returned and to his astonishment found his car in the road, ready to be driven off. He looked all around but could not imagine how it got there. He could see no signs of human hands, nor tracks of human feet anywhere; it looked miraculous, very mysterious to say the least. However, he accepted the miracle, got in his car and drove away rejoicing.
If we could fathom the tremendous forces which the Almighty commands, we would see that what we call miracles are but the operation of natural laws unrevealed to the mind of man. When we refuse to appropriate spiritual power because we cannot comprehend its laws, we are as foolish as the tourist would have been had he refused to ride in his car until he understood just how it got out of the ditch.
A God of love desires to bear the burdens of His people. He invites us to cast our cares upon Him. But we can’t turn them loose. We trudge through life weighted with all the imaginary woes of the past, present and future. We trust God to about the same extent as a well-meaning woman in the Texas Panhandle who, when asked if all varieties of crops had ever failed in the same year replied: “No --- but we are always expecting them to.”
As individuals we limit the desire of God to answer our prayers and bless us according to His gracious promises. Jesus taught:
I am the door: by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9.)
That is, he shall have access to the Lord’s abundant store house:
”Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened….What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them….Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do it.” (Matt. 7:7-8; Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14.)
Who can measure the scope of those munificent words? Who really dares to try them?
Blind Bartimaeus sat begging on the highway between Jericho and Jerusalem. Jesus passed that way and said to him:
”What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (Mark 10:51a.)
Prompted by faith, newly born but undaunted, the blind man replied:
”Lord, that I might receive my sight.” (Mark 10:51b.)]/b]
If the average Christian of today stood before Jesus with the same affliction and opportunity as Bartimaeus, it is highly probable that the nearest he could come to the blind beggar’s faith would be to ask the Lord for a Seeing Eye dog. However, we honor God most by asking for the seemingly impossible things, especially if the motive is to exalt Him rather than to gratify our own selfish ends. James explains in his letter why we do not have the things we desire:
”Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume upon your lusts [spend it in your pleasures].” (James 4:2-3.)
Jesus could well say to us, as He said to the people of ancient Judea:
”O faithless and perverse generation.” (Matt. 17:17.)
As a nation we are limiting God. Even now we are shutting off the only power that can bring us the national blessings for which we sigh. After all, the nation is merely the individual multiplied, or “writ large,” as someone has said. What we are individually determines what our nation is to be. Just as God has promised to bear the burdens of the individual, so He has pledged to strengthen and uphold the nation that trusts in Him. Through the prophet God is speaking now to the nations of modern Israel:
”Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundations of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear….Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” (Isa. 48:12-18.)
In these perilous days of war, countless hearts are in anguish because peace has fled from the earth. Is there no balm in Gilead? no remedy for our besetting sin? no way to enlist the power of God in behalf of Christian people? Yes, there is a remedy --- a way out. It was given to one of Israel’s great kings.
”The Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chron. 7:12-14.)
Are the people of America ready and willing to meet these conditions? or will some future poet lament our departed glory in the words of the Psalmist --- “They limited the Holy One of Israel” (Ps. 78:41).
When the French went to the Isthmus of Panama to dig a canal, they took doctors, nurses and medicines, but fever took the doctors and nurses along with the workmen, so the French soon gave up the task. When Americans went to Panama, under the leadership of General Goethals, they too took doctors, nurses, and medicines; but they took also dredges for draining the swamps. By stopping the breeding of germ-carrying insects, the enemies of man were overcome and the canal was dug. In appreciation of his great achievement, someone has paid this tribute to General Goethals:
“A man went down to Panama
Where many a man had died,
To slit the sliding mountains
And lift the eternal tide;
A man stood up in Panama
And the mountains stood aside.”
When the redeemed of the Lord stand up in Israel and tap the secret springs of power from on High, then the fullness of God will flow into the nations with more happiness, beauty and progress than this old earth has ever known. Here, indeed is the field where miracles are going to occur, as the scientist predicted.
Articles from Biblical Treasures (Volume I) – C. R. Dickey
INTRODUCTION
The Staff at Destiny Publishers, having read all the articles written by the late C. R. Dickey (Christina R. Dickey) found in DESTINY Magazines from July 1938 to October 1967, received such a blessing from her writings that we wanted to share the information with all who are seeking God’s wonderful truths. We are hereby publishing all her articles in two volumes, which we believe you will find most inspiring and of genuine interest and value.
Her knowledge of the Scriptures was unbelievable so she must have had a very close association with her Lord, as she certainly became a champion for His cause.
Our late beloved editor, Howard B. Rand, realized her talent as he published many of articles in booklet form.
The reader should take into account the time element when each article was written, which was from the late thirties to the middle sixties. We found her articles to be up to the minute as though she had written them yesterday. Her writings on various subjects are backed up with Scripture verses, as well as with quotes from reliable sources, when making a point. From her writings, the Lord surely made use of her God-given talents.
Although we do not have any knowledge of her background, we do know that she was a Congregational minister. Her sermons given must have been of interest and value to her congregation. We are sure her articles contained in this book will do the same.
