Darkness has no song to be heard.
A call goes forth for the rise of all to see His truths.
... I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. ~ Isaiah 45:18-19
The LORD has made His plain truth known
Thus says the LORD:
● Created the Heavens
● Formed the Earth and made it
● Did not create it in vain
● Formed it to be inhabited
● I am the LORD, and there is no other
● I have not spoken in secret
● I, the LORD, speak righteousness
● I declare things that are right
Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, ... ~ Isaiah 56:1
... dwell with everlasting burnings?" He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, ... ~ Isaiah 33:14-15
Repeatedly He declares what He expects
Who shall dwell with God:
→ Who walks righteously
→ Speaks uprightly
→ Despises the gain of oppressions
→ Gestures with his hands, refusing bribes
→ Stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
→ Shuts his eyes from seeing evil
The LORD looks for the virtuous with honest hearts of integrity without murderous thoughts hinged with self-control.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. ... ~ Proverbs 11:4-8
A righteous man hates lying, ... ~ Proverbs 13:5-6
... a throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right. ~ Proverbs 16:12-13
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. ~ Proverbs 29:2
Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. ~ Proverbs 14:34
... For the ways of the LORD are right; The righteous walk in them, ... ~ Hosea 14:9
Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, ... ~ Hosea 10:12
... To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. ... ~ Proverbs 21:2-4
As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. ... ~ Romans 3:10-14
"... Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." ~ Romans 3:15-19
... But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, ... ~ Romans 3:20-22
To Believe or not to
FAITH = BELIEVE
... Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, ... ~ Romans 3:23-25
Our retrieval is the cost of His sacrifice
✓ Justified freely by His Grace
⮡ Through redemption in Christ Jesus
✓ Propitiation by His blood, through faith
⮡ To demonstrate His righteousness
... to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ~ Romans 3:26
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~ 2nd Corinthians 5:21
... gospel of Christ ... For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; ... ~ Romans 1:16-17
... that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ~ Romans 8:3-4
... For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ~ Romans 8:5-6
... for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ... ~ Romans 14:17-19
... "Evil company corrupts good habits." Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. ... ~ 1st Corinthians 15:33-34
Righteousness is God’s warning to all
● The Lord openly speaks righteous truth
● The righteous speak uprightly refusing bribes
● The righteous wish no harm exercising self-control
● Righteousness delivers from death
● A throne is established by righteousness
● The righteous walk in the ways of the Lord
● The Lord desires us to be righteousness and just
● Righteousness of God is revealed in Jesus Christ
● Righteousness of God for us is in Christ
● The gospel is the power of God to salvation
● Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law
● Spiritually minded is life and peace
● Awake to righteousness in the knowledge of God
Dedication to His Word draws out the brilliance of a soul.
Righteousness2AM.mp3 (42m 36s)
... be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ~ Romans 4:13
"... being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." ~ Romans 4:20-22
... just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." ~ Galatians 3:6
Belief is an action of faith weathered in time
BELIEVED GOD = RIGHTEOUSNESS
... being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ... ~ Romans 10:2-4
Manmade piousness rebels against God
● God zeal not according to knowledge
● Ignorant of God's righteousness
● Seeking their own righteousness
● Not submitted to God's righteousness
● Christ ends the law for righteousness
⮡ To everyone who believes
... the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" ~ Romans 10:5-6
... But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" ~ Romans 10:7-9
... For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus ... ~ Galatians 5:4-6
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ~ Romans 10:10
Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times! ~ Psalms 106:3
... who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, ... ~ Psalms 15:1-3
... Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. ~ Psalms 15:4-5
To be with God conditions have been given
Who may abide in Your tabernacle?
● Who walks uprightly
● Works righteousness
● Speaks the truth in his heart
● Does not backbite with his tongue
● Nor does evil to his neighbor
● Nor reproaches his friend
● Despises a vile person
⮡ But honors who fear the LORD
● He who swears to his own hurt
⮡ Steadfast to the ways of God
● Does not put out his money at usury
● Nor takes a bribe against the innocent
... God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God ... ~ Deuteronomy 10:12-13
... And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? ~ Micah 6:8
Truths of God overrule decrees of man
What does God require of us?
● To do Justly
● To Love Mercy
● To Walk Humbly with God
For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. ~ Psalms 11:7
... The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. ~ Psalms 34:13-15
... Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~ James 3:16-18
... the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ~ James 1:19-20
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." ~ Matthew 6:33
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled." ~ Matthew 5:6
... unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom ... ~ Matthew 5:20-21
"... says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." ~ Matthew 5:22
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ~ 2nd Timothy 2:22
... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ~ Philippians 3:8-9
... the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ~ Philippians 3:10-11
In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death. ~ Proverbs 12:28
... He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. ~ Proverbs 2:4-8
... When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, ... ~ Proverbs 2:9-14
The divide between Good and Bad
Walk in
the ways of
Goodness
Keep to
the paths of
righteousness
Devious in
their paths
Forgets the
covenant
of God
... So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. ~ Proverbs 2:15-20
Righteousness lives by the ways of God
● The promise is through the righteousness of faith
● Belief is an integral part of righteousness
● Christ is the end for righteous law for believers
● Righteousness of faith is in the here and now
● Righteousness by faith has hope working in love
● Righteousness dwells in a believing heart
● The Lord is watching the righteous
● The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
● Seeking God’s righteousness adds to one’s own
● Righteousness does not include murderous anger
● Righteousness comes from God by faith in Christ
● The way of righteousness is life with no death
● To understand righteousness wisdom is required
Righteous works are a soul’s greatest light.
Righteousness3AM.mp3 (37m 15s)
... He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. ... ~ Acts 17:30-31
... whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ... ~ Romans 6:16-17
... set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ... ~ Romans 6:18-20
... become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ... ~ Romans 6:21-23
... If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. ~ 1st John 2:28-29
... Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. ... ~ 1st John 3:10-12
... By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ~ 1st John 3:13-16
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ... ~ 1st Peter 2:21-23
... who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness ... ~ 1st Peter 2:24-25
... be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil ... ~ 1st Peter 3:8-9
... of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." ~ 1st Peter 3:10-12
... if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." ... ~ 1st Peter 3:14-16
... not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing ... ~ Titus 3:4-7
... because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ... ~ Ephesians 2:4-7
... we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:8-10
... Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ~ James 2:20-22
... "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. ... ~ James 2:23-24
... Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed ... ~ Colossians 3:8-10
... Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ~ Colossians 3:11-12
... But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, ... ~ Colossians 3:13-15
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns ... ~ Colossians 3:16
... you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption ... ~ 1st Corinthians 1:30-31
God's wisdom is with us
Glory in the LORD
⮡ In Christ Jesus
⮡ For us wisdom from God
● Righteousness
● Sanctification
● Redemption
... we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ... ~ 2nd Peter 3:13-14
Time ends for all revealing character in Him
● He will judge the world in righteousness
● Obedience leads to righteousness
● Called to be slaves of righteousness for holiness
● The fruit of holiness’ end is everlasting life
● Who practices righteousness is born of Him
● Hate excludes one from eternal life
● Christ is our example of righteousness
● If suffering for righteousness one is blessed
● Grace saves us through faith
● Belief, faith in God, is accounted for righteousness
● Put off the old man, renewed in His knowledge
● Put on love which is the bond of perfection
● Wisdom from God is righteousness to His glory
The riches of truth are held in His Word
The song of His love is for our return
Darkness can be seen in the heart of evil.
Both good and poor leaders have brought us to this very moment.
21. Chester Arthur (1881-1885)
“I may be president of the United States, but my
private life is nobody's damned business.”
“If it were not for the reporters, I would tell you the truth.”
"... Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate." ~ Proverbs 8:11-13
“The health of the people is of supreme importance.
All measures looking to their protection against the spread of
contagious diseases and to the increase of our sanitary knowledge
for such purposes deserve attention of Congress.”
“Where you stand depends where you sit.”
... have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ~ James 2:2-4
22. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)
“Though the people support the government;
the government should not support the people.”
“Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public,
there will be no shutting them again.”
“Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote. The relative
positions to be assumed by man and woman in the working out of our
civilization were assigned long ago by a higher intelligence than ours.”
And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. ~ 1st Timothy 2:12
“All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results
in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust,
and in the best type of citizenship.”
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ... ~ Philippians 3:20
“And let us not trust to human effort alone, but humbly acknowledging the
power and goodness of Almighty God, who presides over the destiny of
nations, and who has at all times been revealed in our country's history,
let us invoke His aid and His blessings upon our labors.”
“The appointing power of the Pope is treated as a public trust,
and not as a personal perquisite.”
Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD." ~ Jeremiah 17:5
23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
“If you take out your statutes, your constitution, your family life,
all that is taken from the sacred book, what would there
be left to bind society together?”
“God forbid that the day should ever come when, in the American mind,
the thought of man as a consumer shall submerge the old American
thought of man as a creature of God, endowed with unalienable rights.”
What one emphasizes declares the outcome
Materialism
Consumer ↑
↓
Creature of God
Spirit
... I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, ... ~ Revelation 2:4-5
“Have you not learned that not stocks or bonds or stately houses,
or products of the mill or field are our country? It is a
spiritual thought that is in our minds.”
“The evil works from a bad center both ways. It demoralizes those
who practice it and destroys the faith of those who suffer by it
in the efficiency of the law as a safe protector.”
When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves. ~ Proverbs 28:12
"I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, ... ~ Isaiah 13:11
“We Americans have no commission from God to police the world.”
“Lincoln had faith in time, and time has justified his faith.”
“I'd rather have a bullet inside of me than
to be living in constant dread of one.”
... the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ~ James 1:19-20
“Prayer steadies one when he is walking in slippery places
- even if things asked for are not given.”
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ~ 1st John 5:14
“The bud of victory is always in the truth.”
“Great lives never go out, they go on.”
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. ~ 1st John 5:4
Throughout the ages there has been no shortage of confusion
concerning direction and identity, with a sense of peaceful sure
purpose. With all the inbred fighting factions spinning the world
into a petty den of thieves, disgust also has no shortage. Love
evaporates where the greedy dominate the meek and steal the truth
from our children. Hearts cry out ignored in amongst the many.
The truth of one age dissolves in the next
● Liars keep justice hidden in the "service" of all
● Arrogance reveals one’s clear lack of kind service
● Unity is found through care for one another
● Reception of Christ uncovers the highest citizenship
● Trust should be in the power and goodness of God
● Greed and thirst for power betrays public trust
● The Bible’s sacred truths bind society together
● Our countries greatest value is found in spirituality
● Evil destroys both itself and part of those it touches
● Hope for civility is a prelude to civilization
● Boldly tempting fate can invite unwanted calamities
● Unanswered prayers divulge the depths of faith
● Truth is a prize worth nurturing
Darkness cast a shadow on all it touches.
Those blessed with true wisdom lift all souls.
24. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
“I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men
and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American
people, and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly
and reverently seek His powerful aid.”
... God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 10:13
“The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon
to relieve their fellow citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and
quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the
expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens
the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence
among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which
strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.”
... keep oneself unspotted from the world. ~ James 1:27
“I know that human prejudice - especially that growing out
of race and religion - is cruelly inveterate and lasting.”
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." ~ John 7:24
... As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father ... ~ John 5:30
It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. ~ Proverbs 18:5
“A government for the people must depend for its success
on the intelligence, the morality, the justice, and the interest
of the people themselves.”
Only communities in agreement find victory
Government success depends on:
● Intelligence ≠ Ignorance
● Morality ≠ Wickedness
● Justice ≠ Lies
● Interest of the people ≠ Loss
“We will not forget that Liberty has made her home here, nor shall her
chosen altar be neglected...A stream of light shall pierce the darkness of
ignorance and mans oppression until Liberty enlightens the world.”
“Above all, tell the truth.”
“These are days of special perplexity and depression,
and the path of public duty is unusually rugged.”
“Communism is a hateful thing and a menace to peace and
organized government; but the communism of combined wealth
and capital, the outgrowth of overweening cupidity and selfishness,
which insidiously undermines the justice and integrity of free
institutions, is not less dangerous than the communism of
oppressed poverty and toil, which, exasperated by injustice
and discontent, attacks with wild disorder the citadel of rule.”
“As we view the achievements of aggregated capital, we discover the
existence of trusts, combinations, and monopolies, while the citizen is
struggling far in the rear or is trampled to death beneath an iron heel.
Corporations, which should be the carefully constrained
creatures of the law and the servants of the people,
are fast becoming the people's masters.”
... doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ... ~ Ephesians 6:7-9
“The ship of democracy, which has weathered all storms,
may sink through the mutiny of those on board.”
... when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, ... ~ Ezekiel 14:13-14
25. William McKinley (1897-1901)
Anger has never delivered a community of settled souls.
“That's all a man can hope for during his lifetime - to set an example
- and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.”
... Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; ... ~ Psalms 112:1-2
“I went down on my knees and prayed to Almighty God for light and
guidance and one night late it came to me this way. We could not leave
(the Philippines) to themselves - they were unfit for self-government-and
they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there worse than Spain's
was. There was nothing left for us to do but take them all and educate
the Filipinos, and uplift and Christianize them.”
... "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ..." ~ Mark 16:15-16
“Our faith teaches that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our
fathers who has so singularly favored the American people in every
national trial and who will not forsake us so long as we obey His
commandments and walk humbly in His footsteps.”
“The more profoundly we study this wonderful Book, and the more
closely we observe its divine precepts, the better citizens we will
become and the higher will be our destiny as a nation.”
“Our earnest prayer is that God will graciously vouchsafe prosperity,
happiness, and peace to all our neighbors, and like blessings
to all the peoples and powers of the earth.”
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ... ~ 1st Peter 3:8
“By the blessings of heaven I mean to live and die,
please God, in the faith of my mother.”
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. ~ Romans 14:8
“The path of progress is seldom smooth. New things are often
found hard to do. Our fathers found them so. We find them so.
But are we not made better for the effort and sacrifice?”
