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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.
Controlling pain in our modern age is
done quite well in a great many cases.
Controlling suffering is something else.
And so I seek again to deal with this
challenge that reaches us all. For yes,
indeed, I have had enough personal experience that include paralysis and a broken
hip replacements to name only a few.
First, off,
many of you immediately know what I am talking about. You know what your first thought was after
the accident or a bad medical diagnosis.
"I wish I could put my life on re-run."
Depending on your personality you
experienced terror or at the very least an abundance of anxiety.
And then the questioning.
Will I get well? And when? Whether it was a physical injury or an
emotional injury; death, divorce, etc.
the feelings were still pretty much the same.
You, me, any of us...this is a test...a test
of the medical skills of those around us and the spiritual strength always
available. And what we pray for whether
we put it in words or not...is more steel for our soul.
And how we approach
this time is crucial.. for our response will make us grow or it will cripple
us.
What first to do.
Pray that the pain and suffering not be wasted. That we learn from it...benefit from it..
Learn patience...gain more empathy with others and less
unconcern.
That's right first important lesson to be
learned and sometimes relearned. The old cliche' of turning a lemon
experience into lemonade.
As for myself...when I walk without a walker but can no longer play a fast game of tennis,
I concentrate on the positive.
I can walk. For awhile I couldn't.
It is that simple. People also die from broken hips,
particularly when they are as I am an octogenarian so that has not been hard to
do...this feeling of gratitude.
Nor do I make light of the increase in
empathy. I have always cared about
people and their pain.
I now care in a totally different
way. It affects my prayers. It affects what people feel when I say
"I care."
And do not make light of the word "empathy." Gain enough of it and people will feel it
from you even before you say it.
What next to do? Be sure you take a walk with Jesus that
leaves only one set of footprints in the sand.
The kind of walk that allows Him to carry
you when whatever your tragedy is becomes too much for you alone.
Is what I now write an over
simplification? I think not.
"My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. My Father, which gave them
me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s
hand. I and my Father are one." (John
10:27-30)
And would you in your courageous response to pain do so with
such unbelievable spiritual strength neither you or those around you can
believe it.
Then face your problem in such a way that
if the moments were part of a biography about you they would be an inspiration
to family and friends.
Ah yes...read some biographies of men of
great faith...their lives will lift you up.
They really will if you will read those biographies.
He was a beloved pastor and a man of compassionate action. He loved God, felt the love of God and daily
gave the love of God. And so one day
Bishop Ralph Cushman wrote:
I met God in the morning
When my day was at its best.
And His presence came like Sunrise
Like a glory in my breast.
All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.
So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way;
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!
Seventy-odd years ago, when America
What I am trying to emphasize is a truth
as old as time, basic theology and common sense all wrapped up in one - the
truth that God is Creator, we are His creations and if we get this priority
list straight we won’t make the mistake of trying to go it alone.
That His offer of a relationship is real and that our acceptance, or
refusal, is monumental
That God is big enough for our biggest problem.....our biggest
sickness or tragedy...millions down through the ages have shown it is true.
God is bigger than the biggest stock market
rise or crash. He’s bigger than the latest technological breakthrough.
All the earthly pomp and pageantry in the
world to install a president or a king is play-acting as against the eternal
ruler of all nations and all mankind. An
office on the 61st floor may well be great, but never forget God
looks out from the heights of heaven.
Danger sign! If we play
the game called “Earthly mightiness” and thereby put ourselves on a pedestal
that should be reserved for God, we have just made one grandiose mistake. And when we need him most we are out of
practice in finding him...the most.
God is so
awe-inspiring with a true and eternal greatness. After all He could and did send his Son to
die an ignoble death and turned what had before been a shame into a
salvation. This God before whom we bow
and call out to in prayer.
Nearer my God to thee? You can’t get much closer to WOW than an
eternal NOW . For God is here, now, through the
power of the Holy Spirit. He is, He was,
He evermore shall be.
SO IF AT PRESENT YOU HAVE NO SICKNESS, NO
PROBLEM, NO PAIN...I BUT HOPE YOU ARE AWARE OF YOUR BLESSING AND ALREADY
THANKED GOD FOR IT.
But...if
not...pray to and fall on our knees before the immortal awesome creator...and
began your prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your
name..."
++++++++++
We all know people who have been made
much meaner and more irritable and more intolerable to live with by suffering:
it is not right to say that all suffering perfects. It only perfects one type
of person ...... the one who accepts the call of God in Christ Jesus. --Oswald
Chambers
Life
is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it.—Unknown
Our problems are opportunities to
discover God’s solutions. –Unknown
The world is full of suffering, it is
also full of overcoming it. --Helen Keller
In this world you will have
tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. --Jesus
Christ
You may never know that JESUS is all
you need, until JESUS is all you have. --Corrie Ten Boom (Concentration camp
surivor)
Grief knits two hearts in closer
bonds than happiness ever can; and common sufferings are far stronger links
than common joys. -- Alphonse de Lamartine
My barn having burned to the ground,
I can now see the moon.— Japanese poet Masahide
"I walked a mile with Pleasure
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me."
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me."
Robert Browning Hamilton
+++++++++++++++++
CHURCH BOOK CLUBS ARE
USING REV. WYRICK'S 9TH BOOK "The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln."
If you would like to purchase it at a special price...
It is available on amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and many other book sites.
It is available on amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and many other book sites.
A new quote
(posted SEPT 5) below from
Rev. Wyrick's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN (read the rave reviews below the quote)
Many
were quite willing to see him permanently gone, not just to Washington
Hate
letters assailed on a regular basis.
Finally
a plot to assassinate him in Baltimore was
uncovered, and by repeatedly reminding him, “You can hardly be a good President
if you are a dead President,” his friends were able to convince him to secretly
depart Harrisburg
Accompanied
by Alan Pinkerton and W. H. Laman in one lone car pulled by a single
locomotive, no lights and telegraph lines cut, he came through Baltimore
Many
other lonely middle-of-the-night times lay ahead.
"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
,
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.
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING TO TAKE YOU THERE
(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)
+++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
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