Among the magnificent peaks of the Absaroka Mountains in Montana there are many beautiful lakes. Some of them are nestled in the very top of the peaks. Shimmering there in the shadows of clouds and trees, they create the illusion of having wafted out of the heavens through rainbow mist to crown the gleaming, snow-capped mountains with halos.
One of the most interesting of these pools in the sky is Mystic Lake. It is thousands of feet above sea level and men have not yet been able to plumb its depth. But men did become aware of the dormant energy hidden beneath the surface of its deep placid waters. In order to use that energy, hardy engineers hauled machinery up the mountain and built a power plant to harness and distribute the vast resources. Then they released water from the lake and sent it tumbling down the steep, rugged slope. Energy thus created now supplies electricity and irrigation for many square miles of fertile valleys below. The process continues year to year, but the lake itself remains calm, and its resources apparently undiminished, after meeting the requirements of numerous homes and fields.
One of the things about this great power plant which particularly fascinates an observer is the ease with which the unleashed forces of nature can be controlled by man’s mechanical skill. A foreman delights to show the visitor how quickly he can manipulate the mighty forces at his command; by touching an electric button, he sets levers in motion that shut off the power entirely, or release it in any quantity desired.
Mystic Lake is a miniature illustration of the unknown, limitless resources of God. Certainly man has not measured the power of God, nor has he ever used it except in a very limited way, although it is not God who does the limiting. Man will not apply himself to learning the secrets of tapping spiritual energy with the same determination and assurance of success that lead him to the mastery of dynamos and other methods of producing physical energy.
A few years ago Charles P. Steinmetz went to Wellesley Hills to visit Roger W. Babson. In the course of conversation, according to a report in Utica Observer-Dispatch, Babson asked his guest, “What line of research will see the greatest development during the next fifty years?”
The scientist was quiet for several minutes. “The great discoveries,” he answered finally, “will be made along spiritual lines. We scientific men have spent our lives studying physical forces. And now --- having made the most sensational discoveries in the history of the world --- we learn that our knowledge has not brought people happiness. Material things will never bring happiness. Scientists must now turn their laboratories over to the study of God, and prayer, and the spiritual forces. Here is the field where miracles are going to occur. Spiritual power is the greatest of the undeveloped powers, and has the greatest future.”
Coming from a man of science, that is a remarkable statement. Spiritual power is the greatest of the undeveloped powers, said Steinmetz. What an unconscious rebuke to all of us who confess to be followers of Christ! Why is spiritual power still undeveloped after nineteen hundred years of Christianity? The answer is couched in Psalm 78, verse 41:
”Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”
They --- the people --- God’s covenant people --- limited Him. The entire Psalm reviews Israel’s mountain peak experiences for the very purpose of showing the many times and ways they limited the operation of God’s power and thwarted the consummation of His great plans for their future. The Psalmist reminds us:
”He [the Lord] established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.” (Ps. 78:5-8.)
Furthermore, the writer declared that the children of Ephraim had been defeated in the day of battle because:
”They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law; and forgat His works, and His wonders that He had shewed them.” (Ps. 78:10-11.)
When the covenant was confirmed at Mount Sinai, the people vowed, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” The Psalmist testifies that even though God, being full of compassion, had marvelously kept His part of the contract, Israel was notoriously faithless except for brief periods of repentance after severe chastisement:
”When He slew them, then they sought Him and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant….Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Ps. 78:34-41.)
It is obvious from a study of Psalm 78, and many other chapters, that obedience to God unlocks floodgates and releases His power through men; conversely, disobedience limits the power of God to energize, enlighten and bless mankind according to His expressed desire and purpose. We can find little to condone the failures of Israel in the distant past; and, if that be true, surely there is even less excuse for limiting God in these latter days when He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and manifested His power through the Holy Spirit.
Human limitation of Divine power began in the early morning hours of recorded history. Limiting God was a cardinal sin in the earth long before the Israelites provoked and grieved Yahoveh in the Wilderness. It began in Eden, when our first parents dared to oppose the Divine Will, thereby frustrating the advancement of the original perfect order which its Creator had pronounced good. In so doing they shut off the glory of God’s illimitable power and consigned their posterity to “shallows and miseries.” We suffer the consequences to this day. On the other hand, the bow in the cloud has illumined the sky with prismatic beauty since the time of Noah, as a reminder of one man’s complete obedience to the holy purpose of God.
As individuals we continue to limit God. Notwithstanding all the compassionate efforts of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to show us the way, we have not recaptured the knowledge of utilizing the Father’s boundless resources. We accept the idea that “with God all things are possible,” forgetting that He permits us to limit Him by the exercise of our free wills. Each of us can shut out the Spirit of power from his own life, much as the engineer can control the volume of energy which flows from the mountain lake.
Doubtless, unbelief and disobedience are the most common obstacles to the development of spiritual power today, as in the time when the poet wrote Psalm 78 --- so little has the heart of man changed during the intervening centuries. Disobedience is usually the result of unbelief, since one rarely disobeys with willful intent until he first comes to doubt God’s Word. “All things are possible,” said Jesus, “to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). What man has sounded the depth of that statement? Who is strong enough in faith and courage to test it fully? Jesus Himself is the only one who never limited God, yet He said to His disciples:
”He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” (John 14:12.)