... "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 12:9
Many human ideals transcend the ages of time for the shear
humanity of it. All desire peace from fear and life in love. There is no
national border on hearts as God gazes upon all souls tortured in the
flesh. It is the common ground revealing character of intent either be
they pursuits of nobility or wicked actions. Tests continue upon all in
the shadow vapors of our lives. Absent of God’s presence brings
about no good outcome, more than evident where lives’ live in the
midst of socially collapsing despair, mired in confusion lacking
purpose. God has graciously ordained His word for man to know,
and when people rise to honor and glorify His truths, sanctuaries
are established. Men of good will disclose these universal truths
enabling souls to rise, or at least delivering commonsense to the
thirsty. May hope lift our hearts to the stars of enlightenment
bosomed in faith where the timeless call to return remains.
His light glimmers on the horizon of our hopes.
Government’s purpose is to keep the peace
● The providence of God blesses the faithful
● Godliness involves taking care of your own
● Prejudice is a monster that destroys decency
● Safeguarding a moral régime is an intelligent public
● Liberty is the light of God
● Oppressive institutions defeat peaceful public order
● Rule disregarding respect for freedom invites ruin
● Legacy is a matter the goodness one lives by
● Reverent integrity blesses future generations
● We are commanded by God to share His knowledge
● Humble faith brings God’s favor upon a people
● Power of prayer applies when hearts are genuine
● In weakness strength is found
Falling away from God’s commands weakens all who disobey
Darkness holds out the extension of forever.
God’s test is to find if we will act on belief,
in His given ways, or turn away to another way.
A missing heart longs to find love.
... "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." ~ Exodus 20:20
... that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. ... ~ Exodus 16:4-5
... Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. ~ Exodus 16:19-20
... So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. ~ Exodus 16:23-24
... And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?" ~ Exodus 16:26-28
"... your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." ~ Deuteronomy 8:1-2
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ~ Revelation 14:12
... slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ~ Romans 6:16
... No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 10:13
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life ... ~ James 1:12
Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. ~ Psalms 7:9
... His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The LORD tests the righteous, ... ~ Psalms 11:4-5
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. ~ Psalms 26:2
... entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. ~ 1st Thessalonians 2:4
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, ... ~ Hebrews 3:8
... that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. ~ Hebrews 6:12
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. ~ Hebrews 10:35
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good ... ~ Romans 12:2
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, ... ~ Hebrews 13:9
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, ... ~ Colossians 2:8
Truth is found in the image God gives
Cheat you not according to Christ:
● Philosophy
● Empty deceit
● Tradition of men
● Basic principles of the world
Evil or goodness is the test that rides on the bottom of all hearts.
Advancing or retreating declares one’s strength or weakness of character.
To choose God rises to the heights beyond time and renders a space of tranquility above dimension where love is the sole substance of life.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ~ Ephesians 5:6
... "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." ~ Matthew 24:4-5
... do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ~ 1st John 4:1-2
... You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ~ 1st John 4:3-4
Test all things; hold fast what is good. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:21
... as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 13:5
"... exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." ~ Acts 14:22
Passion is what drives the works of heart whether they be
noble or wicked. Ruthlessness over compassion often divides
those that seek unity among their children’s undefiled innocence.
Hearts lay open to the wounds found in the furnace of hate.
Peace is the water that cools a thankful mind.
God answers the call.
The sun rises to enlighten the shores
● Time is to humble and test our hearts
● One is a slave to whom one obeys
● Faith in God allows for an escape from sin
● Endurance in loving Him receives the crown of life
● The Lord tests the minds & hearts of the righteous
● We are entrusted with the gospel from God
● Imitate faithful & patient who inherit the promises
● Not casting confidence away has great reward
● Establish one’s heart in grace not strange doctrines
● Beware of deceit & traditions of men without Christ
● Test the spirits as whether they are of God
● Spirits not confessing Christ are not of God
● Examine yourself whether you are in the faith
No adventure is greater than our journey to heaven.
Darkness tears where the deepest fears dwell.
TheTestAM2.mp3 (38m 24s)
PART 2
... by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ~ Romans 12:1
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ... ~ Romans 6:12-13
As we gaze into the hole of life there is evil with the goodness.
God instructs us of what to do and what not to do.
Battles in the shadows of sin expose the soul
Do not:
● Let sin reign in your mortal body
⮡ Obey it in its lusts
● Present unrighteousness to sin
To God:
● Present yourselves
⮡ Alive from the dead
● As instuments of righteousness
... I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 12:20
... in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, ... ~ 2nd Timothy 3:1-5
Mercy is challenged surrounded in waves of despicable
From such people turn away:
● Lovers of themselves
● Lovers of money
● Boasters
● Proud
● Blasphemers
● Disobedient to parents
● Unthankful
● Unholy
● Unloving
● Unforgiving
● Slanderers
● Without self-control
● Brutal
● Despisers of good
● Traitors
● Headstrong
● Haughty
● Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ... ~ Hebrews 9:27
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ~ 1st Corinthians 11:31
... the LORD weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established. ~ Proverbs 16:2-3
For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:14
Each of us sits on a bench of eternity.
"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every one according to his work." ~ Revelation 22:12
Remaining ignorant of God's will does not excuse one from the dire
outcome due at His reckoning. Without godly knowledge we are crippled
in knowing who and why we are left to the oblivion of mankind’s demise.
... "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, ... ~ John 6:5-7
... you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ... ~ Revelation 2:10-11
God tests souls for hearts of service over selfishness
Do not fear that you may be tested
You will have tribulation
He who overcomes
shall not be hurt by
the second death
Be faithful until death
I will give you the crown of life
Hearts bare all pierced by the loves departed
in death’s constant reminder of a temporary life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 6:23
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." ~ John 14:15
... though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, ... ~ 1st Peter 1:6-7
Tight are the bonds that tie us to eternity
Trials Precious
⭨ ⭩
Genuineness of faith ⭪ Tested
⭣
Found to:
● Praise
● Honor
● Glory at the revelation
⮡ of Jesus Christ ⮠
The path to salvation has nobility as its’ root. The ways of the world
are passing away, and what will be left rises on the mist of timelessness.
We can only achieve this through submitting to regretting our sinfulness,
and seeking those better ways delivered to us by His precious
enlightening words, which reveal the truths of life. Disappointing
for all those that will never find the gifts freely given. It is a plain
cliché that the best things in life are free; Faith, Hope, and Love.
... do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ... ~ 1st Peter 4:12
Life can be a tunnel filled with suffering fires.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ~ James 1:2-3
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. ~ Isaiah 48:10
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. ~ Proverbs 17:3
"... I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, ..." ~ Jeremiah 17:9-10
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, ... ~ 2nd Peter 2:4-5
... and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example ... ~ 2nd Peter 2:6-7
It takes will power to get through the canyons of evil.
... the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ... ~ 2nd Peter 2:8-9
It takes will power to get through the canyons of evil
Reserve the unjust
under punishment for
the day of judgment
⭧
⭩
The LORD knows how
to deliver the godly
out of temptations
Each of us has hidden dark bones that need to be purged by the grace of
His light and mercy. As our love for God increases those dark disobedient
ways fade in His welcomed brilliance. Privileged people are often the
most unblessed having hardened rather than meek hearts. Plagued with
depression or unfilled passions, they are left on the edge of emptiness.
Many at the social top dwell upon the bottom of character.
Wealth is a matter of spirit where value has no cost.
... if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom ... ~ 2nd Peter 2:10-11
If one walks with a selfish heart it may very well be
darkness blinds one’s vision to see this coldness.
Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. ~ 2nd John 1:8
But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. ~ Job 23:10
"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." ~ Revelation 3:10
It is a test to endure hate, and how we endure as the hateful falsely
accuse those closest to cover their own un-humble shame. Many snub
family and friends more interested in fading material things than inspiring
spiritual fortitude, encouraging confidence and support to continue, life,
the climb we all face. Unloving people, deepen the sorrows of the
humble, with their unsatisfied disgust, and their touch is painful.
The Bible gifts us wisdom to be content with all we have seeking peace
and holiness or none shall see God. To be tortured or blessed is a choice
of mind and a way of heart. Greatest to only themselves, their spiteful
turmoil rakes division piercing tranquility where any of these unhappy
souls tend to tear at those who they see as satisfied or having more.
Greed and envy destroys all compassion and loss is their only revenue.
Many unfaithful accuse believers of being part of a cult. If it is unusual
to love God, then I choose this over the alternative. I choose not to be
in the widest of all cults where the hate of a soul finds only damnation.
Flesh and blood have all this and more in common, books are opened,
we are all under the test of God to see how we show mercy or not. The
noblest of human qualities are a gift to us by God Himself. We sadly live in
times where anger has overtaken many of us. Where once friends, and
family attacks are the failings of embittered hearts without direction or
consumed with petty purpose, ungodliness is the curse. Loneliness and
self-inflicted character destruction is a result of those lacking faithfulness,
slighted by their discontent grumblings. Peace cannot be achieved without
love of God and His inspired healing instructions for individual salvation.
The lost have not yet found the greatest treasure. True godly people do
not attack and it is more a blessing where people lift one another.
The path to salvation has nobility as its’ root.
The ways of the world are passing away, and what will remain rises
on the mist of timelessness. We can only achieve this through submitting
to regretting our sinfulness, and seeking those better ways delivered to
us by His precious enlightening words, which reveals the truths of life.
Disappointing for all those that will never find the gifts freely given. It is
a plain cliché that the best things in life are free; Faith, Hope, and Love.
There is a call from heaven to each sentient soul
● Offering holiness to God is your reasonable service
● Do not obey lusts of the flesh
● Habitual sinners will be found not as they wish
● Turn away from self-centered mean spirits
● Judge yourself if you don’t want to be judged
● God will judge every work both good and evil
● Be faithful until death and receive the crown of life
● If you love God you will keep His commandments
● Various trials test the genuineness of your faith
● Testing of your faith produces patience
● God searches the heart testing the mind’s ways
● God can deliver the godly out of temptations
● Keeping His commands saves in the hour of trial
Beauty is found in the simplicity of a loving soul.
Darkness is without heat.
In the safari of life courage stands over fear.
26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is
worth more than a college education.”
“I enter a most earnest plea that in our hurried and rather bustling life of
today we do not lose the hold that our forefathers had on the Bible. I wish
to see the Bible study as much a matter of course in the secular colleges
as in the seminary. No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the
Bible, and no uneducated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.”
“It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men's lives
be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated
or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.”
... be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ~ 1st Corinthians 15:58
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; ... ~ James 1:12
“There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of
mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility.”
“To educate a man in mind and not in morals
is to educate a menace to society.”
Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; ... ~ 1st Corinthians 15:33-34
“To every man who faces life with real desire to do his part
in everything, I appeal for a study of the Bible.”
‘The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole
civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure to
ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed.’
Societies that relinquish Biblical morals quickly reduce to that
of chaotic squabbling, - to even near anarchic brutal behaviors.
“I believe that the next half century will determine if we will advance the
cause of Christian civilization or revert to the horrors of brutal paganism.”
“Darkness can’t catch you if you just keep moving.”
Without God societies are confronted with brutal horrors.
“No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his
well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life, in a great cause.”
"Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." ~ Mark 9:50
“The dull, purblind folly of the very rich men, their greed and arrogance,
and the corruption in business and politics, have tended
to produce a very unhealthy condition.”
Treachery by choice remains purposely oblivious to truths
that touch heaven itself. When leaders pursue selfish whims, the
meek seek a new compass, where glory replaces devouring greed.
“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.
The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of
preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would
be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.”
“In the long run, the most unpleasant truth is a
safer companion than a pleasant falsehood.”
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible
for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.”
... Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, ... ~ Matthew 7:1-5
“Character is far more important than intellect in making a man
a good citizen or successful at his calling- meaning by character
not only such qualities as honesty and truthfulness,
but courage, perseverance and self-reliance.”
“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”
“The man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic --
the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly,
not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done.”
“The wise and honorable and Christian thing to do is to treat each
black man and each white man (or any person) on his merits as a man,
giving him no more and no less than he is worthy to have.”
... "The laborer is worthy of his wages." ~ 1st Timothy 5:18
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; ~ James 1:19
“It is no use to preach to [children] if you do not act decently yourself.”
“There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the
groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado,
the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should
see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's
children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred.”
“Rarely has any people enjoyed greater prosperity than we are now
enjoying. For this we render heartfelt and solemn thanks to the Giver
of Good; and we seek to praise Him -not by words only -but by deeds,
by the way in which we do our duty to ourselves and to our fellow men.”
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ~ James 2:17
PresidentialQuotesPM18.5.mp3 (43m 29s)
2
Without strong men of character the children become weak.
“The worst lesson that can be taught to a man is
to rely upon others and to whine over his sufferings.”
Each of us owns our own emotional needs and or blessings with
perhaps, perceived curses, as tragedies confront all. Cursed are all
who fall away from God. We have all encountered that person who
incessantly complains about all whom they know. Never satisfied,
their unapologetic hearts demanding service upon false accusations
of being abandoned, has an unceasing harp. Woe is imprinted as
their first name. I call them moaners, groaners, emotional owners.
... that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ~ Ephesians 3:16
It is welcome to be in the presence of the faithful elderly.
Though raked over decades of tribulations, they cling to a steadfast
and confident faith sharing their peacefulness as an example.
Shedding fears and unfilled desires comes only to the faithful,
through years of accumulated wisdom with growing love.
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ~ Philippians 2:4
“With a great moral issue involved, neutrality does
not serve righteousness; for to be neutral between
right and wrong is to serve wrong.”
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. ~ James 4:17
"It may be that 'the voice of the people is the voice of God' in fifty one
cases out of a hundred, but in the remaining forty nine it is quite as likely
to be the voice of the devil, of, what is still worse, the voice of a fool.”
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. ~ Psalms 14:1
“The longer I live the more I think of the quality of fortitude ...
men who fall, pick themselves up and stumble on, fall again,
and are trying to get back up when they die.”
For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. ~ Proverbs 24:16
“Life brings sorrows and joys alike. It is what a man does with them
- not what they do to him - that is the true test of his mettle.”
“There are dreadful moments when death comes very near those we love,
even if for the time being it passes by. But life is a great adventure,
and the worst of all fears is the fear of living.”
