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There are over 900
stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to
daily.
Click on http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com
to read selected Sermons from
over 50 years of Rev. Wyrick's ministry.
It is far
too easy to fall victim to delusions of grandeur. People do it all the time.
"Too big for your britches" is
the way one old quote puts it.
As if being able to extend an amount of
territory or power made one the equivalent of being God. As if saying to a number of employees
"Jump" and they jumped was the equivalent of being God. Or doing the same as a controlling husband or
nagging wife organizing their power so
that it would last forever.
Beware...time and logic and the Bible
itself...say... you are the created and not the creator...and there is a point
of arrogant view one should not seek or foolishly foster.
When
Spain led the world (in the 15th century), their coins reflected their national
arrogance and were inscribed Ne Plus Ultra which meant "Nothing
Further" - meaning that Spain was the ultimate in all the world. After the
discovery of the New World, they realized that they were not the "end of
the world" - they changed the inscription on their coinage to Plus Ultra -
meaning "More Beyond."
Would you like to go to prison? And you ask that of someone and you can see
them forming the thought, "What a foolish question?"...but then that
is what arrogance is...a prison where the pig headed have found their trough.
Are you a
musician tooting your own horn. And the
band plays on and it is not music being made for those who are a member of such
a band.
I
hope your answer was "No!"...I do not want to be a member of such a
band.
And if so you are a humble man who has
repented and is redeemed. And you are
therefore not a proud man or woman who in your arrogance "As a dog has returned to your vomit, (and as) a
fool repeated your folly. (Proverbs 26:11)
There is not a one of us who has not had
some problems with arrogance. There is
not a one of us who would not do well to remember the words of Augustine and
more than once, "Trust the past to God’s
mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence."
That arrogance is
a disease...there is no doubt...but there is a way to deal with it...and
win out over it...and not be tempted to take credit for doing so.
A cure for
arrogance is Christian confidence...that special ambience of the soul
that comes from remembering those words in James 1:17 "Every good
thing given and every perfect gift is from above."
"Thy
will be done" facing life with that kind of attitude does not deny my
talents but neither does it make them a mortal neon sign advertising them both
in the night and in the day.
It's a tight
rope to walk...this pursuit of excellence without letting the love of praise
mute the beauty of the pursuit...we both know that.
What I
am saying is that if I think so highly of myself I disdain my neighbor and
thereby think less of him...then I am wrong...and confidence has become a
sin. Of such are
all prejudices built.
I have spent a lifetime exercising, sometimes to the extreme and
that is good. But not however if I allow
myself to think that now I have complete control of my physical health...for
then such thinking produces a man spiritually out of control.
Nor if I pray so often I think to build
myself a prayer Kingdom so large that now the humility of prayer is overcome by
spiritual arrogance.
Live
life on my knees with my head held high...there is the beginning of Christian confidence
as against the bugaboo of arrogance.
And those prayer
times...as I seek to never feel better than any other fellow man...to do so I
must pray for he or she ...and every day...there is the great spiritual
leveler...that gives the gift of spiritual resilience.
How
are you grading out as you read this? Does the very question poke at your pride? The audacity of some
stranger suggesting that you have some weaknesses you need to look at?
Are you frail before criticism from a friend who would never
dare to call attention to a fault...for then they would no longer be your
friend?
Christian
confidence allows you to give thanks for your successes and pray for help with
your failures and feel secure both times.
Christian
confidence allows you to admit guilt where it exists and thereby with humility
ask for forgiveness from both man and god.
Christian confidence can live with that.
In closing...
BEWARE! THERE IS NOTHING THAT ARROGANT PRIDE DOES NOT
CORRUPT AND CORRUPT THOROUGHLY.
SO GET REAL...GET REAL WITH GOD...MAKE
HIM A CONSTANT COMPANION...FOR YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO HAVE A PRIDE ATTACK IF JESUS
IS WALKING BY YUR SIDE.