There is one truth in the New Testament which is emphasized by all its inspired writers, and that is no man can appropriate spiritual life and power save through his acceptance of Jesus Christ as the resurrected Son of God. Again Jesus declared:
”Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” (Acts 1:8.)
Now upon whom does the Holy Spirit come? We know that He comes only upon disciples who have first confessed their faith in Christ as the Son of God. When Christ becomes the author and finisher of a man’s faith, he is then ready to receive power from on High --- power to become --- and power to overcome:
”As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (John 1:12.)
“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:4-5.)
What amazing forces any humble man, woman or child can release from the throne of God by simply believing and doing all that the Bible teaches!
We are prone to reject spiritual forces because we cannot see and understand them. How inconsistent! One does not refuse to turn on his radio, although he can neither see nor explain the power which makes it work; one does not turn a deaf ear to the music of a great organ, even though he cannot see the wind and understand the electric energy which drives it so harmoniously through the pipes.
Someone has related a little story that illustrates the point. A tourist in Arizona accidentally backed his car off a bank into a deep hole. As there was nothing else to be done, he walked to the nearest garage for help. The place was close to a railroad track and, while the traveler was away, a work train came along with a big lifting crane. The train stopped and the crew let down the crane, picked up the automobile, lifted it out of the hole and set it in the road. Then the train went on its way. What was utterly impossible for one man was just a little amusement for the trainmen with their mighty steel lifter and giant locomotive. Soon the tourist returned and to his astonishment found his car in the road, ready to be driven off. He looked all around but could not imagine how it got there. He could see no signs of human hands, nor tracks of human feet anywhere; it looked miraculous, very mysterious to say the least. However, he accepted the miracle, got in his car and drove away rejoicing.
If we could fathom the tremendous forces which the Almighty commands, we would see that what we call miracles are but the operation of natural laws unrevealed to the mind of man. When we refuse to appropriate spiritual power because we cannot comprehend its laws, we are as foolish as the tourist would have been had he refused to ride in his car until he understood just how it got out of the ditch.
A God of love desires to bear the burdens of His people. He invites us to cast our cares upon Him. But we can’t turn them loose. We trudge through life weighted with all the imaginary woes of the past, present and future. We trust God to about the same extent as a well-meaning woman in the Texas Panhandle who, when asked if all varieties of crops had ever failed in the same year replied: “No --- but we are always expecting them to.”
As individuals we limit the desire of God to answer our prayers and bless us according to His gracious promises. Jesus taught:
I am the door: by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9.)
That is, he shall have access to the Lord’s abundant store house:
”Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened….What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them….Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do it.” (Matt. 7:7-8; Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14.)
Who can measure the scope of those munificent words? Who really dares to try them?
Blind Bartimaeus sat begging on the highway between Jericho and Jerusalem. Jesus passed that way and said to him:
”What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (Mark 10:51a.)
Prompted by faith, newly born but undaunted, the blind man replied:
”Lord, that I might receive my sight.” (Mark 10:51b.)]/b]
If the average Christian of today stood before Jesus with the same affliction and opportunity as Bartimaeus, it is highly probable that the nearest he could come to the blind beggar’s faith would be to ask the Lord for a Seeing Eye dog. However, we honor God most by asking for the seemingly impossible things, especially if the motive is to exalt Him rather than to gratify our own selfish ends. James explains in his letter why we do not have the things we desire:
”Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume upon your lusts [spend it in your pleasures].” (James 4:2-3.)
Jesus could well say to us, as He said to the people of ancient Judea:
”O faithless and perverse generation.” (Matt. 17:17.)
As a nation we are limiting God. Even now we are shutting off the only power that can bring us the national blessings for which we sigh. After all, the nation is merely the individual multiplied, or “writ large,” as someone has said. What we are individually determines what our nation is to be. Just as God has promised to bear the burdens of the individual, so He has pledged to strengthen and uphold the nation that trusts in Him. Through the prophet God is speaking now to the nations of modern Israel:
”Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundations of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear….Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” (Isa. 48:12-18.)
In these perilous days of war, countless hearts are in anguish because peace has fled from the earth. Is there no balm in Gilead? no remedy for our besetting sin? no way to enlist the power of God in behalf of Christian people? Yes, there is a remedy --- a way out. It was given to one of Israel’s great kings.
”The Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chron. 7:12-14.)
Are the people of America ready and willing to meet these conditions? or will some future poet lament our departed glory in the words of the Psalmist --- “They limited the Holy One of Israel” (Ps. 78:41).
When the French went to the Isthmus of Panama to dig a canal, they took doctors, nurses and medicines, but fever took the doctors and nurses along with the workmen, so the French soon gave up the task. When Americans went to Panama, under the leadership of General Goethals, they too took doctors, nurses, and medicines; but they took also dredges for draining the swamps. By stopping the breeding of germ-carrying insects, the enemies of man were overcome and the canal was dug. In appreciation of his great achievement, someone has paid this tribute to General Goethals:
“A man went down to Panama
Where many a man had died,
To slit the sliding mountains
And lift the eternal tide;
A man stood up in Panama
And the mountains stood aside.”
