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Every morning you have a mirror count of
one. You stare straight ahead and there
you are staring back.
And do you like what you see? I don't mean in terms of looks because most
folk look pretty good.
I mean...it is a proven fact that one of
the best ways to feel better is to be better.
Contrary to the opinion of many "bad" leaves a bitter taste in
the mouth.
When was the last time you did a good
deed...said a kind word...represented sunshine rather than a stream of rain
from your self-made stormy clouds. And
didn't you feel that wonderful wonder that comes from having practiced the
message of love from our Savior Christ.
By way of example...how do you act from
your power base...and oh yes...everyone has one...maybe shouldn't
have...certainly shouldn't abuse. But
there it is.
A wife who nags from her power base.
A husband who complains from his power
base.
A teen ager who sulks from their power
base.
A teacher who...
Oh, and there are employers who treat
their employees like slaves.
And
church officers who treat their office as if it were a kingship.
There are hundreds of power bases that
are daily abused...and those who do so...when they look into a mirror...what do
they see?
The tragedy is that some see
nothing. They have grown too used to
being a pain...and have convinced themselves that rather than a pain they are
everyone else's blessing.
A question. Should a Christian seek power? Should he or she turn it down? What is the proper approach to dealing with
power no matter from whence it comes?
Again...Everyone has power. Some abuse it. Some don't.
With whatever power you have do you use it well or not well at all?
Ambition is not wrong. Power well and graciously used is a blessing.
But how to handle power...wherever you
have it...
There
is a basic fact. Power is not neutral. It has potential to create or
destroy.
Adam and Eve got into trouble by wanting
more of it without the ability to be able to handle it. It damaged their relationship with God. It damaged their relationship with each
other.
The disciples wanted more power...in fact felt they deserved it...bad scene...bad conclusions...not much peace that passeth understanding in this kind of thinking.
In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?]" asks Linus.
"These five fingers," says Lucy.
The disciples wanted more power...in fact felt they deserved it...bad scene...bad conclusions...not much peace that passeth understanding in this kind of thinking.
In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?]" asks Linus.
"These five fingers," says Lucy.
And the physical bully does this and the
emotional bully and there is no real contentment in such behavior.
Amos
3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Acts 2:1 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place..”
Acts 2:1 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place..”
Such statements do not arise out of
relationships where power hungry is the reigning emotion.
The late great Presbyterian clergyman,
musician, and hymn writer, Rev. Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858 - 1901), once
said, "Christianity is not a voice in the wilderness, but a life in the
world. It is not an idea in the air but feet on the ground, going God’s way. It
is not an exotic to be kept under glass, but a hardy plant to bear twelve
months of fruits in all kinds of weather. Fidelity to duty is its root and
branch. Nothing we can say to the Lord, no calling Him by great or dear names,
can take the place of the plain doing of His will. We may cry out about the
beauty of eating bread with Him in His Kingdom, but it is wasted breath and a
rootless hope, unless we plow and plant in His Kingdom here and now. To
remember Him at His Table and to forget Him at ours is to have invested in bad
securities. There is no substitute for plain, every-day goodness."
Power of any kind can assault integrity
and make a prideful man even more so.
There is something about human nature that likes the ability to be able
to make someone else "Jump."
As often as not when someone abuses power
they almost immediately seek to justify it.
"I am wiser" they say or imply. "I deserve my power. Look at history or our culture or..."
Dictators prefer to be called benevolent.
It eases their conscience when they have less wisdom than they claim to
have. This is, of course, true of dictatorial
parents, or dictatorial employers, or dictatorial wives, or dictatorial husbands,
or dictatorial teenagers who think they are smarter than their parents.
Humility is pummeled when power enters
the scene. And no one really feels
better in the long run. Power abused
just creates distrust and distrust is the mother of discord.
And, of course, both the writer of these
words and the reader of these words automatically feel they do not apply to
us...is that true or is there some truth in it?
And what do the abusers of power so often
say in defense. The end justifies the
means. Now where have we heard that
before?
+++++++++++
| Blaise Pascal |
| Abraham Lincoln |
| Jimi Hendrix |
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)
+++++++++++++++++++
A new quote 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)
Everything
that happened in the war was not of blood and pain and hate. The best in man sometimes rises out of the
worst. More than likely the story of
what happened one cold day during the terrible battle of Fredericksburg reached
Abe’s ears and pleased the heart of this forgiving President. It was a dreadful battle that cried out for
some miraculous act of empathy.
A
Sergeant Richard Kirkland of Company E Carolina Regiment made a request of his
commanding officer that was almost denied.
He had looked too long at the tortured, twisted dead and dying men and
could finally stand it no more. He
sought startling permission to take water and aid to those dressed in both Blue
and Gray.
“You
may get a bullet in the back of your head, son,” he was told. The soldier replied that he wanted to go
anyway.
“May God protect you,” said Major General J.
B. Kershaw. A short time later, men on
both sides of this field of agony and despair, watched in awe as the young man vaulted
over a bloodstained stonewall and walked unarmed and seemingly unafraid among
the dead and dying. They saw him kneel
down and cradle a fallen Union soldier in his arms, offer him a drink of water,
rest his head on his knapsack and cover him with his own overcoat. And then move to another soldier nearby. This time it was a Confederate soldier.
Again
and again throughout that long, pale December afternoon, just eleven days
before Christmas, Sergeant Kirkland returned with water until every living
soldier, from both the North and the South, had felt his compassion and
concern.
General Kershaw later wrote that not one
shot was fired during that time. That
never had he heard such silent respect.
“…no doubt,” his pen etched, “all the trumpets of heaven resounded on
this monumental day.”
++++++++++++++++++++++
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 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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