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(Below is the preface from Neil's 9th book, THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN")(Available on amazon.com)
Abraham Lincoln spoke the following and they define the man. “He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.” “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” “It is the duty of all nations as well as of men to owe their dependence upon the over ruling power of God.”1 “With malice toward none; with charity toward all; right, as God gives us to see the right…”2
When a president continues to think and
speak this way, often commenting on sin and mercy more like a preacher than a
politician it is worth taking a second look.
When he called out for, “with firmness in the right as God gives us to
see the right,” 2 he did not just show humility. Rather he asked for a national
self-examination and that God might be at the center of such evaluation.
Why
concern ourselves with spirituality as against the equivalent of a political
science degree? What real difference
does it make that Christianity needs to be up front and center in the lives of
our leaders? Because the very freedoms
and style of living we enjoy come as gifts from Christianity.
Before Christ walked this earth and set up
a new standard of humanity, life in the Greco-Roman world was cheap and
expendable. Killing of infants was
readily accepted. Child abandonment was
commonplace. Abortions and suicides were
widespread and legal. Its corrupt belief
system became the mother of chaos. It
is, therefore, little wonder Rome
fell. And America can fall just as easily if
it forgets that religion can survive without freedom, but freedom cannot long
survive without religion.
When ole Abe swore on the Bible to uphold
the Constitution, the faith he brought with him helped him to honestly support
the five references to God found in The Declaration of Independence: supreme
Lawmaker, Creator, Source of certain unalienable rights, world’s supreme Judge,
and Protector on whom we can rely. It is
not that an atheist or agnostic could not pay lip service to these, it is just
that an obvious lack of enthusiasm would make its mark.
But how spiritual was he? Well, look at how often he worked God into
both his conversations and speeches. He
was not the only President to mention prayers to the Almighty on a regular
basis, but what is important is how comfortable he seemed in doing it. A single reminder of an isolated spiritual
moment would make it impossible to build a case for spirituality. With Lincoln
this is never a problem, for this giant of a man had a giant on-going sense of
soul equal to his physical presence.
“I invite the people of the United States…
to invoke the influence of His Holy Spirit…”3 It is well to remember that
the man behind this national proclamation also wrote that he had a solemn oath
registered in heaven to finish his work.
But why not? This, after all, was
a man who at Gettysburg,
with Generals and other men of good
counsel all around,
still fell to his knees in prayer, and thereby, found “sweet comfort” 4 creeping into his soul.
A
secular humanist will be less than happy with these observations because it
reminds us that Abraham Lincoln was a man of moral absolutes. That he knew the difference between right and
wrong and agonized over them. Anyone who
has a love affair with anarchy has to be unhappy with a president who did not
believe that if it feels good then it must be okay.
Do you know that five hundred and
fifty-five feet above the ground, there sits on top of the Washington Monument
an aluminum cap upon which is etched the phrase Laus Deo? What difference
does it make? From this lofty height overlooking sixty-nine
square miles of the District of
Columbia, it sends out the message Praise be to God. Would you prefer to change the writings on
the 12th landing of its 898 monument steps, a prayer offered by the
City of Baltimore? What of the memorial on the 20th
step presented by Chinese Christians? No
one argued against having Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6 being
engraved on the 24th. School
children from New York and Philadelphia had suggested this and it was accepted as a splendid idea. Is there any significance that when the
cornerstone was laid in 1848 a Holy Bible was put there by the Bible
Society? There could, of course, have
been a book on atheism or no religious book at all, but not if the leaders at
that time had not truly believed that this was a “nation under God.”
Our 16th
president built on such cornerstones, as well as the personal cornerstones of
men such as George Washington who wrote, “It is the duty of all nations to
acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful
for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”5 Then there was Thomas Jefferson who, before he
was Chief Executive, made sure God was part of the Declaration of
Independence. His request was unanimously accepted on July 4, 1776. Yet another of the Founding Fathers, still to
be Commander-in-Chief, John Adams, wrote, “Statesmen may plan and speculate for
liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the
principles upon which freedom can securely stand.”6
To mention Christianity today is to create
a firestorm of complaint. “We must
assure separation of church and state” is the politically correct outcry. Unfortunately, most who are straining their
vocal chords, have not strained any intellectual efforts to research how the
original quote actually reads.