When the redeemed of the Lord stand up in Israel and tap the secret springs of power from on High, then the fullness of God will flow into the nations with more happiness, beauty and progress than this old earth has ever known. Here, indeed is the field where miracles are going to occur, as the scientist predicted.
Articles from Biblical Treasures (Volume I) – C. R. Dickey
INTRODUCTION
The Staff at Destiny Publishers, having read all the articles written by the late C. R. Dickey (Christina R. Dickey) found in DESTINY Magazines from July 1938 to October 1967, received such a blessing from her writings that we wanted to share the information with all who are seeking God’s wonderful truths. We are hereby publishing all her articles in two volumes, which we believe you will find most inspiring and of genuine interest and value.
Her knowledge of the Scriptures was unbelievable so she must have had a very close association with her Lord, as she certainly became a champion for His cause.
Our late beloved editor, Howard B. Rand, realized her talent as he published many of articles in booklet form.
The reader should take into account the time element when each article was written, which was from the late thirties to the middle sixties. We found her articles to be up to the minute as though she had written them yesterday. Her writings on various subjects are backed up with Scripture verses, as well as with quotes from reliable sources, when making a point. From her writings, the Lord surely made use of her God-given talents.
Although we do not have any knowledge of her background, we do know that she was a Congregational minister. Her sermons given must have been of interest and value to her congregation. We are sure her articles contained in this book will do the same.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Rainbow Sparkle Snow in Colorado
Rainbow Sparkle Snow in Colorado
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks
November snow on the high prairie pasture
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Arizona Crater from the window seat
Arizona Crater from the window seat
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks
I caught this crater just before it went under the wing of the plane. Pretty cool from that vantage point.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
X Marks the Spot
X Marks the Spot
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks
Going out to feed and there was the giant X in the sky. Had to take a picture, so I did.
Our almost 3 feet of snow in the almost never snowy October are starting to really melt in our warm 60 degree days now. Good moisture for next year in the pasture.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Goodly Heritage
Articles from Biblical Treasures (Volume I) – C. R. Dickey
A GOODLY HERITAGE
It has been well said that the founding of the United States of America was like “the divine imposition of hands.” Citizens of this great Republic can truly say with Israel’s renowned poet-king: “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Ps. 16:6).
We are so accustomed to the bounty and blessings of our land that we do not realize what a glorious heritage we have, and how it stands out in contrast to all other nations. When our servicemen return from the far corners of the earth, they refer to their homecoming as “getting back to God’s country.” And so it is, for our heritage springs directly from the hand of God.
Speaking through Samuel the Prophet, God said:
“Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more.” (IISam. 7:10.)
The Israelites were already in Palestine when the prophecy was spoken and later were removed from that land; therefore, this appointed place was to be outside the bounds of the Holy Land, in regions then unknown, from which they would never be driven by their enemies. History and tradition lead us to believe that this planting was made in the Western European countries; in the Ephraim-Britain Commonwealth nations; and in the United States, the Manasseh branch of Joseph which settled in the “desolate heritages” of the New World.
Some two hundred years before the discovery of America, God was sifting the continent of Europe and selecting the stock with which to found our REPUBLIC, a New Order in the west. Concerning this phase of history, the late Dr. James S. McGaw said in one of his lectures:
“Martyr fires lighted the heavens, thousands marched to the dungeon and to death, but at God’s appointed moment Puritan, Huguenot, Hollander, Covenantor and Cavalier stood aboard their ships, God’s chosen people for the establishment of the great civil ideal. Like ancient Israel, He carried them across the sea, gave them the land and presided over their establishment as a nation.
“It was more than man who inspired the makers of the American Republic to imbed in the metal of the great Seal of the United States an ensign to the whole world --- THE NEW ORDER OF THE AGES. That statement was not placed in that most fundamental document, the Great Seal, merely for the embellishment of a beautiful design; nor as an oratorical flourish, but as the expression of the spirit, the genius and the prophetic destiny of the nation. It is our confident belief that God placed that statement there as the status of the nation, both for the time that then was, and for the time that now is, breaking upon the world.”
Two profound principles guided the founding of our constitutional government. The first is written into the Preamble to the Constitution: “We the People of the United States…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The second principle is a corollary of the governed.” These two principles embodied in the government of a nation “turned the tide of human history and lifted up on the earth a beacon light of civil liberty that became the ideal and the hope of all enslaved lands.”
Commenting on the significance of these two basic principles some years ago, before the issues were as clearly drawn as they are today, Dr. McGaw said:
“And, if you will receive it, upon those two statements the tide of the world history is now turning. The fact is, they will constitute the main issue in the closing phase of the great war that began in 1914. Perhaps not even the profoundest students of the Israel truth have noted that the real human issue in the coming conflict with GOG, of Ezekiel’s 38th and 38th chapters, will be between two great powers claiming the same ideals of blessing to mankind --- the government of the people, established on American soil, and the Satanic counterfeit, established in Russia.”
Ours is a heritage of great material abundance. Continued and full abundance, however, is conditional; it depends upon cooperation with the Divine will. God promises material blessings to His people as a whole so long as they obey His instructions.”
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.” (Lev. 26:3-5.)
Addressing all Israel, Joshua stated the law of material abundance as follows:
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8.)