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ~ 2nd Timothy 1:7
“Probably the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm
that we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices
of envy and hatred enter deep into our own natures.”
If the light in us dwells in dark thoughts, how dark we
become if these wicked things illuminate our hearts.
Freedom is not found in the shadows.
“Envy is as evil a thing as arrogance.”
“The foes from whom we pray to be delivered are our own passions,
appetites, and follies; and against these there is always
need that we should war.”
Every society that demands more sexual freedoms finds internal
destruction in the collapse of creative inspirations defining purpose.
“These international bankers and Rockefeller Standard Oil interests
control the majority of newspapers and the columns of these papers
to club into submission or drive out of public office officials who
refuse to do the bidding of the powerful corrupt cliques
which compose the invisible government.”
Life has become more a circus than a standing civilization.
“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money;
it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.
The joy and moral stimulation of work must no longer be
forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits.”
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. ~ Ecclesiastes 5:12
... every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor - it is the gift of God. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
“The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young
are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged
have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.”
“We demand that big business give the people a square deal; in return
we must insist that when any one engaged in big business honestly
endeavors to do right he shall himself be given a square deal.”
“When I say I believe in a square deal I do not mean to give every man
the best hand. If the cards do not come to any man, or if they do come,
and he has not got the power to play them, that is his affair.
All I mean is that there shall be no crookedness in the dealing.”
“There is not one among us in whom a devil does not dwell;
at some time, on some point, that devil masters each of us... It is
not having been in the Dark House, but having left it, that counts.”
... be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, ... ~ Ephesians 4:23-24
“At some time in our lives a devil dwells within us,
causes heartbreaks, confusion and troubles, then dies.”
“Thank God for the iron in the blood of our fathers.”
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. ~ Proverbs 27:17
“No nation deserves to exist if it permits itself to lose the stern
and virile virtues; and this without regard to whether the loss is due to
the growth of a heartless and all-absorbing commercialism, to prolonged
indulgence in luxury and soft, effortless ease, or to the deification
of a warped and twisted sentimentality.”
Surely we live in disgusting times when sin is glorified and societal
norms demand acceptance of despicableness, with open loving
arms, or be subject to the condemnation and ostracization of
ungodly men. Lies are repeated as truth evades the children. Without
God and His declared ways of uprightness and decency, any country
or people soon find themselves at the door of oblivion. With loss of
virtues comes self-centered greed, slothful apathetic laziness, and
bleeding hearts demanding justice for the unjust. A society that
reduces to habitually claiming “not guilty’ looses its ability to rule.
All are punished when punishment has no enforcement in the
unending spirals of crooked and immoral lawyers.
“There is need of a sound body, and even more need of a sound mind.
But above mind and above body stands character - the sum
of those qualities which we mean when we speak of a man's
force and courage, of his good faith and sense of honor.”
“Laws are essential emanations from the self-poised character of God;
they radiate from the sun to the circling edge of creation. Verily,
the mighty Lawgiver hath subjected himself unto laws.”
“No people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is
said reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with
the gratitude to the Giver of good who has blessed us.”
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18
To those that hear - God reigns
⭢ The will of God in Chirst
● Rejoice always
● Pray without ceasing
● In everything give thanks
The constitution of the United States was intended to
preserve the rights of freedom for all souls, especially to ensure the
maintaining of the cherished liberty of conscience. The constitution
is imperfect as it does not instruct on the limits of moral decadence.
This absence was deposited in separate hope that morals would
lead those in times of the land with fair and just representation.
In separating church from state, its’ intent was to guarantee
honest freedom of thought, free of tyrannical domination.
Atheism was never intended to lead the community of freedom
as it remains at the bottom of all that is dark exalting mere
man in the face of the glory of all higher truths.
Defeat comes if we abandon Godly values
● The Bible is worth more than secular education
● People lacking Bible morals are a social menace
● Without Christian values brutal horrors will prevail
● Rich corrupted arrogant men have polluted politics
● Character is more important than intellect
● Holding one’s tongue banking on wisdom succeeds
● Nature’s majesty should be preserved for the future
● Whiners lack courage to stand in God’s given life
● Knowledge without compassion is indifference
● The voice of a fool mingles lower than a devil
● Fear of life halts the adventure of living
● True happiness lies in the joy of achievement
● Every employed man deserves a fair square deal
A Person is valued by what they give, not what they take.
Darkness is the final rest for all unbelieving.
Who can claim the heart of another is what it is.
26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
“It is better to be faithful than famous.”
“The joy of living is his who has the heart to demand it. Life is
a great adventure, and I want to say to you, accept it in such a spirit.”
“Wide differences of opinion in matters of religious, political,
and social belief must exist if conscience and intellect alike are
not to be stunted, if there is to be room for healthy growth.”
... the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another ... ~ 1st Corinthians 12:7-10
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. ... ~ 1st Corinthians 12:11-12
“Freemasonry teaches not merely temperance, fortitude,
prudence, justice, brotherly love, relief, and truth, but liberty,
equality, and fraternity, and it denounces ignorance, superstition,
bigotry, lust tyranny and despotism.”
“I highly venerate the Masonic Institution, under the fullest persuasion
that, when its principles are acknowledged and its laws and precepts
obeyed, it comes nearest to the Christian religion, in its moral effects
and influence, of any institution with which I am acquainted.”
“I hold that in this country there must be complete severance
of Church and State; that public moneys shall not be used for the
purpose of advancing any particular creed; and therefore that the
public schools shall be nonsectarian and no public moneys
appropriated for sectarian schools.”
“There is superstition in science quite as much as there is
superstition in theology, and it is all the more dangerous because
those suffering from it are profoundly convinced that they
are freeing themselves from all superstition.”
Atheism in science is a dead science.
We serve in a living universe. It is still the land of the living.
God gave us science, science’s assimilations cannot give us God.
Science without heart is blind to the higher hope that faith offers.
Faith in science without God is a most limiting thought.
One does not find God in a rabbit hole.
“I believe that this Republic will endure for many centuries. If so there will
doubtless be among its Presidents Protestants and Catholics, and very
probably at some time, Jews. I have consistently tried while President to
act in relation to my fellow Americans of Catholic faith as I hope that any
future President who happens to be Catholic will act towards his fellow
Americans of Protestant faith. Had I followed any other course I should
have felt that I was unfit to represent the American people.”
“We fight in honorable fashion for the good of mankind; fearless of the
future, unheeding of our individual fates, with unflinching hearts and
undimmed eyes; we stand at Armageddon, and we battle for the Lord.”
“A churchless community, a community where men have
abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs,
is a community on the rapid downgrade.”
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, ... ~ Hebrews 10:24-25
When spirits unite greatness is achieved
Consider one another in order to:
● Stir up love and good works
● Not forsaking the assembling
● Exhorting one another
“We must diligently strive to make our young men decent, God-fearing,
law-abiding, honor-loving, justice-doing and also fearless and strong.”
“If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he
becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful.”
“Almost every man who has by his life-work added to the sum
of human achievement of which the race is proud, of which
our people are proud, almost every such man has based
his life-work largely upon the teachings of the Bible.”
“I have often thought that unselfishness combined in one word more
of the teachings of the Bible than any other in the language.”
... I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. ~ 1st Corinthians 14:19
“He [Lincoln] had mastered it {the Bible] absolutely ... mastered it so
that he became almost 'a man of one Book', who knew that Book and
who instinctively put into practice what he had been taught therein.”
... be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ~ Romans 12:2
“Abraham Lincoln - the spirit incarnate of those who won victory in the
Civil War - was the true representative of this people, not only for his
own generation, but for all time, because he was a man among men.”
“The true Christians are the true citizens, lofty of purpose,
resolute in endeavor, ready for a hero's deeds, but never looking
down on their task because it is cast in the day of small things; scornful
of baseness, awake to their own duties as well as to their rights,
following the higher law with reverence, and in this world doing all
that in their power lies, so that when death comes they may feel
that humanity is in some degree better because they lived.”
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait ... ~ Philippians 3:20-21
“From the greatest to the smallest, happiness and usefulness are largely
found in the same soul, and the joy of life is won in its deepest and truest
sense only by those who have not shirked life's burdens.”
For each one shall bear his own load. ~ Galatians 6:5
"By your patience possess your souls." ~ Luke 21:19
“The dreams of golden glory in the future will not come true
unless, high of heart and strong of hand, by our own mighty
deeds we make them come true.”
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! ... ~ Jeremiah 8:12
PresidentialQuotesPM19.5.mp3 (50m 07s)
27. William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
“Unless education promotes character making, unless it helps
men to be more moral, more just to their fellows, more law abiding,
more discriminatingly patriotic and public spirited, it is not worth the
trouble taken to furnish it. I do not believe in the divinity of Christ,
and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed
to which I cannot subscribe.”
... Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. ~ Hosea 4:6
“The underlying principle of Masonry is the fatherhood of God and
the brotherhood of man. In this war we are engaging in upholding
these principles and our enemies are attacking them.”
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. ~ James 2:24
“The prosperity of Masonry as a means of strengthening
our religion and propagating true brotherly love, is one of the
dearest wishes of my heart, which, I trust, will be gratified by
the help of the Grand Architect of the Universe.”
“The study of Freemasonry is the study of man as a candidate for a
blessed eternity. It furnishes examples of holy living, and displays the
conduct which is pleasing and acceptable to God. The doctrines and
examples which distinguish the Order are obvious, and suited to every
capacity. It is impossible for the most fastidious Mason to misunderstand,
however he might slight or neglect them. It is impossible for the most
superficial brother to say that he is unable to comprehend the plain
precepts and the unanswerable arguments which are furnished
by Freemasonry.”
“The secret of Masonry, like the secret of life, can be known only by
those who seek it, serve it, live it. It cannot be uttered; it can only be
felt and acted. It is, in fact, an open secret, and each man knows it
according to his quest and capacity. Like all things worth knowing,
no one can know it for another and no man can know it alone.”
... the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 6:9-10
Sins declared by God cannot be ignored
Neither ● fornicators
● nor idolaters
● nor adulterers
● nor homosexuals
● nor sodomites
● nor thieves
● nor covetous
● nor drunkards
● nor revilers
● nor extortioners
Will inherit the kingdom of God
“The true Mason takes full responsibility for the condition
of his character and ever strives for its perfection.”
“The Society or Fraternity of Freemasons is more in the nature
of a system of Philosophy or of moral and social virtues taught by
symbols, allegories, and lectures based upon fundamental truths,
the observance of which tends to promote stability of character,
conservatism, morality and good citizenship.”
“Masonry, according to the general acceptation of the term,
is an art founded on the principles of geometry, and devoted to the
service and convenience of mankind. But Freemasonry, embracing a
wider range and having a nobler object in view, namely, the cultivation
and improvement of the human mind, may with more propriety be called
a science, inasmuch as, availing itself of the terms of the former, it
inculcates the principles of the purest morality, though its lessons are
for the most part veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”
“The Masonic system represents a stupendous and beautiful fabric,
founded on universal purity, to rule and direct our passions,
to have faith and love in God, and charity toward man.”
“The true Mason is the Tiler of the Temple of the Heart.”
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ~ 1st Corinthians 3:16
“The precepts of the Gospel were universally the obligations of Masonry.”
“We have a government of limited power under the Constitution,
and we have got to work out our problems on the basis of law.”
“I love judges, and I love courts. They are my ideals that typify on
earth what we shall meet hereafter in heaven under a just God.”
“Rules of conduct which govern men in their relations to one
another are being applied in an ever-increasing degree to nations.
The battlefield as a place of settlement of disputes is gradually
yielding to arbitral courts of justice.”
“The judiciary has fallen to a very low state in this country. I think your part
of the country has suffered especially. The federal judges of the South are
a disgrace to any country, and I'll be damned if I put any man on the
bench of whose character and ability there is the least doubt.”
... "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. ..." ~ Luke 18:1-4
"... Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" ~ Luke 18:5-8
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 6:14
“It gives me the greatest pleasure to say, as I do from the bottom
of my heart, that never in the history of the country, in any crisis and
under any conditions, have our Jewish fellow citizens failed to live
up to the highest standards of citizenship and patriotism.”
“Anti-Semitism is a noxious weed that should be cut out.
It has no place in America.”
“One cannot always be sure of the truth of what one hears
if he happens to be President of the United States.”
... do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ~ 1st John 4:1
“Politics, when I am in it, makes me sick.”
“The trouble with me is that I like to talk too much.”
The inheritance wicked adults give to their children is their own
faults in character. Breaking with tradition is at best miraculous for
those able to lift out of the misery pools created by their resentful
bitter hearted parents. Anger has both destruction and despair as its’
horrid legacy. It is only when the strength of love overpowers hate
that truth can achieve what is then the highest of all human qualities.
When a people lose courtesy civility is lost.
Ignorance breeds intolerance in heartless times
● Better to be faithful than famous
● Masonic ideals are achieved in Christian morals
● Blind science may delude one from seeing truth
● Without religious values society declines rapidly
● Without ideals men become mean and sordid
● It is one’s duty to live to improve humanity
● Education is futile without helping moral character
● Each man must be accountable for his own godliness
● Precepts of the Gospel is the temple of the heart
● Lawful courts reflects the justice God wills for man
● Judges who lack character damn our country
● Bigotry and intolerance has no place in America
● Truth can be uncertain for an American president
Fear and anger steal security found in true worship.
Eerie the silence of darkness. Darkness has no contemplation.
Each of us has had patience stretched to the breaking point.
Suffering in life can draw one to the brink of floundering.
If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. ~ Psalms 94:18
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, ... ~ Philippians 3:12
Life's path can be precarious at best.
Every plateau leads to another mountain. Many search for a
saving rope or life preserver cast. That ladder of salvation has already
descended from heaven’s gates in the form of God’s own given word.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." ~ Matthew 6:33
Seeking His word enlightens all souls who genuinely desire
an honest humble relationship with that which is greater than self.
God’s test is to see if we have the character to rise beyond selfish desires
mired in evil pursuits. Without personally examining the treasures
found in the Bible, one can not hope to know God and His purpose.