When Thomas Jefferson dipped his pen and
began to put down his thoughts, he wrote, “a wall of separation between Church and State.” Even more interesting is the reason why it
was written. A group of less than joyous
Baptists in Connecticut
did not want to have their denomination play second fiddle to the
Congregationalists. The
Congregationalists? They would have been
perfectly willing to be top dog as the state’s choice. Episcopalians in Virginia were no less reluctant to create
the same problem, if given half a chance.
Thomas Jefferson stuck by his guns in this state, as well.
Separation of church and state? But should that mean separation of God and
man?
Would it have made any difference if the
man who was President of the United
States during the Civil
War had not been a Christian? It took
the lives of over six hundred thousand young men, one in every five of the
country’s best, so it is no small question to ask. Is there always the danger that a Christian leader will still be arrogant, angry
and more than willing to shape pruning hooks into spears?7 Unfortunately, yes. But not Abe. His words spell out clearly how he felt
about solutions by the sword. “The man
does not live who is more devoted to peace than I am. None who would do more to preserve it.”
8
No matter what he spoke, the same confusion
as to who Lincoln
really was, existed just as much in his time as in ours. Poor fellow, when he was through speaking,
almost every newspaper in the North said he had extended an olive branch and
almost every paper in the South that he extended a sword.
Lincoln was once quoted as
having said, “I don’t like that man. I
must get to know him better.” People in
the South did not like that man, Lincoln, and they were not about to try to get
to know him better. Inexplicably both
sides called out to the Prince of Peace for help in winning a war.
Into this fray, a political Lincoln, a
military Lincoln and a spiritual Lincoln moved toward monumental
decisions. Struggling for truth,
sometimes befuddled by reality, this man who knew his Bible as well as some
preachers would often be asked if he thought God was on the side of the
North. His reply always remained the
same. “My concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God’s side.”9
It would be difficult to place too much emphasis on the spiritual undergirdings
he brought to every decision. This child
of the wilderness had had no city lights to mute the stars or compete with
moonlight. He had watched his own
growing, side by side with all the other growing things in field and
forest. It seemed natural to him to
ponder that human life must be more of mind, and soul a reality.
During the days of his youth, this gentle
giant did dally with Deism, but it must also be remembered that with passing
years, spiritual wisdom took over. An
ongoing controversy argues, he was not a Christian because he was never
baptized or joined a church. It seems
only fair to let his own words defend him against any who would doubt his
faith. In 1846, with typical honesty he
said what was and what wasn’t. “That I
am not a member of any Christian church is true, but I have never denied the truth
of the Scriptures, and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of
religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular…”
It was not that he did not believe in
Christ. He said he would gladly join any
church that would not overwhelm him with dogma.
So, it was not a cry against Christianity, but a cry against Christians
who, with determined zeal, had split up into over three hundred recognized
denominations.
Though
six foot four and weighing one hundred eighty-four pounds, Abraham Lincoln was
never too big for his long-legged britches.
He was not overly impressed with himself, always impressed by the works
of the Almighty.
In his growing up he knew little of the thin
two hundred square mile strip of civilization hugging the eastern coast. He would, of course, live and die there one
day, this man who would travel so far from the wilderness to Washington.
Would
travel, but never alone, for his was a soul attuned to heaven.
++++++++++++++++
BELOW ARE QUOTES FROM POSTINGS ON WYRICK'S
WRITINGS DURING THE LAST FEW MONTHS...
Click on the URL below
and it will take you to this Wyrick's Writings blog.
+++++++++++++
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.
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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 ENTITLED
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 ENTITLED
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 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 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 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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