The book of Daniel tells us that when
King Nebuchadnezzar became swollen with pride his spirit was hardened; he was
deposed from his throne; his glory was taken away from him; he went mad and ate
grass like an animal. His pride
became a monster that devoured him. Spiritual cataracts blinded him, and bloated
thoughts about himself twisted his thinking into horrible shapes.
The text
tells us that he remained in this state “until he knew that the Most High God
rules the kingdom of men….”
SO THEN
THERE IT IS AS IT ALWAYS IS...WHEN THE WORDS OF GOD ARE ON YOUR LIPS THE PEACE
OF GOD WILL MEET YOU IN YOUR HEART.
IT IS THAT
SIMPLE...THAT IS IT IS...UNLESS ONE IS SO PROUD THEY MAKE IT DIFFICULT.
++++++++++++++++
QUOTES BELOW ARE
FROM WYRICK'S WRITINGS...CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING TO TAKE YOU THERE... http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com
(These
are selected sermons from over 50 years of ministry and as a worldwide
evangelist have been preached all over the world)
+++++++++++++++++++
(A new daily
quote below from Rev. Wyrick's 9th book
THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN...available on amazon.com, barnes and noble and
many other book sites) (read the rave reviews
below)
Quote from chapter 5 for July 26
"Abraham Lincoln would be the first
President not born in one of the original thirteen states, and it would not be
an easy journey. Just getting nominated
for the office had been difficult enough - it had taken three ballots before
the Republican Party had a nominee.
Against all odds, this fairly obscure man from the wilderness was placed
on their ticket.
With his Presbyterian background, Lincoln
might well have recalled that day in sixteenth century Scotland at the port of
St. Andrews when John Knox fell to his knees on the dock and cried out, “God,
give me Scotland or I die.” That may well
have been how Abe felt, “God, give me the Union or it will die.”
++++++++++++++++++++++
CLICK ON www.go60.us
IT WILL TAKE YOU A NEW WEBSITE FOR SENIORS....click on
"Voice" on the home page and then on the list of authors click
on Neil Wyrick
Recent
articles Rev. Wyrick has written for this web site are: REFLECTIONS
·
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·
Spring (May 2012)
·
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
(April 2012)
·
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
Just
remember that “the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain
of regret will cost you millions.”
++++++++++++++++++
How can we keep our faith from being a weak and
fruitless thing? How can we not be
foolish little men and women groveling in the dark shadows of overeager
egos.
Well, first we must do more than just pray. We must believe in our own prayers.
+++++++++++++++++++
Anxiety
out of proportion makes us become like a centipede trying to put his best foot
forward.
++++++++++++++++++
It's
an old joke, I went to the doctor and I said, “Doc, when I do this, it hurts.”
And the doctor said, “Then don't do that.”
++++++++++++++++++
How many things have you been anxious
about that were things which you knew before you got into them were probably
going to create some problems for you? And if you asked your doctor, or your
minister, or common sense and your God, all of them would have said, “Don’t do
that.”
++++++++++++++++++++
To buy into the
community of accountability we have to realize that like bikers we are divided
into two categories. Those who have fallen and those who will fall for anything. None of us are perfect.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Think
on it this way, some philosopher of old wrote it and it endures because there
is so much truth in it… every right
implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a
duty
++++++++++++++++++++++
Some
of the sermon titles posted recently
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Before you decide
to purchase or not purchase his book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN.... view his Award Winning One Man
Dramatization of Lincoln (since he wrote the script
for this drama it will give you an insight into what you will find in the book
itself)
Available on
Amazon.com in printed form and on Amazon Kindle Books. and at
many other sites
TO VIEW THE LINCOLN
One Man DRAMA and 3 other dramas; Ben Franklin, Martin Luther & Charles
Wesley
click on the
following URL
http://www.speakerneil.com/
++++++++++++++++++++++
BELOW
ARE MORE QUOTES FROM NEIL'S RECENTLY POSTED SERMONS
++++++++++++++++++
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ON SUNDAY APRIL 15. ENTITILED
Two stores faced each other across a very
busy street. Their owners were in constant competition
with each other. One day, the owner of
one store put out a sign that read – If
you want it, we have it!
