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There are over 1100
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.
I begin with the following thought,
"Wisdom
is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it. ~David Star Jordan, The
Philosophy of Despair
Nor should these scriptural words of motivational heaven sent wisdom
pass by without reading and applying them again and again and again, - "Everyone
who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you
whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a
foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that
house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. "But the one
who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house
upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and
immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that
house was great." (Luke
6:47-49)
Do you have a standard by which you
try to live and how have you and that standard been getting along these days?
Like me and all of the rest of us
you have your bumps and bruises to prove you have stumbled and fallen...and
more than once.
The results of those on-going moments of decisions...those steps...that
springboard...
In
the spring of 1883 two young men graduated from medical school.
The two were as different from one
another as possible...in both appearance and ambition.
Ben was
short and stocky.
Will was
tall and thin.
Ben
dreamed of practicing medicine on the East Coast.
Will wanted
to work in a rural community.
Ben begged his friend to go to New York where they
could both make a fortune.
Will refused.
His friend called him foolish for wanting to practice medicine in the Midwest.
"But," Will said, "I want first
of all to be a great surgeon...the very best, if I have the ability."
Years later
the wealthy and powerful came from around the world to be treated by Will at
his clinic...the Mayo Clinic.
"Like
living stones, let yourself be built into a spiritual house..."(1 Peter 2:5)
Not a straw
house that is blown about by any wandering wind ...but a house of strength that
may suffer damage but does not fall completely in rubble and despair.
In short, introduce yourself to
your convictions on a regular basis...and thereby will come such strength.
Cathy Rigby was a member of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team in
the 1972 Olympics at Munich, and she had only one goal in mind--to win a gold
medal.
She
had trained long and hard over a long period of time.
On
the day she was scheduled to perform, she prayed for the strength and the
control to get through her routine without making mistakes.
She
was tense with determination not to let herself or her country down.
She
performed well, but when it was all over and the winners were announced, her
name was not among them.
Cathy
was crushed.
Afterward,
she joined her parents in the stands all set for a good cry.
As
she sat down, she could barely manage to say, "I'm sorry. I did my
best."
"You
know that, and I know that," her mother said, "and I'm sure God knows
that too."
Then, Cathy recalls, her mother said 10
words that she has never forgotten: "Doing your best is more important
than being the best."
Back to the house
called YOU that YOU are constantly building...focus on the word
"best"...stamp on the word "worst"...
Begin with
what you can do and should do in adding rooms of influence to this house.
Begin by asking the question "Where are your talents? Where are you inclinations?"
Can you sing a song, easily add new
friends, pay attention to others and by so doing warm their days...when each
day comes to an end...you may not have built a mountain but have you at least
began to plan a hill.
In short, don't
waste your life...it's a one-time earthly journey.
Alexander the Great was not satisfied, even when
he had completely subdued all the nations of the world. He wept because there were no more worlds to conquer, and he
died at an early age in a state of debauchery.
Hannibal, who
filled three bushels with the gold rings taken from the knights he had
slaughtered, committed suicide by swallowing poison. Few noted his passing, and
he left this earth completely unmourned.
Julius Caesar, 'staining his garments in the blood
of one million of his foes,' conquered 800 cities, only to be stabbed by his
best friends at the scene of his greatest triumph.
Napoleon, the feared conqueror, after being the
scourge of Europe, spent his last years in banishment and disgrace.
Wasted lives born of wasteful goals happen all the time.
And then there is you...
If you are
becoming a person of exceptional expectations rather than unexceptional
realities
...just
remember...you should expect and work toward better than that.
Yes!
Living on excuses and dining on unresolved mistakes just creates
spiritual indigestion.
So what to do
first...apply the better avenues to better living by first recognizing what the
obstacles are.
I've always felt that to identify the enemy is better than trying to run confused
and purposeless circles around him or it.
SO...
1.
Take a good look at what you have been
pursuing to make you happy. Some
of the things may be good...others on a second look won't wear well over the
long run.
2.
You want to live good and be good? Be sure the way you are living doesn't make
these two adversaries.
3.
Don't be the victim of good intentions. The last time you blew it did you say "I
meant well." Really?
Did you patiently think it through and pray
it through or just rush your way through.
4.
How many courses have you taken to make
yourself better at your job? How many
bible courses have you taken to make you better at the job of being better
before the face of God?
5.
Do you believe that being too good is to be
weak? Only if you are a
"good for nothing" is that true.
True goodness is strength. It is
David before Goliath...it is the power of the Holy Spirit making the muscles of
your soul bulge. In an evil
world...moral strength is the real giant.
Are you a
cheater? Then you have the weakness of
not being able to trust anyone because you know no one can trust you...same if
you are a thief...same if you are a...
But if you are a god fearing man or woman
your inner strength is a thunderstorm of power racing across the sky.
6.
Do you believe that the bad are rewarded
more than the good? With what reward? With that which moth and rust can corrupt and
in not that long a time (as against eternity) be swept away.
Nor is it true that good does not
reward? What better feeling than to live
with a person you respect...YOU.
Be a man after
God's own heart. Maybe that's a good way
to wrap up these thoughts.
***
If
you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing
else matters. ~Alan Simpson
Character is much easier kept than
recovered. ~Thomas Paine
One does evil enough when one does
nothing good. ~German Proverb
There is no pillow so soft as a clear
conscience. ~French Proverb
QUOTE BELOW IS FROM WYRICK'S WRITINGS...
There is no other organization in the
world like the church. It is a breed
unto itself. It is a congregation of
sinners, not a country club for saints.
To become a member you have to profess your unworthiness.
(These are selected sermons from over 50 years of ministry and as a worldwide evangelist Rev. Wyrick preached them all the United States and all over the
world)
+++++++++++++++++++
A new quote (posted Aug 12) 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)
How
much differently would government function if all elected officials were as
good historians as politicians and statesmen?
The school-of-yesterday is such a worthy teacher. It is a shame that so many who have shaped
our nation’s directions have not better studied and remembered the good and bad
directions of the past.
++++++++++++++++++++++
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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