Prosperity depends also on personal effort and thrift. The wife of a certain Indian chieftain, who had fallen upon idle habits, one day lifted the dish-cover at dinner and revealed a pair of spurs --- a sign that he must ride and hunt for his next meal. Instinctively the Indian woman knew that man has no right to eat unless he works. This basic principle is ignored today in the profligate give-away programs of inept government planners. Nevertheless, it is written in the Scriptures:
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat….Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger….The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” (Prov. 13:4; 19:15; 20:4.)
“He that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honour; but then the trade must be worked at and the calling followed. If we are industrious, we shall never starve, for at the working man’s house hunger looks in but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter, for the industry pays debts while despair increaseth them.”
It was Thomas Jefferson who said:
“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, the people will be happy.”
Little did he think that by 1954 “liberal” politicians posing as Jeffersonian Democrats, aided by like minded Republicans, would have thrifty American citizens working about three months of each year for the government in order to reward irresponsibles at home and abroad for not working.
Spiritual blessings likewise are the fruits of faith in God and obedience to His commands. More than everything else, citizens of this country need to realize the influence of the Christian faith in the development of national character and strength. Truly we have a goodly heritage of spiritual abundance. Nothing exemplifies more effectively the spiritual quality of our nation’s birth than the following prayer uttered by George Washington:
“Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage, we humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will.
“Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning and pure manners.
“Save us from violence, discord and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way.
“Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought out of many kindreds and tongues.
“Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be peace and justice at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.
“In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail.
“All of which we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
Every American worthy of his citizenship ought to make that remarkable prayer his own day after day. It begins with an acknowledgment that our good land is a heritage from the hand of Almighty God; and with a plea that we may prove ourselves worthy of it by joyfully doing His will. The next petition is that our land be blessed “with honorable industry, sound learning and pure manners.” A volume could be written on America’s present need for these virtues. For to be slack in regard to any one or all of them leads to the evils of the following sentence ---“violence, discord, confusion, pride and arrogancy.”
Sound learning has its origin in the Word of God. Scriptural teachings and faith in Jesus Christ became the cornerstone of our national ideals, laws, and institutions. The Bible was a textbook in early American schools. Its influence was reflected in civil and religious liberty, such as had not been known since the days when Israel lived under the laws of God as administered by Moses and King David. The little schools and churches which nestled in scattered villages were mighty factors in molding the manners and morals of the Republic.
We may well heed today a General Order which was issued by General George Washington in New York, July 1776. It reads:
“The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little hope of the blessings of Heaven on our arms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.”
In all humility, the revered father of our country admitted in his prayer that only the Lord God Himself can “defend our liberties” and give the spirit of wisdom to those in authority. Note that he says, “those to whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government.” What a noble concept of public service as a sacred trust, a responsibility under God! As Washington conceived it, government officials have a two fold obligation: “That there may be peace and justice at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.”
Here is a recognition of the real function and limitations of federal government. The jurisdiction of government officials ends with securing “peace and justice at home.” It is their place to see that the business and social relations of the people proceed in an atmosphere of tranquility and justice. They have no right to regulate business and set the standards for society according to their own pattern without regard to the will of the people. An illustration of the absurdities which grow out of bureaucratic orders was highlighted by the Houston Post in September 1953:
“The Gettysburg Address contained 266 words.
“The Ten Commandments contained 297 words.
“The Declaration of Independence contained 300 words.
“An OPS order to Reduce the Price of Cabbage contained 26, 911 words.”
Let it be said again that, in the mind of George Washington, the jurisdiction of our government officials ends “at home.” It is not the prerogative of those vested with authority in the government of the United States to meddle in the affairs of other countries. The first President of the Republic was unalterably opposed to what he called “entangling alliances” with other nations. It is permissible to give friendly guidance from the home base when requested to do so; but it is intolerable presumption to move in on other nations and take over their internal affairs, as our State Department did in China, when it forced the Nationalist government to surrender to the Communists. Only time can reveal the disaster that is yet to come upon America, and Christian people everywhere, because our great nation is now trapped and involved in dangerous situations all over the world.
Actually Christian nations have one main duty to perform in the service of other countries. Washington saw it clearly when he said in his prayer, “and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.” That is scriptural. It has been Israel’s mission from her beginning. Our part --- and is a responsibility resting upon both Church and State --- is to so demonstrate the benefits of government under the Divine Law and Spirit of Christ so that the peoples of other lands, seeing our good works and blessings, will be persuaded to seek the Lord in righteousness and join us in praising His Holy Name:
“For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (IIPet. 1:11.)
“In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail. All of which we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Thus the prayer ends in the name of the Lord Jesus. It is an authentic Christian prayer. Since the inauguration of the New Covenant, there has been only one way for a prayer to reach God, and that is through Jesus Christ, the Mediator. Nevertheless, at the present time, out of deference to unbelievers, and particularly to non-Christians, most prayers spoken on public occasions omit the Name that is above every name. Such prayers are futile words. God is not impressed by petitions that deliberately ignore the blessed Son and Saviour.