His light descends from above and it is what inspires our faith.
┗► The Source of Purity.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:12
Eternal life must be earned by putting away that which
one knows is contrary to His word and submitting to the
goodness and obedience He calls out for, from a pure heart.
God’s ladder is the rope to eternity if we don’t let go.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ~ Hebrews 10:23
As sure as God is we wait for His promised commitment
revealed in our own steadfast commitment to His ways.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, ... ~ Hebrews 3:14
Once belief in God’s way of goodness has begun, it is
a single path to the light if the darkness of evil is held at bay. God does not condone backsliders. ◄┛
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live. ~ Job 27:6
Job had commitment to God,
no matter his circumstance, for His love of God.
Yet the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger. ~ Job 17:9
To be good is hard work and yet it becomes
simpler, if preferred as a matter of choice.
... "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or," 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" ... ~ Romans 10:6-7
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ~ 1st Corinthians 11:31
┏► It is an eternal call to singly return.
Christ came to show us life, not in that we should judge others as to
whether they are going to heaven or hell. The word tells us to examine
ourselves more so than the micro-scoping we place upon others. His
instructions simply include judging self over others remaining unbiased.
A challenge for all.
... with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ~ Romans 10:8-10
The strength of one’s faith is directly connected to familiarity with
His given glorious word which maintains all higher truth for mankind.
Our faith develops as the word filters in to our hearts. Knowing and
believing upon all that Jesus is establishes a natural confession.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. ~ Proverbs 3:18
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. ~ 2nd Thessalonians 2:15
The Christian walk in life perceives a draw or an anchor to that which
is to come, promised by what can not be seen, but His presence is felt.
Faith is what reaches out ahead enduring the climb home.
┗► Steadfast open to His light.
... to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ~ 1st Peter 1:3-5
Our living hope through faith comes by the delivered word of
mercy exposing His unequaled truth, and by no other means
obtainable, His clarity of reality is given. Our rope is our hope.
Heaven waits for each faithful true soul responding to His call.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ... ~ Hebrews 6:19
This anchor that pulls a soul to heaven is a construction of hope in
the face of futility. This hope we hold is an attachment extending
well past all the stars to the throne of God Himself.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ~ Romans 8:20
Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. ~ Proverbs 24:11
It is by God, His universal truth brings us to Him, the test of our return.
God’s healing plan has hope as an integral part of this return.
The mortality of a fading earth; just all about us - futility extends upon
the winds of sand. Modern science declares entropy and the eventual
destruction of all matter via proton decay releasing her parabolic
containment to a hyperbolic evaporation. Not much left as time will
run out in a quadzillion or so moments ahead. There are more pressing
issues to concern ourselves with. God does not want us to seek death
but embrace the life we have been given. We are asked to overcome
our miseries and help those that need to obtain life over death.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. ~ 1st Corinthians 13:13
┏► Connected to true life.
In hope our faith is shown by the love we hold.
To experience the true fullness of God, faith anchored in hope
pails in comparison to the love He holds for each one of us.
Who can hold the bottom of a heart but God Himself.
Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ~ 2nd Timothy 1:13
"Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. ... ~ Revelation 3:3
Without His words giving truth to a soul there would be little hope of salvation. The message remains to be watchful with purpose to be in Him.
Darkness has no shine.
Light splits into darkness.
To hold truth above lies defines the righteous.
RopesAM2.mp3 (34m 01s)
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life. ~ Proverbs 4:13
It is by knowledge we find wisdom which brings the deepest senses of life.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 2:14
Not all hold to the truth of God but believe man has power over the
fundamental building blocks of nature. Many claim superiority over
His knowledge with visions of their own, declaring powers of creation.
All creation is of God. ◄┓
Fundamentally, all power emanates from God.
He is the source and it is not of us. As the wind can not be controlled,
so mankind has not the power to blow stars from one place to another.
Great are those who know how little we are.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ... ~ James 4:8
In coming closer to God, a single mindedness controls
over the deceptions of indecision. It is through open honest hearts
that we are able to humbly return to God.
... ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ... ~ James 1:6-8
Without single purpose in His direction, the waves of time
slosh about crashing from one rock to the other pulverizing certainty.
Expecting something from God after He sacrificed Himself, for us to know,
is a fools paradise. Fools inevitably doubt in their own short lived delight.
┗► Fools do not seek the knowledge of salvation.
Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. ~ Isaiah 55:6
Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. ~ Lamentations 3:40-41
We are in a place where He extends His patience waiting for
our simple rise back to Him. To relinquish this opportunity severs one’s
destiny with eternity. God is near each listening (surely everyone of us),
intimately, as the current grace of life prevails upon all, - before judgment.
Consider your heart and the extent it has to humbly open to Him.
... see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. ~ Psalms 139:23-24
In rising back to God one must plea for His guidance over human
arrogance. Petitioning God for help in our struggles is part of the hope
we embrace. To be humble is to admit faults requesting this guidance.
Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, ... ~ Amos 5:14
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ~ 1st Peter 5:6-7
... He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ~ 1st John 4:7-8
Evil is and must be identified for goodness to prosper.
To love is to imitate God. Trust in Him is praise due.
... those who seek the LORD understand all. ~ Proverbs 28:5
┗► Knowing eternal spiritual life has begun.
Any moment of time in space has glorious sense for those returning to
what His majesty holds. True gratefulness for His mercy under grace
renders wise sympathetic souls. The wisdom of God has no equal.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. ~ Jeremiah 29:13
God can be found by all those who genuinely seek Him out.
Most assuredly, God will be found by all those who use
all of their might to know Him.
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; ... ~ Psalms 70:4
Is love on the horizon of your heart?
As God increases in one’s life, the self is lessened in the light
of His mercy. He magnifies endless power through eternal love.
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:5-8
As sons of light we incorporate His ways as our protection from that which
would destroy our single sense of mind. Anything goes is not, and has
never been, the rule of law. He asks that we stay in His light keeping
our wits about us. Darkness is a slide well enough left alone;
Light has no comparison in its’ dark essence. Darkness sours sweetness in life. ◄┛
... Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding what is acceptable to the Lord. ~ Ephesians 5:8-10
To fully live in His light we must become alive
to His will and bear those fruits accordingly. Each of us
needs to know what is acceptable to the Lord for our own sake.
His will is for us to stand on goodness filled with righteousness in truth.
In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, ... ~ Ecclesiastes 11:6
He instructs us to never give up, morning noon or night,
and always remain ready to engage in pursuit of more goodness.
Endurance is a test of God. For the diligent, His will is that they prosper.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; ... ~ Ecclesiastes 9:10
┏► Noble integrity is a shield for that which is to come.
This test the Lord has us all under will expose the true nature of who we
are. The path we walk declares the destiny we will inherit. With all of our
might is what makes the presence of goodness rise above the darkness.
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ..." ~ Acts 17:30-31
God’s own judgment will befall upon us all, based on each of our
responses to His offering which exposed eternal sacrifice in love. Jesus
Christ is the standard for life rising from the earth. It is by His revealing
sacrifice, for us, that we now enjoy direct relationship with God.
His life calls us to rise from the death of our sinfulness
to join with Him in the light of His truths.
... Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ~ Colossians 3:1-2
We must never forget to consider the mind of Christ,
nor neglect the meditations from above. For all that is good rises
from the dust of the past. Is His truth tied to the strings of your heart? No disguise will hide the heartless. ◄┛
... let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, ... ~ Philippians 1:27
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. ~ 1st John 5:4
Test all things; hold fast what is good. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:21
To overcome the world we must be bathed in His sacrifice.
Never to say goodbye is of an unending faith. The world and all that is
in it can not deliver the vision of eternal life where true life begins.
God looks for individuals to be wise rather than careless.
Have you joined in God’s wave of truth?
To be immersed in Him once and forever is for those that will be saved.
He is the rope that lifts us from drowning in the sin of the world.
Our path to heaven maintains devotion
● Take hold of instruction and do not let go
● Things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned
● If one draws near to God, He will draw near to you
● Doubters receive nothing asked for in prayer
● Lift our hearts to God in heaven
● Let God lead you in the way everlasting
● Seek good and not evil
● Cast all one’s cares upon the Lord
● Love is a prerequisite to know God
● Seeking God with one’s all will find Him
● Faith, love, and hope lead to salvation
● Day or night never give up on good works
● Set your mind on things above, not of the earth
Repent Observe Pray Eternal Salvation
The Scope of our Hope is to Grope for His Rope.
The deepest of all darkness can only hide nothing. Darkness has no place to endure.
*Note: This sermon was first given September 2014 and is now rendered here.
Darkness maintains a silence of nothing.
Reality often unleashes truth hard to bear.
28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
“When you have read the Bible, you know it is the word of God,
because it is the key to your heart, your own happiness, and your duty.”
... welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. ~ 1st Thessalonians 2:13
“The Bible is the supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life,
the nature of God, and the spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only
guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.
America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify
that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived
from the revelations of Holy Scripture.”
Scarcely given is the truth for all to know
The Bible is the supreme source of:
● Revelation of the meaning of life
● The nature of God
● The spiritual nature
● Needs of men
● Guide of life
● Leads the spirit in peace and salvation
● Elements of righteousness
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ... ~ 2nd Timothy 3:16
“This book [the Bible] speaks both the voice of God and the voice of
humanity, for there is told in it the most convincing of human experience
that has ever been written...and those who heed that story will know their
strength and happiness and success are all summed up in the
exhortation, "Fear God and keep His commandments."
“No people are true Christians who do not think constantly of how
they can lift their brother and sister, how they can assist their friends,
how they can enlighten mankind, how they can make virtue the rule
of conduct in the circle in which they live.”
But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? ~ 1st John 3:17
“The only way your powers can become great is by exerting them
outside the circle of your own narrow, special, selfish interests. And
that is the reason of Christianity. Christ came into the world to save
others, not to save himself; and no man is a true Christian who does
not think constantly of how he can lift his brother, how he can assist
his friend, how he can enlighten mankind, how he can make virtue
the rule of conduct in the circle in which he lives.”
“I am sorry for men who do not read the Bible every day.
I wonder why they deprive themselves of the strength and pleasure.”
... by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), ... ~ Ephesians 3:4
“It is the object of learning, not only to satisfy the curiosity and
perfect the spirits of ordinary men, but also to advance civilization.”
“Science has won for us a great liberty in the physical world,
a liberty from superstitious fear and from disease, a freedom touse
nature as a familiar servant; but it has not freed us from ourselves.”
“Never for a moment have I had one doubt about my religious beliefs.
There are people who believe only so far as they can understand
-- that seems to me presumptuous and sets their understanding
as the standard of the universe.”
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order
to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a
finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world,
and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”
"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you." ~ Deuteronomy 16:17
“Life does not consist in thinking, it consists in acting.”
“Work is the keystone of a perfect life. Work and trust in God.”
“Responsibility is proportionate to opportunity.”
“... men are not put into this world to go the path of ease,
they are put into this world to go the path of pain and struggle.”
... who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ~ 1st Peter 5:10
“A fault which humbles a person is of more use to him
or her than a good action which puffs him or her up.”
When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. ~ Proverbs 11:2
“The difference between a strong man and a weak one
is that the former does not give up after a defeat.”
“If you lose your wealth, you have lost nothing;
if you lose your health, you have lost something; but
if you lose your character, you have lost everything.”
Character rises from the heart when on the spot
If you lose your:
Wealth = lost nothing
Health = lost something
Character = lost everything
“No man has ever risen to the stature of spiritual manhood until he has
found that it is finer to serve somebody else than it is to serve himself.”
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ~ 1st Peter 4:10
“No thoughtful man ever came to the end of his life, and had time
and a little space of calm from which to look back upon it, who did
not know and acknowledge that it was what he had done unselfishly
and for others, and nothing else, that satisfied him in the retrospect,
and made him feel that he had played the man.”
“There is no higher religion than human service.
To work for the common good is the greatest creed.”
“The princes among us are those who
forget themselves and serve others.”
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." ~ John 15:13
Not all things are obvious or apparent. Those things hidden
eventually are exposed. As a free people we need to bond
praying for our leaders to exact justice without hostility.
If we teach prejudice to our children we fall short of the
higher gifts of nobility and honor where honest spirits find love.
Excellence is obtained by meditating above self
● The Bible is the key to happiness and duty
● The Bible is the guide to life and salvation
● The Bible speaks the voice of God & humanity
● Intrinsic to Christianity is compassion for others
● Greatness can only come to through helping
● The Bible delivers spiritual strength & pleasure
● The truth of science frees us from superstition
● True belief goes beyond mere understanding
● True poverty of spirit comes to the selfish
● Key to a perfect life is work and trust in God
● All are challenged to continue the struggle
● Service to others defines spiritual maturity
● The greatest retrospect in life is service
Darkness has a mysterious absence of all.
Chiming throughout the ages is the cry for love.
28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
“Understanding is the soil in which grow all the fruits of friendship.”
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.”
“Fear God and you need not fear anyone else.”
In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? ~ Psalms 56:11
“It does not become America that within her borders,
where every man is free to follow the dictates of his conscience,
men should raise the cry of church against church. To do that
is to strike at the very spirit and heart of America.”
... note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. ... ~ Romans 16:17-18
“War isn’t declared in the name of God; it is a human affair entirely.”
“It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the
most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in
the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight
for the things we have always carried closest to our hearts.”
“Is there any man here or any woman, let me say is there
any child here, who does not know that the seed of war in
the modern world is industrial and commercial rivalry?”
... who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:9-10
“We live in an age disturbed, confused, bewildered, afraid of its own
forces, in search not merely of its road but even of its direction. There
are many voices of counsel, but few voices of vision; there is much
excitement and feverish activity, but little concert of thoughtful purpose.
We are distressed by our own ungoverned, undirected energies and
do many things, but nothing long. It is our duty to find ourselves.”
"By your patience possess your souls." ~ Luke 21:19
“For my part, I am very much more afraid of the man who does a bad
thing and does not know it is bad than of the man who does a bad thing
and knows it is bad; because I think that in public affairs stupidity is more
dangerous than knavery, because harder to fight and dislodge.”
