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There are over 900
stories and commentaries on this blog. It is added to
daily.
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John Wesley, British
religious leader who founded Methodism, 1703-1791 wrote the following about his
beloved Bible.
Voltaire, French infidel, died 1778
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, 1809-1865
Jim McCotter
“This
book had to be written by one of three people: good men, bad men or God. It
couldn’t have been written by good men because they said it was inspired by the
revelation of God. Good men don’t lie and deceive.
It couldn’t have been written by bad men
because bad men would not write something that would condemn themselves. It
leaves only one conclusion. It was given by divine inspiration of God.”
A man was walking through a remote village
deep inside a jungle and as he passed a native leaning against a tree reading a
Bible, he commented, "That book is out of date in my country."
The reply left him
speechless.
"If it had been
out of date here, you'd have been eaten a long time ago."
There is a certain ongoing relevance of the Bible that never
goes away.
Suppose
you reached a period in the latter years of your life...or even now... when you
could not/cannot remember portions of the 23rd Psalm or the 13th chapter of
Corinthians or some other part of the Bible that has held special significance
for you...and you need to pick up a bible to refresh your memory...only to find
it could not so easily be done...because all the Bibles had been burned or lost...or were unavailable ...or for
whatever reason, there was not one Bible to be found anywhere...
How would you feel?
Why read the Bible or be concerned at all? Psa.
119:105 gives an answer " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light
unto my path."
What
is your favorite song and can you sing it?
What are your
favorite TV shows and on what networks will you find them ?
When does football
season begin?
Is your knowledge in
some areas almost encyclopedic?
And I could make an
analogy here...but I won't...I will restrain myself.
The Bible is a
special book...because...
It is the only book that satisfactorily
answers life’s questions,
From where did I come?
Why am I here?
What is my purpose?
Where are we headed?
From where did I come?
Why am I here?
What is my purpose?
Where are we headed?
WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE if the teachings of the Bible are not passed down from one generation
to the next generation?
Well, take a look at the generational output of a New Yorkian named Max Jukes.
Well, take a look at the generational output of a New Yorkian named Max Jukes.
He did not believe the Bible worth any
time to give it and he believed the
church was full of hypocrites.
He never attended or allowed his children to go to any church.
He had 1,026 descendants;
300 were sent to prison for an average term of 13 years;
190 were public prostitutes;
680 were alcoholics.
Many lived on the welfare system, and have not contributed to society.
He never attended or allowed his children to go to any church.
He had 1,026 descendants;
300 were sent to prison for an average term of 13 years;
190 were public prostitutes;
680 were alcoholics.
Many lived on the welfare system, and have not contributed to society.
Minister
Jonathan Edwards lived in New York at the same time as Jukes.
He read his Bible daily and loved the church.
He and his family were in church every Sunday.
He had 929 descendants:
430 were ministers of the Gospel;
86 were College or University presidents;
75 authored a book;
5 served in the US Congress;
2 served as Senators; one as vice president of the United States.
None were ever in the welfare system, not one cost the state a penny.
George Washington said, “It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible.”
He read his Bible daily and loved the church.
He and his family were in church every Sunday.
He had 929 descendants:
430 were ministers of the Gospel;
86 were College or University presidents;
75 authored a book;
5 served in the US Congress;
2 served as Senators; one as vice president of the United States.
None were ever in the welfare system, not one cost the state a penny.
George Washington said, “It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible.”
President Ronald
Reagan said, “Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the
answers to all the problems that face us today—if only we would read and
believe.
Do people tend to
read the Bible more as they get older?
Yep. Why? Well, let's just say they're cramming for
exams.
Seriously, at
any age, every Christian should know enough about its contents to at least earn
a C if not an A +.
And when it comes to reading the
Bible...the world is full of those who tried and gave up after a few chapters
or early books...because they went at it wrong.
Indeed, these 66
different books by various authors cannot be described as easy reading. Outside of the quotable quotes in Proverbs
and from the lips of our Lord there are a host of stories an analogies that ask
for special effort.
Therefore, to begin with, don't think of
it as a book of a host of different little stories but rather a collection that
basically tell a big story.
In reading the
Bible today the best way to understand it is to think on who those people were
long ago that first read it.
Where did they live? What were their customs?
If thousands of
years from now someone reads our books and newspapers they will better
understand what they are reading if they know something about we 21st century
people are reading in them now.
And when you read Bible what are you
reading? Is it a song, a prophetic
message, a historical narrative or a parable?
To help to answer
such questions...you can buy commentaries for your library shelf or ask your
in-house teacher Mr. Google to help...but you should not read the Bible without
some instructions on where to aim your thinking.
And once you have read a passage or a page
or a whole chapter start thinking on how it applies to you in this super
scientific age. Yes, reading the Bible
takes thought and thinking...but then anything worthwhile takes applied and
persistent effort.
All of this is
not as difficult as it seems...because the Bible is a story of
people...including Jesus, the Son of Man who came to dwell among us.
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Voltaire, French infidel, died 1778
- said that within 100 years of his time, Christianity would be
swept away from existence and pass into the obscurity of history.
-Yet 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his
house and printing press to produce stacks of Bibles
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, 1809-1865
“I am busily engaged in the study of the Bible. I believe it is
God’s word because it finds me where I am.”
Jim McCotter
“All Scripture is God-breathed and He doesn’t waste His breath.”
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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)
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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.
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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
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Some
of the sermon titles posted recently
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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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