In Barnes’ history we find this statement:
“Who can tell how much of the subsequent brilliant success of the American armies was in answer to prayers of the American General at Valley Forge? To the latest times it will and should be a subject of the deepest interest that the independence of our country was laid, not only in valor and patriotism and wisdom, but in prayer. The example of Washington will rebuke the warrior or the statesman who never supplicates the blessing of God on his country. It will be encouragement for him who prays for its welfare and its deliverance from danger.”
Bishop James E. Freeman said of the fathers who built the Republic:
“They trusted in something more than statesmanship, something more than strength of arms, something more than the genius and cunning of the trader; they believed that only as the nation served with fidelity the God in whom they trusted, and maintained those virtues that guarantee life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, would it continue stable and secure.”
These men had a deep reverence for holy things and recognized the fact that all virtue and security resides in obedience to God’s laws. Bishop Freeman adds:
“This [recognition] is wrought into every state paper and characterizes every action of this noble band. The gulf that divides us from this generation of heroic men may seem wide and deep, but adherence to the high ideals and purposes that marked their conduct and devotion to the state is our surest warrant of security, peace, and continuing power. The recognition of the immutable laws of God, unfailing allegiance to those fundamental principles of life given to mankind by Jesus Christ, these we may not ignore or neglect, except to our peril.
“Nothing alien to our traditions may assume to govern or control us in our course or determine for us our relation to problems at home or abroad. This is no affirmation of a policy that is insular in its designs and aims, it is adherence to those institutions, ideals, and purposes that are inherent in our system and peculiar to our conception of government. At such a time as this the guiding hand and pervading spirit of Washington are sorely needed in our life. No new and fantastic conceits born of a passion for change must stay our ship of state of deflect it from its chosen destiny….We repeat, with increased emphasis --- no unhallowed or alien hands shall deflect us from our course.”
In these days of cynicism, materialism and radicalism, it is considered a mark of distinction to belittle love of God and native land. “Beware of the man who scoffs at his own country. Beware of the man who jeers at patriotism.” It was love of God and country that sent Washington forth as a pioneer and patriot. This devotion elevated him to the Presidency and made him “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countryman.”
In a sermon preached on the 200th Anniversary of Washington’s birth, Dr. William Carter said:
“His was a national patriotism. Others, today, boast of their Internationalism. They are the kind of Internationalists who seem to think their own country always wrong and other countries always right. He rejoiced in the progress of other nations along righteous lines, knowing that all such progress led to the success of other nations but, as a patriot should, he loved his own country best….It is such patriotism as this that needs a new birth today!”
Happy is the man who can say with a thankful heart --- I am a citizen of the United States of America; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
====================================================
INTRODUCTION
The Staff at Destiny Publishers, having read all the articles written by the late C. R. Dickey (Christina R. Dickey) found in DESTINY Magazines from July 1938 to October 1967, received such a blessing from her writings that we wanted to share the information with all who are seeking God’s wonderful truths. We are hereby publishing all her articles in two volumes, which we believe you will find most inspiring and of genuine interest and value.
Her knowledge of the Scriptures was unbelievable so she must have had a very close association with her Lord, as she certainly became a champion for His cause.
Our late beloved editor, Howard B. Rand, realized her talent as he published many of articles in booklet form.
The reader should take into account the time element when each article was written, which was from the late thirties to the middle sixties. We found her articles to be up to the minute as though she had written them yesterday. Her writings on various subjects are backed up with Scripture verses, as well as with quotes from reliable sources, when making a point. From her writings, the Lord surely made use of her God-given talents.
Although we do not have any knowledge of her background, we do know that she was a Congregational minister. Her sermons given must have been of interest and value to her congregation. We are sure her articles contained in this book will do the same.
===========================================================
A GOODLY HERITAGE
It has been well said that the founding of the United States of America was like “the divine imposition of hands.” Citizens of this great Republic can truly say with Israel’s renowned poet-king: “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Ps. 16:6).
We are so accustomed to the bounty and blessings of our land that we do not realize what a glorious heritage we have, and how it stands out in contrast to all other nations. When our servicemen return from the far corners of the earth, they refer to their homecoming as “getting back to God’s country.” And so it is, for our heritage springs directly from the hand of God.
Speaking through Samuel the Prophet, God said:
“Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more.” (IISam. 7:10.)
The Israelites were already in Palestine when the prophecy was spoken and later were removed from that land; therefore, this appointed place was to be outside the bounds of the Holy Land, in regions then unknown, from which they would never be driven by their enemies. History and tradition lead us to believe that this planting was made in the Western European countries; in the Ephraim-Britain Commonwealth nations; and in the United States, the Manasseh branch of Joseph which settled in the “desolate heritages” of the New World.
Some two hundred years before the discovery of America, God was sifting the continent of Europe and selecting the stock with which to found our REPUBLIC, a New Order in the west. Concerning this phase of history, the late Dr. James S. McGaw said in one of his lectures:
“Martyr fires lighted the heavens, thousands marched to the dungeon and to death, but at God’s appointed moment Puritan, Huguenot, Hollander, Covenantor and Cavalier stood aboard their ships, God’s chosen people for the establishment of the great civil ideal. Like ancient Israel, He carried them across the sea, gave them the land and presided over their establishment as a nation.