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, ... ~ Isaiah 5:20
“Remember that God ordained that I should be the next president
of the United States. Neither you nor any other mortal
or mortals could have prevented this.”
Let every soul be subject ... For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ~ Romans 13:1
“The masters of the government of the United States are
the combined capitalists and manufacturers of the United States.”
“Government, in it's last analysis, is organized force.”
“I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country.
A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system
of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our
activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the
worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated
Governments in the civilized world - no longer a Government by
free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote
of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress
of a small group of dominant men.”
"How can you say, 'We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us'? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood." ~ Jeremiah 8:8
“A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own,
have rendered the great government of the United States
helpless and contemptible.”
“There is a very holy and a very terrible isolation for the conscience
of every man who seeks to read the destiny in affairs for others as
well as for himself, for a nation as well as for individuals.
That privacy no man can intrude upon. That lonely search
of the spirit for the right perhaps no man can assist.”
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ... ~ Matthew 7:13-15
“The way to stop financial joyriding is to
arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile.”
“Government ought to be all outside and no inside. ... Everybody knows
that corruption thrives in secret places, and avoids public places, and
we believe it a fair presumption that secrecy means impropriety.”
“The cure for bad politics is the same as the cure for tuberculosis.
It is living in the open.”
“Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come
from the subjects of the government. The history of liberty is a history
of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation
of governmental power, not the increase of it.”
“I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than
to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty.”
... do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ~ Galatians 5:13
“The truth is we are all caught in a great
economic system which is heartless.”
PresidentialQuotesPM21.5.mp3 (43m 41s)
America was established not to create wealth but to realize a vision,
to realize an ideal - to discover and maintain liberty among men.
“My urgent advice to you would be, not only always to think first of
America, but always, also, to think first of humanity. You do not love
humanity if you seek to divide humanity into jealous camps. Humanity can
be welded together only by love, by sympathy, by justice, not by jealousy
and hatred. I am sorry for the man who seeks to make personal capital
out of the passions of his fellowmen. He has lost touch with the ideal
of America. For America was created to unite mankind.”
Citizens love of country establishes unity
GODLY
UNGODLY
Think first of America
Think first of Humanity
Welded by Love
By Sympathy
By Justice
Not love humanity
Divide Humanity
Jealous Camps
By Jealousy and hatred
Lost touch with the ideal
For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ~ James 3:16
“A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know
what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing
if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about.”
"... show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, For I am God, ..." ~ Isaiah 46:8-9
All hearts ache to know
Recall to mind = Wisdom
“America is not a mere body of traders; it is a body of free men. Our
greatness is built upon our freedom - is moral, not material. We have a
great ardor for gain; but we have a deep passion for the rights of man.”
“You have just taken an oath of allegiance to the United States. Of
allegiance to whom? Of allegiance to no one, unless it be God. Certainly
not of allegiance to those who temporarily represent this great
government. You have taken an oath of allegiance to a great ideal,
to a great body of principles, to a great hope of the human race.”
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men." ~ Acts 5:29
“America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that
devotion to the elements of righteousness, which are derived from Holy
Scripture. Ladies and gentlemen, I have a very simple thing to ask of you.
I ask of every man and woman in this audience that, from this night on,
they will realize that part of the destiny of America lies in their daily
perusal of this great Book of revelations. (The Bible) That if they would
see America free and pure they will make their own spirits free
and pure by the baptism of Holy Scripture.”
... received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ~ Acts 17:11
“If you wish your children to be Christians you must really take
the trouble to be Christian yourselves. Those are the only terms
upon which the home will work the gracious miracle.”
There is no more subtle dissolvent of morals than sentimentality.
... since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ... ~ 2nd Peter 3:17
“There is something better, if possible, that a man can give than his life.
That is his living spirit to a service that is not easy, to resist counsels
that are hard to resist, to stand against purposes that
are difficult to stand against.”
“The seed of revolution is repression.”
“Business underlies everything in our national life,
including our spiritual life. Witness the fact that in the Lord's Prayer,
the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God
or love his neighbor on an empty stomach.”
“Hunger does not breed reform; it breeds madness and
all the distemper's that make an ordered life impossible.”
“The fewer the desires, the more peace.”
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? ~ James 4:1
“This was not after all a conventional war, a struggle between
equally predacious powers; it was a war to end all wars.”
“It must be a peace without victory ... Victory would mean peace
forced upon the loser, a victor's terms imposed upon the vanquished.
It would be accepted in humiliation, under duress, at an intolerable
sacrifice, and would leave a sting, a resentment, a bitter memory
upon which terms of peace would rest, not permanently, but only
as upon quicksand. Only a peace between equals can last.”
“The sum of the whole matter is this - our civilization cannot survive
materially unless it be redeemed spiritually. It can be saved only by
becoming permeated with the Spirit of Christ, and being made free and
happy by practices which spring out of that spirit. Only thus can discontent
be driven out and all shadows lifted from the road ahead. ”
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ... ~ Titus 2:11-14
“A man's rootage is more important than his leafage.”
“You have the greatest soul, the noblest nature, the sweetest,
most loving heart I have ever known, and my love, my reverence,
my admiration for you, you have increased in one evening as I should
have thought only a lifetime of intimate, loving association could have
increased them. You are more wonderful and lovely in my eyes than
you ever were before; and my pride and joy and gratitude that you
should love me with such a perfect love are beyond all expression,
except in some great poem which I cannot write.”
... perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ~ 1st John 4:18
“I firmly believe in Divine Providence. Without belief in Providence I think I
should go crazy. Without God the world would be a maze without a clue.”
To find assurance fears must be buried below the vision of hilltops.
In this glory He holds souls above the mundane. Mean spirited souls
may cause temporary sorrows yet the call from above has an eternal
anchor. The times carry woeful weariness for the loveless lacking
mercy among the nations that pierces the peace between all men.
Devotion to God improves all social order
● Friendship is what holds peoples together
● With God there is no fear of what man can do
● War among men is not declared by God, but by men
● Ignorance of God deepens the persistence of sin
● Only individuals by themselves can find God
● Darkness hides in the halls of men’s perceived power
● Freedom is held in bondage by the greedy
● Forgetting original ideals leaves no good foundation
● Allegiance should be to God over man
● Sympathy for sinners can lead to sin’s acceptance
● The fewer the desires, the more peace
● Without God the shadows of man bring destruction
● Love cannot find extent of expression in its’ pure gift
Torturous conditions carry us in the land of His mercy.
Darkness has the wind or terror.
Glory has pierced all ages of man.
... And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. ... ~ Genesis 1:1-4
Time is a shadow of eternities calling.
... He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ... ~ John 1:1-4
God’s own image or reflection of life dwells in each of us. God’s own word
is the greatest of treasures that takes more than a lifetime to grasp upon.
To learn is to run with what has been given. None of us can fully
appreciate what God has done by giving each of us a portion
of His own Image upon the expanse of creation.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14
I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. ~ Isaiah 43:11
Jesus is the definitive image of God to show us exactly
how much He loves us sacrificing His own life to free us to
possess our own autonomy to choose direction.
Will we come to Him?
... "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." ~ John 6:32-35
... he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. ... ~ John 6:47-49
Eternity belongs to those who believe in God
Bread of Life
Believes in Me = Everlasting Life
"This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die." ~ John 6:50
"... anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." ~ John 6:51
Jesus is the elixir of eternal life. Jesus cannot be containerized or
homogenized to fit the tastes of man. He cannot be quantified as He
is the substance of all reaching beyond the stars. He is that He is
and has proclaimed the nature as well as the desires
God has for His creation of autonomous life.
... "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." ~ John 6:52-53
Unless we see to confess His creation and depend upon His life,
we possess no true eternal life in His light.
"Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ... ~ John 6:54-56
The substance of what we are and why we live
is dependent upon God who created all things.
... he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven ... ~ John 6:57-58
Jesus brought the treasures of heaven to be known among men.
"... this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." ~ Matthew 26:26-28
From His presence and life comes God’s truth
Bread = My Body
Cup = My Blood
⎹ of the new covenant
↳ for the remission of sins
... "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." ... ~ Luke 22:19-20
Human beings forget to the detriment of unity among me. God instituted
what could be easily remembered so that we could identify with His
creation of life; that we should acknowledge this and be thankful for it.
... Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." ... ~ Mark 14:22-24
God reveals His desire for our return from sin
Noah covenant = Rainbow
Abraham covenant = Promise
↳ circumcision
Moses covenant = Law
↳ immediate disobedience
... Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ~ Hebrews 9:16-18
The new covenant has been dedicated with His blood,
and by His death it is currently in force. In His death we
admit our lives under the hand of God’s own blessings.
... nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ~ 1st Corinthians 5:7-8
An eternal meal has been prepared
Christ, our Passover
→ Keep the feast
not with malice and wickedness
with sincerity and truth
His kingdom is built on our ability to turn away from temptations, sin,
that we may embrace the truth, of His giving life to each of us, under His
order of goodness. How easy is it to forget Him asking us to purge those
growing sins, with humble hearts in recognition of His simple creation.
Grace be upon us as He is here waiting for our response.
Each of us has an arsenal of conscience. These wheels drive who we are
and if wickedness and animosities overtake us, the defenses of spiritual
strengths are diminished, and our eternal lives come into jeopardy.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ... ~ 1st Corinthians 10:16-17
God embraces each to bond in His sacrificial love
Cup = Communion of the blood of Christ
Bread = Communion of the body of Christ
... You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. ... ~ 1st Corinthians 10:19-22
Our focus in worship declares our heart to God in
what we are paying attention to. Is it to God or some distraction;
an earthly desire or petty complaint over soul submission to
His forgiveness and gift of grace for our return?
... and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; ..." ~ 1st Corinthians 11:23-24
... "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. ~ 1st Corinthians 11:25-26
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, ... ~ Acts 20:7
... let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ~ 1st Corinthians 11:27-28
... eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. ... ~ 1st Corinthians 11:29-31
Thinking of the fleshly concerns can lead to unthankfulness,
depression, and anger. Spiritual meditations deliver
thankfulness, a hopeful spirit, and joy in Him.
... To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father ... ~ Revelation 3:20-22
When we make Christ greater than our sin we climb into His presence.
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ... ~ 2nd Cor. 13:5
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. ... ~ Romans 14:7-9
Life and death remains as declared in His way
If we live, we live to the Lord
If we die, we die to the Lord
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, ... ~ Colossians 2:11-12
Is God our master or is it the desires of our flesh?
It is the measure of character in self-control over recklessness.
Treasure beyond measure is the light He offers, laid before us all.
In the face of God His call beckons
● The life in man comes from God’s own light
● In Christ God’s glory bestows grace and truth
● The is no other savior other than God Himself
● Believing Jesus is the bread of life brings eternal life
● Life in you depends on eating and drinking of Jesus
● Abiding in Jesus adheres to His call to come to Him
● His body and blood is food for the remission of sins
● A new covenant now through the sacrifice of His life
● Christ is our Passover if kept in sincerity and truth
● Cup and bread = communion with His blood & body
● Apostolic pattern is breaking bread 1st day of week
● One must overcome to sit with Jesus on His throne
● Putting off sins in faith avails Gods work raising us
Darkness is something that cannot be found in the light.
The ages maintain a ring of man's desire to be free.
29. Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
“We need citizens who are less concerned about
what their government can do for them, and more
concerned about what they can do for the nation.”
“I have been thinking a lot about these things as I have come to the
realization of the tremendous responsibilities which rest upon me. It is
my conviction that the fundamental trouble with the people of the United
States is that they have gotten too far away from Almighty God. I am
bound to believe that in a tumultuous age like ours the most important
and imperative duty is the reconstruction of humanity to Almighty God.”
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ~ Isaiah 53:6
“There is something inherently wrong, something out of accord with the
ideals of representative democracy, when one portion of our citizenship
turns its activities to private gain amid defensive war while another
is fighting, sacrificing, or dying for national preservation.”
... which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord ... ~ James 5:4-6
"I would not be my natural self if I did not utter my consciousness of my
limited ability to meet your full expectation or to realize the aspirations
within my own breast. But I'll gladly give all that is in me, all of heart, soul,
and mind and the fighting love of country, to service in our common
cause. I can only pray to the omnipotent God that I may be as worthy
in service as I know myself to be faithful in thought and purpose.
One cannot give more."
“It is impossible for one who has studied at all the services of the
Hebrew people to avoid the faith that they will one day be restored to
their historic national home and there enter on a new and yet greater
phase of their contribution to the advance of humanity.”
“There is no relationship here between Church and State. Religious
liberty has its unalterable place, along with civil and human liberty, in
the very foundation of the Republic. I hold it [religious intolerance] to
be a menace to the very liberties which we boast and cherish.”
“I am not fit for this office and never should have been here.”
30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
“The strength of a country is the strength of its religious convictions.”
“The government of a country never gets ahead of the religion
of a country. There is no way by which we can substitute
the authority of the law for the virtues of men.”
Only ethical morals hold civilization up
Religion of a Country
Virtues of Men
↕
Government of a Country
Authority of the Law
... fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23
“The strength of our country is the strength of its religious convictions.
The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the
teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in
these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.”
“Under our institutions the only way to perfect the Government is to
perfect the individual citizen. It is necessary to reach the mind and soul
of the individual. I know of no way that this can be done save through the
influence of religion and education. By religion I do not mean fanaticism or
bigotry; by education I do not mean the cant of the schools, but a broad
and tolerant faith, loving thy neighbor as thyself, and a training and
experience that enables the human mind to see into the heart of things.”
... Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ~ Romans 13:9-10
You shall love your neighbor as yourself
Love does no harm to a neighbor
love is the fulfillment of the law
“It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without the
sustaining influence of faith in a divine power we could have little faith
in ourselves. We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love.
Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create.
Faith is the great motive power, and no man realizes his full possibilities
unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important,
and that his work, well done, is a part of an unending plan.”
Through faith kingdoms are established
Faith in a divine power
Behind us is intelligence and love
↕
Deep conviction
Life is eternally important
Work well done is part of an unending plan
↓
Doubters do not achieve
Skeptics do not contribute
Cynics do not create
“It is only when men begin to worship that they begin to grow.”