Almost immediately the other owner put out a
sign –If we don’t have it, you don’t
need it!
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ON THURSDAY APRIL 13TH. ENTITILED
WHO ARE
YOU?
NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?
Who are you? Whose are
you?
You influence and are influenced
according to the answer you give.
Are you are the flavor of the month because
you are determined to be like everyone else no matter what? If so, consider being more independent in our
thinking and actions...because God wants you to grow up.
It may be easier being someone's shadow but
wouldn't you really rather be a sun.
QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS THURSDAY APRIL 5 FROM THOUGHT ENTITLED "Who
Are You? Whose Are You?"
This is an old quote, and a romantic one
as well but, nevertheless, can anyone say of you, “I love you not because of who you are,
but because of who I am when I am with you.”
QUOTE FROM THOUGHT PIECE POSTED
ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS TUESDAY APRIL 3 FROM THOUGHT ENTITLED
" WHEN A NATION STRAYS TOO FAR FROM BEING MORAL IT IS WELL ON IT'S WAY
TO BECOMING A MESS
James 4:17
To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it,
to him it is sin.
Someone once said: “A
belief is what you hold, a conviction is what holds you!”
So what holds you,
constructs you, leads you with a push when needed?
Quotes
POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITING THURSDAY MARCH 29th THOUGHTS ENTITLED WHO
ARE YOU?
NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?
In a Peanuts
cartoon strip Peppermint Patty is shown talking to Charlie Brown.
“Guess what, Chuck? It’s the first day
of school and I got sent to the principal’s office.
And it’s your fault!”
Charlie Brown responds, “My fault? How
could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?”
To which she declares, “You’re my
friend, aren’t you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me.”
In the comics, it’s funny… but in real life it’s much more
complicated.
Would you like to read the entire thought
piece? Then... TO TAKE YOU TO THE WYRICK'S WRITING'S
SITE
click on
the following
Yes, God loves you the way you
are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN
HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN,
CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER
To
Order and Read
Neil's 9th book THE
SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GO TO amazon.com
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book
STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and appreciation
of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his strength."
Lt.
Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)
"The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is
an extremely well written book that investigates what might be
termed the spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very
readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the President and
with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'
William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and
Wild Thorn
"Wyrick has authored a wonderful examination
of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly religious
leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of
information."
Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian
minister
"When it comes to invoking religion in
support of any of their decisions, politicians need to sit at the feet of
Abraham Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr once called him 'America's greatest
theologian.' Why so great? Because he invariably distinguished between human
works and the works of the Almighty. As Wyrick says, 'He wore
the mantle of humility easily: because he was more impressed with what God was
doing in the world than with what he, president of the United States in the
midst of an awful crisis, was doing. That is why in his last major speech he distinguished
between both human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's 'own purposes.'
Lincoln would have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk out of politics
than to decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book for our American
time. Through his careful study of Lincoln's career, Wyrick compels us to
remember that piety belongs in politics only when piety transcends
politics."
Dr.
Donald W. Shriver
Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics
"V. Neil Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham
Lincoln's Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history.
Should have a wide readership."
James
H. Smylie Professor
of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia
"Neil
Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably
the most complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United
States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so often
expressed in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip service to a
Deity, but rather expressions of a profound faith in a real God. It was this
faith that provided the wisdom, compassion, insight and sometimes steel that
Lincoln would need in full measure as he led the United States through
the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear and unpretentious style of presentation is
very much in keeping with the character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick
makes his point very well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed
them, are as relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."
Daniel Allen Butler, author
of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The Lusitania
and The Age o f Cunard
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