“It was more than man who inspired the makers of the American Republic to imbed in the metal of the great Seal of the United States an ensign to the whole world --- THE NEW ORDER OF THE AGES. That statement was not placed in that most fundamental document, the Great Seal, merely for the embellishment of a beautiful design; nor as an oratorical flourish, but as the expression of the spirit, the genius and the prophetic destiny of the nation. It is our confident belief that God placed that statement there as the status of the nation, both for the time that then was, and for the time that now is, breaking upon the world.”
Two profound principles guided the founding of our constitutional government. The first is written into the Preamble to the Constitution: “We the People of the United States…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The second principle is a corollary of the governed.” These two principles embodied in the government of a nation “turned the tide of human history and lifted up on the earth a beacon light of civil liberty that became the ideal and the hope of all enslaved lands.”
Commenting on the significance of these two basic principles some years ago, before the issues were as clearly drawn as they are today, Dr. McGaw said:
“And, if you will receive it, upon those two statements the tide of the world history is now turning. The fact is, they will constitute the main issue in the closing phase of the great war that began in 1914. Perhaps not even the profoundest students of the Israel truth have noted that the real human issue in the coming conflict with GOG, of Ezekiel’s 38th and 38th chapters, will be between two great powers claiming the same ideals of blessing to mankind --- the government of the people, established on American soil, and the Satanic counterfeit, established in Russia.”
Ours is a heritage of great material abundance. Continued and full abundance, however, is conditional; it depends upon cooperation with the Divine will. God promises material blessings to His people as a whole so long as they obey His instructions.”
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.” (Lev. 26:3-5.)
Addressing all Israel, Joshua stated the law of material abundance as follows:
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8.)
Prosperity depends also on personal effort and thrift. The wife of a certain Indian chieftain, who had fallen upon idle habits, one day lifted the dish-cover at dinner and revealed a pair of spurs --- a sign that he must ride and hunt for his next meal. Instinctively the Indian woman knew that man has no right to eat unless he works. This basic principle is ignored today in the profligate give-away programs of inept government planners. Nevertheless, it is written in the Scriptures:
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat….Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger….The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” (Prov. 13:4; 19:15; 20:4.)
“He that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honour; but then the trade must be worked at and the calling followed. If we are industrious, we shall never starve, for at the working man’s house hunger looks in but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter, for the industry pays debts while despair increaseth them.”
It was Thomas Jefferson who said:
“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, the people will be happy.”
Little did he think that by 1954 “liberal” politicians posing as Jeffersonian Democrats, aided by like minded Republicans, would have thrifty American citizens working about three months of each year for the government in order to reward irresponsibles at home and abroad for not working.
Spiritual blessings likewise are the fruits of faith in God and obedience to His commands. More than everything else, citizens of this country need to realize the influence of the Christian faith in the development of national character and strength. Truly we have a goodly heritage of spiritual abundance. Nothing exemplifies more effectively the spiritual quality of our nation’s birth than the following prayer uttered by George Washington:
“Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage, we humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will.
“Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning and pure manners.
“Save us from violence, discord and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way.
“Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought out of many kindreds and tongues.
“Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be peace and justice at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.
“In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail.
“All of which we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
Every American worthy of his citizenship ought to make that remarkable prayer his own day after day. It begins with an acknowledgment that our good land is a heritage from the hand of Almighty God; and with a plea that we may prove ourselves worthy of it by joyfully doing His will. The next petition is that our land be blessed “with honorable industry, sound learning and pure manners.” A volume could be written on America’s present need for these virtues. For to be slack in regard to any one or all of them leads to the evils of the following sentence ---“violence, discord, confusion, pride and arrogancy.”
Sound learning has its origin in the Word of God. Scriptural teachings and faith in Jesus Christ became the cornerstone of our national ideals, laws, and institutions. The Bible was a textbook in early American schools. Its influence was reflected in civil and religious liberty, such as had not been known since the days when Israel lived under the laws of God as administered by Moses and King David. The little schools and churches which nestled in scattered villages were mighty factors in molding the manners and morals of the Republic.
We may well heed today a General Order which was issued by General George Washington in New York, July 1776. It reads:
“The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little hope of the blessings of Heaven on our arms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.”
In all humility, the revered father of our country admitted in his prayer that only the Lord God Himself can “defend our liberties” and give the spirit of wisdom to those in authority. Note that he says, “those to whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government.” What a noble concept of public service as a sacred trust, a responsibility under God! As Washington conceived it, government officials have a two fold obligation: “That there may be peace and justice at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.”
Here is a recognition of the real function and limitations of federal government. The jurisdiction of government officials ends with securing “peace and justice at home.” It is their place to see that the business and social relations of the people proceed in an atmosphere of tranquility and justice. They have no right to regulate business and set the standards for society according to their own pattern without regard to the will of the people. An illustration of the absurdities which grow out of bureaucratic orders was highlighted by the Houston Post in September 1953:
“The Gettysburg Address contained 266 words.
“The Ten Commandments contained 297 words.
“The Declaration of Independence contained 300 words.
“An OPS order to Reduce the Price of Cabbage contained 26, 911 words.”