"... true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." ~ John 4:23
“It has not been my fortune to know very much of Freemasonry, but I have
had the great fortune to know many Freemasons and have been able in
that way to judge the tree by its fruit. I know of your high ideals. I have
seen that you hold your meetings in the presence of the open Bible,
and I know that men who observe that formality have high sentiments
of citizenship, of worth, and character. That is the strength of
our Commonwealth and nation.”
"Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, ..." ~ Matthew 7:20-21
“They [the Founding Fathers] were intent upon establishing a
Christian commonwealth in accordance with the principle of self-
government. They were an inspired body of men. It has been said
that God sifted the nations that He might send choice grain into the
wilderness ... Who can fail to see it in the hand of Destiny? Who
can doubt that it has been guided by a Divine Providence?”
“Our government rests upon religion. It is from that source that we
derive our reverence for truth and justice, for equality and liberty,
and for the rights of mankind. Unless the people believe in
these principles they cannot believe in our government.”
Religious values inspire men of good character
Government rest upon religion
┗► Reverence for ● Truth
● Justice
● Equality
● Liberty
● Rights of mankind
“Our doctrine of equality and liberty and humanity comes from our
belief in the brotherhood of man, through the fatherhood of God.”
... And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. ~ 1st John 4:20-21
PresidentialQuotesPM22.5.mp3 (41m 21s)
“The danger to America is not in the direction of the failure to maintain its
economic position, but in the direction of the failure to maintain its ideals.”
“The American Revolution represented the informed and
mature convictions of a great mass of independent, liberty-loving,
God-fearing people who knew their rights, and possessed
the courage to dare to maintain them.”
“If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity,
it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible.”
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ~ Romans 10:17
“A wholesome regard for the memory of the great men of long ago is the
best assurance to a people of a continuation of great men to come, who
shall be able to instruct, to lead, and to inspire. A people who worship
at the shrine of true greatness will themselves be truly great.”
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ... ~ Romans 15:4
“The Jews themselves, of whom a considerable number were already
scattered throughout the colonies, were true to the teachings of their
prophets. The Jewish faith is predominantly the faith of liberty.”
“It is not in violence and crime that our greatest danger lies. These evils
are so perfectly apparent that they very quickly arouse the moral power
of the people for their suppression. A far more serious danger lurks in the
shirking of those responsibilities of citizenship, where the evil may not be
so noticeable but is more insidious and likely to be more devastating.”
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. ~ Proverbs 29:2
“Unless the people, through unified action, arise and take charge of their
government, they will find that their government has taken charge of them.
Independence and liberty will be gone,
and the general public will find itself in a condition
of servitude to an aggregation of organized and selfish interest.”
“Restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely a defensive action.
It is not adopted in criticism of others in the slightest degree, but solely for
the purpose of protecting ourselves. We cast no aspersions on any race
or creed, but we must remember that every object of our institutions of
society and government will fail unless America be kept American.”
“Life is one darn thing after another.”
... God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 10:13
“In life there is nothing more common than talent and intelligence.
What is missing is passion, persistence, commitment, and dedication.”
“Liberty is not collective, it is personal. All liberty is individual liberty.”
“Duty is not collective; it is personal.”
“We do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power.
We do not need more of the things that are seen,
we need more of the things that are unseen.”
... For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. ~ 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18
“Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil.
Our great hope lies in developing what is good.”
“There is no surer road to destruction than prosperity without character.”
The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. ~ Proverbs 11:3
“Money will not purchase character or good government.”
“In a republic the first rule for the guidance
of the citizen is obedience of the law.”
“The words of the President have an enormous weight
and ought not to be used indiscriminately.”
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish
peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of
Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior
and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, ... ~ Isaiah 40:26
“Whether one traces his Americanism back three centuries to the
Mayflower, or three years to the steerage, is not half so important as
whether his Americanism of today is real and genuine. No matter by what
various crafts we came here, we are all now in the same boat.”
“I do not choose to run for president in 1928.”
A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; ~ Ecclesiastes 3:2
In the commotion of human activities one must contemplate
whether God is being served or is it man desiring to be serviced?
Wisdom maintains a silence that extends past time where truth
rises brightest. Surely those gone before have eternity as their
intoxicating drink without thirst. Today we can share of this
blessing by sacrificing in spirit without hesitation or question.
Life depends upon the desires we put forth.
Igniting the spirit holds a passion for truth
● Religious intolerance is contrary to the constitution
● Without religious holy our nation has no foundation
● Without true worship the spirit remains stagnant
● The power of Christianity founded this country
● Rulers must cleave to the values of truth and justice
● Failure to maintain religious ideals with defeat us
● Remembering the wise gone by ensures social gifts
● Evil leadership creates a decadent society
● Regimes dominate where citizens become apathetic
● Liberty is a personal individual responsibility
● Spiritual power overshadows mere intellectualism
● Prosperity without character leads to destruction
● Unity is combined in being all in the same place
Darkness cannot forget what it is not.
Depth has a quality of knowing.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, ... ~ Psalms 139:16
The Bible confirms that at the point of conception a heavenly soul is
created. Laws of man do not supersede the announced ordinances
of God. The Book of God includes life in His light.
... Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:12
Knowledge cannot replace the wisdom of God that transcends knowledge
itself. Some choose to see God while others deny His power and grace
of salvation. While God has knowledge of souls, souls do not
necessarily have knowledge of God. It is in this creation, where
choice is given, that God examines the merits of hearts.
Without God there would be no knowledge.
"But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." ~ Daniel 12:4
And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book." ~ Exodus 32:33
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 6:23
God watches all, and as such, our actions will
reveal the destiny we choose, either in Him or not.
... God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ... ~ 1st Timothy 2:3-7
The heavenly cause is to stay in Heaven
God our Savior
⮡ Desires all men to be saved
⮡ Come to the knowledge of the truth
The question will always remain, do we come to God or a substitute?
His truth is plain in His call to come, and through His son,
Christ Jesus our savior God incarnate.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ~ 2nd Timothy 2:15
The word of truth is written for man to know how to approach
that which has been denied, a return to His eternal kingdom of life.
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ... ~ 1st Corinthians 3:7-9
Each of us is a worker. The fruits of which are shown by our labors.
Where one labors for good, another schemes for evil. As it is God’s
kingdom, the field will be purged of the weeds that have no root in Him.
Power belongs to the Lord, not men.
... who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. ~ Philippians 4:3
Certainly women are called as equally to
be servants and laborers in His kingdom.
A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one's birth; ~ Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. ~ Proverbs 22:1
"... do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." ~ Luke 10:19-20
Many gifts and talents have been spread about His kingdom of life
throughout time. More important than rejoicing in one's own talents
is rejoicing in the forgiveness and grace He offers to all,
especially made available to ourselves.
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; ..." ~ Revelation 3:5
To be in the Book of Life one must overcome the practicing
of those things He has commanded not to practice. The reward
is greater than the passing sinful practice, and so many cannot
muster the strength to overcome the weakness they cannot defeat.
"... who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name ..." ~ Revelation 2:17
"... To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." ~ Revelation 2:7
God has promised that those who overcome will
partake in the eternal life giving fruit of His giving.
"... whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." ~ Luke 12:5-9
Heaven or Hell is declared by actions
Confess Me
Before men, him the
Son of Man also will
Confess before the
Angels of God
He who Denies Me
Before men will be
Denied before the
Angels of God
Many hearts perceive their destination of choice. Both those
descending and ascending have an inkling of the path they reach out for.
... no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. ~ Revelation 21:27
Lamb's Book of Life does not include evil
A lie
Defiles
Abomination
Darkness will have no entrance through the gate of eternal light.
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous. ~ Psalms 69:28
God retrieves those who live nobly in Him
Righteous written in the Living Book
Only the righteous will appear in His Book of the Living.
By righteous it is a call to His ways, and not the pompous elite
that only find favor with themselves.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company ... ~ Hebrews 12:22-24
Heaven is a destination
To Mount Zion
To the Living God
⮡ the heavenly Jerusalem
To an innumerable company of angels
To the general assembly of the firstborn
⮡ who are registed in heaven
To God the Judge of all
To the spirits of just men made perfect
To Jesus the Mediator
For all those who desire to arrive in heaven,
Jesus is the only master and mediator between God and men.
... above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ... ~ Philippians 2:9-11
It is God’s own proclamation that all will return to Him through Jesus,
either knowingly of unknowingly. Quite a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of a living God without knowledge of Him.
... "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." ~ Romans 14:11
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb ... ~ Revelation 13:8
Those not written in the Book of life have denied where He calls us out,
to be in Him, rather choosing to worship creations of man’s imagination.
... And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life ... ~ Revelation 17:8
There is an abstraction of where those that are not are.
Nothing good comes to those dealt to this eternal damnation.
... books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, ... ~ Revelation 20:12
Terminal time will come as time’s gravity runs out. The well will be
purged of all those who have not made it to His fountain of life. Salvation
is a work of character and willingness to share in His truth and spirit.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. ~ Daniel 12:2
Heaven and hell are real with the latter most dreadful.
"... those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." ~ John 5:28-29
Life or Death is in the Breath
Done good
Resurrection
of Life
Done evil
Resurrection of
Condemnation
A divide between good and bad is an eventuality for all He calls forth.
... judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ~ Revelation 20:13-14
Let no one fool you that works are not an essential part of our
eternal judgment. It is awareness of this judgment, of our works,
that makes men of higher integrity under accountability.
No one is impervious to God’s own wave of truth.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. ~ Revelation 20:15
Destruction is an inevitable consequence, for the
casting off of God, in the lustful preferences of man.
"... at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book." ~ Daniel 12:1
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt." ~ Daniel 12:2
Deliverance cannot be done alone as it is a gift of God,
so observance in His call is vital for salvation.
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates ... ~ Revelation 22:14-15
Those whose works are of the darkness, which He has clearly
defined in His goodness, will not find His blessings.
You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? ~ Psalms 56:8
In life we weep for the children where the heartless devour spirit.
Do not let your sorrows defeat your courage to remain faithful.
The Greatest Gain in Life is Forever
● It is sin that blots one’s name out of God’s book
● God wants all to be saved & come to know truth
● God’s workers are His field and holy building
● Workers of gospel have names in the Book of Life
● Rejoice name written in heaven over given talents
● One must overcome to eat of the tree of life
● All abominable that defiles or lies not in Book/Life
● Sacrifice of Jesus brings us directly to God
● All will confess and bow to Jesus Christ
● All are judged by what is written in the Book of Life
● The good receive life where evil gets condemnation
● Anyone not in the Book of Life cast in Lake of Fire
● Obedience blesses with the right to the tree of life
Darkness holds not even a wisp of flame.
True character holds back a reservoir of truth.
31. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
“The study of the Bible is a post-graduate course
in the richest library of human experience.”
“The whole inspiration of our civilization springs from the teachings
of Christ and the lessons of the prophets. To read the Bible for
these fundamentals is a necessity of American life.”
The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. ~ Psalms 24:1
“There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of
concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals...he who
seeks for guidance...may look inside its covers and find illumination ...”
“We are indebted to the Book of books (Bible) for our national ideals
and institution. Their preservation rests in adhering to it's precepts.”
“It [freedom] is a thing of the spirit. Men must be free to worship, to think,
to hold opinions, to speak without fear. They must be free to challenge
wrong and oppression with the surety of justice.”
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. ~ Ephesians 5:11
“I come of Quaker stock. My ancestors were persecuted for their beliefs.
Here they sought and found religious freedom. By blood and conviction
I stand for religious tolerance both in act and in spirit.”
... children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals ... and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. ~ Judges 10:6
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." ~ John 4:24
“Our social and economic system cannot march toward better days unless
it is inspired by things of the Spirit. It is here that the higher purposes
of individualism must find their sustenance.”
“A splendid storehouse of integrity and freedom has been bequeathed to
us by our forefathers. In this day of confusion, of peril to liberty, our high
duty is to see that this storehouse is not robbed of its contents.”
... called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ~ Galatians 5:13
“Freedom conceives that the mind and spirit of man can be free only
if he is free to pattern his own life, to develop his own talents,
free to earn, to spend, to save, to acquire property
as the security of his old age and his family.”
If laws restrict basic freedom, joys are diminished
Freedom only if:
● Free to pattern own life
● To develop own talents
● Free to earn, to spend, to save
● To acquire property
⮡ as the security of old age
⮡ family
“Being a politician is a poor profession.
Being a public servant is a noble one.”
... As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ~ 1st Peter 4:10
“Governments know that the life of the world cannot
be saved if the soul of the world is allowed to be lost.”
“When there is a lack of honor in government,
the morals of the whole people are poisoned.”
“No public man can be just a little crooked. There is no such
thing as a no-man's land between honesty and dishonesty.”
"But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." ~ Matthew 5:37
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ~ Matthew 7:15
“Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitivities to evil.
Our greatest danger is not from invading armies. Our dangers are
that we may commit suicide from within by complaisance with evil,
or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior.”
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, ... ~ Isaiah 5:20
... a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it! ~ 2nd Corinthians 11:4
“It is those moral and spiritual qualities which rise alone in free men,
which will fulfill the meaning of the word American. And with them
will come centuries of further greatness to our country.”
“Our fathers and grandfathers who poured over the Midwest were
self-reliant, rugged, God-fearing people of indomitable courage ...
They asked only for freedom of opportunity and equal chance.
In these conceptions lies the real basis of American democracy.
They and their fathers give a genius to American institutions
that distinguished our people from any other in the world.”
“While I can make no claim for having introduced the term "rugged
individualism," I should be proud to have invented it. It has been used by
American leaders for over a half-century in eulogy of those God-fearing
men and women of honesty whose stamina and character and fearless
assertion of rights led them to make their own way in life.”
“I believe not only that religious faith will be victorious, but that it is
vital to humankind that it shall be. We may differ in form and particulars
in our religious faith. Those are matters that are sacred to each of our
inner sanctuaries. It is our privilege to decline to argue them.
