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There are over 900
stories and commentaries on this blog. It is added to
daily.
Click on http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com
to read selected Sermons from
over 50 years of Rev.
Wyrick's ministry.
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Hell
isn't merely paved with good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes,
and furnished too.
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
I imagine Demas was a good man who dreamed of living the kind of life that people would describe with a smile on their face.
Indeed, you can find his name mentioned
in the Bible only three times...but those three times are the tragedy of a man
who might have been.
His three
character references are as follows and are found in Paul's writings.
First he is mentioned in Philemon where
you can read, "Demas, Luke, my fellow workers."
Here we seek Demas standing by Paul as a
devoted Christian.
The second mention of this man is that of
a subtle change. "Luke, the beloved
physician and Demas."
By the third letter, you see what you have
already begun to suspect. No, more than
that...he has slipped and fallen...for you read "Demas forsook me, having
loved this present age."
Who is
Demas? Demas is a symbol. A symbol of that host of folk who have the
staying power of a piece of melting ice.
Their faith a whisp
of smoke that fades when the winds of social change aim in a different
direction.
And remember
the first mention of Demas...when his good intentions were alive and well.
And then they
died...and why...and why one more funeral for good intentions?
There were others who dreamed of change
toward a better life and had the staying power to see it through.
Mary Magdalene.
Raised from the gutter to glory.
Prideful Saul, a mocker and persecutor of
Christians and then a name change and a life change to become Paul.
And that is life...all the opportunities
to become a better person or a person who intends to become better...they
really do.
A question. Did all the leaders
on Wall Street sit down one day and agree to do a lot of evil things. Doubtful.
They may have deluded themselves into thinking that they were just going
to make profits for themselves and their clients as well...and isn't that good?
But greed got in the way of good intentions
and after that it was all downhill.
Some times on the way to the
death of good intentions...because of laziness or selfishness or both...folk
chose the road to self destruction...and lie about to themselves...and feed
their selfishness and laziness...and...
Good
intentions gone awry have gotten man in trouble for a long time.
Such as...
Protect the black
from himself by making him a slave...and people believed that...it was not
true...it was wrong...but some called the decision good intentions...it made
them feel better about it.
Torture is okay if
the information is important enough...and people believed that...it was not
true not matter where or when...but some called the decision good
intentions...and it made them feel better about it.
Beat your child
enough and he or she will behave...and some people believed and believe that....it
was not and is not true...it was and is wrong...but some called and call the
decision good intentions...and it made and makes them feel better about it.
At the altar of good
intentions are laid gifts that are not gifts at all...it happens all the time.
We are all so prone to do what we never
intended to do and more than once...even the Apostle Paul who bemoaned the
fact...
“I do
not understand my own actions.” Paul writes. “For what I want to do I do not do, but I do the very thing I hate.
...for what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want is
what I keep on doing.”
And if this is a fact...and it is...it is not an excuse...it
does not allow us to write off our mistakes by saying "I am not
depraved. I am deprived. The world has done me wrong and I fear it
will do so again...so I have given up on both good intentions and good deeds
all at the same time."
Don't do
that. Chase after your best and do it
with due diligence. Pray yourself
forward and if you lose a step add two more to get back what you have lost and
gain a bit as well.
We were made in the image of God and we must never forget
this...nor the challenge it daily places before us.
When willpower
is not enough add a healthy dose of God power.
Feel the joy of forgiveness and let it motivate you to have less to be
forgiven for.
Be yoked to Christ.
On New Year’s day,
1929, Georgia Tech played the University of California in the Rose Bowl.
In the first half, Roy Riegels recovered a
fumble for California, but he became confused about the direction and ran the
wrong way.
One of his teammates tackled him just
yards before he scored for the opposing team. When California tried to punt,
Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety, which became the winning margin.
During halftime, the California players
sat quietly, waiting to hear what the coach had to say. He was
uncharacteristically quiet.
Riegels sat in a corner totally
devastated, a blanket over his head, crying like a baby.
Three minutes before playing time, Coach
Price looked at the team and said simply, "Men, the same team that played
the first half will start the second."
The players filed on the field, but
Riegels did not budge. "Roy, didn’t you hear me?" the coach asked. Riegels responded, "I couldn’t face the
crowd in the stadium to save my life." Coach Price put his hand on Roy’s
shoulder and said, "Roy, get up and go on back, the game is only half
over."
Tech men to this day will tell you they
have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.
Have you run in the wrong direction after some good intentions. Is the first half of your life nowhere near
what you wished it had been.
Well
there is the second half or quarter or however much longer you have to live
still available...as is the opportunity to give those good intentions of old a
new life...as in Christ you become a new man or woman...
So
do it...play the final days or months or years of your life in such a manner
people will say, "We have never
seen a person play the game of life as (your name) has been been playing
it."
++++++++++++++++
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)
+++++++++++++++++++
Just
remember that “the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain
of regret will cost you millions.”
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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.
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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.”
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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.”
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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 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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