Let it be said again that, in the mind of George Washington, the jurisdiction of our government officials ends “at home.” It is not the prerogative of those vested with authority in the government of the United States to meddle in the affairs of other countries. The first President of the Republic was unalterably opposed to what he called “entangling alliances” with other nations. It is permissible to give friendly guidance from the home base when requested to do so; but it is intolerable presumption to move in on other nations and take over their internal affairs, as our State Department did in China, when it forced the Nationalist government to surrender to the Communists. Only time can reveal the disaster that is yet to come upon America, and Christian people everywhere, because our great nation is now trapped and involved in dangerous situations all over the world.
Actually Christian nations have one main duty to perform in the service of other countries. Washington saw it clearly when he said in his prayer, “and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.” That is scriptural. It has been Israel’s mission from her beginning. Our part --- and is a responsibility resting upon both Church and State --- is to so demonstrate the benefits of government under the Divine Law and Spirit of Christ so that the peoples of other lands, seeing our good works and blessings, will be persuaded to seek the Lord in righteousness and join us in praising His Holy Name:
“For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (IIPet. 1:11.)
“In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail. All of which we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Thus the prayer ends in the name of the Lord Jesus. It is an authentic Christian prayer. Since the inauguration of the New Covenant, there has been only one way for a prayer to reach God, and that is through Jesus Christ, the Mediator. Nevertheless, at the present time, out of deference to unbelievers, and particularly to non-Christians, most prayers spoken on public occasions omit the Name that is above every name. Such prayers are futile words. God is not impressed by petitions that deliberately ignore the blessed Son and Saviour.
In Barnes’ history we find this statement:
“Who can tell how much of the subsequent brilliant success of the American armies was in answer to prayers of the American General at Valley Forge? To the latest times it will and should be a subject of the deepest interest that the independence of our country was laid, not only in valor and patriotism and wisdom, but in prayer. The example of Washington will rebuke the warrior or the statesman who never supplicates the blessing of God on his country. It will be encouragement for him who prays for its welfare and its deliverance from danger.”
Bishop James E. Freeman said of the fathers who built the Republic:
“They trusted in something more than statesmanship, something more than strength of arms, something more than the genius and cunning of the trader; they believed that only as the nation served with fidelity the God in whom they trusted, and maintained those virtues that guarantee life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, would it continue stable and secure.”
These men had a deep reverence for holy things and recognized the fact that all virtue and security resides in obedience to God’s laws. Bishop Freeman adds:
“This [recognition] is wrought into every state paper and characterizes every action of this noble band. The gulf that divides us from this generation of heroic men may seem wide and deep, but adherence to the high ideals and purposes that marked their conduct and devotion to the state is our surest warrant of security, peace, and continuing power. The recognition of the immutable laws of God, unfailing allegiance to those fundamental principles of life given to mankind by Jesus Christ, these we may not ignore or neglect, except to our peril.
“Nothing alien to our traditions may assume to govern or control us in our course or determine for us our relation to problems at home or abroad. This is no affirmation of a policy that is insular in its designs and aims, it is adherence to those institutions, ideals, and purposes that are inherent in our system and peculiar to our conception of government. At such a time as this the guiding hand and pervading spirit of Washington are sorely needed in our life. No new and fantastic conceits born of a passion for change must stay our ship of state of deflect it from its chosen destiny….We repeat, with increased emphasis --- no unhallowed or alien hands shall deflect us from our course.”
In these days of cynicism, materialism and radicalism, it is considered a mark of distinction to belittle love of God and native land. “Beware of the man who scoffs at his own country. Beware of the man who jeers at patriotism.” It was love of God and country that sent Washington forth as a pioneer and patriot. This devotion elevated him to the Presidency and made him “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countryman.”
In a sermon preached on the 200th Anniversary of Washington’s birth, Dr. William Carter said:
“His was a national patriotism. Others, today, boast of their Internationalism. They are the kind of Internationalists who seem to think their own country always wrong and other countries always right. He rejoiced in the progress of other nations along righteous lines, knowing that all such progress led to the success of other nations but, as a patriot should, he loved his own country best….It is such patriotism as this that needs a new birth today!”
Happy is the man who can say with a thankful heart --- I am a citizen of the United States of America; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
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INTRODUCTION
The Staff at Destiny Publishers, having read all the articles written by the late C. R. Dickey (Christina R. Dickey) found in DESTINY Magazines from July 1938 to October 1967, received such a blessing from her writings that we wanted to share the information with all who are seeking God’s wonderful truths. We are hereby publishing all her articles in two volumes, which we believe you will find most inspiring and of genuine interest and value.
Her knowledge of the Scriptures was unbelievable so she must have had a very close association with her Lord, as she certainly became a champion for His cause.
Our late beloved editor, Howard B. Rand, realized her talent as he published many of articles in booklet form.
The reader should take into account the time element when each article was written, which was from the late thirties to the middle sixties. We found her articles to be up to the minute as though she had written them yesterday. Her writings on various subjects are backed up with Scripture verses, as well as with quotes from reliable sources, when making a point. From her writings, the Lord surely made use of her God-given talents.
Although we do not have any knowledge of her background, we do know that she was a Congregational minister. Her sermons given must have been of interest and value to her congregation. We are sure her articles contained in this book will do the same.
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