Their real demonstration is the lives that we live.”
... sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, ... ~ Titus 2:6-8
Freedom comes with duties each soul must weigh
Be sober-minded:
⮡ In all things showing yourself
⮡ A pattern of good works
⮡ In doctrine
● Showing integrity
● Reverence
● Incorruptibility
● Sound speech
PresidentialQuotesPM23.5.mp3 (32m 42s)
“To go fishing is the chance to wash one's soul with pure air,
with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of sun on blue water.
It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity
toward tackle-makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and
egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a
darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men
- for all men are equal before fish.”
“Lots of people committed crimes during the year who would
not have done so if they had been fishing. The increase of crime
is among those deprived of the regenerations that impregnate
the mind and character of the fisherman.”
“Next to prayer, Fishing is the most personal relationship of man.”
... The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ~ James 5:15-16
“Love what is ahead by loving what has come before.”
... come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:15-16
“Children add to the wonder of being alive.”
Children are the most wholesome part of the race, the
sweetest, for they are the freshest from the hand of God.
“If we could have but one generation of properly born,
trained, educated, and healthy children, a thousand
other problems of government would vanish.”
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6
“National character cannot be built by law.
It is the sum of the moral fiber of its individuals.”
“The structure of human betterment cannot be built upon
foundations of materialism or business, but upon the bedrock
of individual character in free men and women.”
“The imperative need of this nation at all times
is the leadership of Uncommon Men or Women.”
“Every collectivist revolution rides in on a Trojan horse of "emergency".
It was the tactic of Lenin, Hitler, and Mussolini. In the collectivist sweep
over a dozen minor countries of Europe, it was the cry of men striving
to get on horseback. And "emergency" became the justification of
the subsequent steps. This technique of creating emergency is
the greatest achievement that demagoguery attains.”
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, ... ~ 2nd Peter 2:1-2
“It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder
of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator
has suppressed all free speech except his own.”
“Menaced by collectivist trends, we must seek revival of our strength
in the spiritual foundations which are the bedrock of our republic.
Democracy is the outgrowth of the religious conviction of the
sacredness of every human life. On the religious side, its highest
embodiment is the Bible; on the political side, the Constitution.”
“Man is still by instinct a predatory animal given to devilish aggression.
The discoveries of science have immensely increased productivity of
material things. They have increased the standards of living and comfort.
They have eliminated infinite drudgery. They have increased leisure.
But that gives more time for devilment. The work of science has
eliminated much disease and suffering. It has increased the
length of life. That, together with increase in productivity,
has resulted in vastly increased populations. Also it
increased the number of people engaged in devilment.”
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" ~ Jeremiah 17:9
“I have on numerous occasions, as you know, expressed my sympathy
in the establishment of a National Home for the Jews in Palestine and,
despite the set-backs caused by the disorders there during the last few
years, I have been heartened by the progress which has been made and
by the remarkable accomplishments of the Jewish settlers in that country.”
“What the world needs today is a definite, spiritual mobilization
of the nations who believe in God against this tide of Red agnosticism.
It needs a moral mobilization against the hideous ideas of the police
state and human slavery. I suggest that the United Nations should be
reorganized without the Communist nations in it. It is a proposal based
solely upon moral, spiritual and defense foundations. It is a proposal to
redeem the concept of the United Nations to the high purpose for which
it was created. It is a proposal for moral and spiritual cooperation of
God-fearing free nations. And in rejecting an atheistic other world,
I am confident that the Almighty God will be with us.”
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. ~ Romans 14:19
“Freedom is the open window through which pours
the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.”
In the course of time desperate hearts become blind to latitudes of
respect and peace. Anger and resentment dig bowels of resentment
in their bitterness of gloom. Hope has to have a grapple to hold or
the all too elusive prosperity ship goes down. Jobs and labor have
always been the success of any society, across all ages. Purpose
and production cleaves to hope's rope of a better day.
Rejected souls can have huge impacts over time
● The Bible contains fundamentals of civilization
● One must be free to declare where evils occur
● Only a spiritual society remains successful
● A duty of securing freedom is to maintain integrity
● When leaders lack morals all are damaged
● Only moral and spiritual qualities ensure greatness
● Courageous souls build lasting legacies of character
● Without opportunities for purpose crime advances
● Wondrous children inspire the hopes of our dreams
● Individual moral character is the bedrock of society
● Suppressing free speech is the sign of oppression
● Better living standards with leisure time increase sin
● Only a God fearing world will achieve peace
Heaven is only as far away as those many who believe
Darkness swells in the heart of nothing.
Worship comes by what is most desirable
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." ~ John 4:24
... Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. ... ~ Isaiah 66:1-2
Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, ... ~ Psalms 96:8-9
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. ~ Hebrews 13:16
... Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice." ~ 2nd Kings 17:36
... I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. ~ Psalms 5:7
... Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, ... ~ Psalms 95:6-8
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; ... ~ Psalms 138:2
... Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, ... ~ Leviticus 10:3
... Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. ~ Isaiah 5:24
... let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ~ Hebrews 12:28-29
While God’s love is unconditional for the moment in which He allows us to
exist (rains on the just and unjust), to achieve eternal life in His presence,
one must understand His conditional entrance bounds. It is His plan and it
cannot be superseded by the whims of man and or human self created
doctrines excusing or even dismissing God’s own conditions.
"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." ~ Luke 8:11
God’s Word is Salvation’s manual
The Bible Alone ――――――――► Christian
Bible + Vatican Doctrines ―――► Catholic
Bible + Methodist Discipline ――► Methodist
Bible + Baptist Manual ――――► Baptist
Bible + Book of Mormon ――――► Morman
Bible + Koran ―――――――――► Muslim
Denominationalism necessitates different seeds!
"'... in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" ~ Matthew 15:7-9
... "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, ..." ~ Isaiah 29:13
... they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; ... ~ Ezekiel 33:31
"... 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men', we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." ... ~ Matthew 21:25-27
... they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ... ~ Romans 10:1-3
"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" ~ Luke 6:46
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." ~ John 14:15
Jesus is calling hearts to see Him and the qualities God wills for man.
... "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. ... ~ John 14:21
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; ... ~ John 14:23-26
... . Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: ... ~ Acts 17:22-23
... worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ... ~ Romans 1:25
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ~ Romans 10:17
"You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." ~ John 4:22
For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ... ~ Philippians 3:3
"Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things." ~ Acts 17:25
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; ... ~ John 4:23
... "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." ~ Acts 23:1
"Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." ~ Acts 26:9
A good conscience does not necessitate proper worship
... not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, ... grows with the increase that is from God. ~ Colossians 2:18-19
... if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations ... ~ Colossians 2:20-23
God did no make life to be avoided.
"... it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" ~ Matthew 4:9-10
"'... turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgivness of sins and an inheritance. ...' " ~ Acts 26:18
"... worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." ~ Revelation 14:7
... ... the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, ... ~ Revelation 4:10-11
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, ... Worship God! ... ~ Revelation 19:10
"... I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." ~ Revelation 22:9
But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him." ~ Hebrews 1:6
Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. ~ John 9:38
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ..." ~ Acts 17:30
Worship defines commitment of desire
● Proper worship comes by being in His Spirit of truth
● Worship involves sacrifice to God on His terms
● God deserves worship as maker of all things
● God must be regarded as Holy and not trivialized
● Rejecting the Lord’s word brings condemnation
● Key is knowledge and understanding of God’s word
● Worship involves increasing love of God & His word
● Men mostly worship creation over the Creator
● One has to hear the word to obtain true faith
● God is not worshipped through material objects
● Charlatans mislead one away from God’s truth
● Worship the LORD God, & Him only you shall serve
● Keeping God’s word is worshipping God
Darkness pounds in to an empty bottom.
Lack of faith in His life requests signs.
... sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:12
For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. ~ Proverbs 24:16
The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above. ~ Proverbs 14:14
"Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" ~ Mark 13:4
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, ..." ~ Luke 21:25-27
Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits ... ~ 1st Timothy 4:1-3
A Sign of the Times: Widespread False Doctrine
● Deceiving spirits and doctrines
● Speaking lies in hypocrisy
● Have conscience seared
● Forbidding to marry
● Commanding to abstain from foods
'They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, ... ~ Jeremiah 32:38-39
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. ~ Ephesians 5:11
... though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ~ Psalms 23:4
A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one's birth; ~ Ecclesiastes 7:1
The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. ~ Proverbs 15:24
"Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many." ~ Matthew 24:11
... do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ~ 1st John 4:1
"But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet." ~ Mark 13:7
"But he who endures to the end shall be saved." ~ Matthew 24:13
... "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." ~ Exodus 20:20
... perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. ... ~ 1st John 4:18
... put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ... ~ Colossians 3:5
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. ~ Jeremiah 29:13
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~ Luke 12:34
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, ... ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. ~ Proverbs 3:7-8
... you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ~ Romans 6:16
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." ~ Matthew 24:12
... sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain ... ~ Hebrews 10:26-27
The lazy man says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!" ~ Proverbs 22:13
"... Prepare to meet your God O Israel!" ~ Amos 4:12
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able." ~ Luke 13:24
Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." ~ John 4:48
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ~ 1st Corinthians 1:22
"... we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, ..." ~ Matthew 12:38-39
"... Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." ~ John 20:29
"I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." ~ Genesis 9:13
"... Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." ~ Matthew 16:3
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days ... Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." ~ Luke 17:26-30
All sorrows cannot count the joys ahead
In the day when the Son of Man is revealed:
● They ate
● They drank
● They married wives
● They were given in marriage
● They bought
● They sold
● They planted
● They built
"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ... ~ Matthew 24:30-31
Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. ~ Isaiah 55:6
... that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found ... ~ 1st Peter 1:7
... "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." ~ John 14:6
Each of us bears out as a sign of who we are.
Faith reveals countless signs of His wonders
● Evil times are a snare for all
● The righteous rise with hope from above
● Men’s hearts will fail with fearful expectations
● God calls for souls to expose works of darkness
● The day of mortal death is more than one’s birth
● Many spirits will rise to deceive many
● God tests our character as we deal with sin
● Treasure is found in what the heart desires
● Departing evil in fear of the Lord is supernal
● For lawlessness the love of many will grow cold
● Excuses fail in pursuit of knowing God’s true will
● Faith is built on belief beyond wisdom or signs
● God seeks genuine hearts as He waits nearby
Darkness hides behind what cripples it.
Courage has never been afraid of love's dedication.
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
“[The United States is] founded on the principles of Christianity.”
“I am a Christian and a Democrat, that's all.”
“Lord, reform Thy world, beginning with me.”
“Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”
“We cannot read the history of our rise and development
as a nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied
in shaping the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the
truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained
the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.”
“In the formative days of the Republic, the directing influence the Bible
exercised upon the fathers of the Nation is conspicuously evident.”
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." ~ Romans 1:17
“Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage;
We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves
a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will.”
“As Commander-in-Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading
of the Bible to all who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Throughout the centuries, men of many faiths and diverse origins have
found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration.
It is a fountain of strength...an aid in attaining the highest
aspiration of the human soul.”
The truths of God bring humble souls comfort
Found in the Sacred Book:
⮡ Words of Wisdom
● Counsel
● Inspiration
● Fountain of strength
A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; ~ Proverbs 24:5
The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. ~ Proverbs 10:29
“I hope that you have re-read the Constitution of the United States in
these past few weeks. Like the Bible, it ought to be read again and again.”
“The traditional Jeffersonian principle of religious freedom was so broadly
democratic that it included the right to have no religion at all - it gave to
the individual the right to worship any God he chose or no god.”
“Where freedom of religion has been attacked, the attack has come from
sources opposed to democracy. Where democracy has been overthrown,
the spirit of free worship has disappeared. And where religion and
democracy have vanished, good faith and reason in international
affairs have given way to strident ambition and brute force.”
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." ~ John 10:10
“Freedom of speech is of no use to a man who has nothing to say
and freedom of worship is of no use to a man who has lost his God.”
“Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God,
gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches
him to respect himself by respecting his neighbors.”
"... love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ~ James 2:8-9
“The whole world is one neighborhood.”
“No greater blessing could come to our land today than a revival
of the spirit of religion. I doubt if there is any problem in the world today
-- social, political, or economic -- that would not find happy solution
if approached in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount.”
And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." ~ Luke 17:5
“There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare
to defend not their homes alone but the tenets of faith and humanity
on which their churches, their governments and their very foundations
are set. The defense of religion, of democracy and of good faith
among nations is all the same fight. To save one, we must
now make up our minds to save all.”
Religion feeds good government, not the reverse
The defense of religion and democracy:
⮡ is all the same fight
Faith and Humanity
Churches and Governments
⮤ Very Foundation ⮥
“But the challenge is always the same - whether each generation
facing its own circumstances can summon the practical devotion to
attain and retain that greatest good for the greatest number which
this government of the people was created to ensure.”
“Whoever seeks to set one religion against
another seeks to destroy all religion.”
“I am perhaps being a bit facetious but if some of my good
Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the
pulpit against the K.K.K. in the '20s, I would have a little
more genuine American respect for their Christianity!”
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." ~ Matthew 7:12
“We must remember that any oppression, any injustice,
any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.”
Self-interest is the enemy of all true affection.
What condemns a people is lack of civility
● The USA is founded on the principles of Christianity
● Bible awe achieves supreme comfort and fortune
● Humble hearts mindful of His will build a heritage
● Bible study attains the highest aspiration of the soul
● True freedom of conscience allows for belief or not
● Ignorance and ungodliness do not establish freedom
● Respecting others is God’s own true nature
● The Sermon on the Mount guides all who are blind
● No one finds salvation if the whole boat sinks
● Each generation is challenged to maintain goodness
● True Christians purge prejudice and bigotry
● Self-interest, oppression, injustice, and any hatred are the wedges that destroy civilization
Hearing the truth has little meaning unless remembered.
PresidentialQuotesPM24.5.mp3 (23m 10s)
Cut short due to power loss.
“The lessons of religious toleration - a toleration which recognizes
complete liberty of human thought, liberty of conscience - is one which, by
precept and example, must be inculcated in the hearts and minds of all
Americans if the institutions of our democracy are to be maintained and
perpetuated. We must recognize the fundamental rights of man. There
can be no true national life in our democracy unless we give unqualified
recognition to freedom of religious worship and freedom of education.”
“The school is the last expenditure upon which
America should be willing to economize.”
For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:12
“The public schools shall be free from sectarian influences and, above all,
free from any attitude of hostility to the adherents of any particular creed.”
“Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.”
“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”
– Adolf Hitler
“First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have
to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which
paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, ... ~ Psalms 23:4
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment
that something else is more important than fear.”
“We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do,
would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.”
“We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom
of every person to worship God in his own way. The third is freedom
from want. The fourth is freedom from fear.”
Ideals are bars of what is hoped in the heart
Essential human freedoms:
1) of speech and expression
2) worship God in own way
3) freedom from want
4) freedom from fear
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ~ 2nd Peter 3:13
“We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction
that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”
“Sometimes the best way to keep peace in the family
is to keep the members of the family apart for awhile.”
“The value of love will always be stronger than the value of hate.
Any nation or group of nations which employs hatred eventually
is torn to pieces by hatred.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ~ Romans 12:21
“The truth is found when men are free to pursue it.”
“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know,
that a financial element in the larger centers has owned
the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson ...”
“Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal
Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and
the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. Better the occasional
faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the constant
omission of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.”
The motto of war is: "Let the strong survive; let the weak die."
The motto of peace is: "Let the strong help the weak to survive."
“I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood
running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed
lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed.
I have seen 200 limping, exhausted men come out of line — the
survivors of a regiment of 1,000 that went forward 48 hours before.
I have seen children starving. I have seen the
agony of mothers and wives. I hate war.”
“No country, however rich, can afford the waste of its human resources.
Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest
extravagance. Morally, it is the greatest menace to our social order.”
“The virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea.”
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ~ Philippians 2:3
... not ... from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ~ James 3:14-16
“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.”
“Our handicaps exist only in our minds.”
“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in
the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and
moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad
chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they
cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered
unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.”
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ~ 1st Corinthians 11:31
... "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." ~ Luke 12:15
“I suggest a nationwide reading of the Holy Scriptures
during the period from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas.”
Though all are created in the image of God, not all are given
the same situations in living. As fingerprints, memories are
individualistic and distantly limited in the finite domain. As a vapor,
very little is experienced in life beyond those few encounters that
pass ever so fleetingly. Pain and pleasure tests each soul’s
endurance in the midst of an evil and corrupt world.
Most of what is lovely rests in compassion
● Without education no free nation can survive
● Basic to freedom is individual speech & expression, free to choose worship, and free of want and fear
● Hope has always established a brighter horizon
● Love and understanding is key to any success
● Truth is found only when freedom’s door is open
● Indifference is the thick cold ice of frozen empathy
● Joining together involves helping all to climb
● Unemployment is the greatest threat to morality
● Self-interest plagues affection in the vacuum of hate
● Prisoners of fate in the world lack freedom of mind
● Thrill of living stands upon individual creative effort
● Only by fruits of labor is true joy achieved
Troubled times arrive yet faith’s anchor moors upon eternity.
Darkness has not a glimmer.
God looks for all to see His truth given to life.
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, ... ~ Psalms 37:4-5
Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. ~ Psalms 38:9
The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. ~ Proverbs 10:24
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, ... ~ Ecclesiastes 2:10
You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. ... ~ Psalms 145:16-19
A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. ~ Proverbs 13:19
The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. ~ Proverbs 21:25
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. ~ Proverbs 13:4
Time does not return to the valleys left behind
Lazy man
has nothing
Diligent soul
is rich
Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking. ~ Proverbs 24:1-2
... Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. ... ~ Ecclesiastes 6:8-9
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. ~ Proverbs 13:12
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ~ 1st Corinthians 14:1
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. ~ 1st Timothy 3:1
For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. ~ Philippians 1:23
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. ... ~ Hebrews 11:16
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 5:2
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. ~ Hosea 6:6
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. ... ~ Romans 10:1-3
"... and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, ..." ~ Mark 4:18-19
... we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, ... ~ Ephesians 2:3
Lust swells from discontent hearts
Fulfilling the desires of lusts:
→ of the flesh
→ of the mind
By nature children of wrath
... in which you once walked according to the course of this world, ... ~ Ephesians 2:2
The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. ~ Proverbs 21:10
... put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ... ~ Colossians 3:4-5
... godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 7:10-11
Only by depths of understanding is freedom found
Godly sorrow
⮡ Repentance leading to salvation
⮡ Not to be regretted
⮡ Producing:
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. ~ James 1:18
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ~ James 1:21
The battle is lost if courage is not maintained
Which is able to
save your souls
↑
BIBLE
←
Receive with
meekness the
implanted word
⭩
Lay aside
all filthiness
overflow of
wickenness
... The desire of the wicked shall perish. ~ Psalms 112:9-10
The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. ~ Proverbs 11:23
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ~ James 4:2
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ... ~ 1st John 5:14-15
... put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. ~ Romans 13:13-14
Permanence is a vapor without strength of Faith
Let us walk properly, as in the day
⮡ Not in:
● Revelry and drunkenness
● Lewdness and lust
● Stife and envy
Jesus Christ
←
Will
Power
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ... ~ 1st John 2:15-17
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ~ James 1:14
... large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. ~ James 3:4
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short ... ~ Hebrews 12:14-15
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly ... ~ Lamentations 3:25-26
... good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ~ 1st Timothy 2:1-4
A blanket of reason has been thrown to all men
Be made for all men:
Desires all
Men to be
Saved
→ Supplications
→ Prayers
→ Intercessions
→ Giving of thanks
GOD
⮡ That we may lead
Quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and reverence
↑
Knowledge of the truth
I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; ... ~ 1st Timothy 2:8
Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ~ Hebrews 13:18
... they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, ... ~ 2nd Timothy 4:3
"... I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." ~ Matthew 9:13
... "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ..." ~ Luke 9:23-25
Finding life reveals the womb of our creation
Whoever loses his life
For My sake will save it
Come after Me
Deny oneself
⮡ Take up one's cross daily
⮡ Follow Me
... "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." ~ Mark 9:34-35
... whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ... ~ Mark 10:43-45
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ~ Galatians 5:24
... Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. ~ Revelation 22:17
The practices of man more often neglect the worship of God.
Unsatisfied loneliness of not having, absent of confidence in God,
causes percolating jealousies and underlying anger. Battling the beast
from within musters the best in us or leaves us defeated.
Festering on the puss of one’s emotions denies holiness
● None of our desires are hidden from God
● God satisfies the desire of all living things
● Only by diligent works can true value be found
● Better with good purpose than wandering desires
● Desiring a heavenly home is a natural part of hope
● Salvation comes by submitting to God’s own truths
● Put to death evil desires & all that goes against God
● Regrets deliver spiritual strength otherwise missing
● Turn from evil and receive the implanted word
● The desires of the wicked will perish
● Desires absent of God’s will obtain nothing
● Walking with Christ denies passions of the flesh
● Without peace and holiness one falls short of grace
Desires of the heart create following destinies. Passion defines purpose.
Darkness has a chilling absence of meaningful time.
Darkness at its brightest is nothing.
Often life presents immediacy as a test of character.
33. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
“Work Hard. Do your best. Keep your word. Never get too big for
your britches. Trust in God. Have no fear; and Never forget a friend.”
In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, ... ~ Ecclesiastes 11:6
“This Nation was established by men who believed in God. ...
You will see the evidence of this deep religious faith on every hand.”
“We believe that all men are created equal
because they are created in the image of God.”
“The fundamental basis of this Nation’s law was given to Moses
on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from
the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah
and St. Paul … If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background,
we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does
not believe in the rights for anybody except the State!”
Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, ... ~ Isaiah 46:9
“We are profoundly grateful for the blessings bestowed upon us: the
preservation of our freedom, so dearly bought and so highly prized; our
opportunities for human welfare and happiness, so limitless in their scope;
our material prosperity, so far surpassing that of earlier years; and our
private spiritual blessings, so deeply cherished by all. For these
we offer fervent thanks to God.”
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. ~ Colossians 3:17
“We must never forget that this country was founded by men who came
to these shores to worship God as they pleased. Catholics, Jews, and
Protestants, all came here for this great purpose. They did not come
here to do as they pleased - but to worship God as they pleased,
and that is an important distinction.”
“The true foundation of the brotherhood of humankind is belief in
the knowledge that God is the Father of humankind. For us, therefore,
brotherhood is not only a generous impulse but also a divine command.”
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. ~ Isaiah 64:8
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. ~ 1st Peter 2:17
“Religious and racial persecution is moronic at all times,
perhaps the most idiotic of human stupidities.”
“Divine Providence has played a great part in our history.
I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to our
present position of power and strength for some great purpose. It is not
given to us to know fully what that purpose is, but I think we may be sure
of one thing, and that is that our country is intended to do all it can, in
cooperating with other nations to help created peace and preserve peace
in the world. It is given to defend the spiritual values-the moral code-
against the vast forces of evil that seek to destroy them.”
“I do not believe there is a problem in this country or the world
today which could not be settled if approached through
the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.”
“A person who is fundamentally honest doesn't need a code of ethics.
The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are
all the ethical code anybody needs.”
“But all of us-at home, at war, wherever we may be-are within
the reach of God's love and power. We can all pray. We all should pray.
We should ask the fulfillment of Gods will. We should ask for
courage, wisdom, for the quietness of soul which comes
alone to them who place their lives in His hands.”
... "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ... ~ Romans 10:8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ~ James 1:5
“Beware of the guy praying loudest in the amen corner.”
... But all their works they do to be seen by men. ... ~ Matthew 23:4-8
“Selfishness and greed, individual or national, cause most of our troubles.”
“We worship money instead of honor.”
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:10
“One of the difficulties with all our institutions is the fact
that we've emphasized the reward instead of the service.”
“I think there is an immense shortage
of Christian charity among so-called Christians.”
“We must remember that the test of our religious principles
lies not just in what we say, not only in our prayers, not even
in living blameless lives - but in what we do for others.”
Service is often challenged when sinfulness rules
Religious Principles:
• in what we say
• in our prayers
• in living blameless lives
★ in what we do for others
And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." ~ Mark 9:35
"I never did give anyone hell. I just told them the truth and they thought it was hell."
PresidentialQuotesPM25.5.mp3 (34m 49s)
“We have gone a long way toward civilization and religious tolerance,
and we have a good example in this country. Here the many Protestant
denominations, the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church do
not seek to destroy one another in physical violence just because they do
not interpret every verse of the Bible in exactly the same way. Here we
now have the freedom of all religions, and I hope that never again will we
have a repetition of religious bigotry, as we have had in certain periods
of our own history. There is no room for that kind of foolishness here.”
... this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. ~ 2nd Corinthians 4:3-4
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." ~ John 7:24
“Of course, there are dangers in religious freedom and freedom of
opinion. But to deny these rights is worse than dangerous, it is absolutely
fatal to liberty. The external threat to liberty should not drive us into
suppressing liberty at home. Those who want the government to regulate
matters of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being
murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination.”
“There are always a lot of people so afraid of rocking the boat
that they stop rowing. We can never get ahead that way.”
The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion. ~ Proverbs 28:1
“When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by
fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril.”
“A man cannot have character unless he lives within
a fundamental system of morals that creates character.”
“I found that the men and women who got to the top were those
who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had
of energy and enthusiasm and hard work.”
... not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ~ Romans 12:9-11
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." ~ Deuteronomy 6:5
“The human race has reached a turning point. Man has opened the
secrets of nature and mastered new powers. If he uses them wisely, he
can reach new heights of civilization. If he uses them foolishly, they may
destroy him. Man must create the moral and legal framework for the world
which will insure that his new powers are used for good and not for evil.”
“We must build a new world, a far better world
- one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected.”
“Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.”
“In the long view, no nation is any healthier than its children.”
“Mama and Papa are more to blame (for delinquency) than the kids;
parents should stay home and raise their children
and spend less time in taverns.”
“Some day we'll awake, have a reformation of the heart, teach our kids
honor and kill a few sex psychologists, put boys in high schools with men
teachers (not sissies), close all the girls' finishing schools, shoot all the
efficiency experts and become a nation of God's people once more.”
... God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ... ~ 1st Timothy 2:3-5
Curiosity’s divine spark reaches depths of wonder
God desires all men to be saved
⮡ to come to the knowledge
of the truth ⮠
↓
one God and one Mediator
between God and men
the Man Christ Jesus
“When you have to deal with a beast, you have to treat him as a beast.
It is most regrettable but nevertheless true.”
“If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
“When the decision is up before you-and on my desk I have a motto
which says "The buck stops here"-the decision has to be made.”
“Everybody is headed for the same place, and they are headed
on the same train, and under the same engineer.”
"... narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." ~ Matthew 7:13-14
Waiting for answers can be one of the most grueling experiences.
What is worth waiting for in the highest regard is not so much
about justice but found in love and patient understanding.
There will always be inevitable sorrows and how we use
intelligence and wisdom to devise solutions declares
our character. Methodical verses panic driven responses
expose one’s true depth of character. Rage is a sign of
the simple minded where wisdom exercises restraint.
Individual accountability to God conveys morals
● Human life is in God’s own image free to itself
● This country was established to worship God
● Mankind’s unity is in faith of God’s divine commands
● Ethical code and morals are found in the Bible
● Selfishness and greed is the root of all troubles
● The core of religion is in what we do for others
● Paranoid regulation of mind & spirit is schizophrenia
● Silencing independence of thought will kill America
● Zeal and endless commitment leads to the top
● Without responsible adults our children are lost
● Bickering opinions lack devotion to the ways of God
● Endurance is no game for the faint hearted
● In God there is only one heaven
Darkness has no power over God.
Loyalty is allegiance to a belief be it good or bad.
"... In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." ~ Genesis 22:16-18
It is the God’s word He wants us to know. His quest is to
listen to see if we hear what He says, and then act upon it.
"... be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; ..." ~ Deuteronomy 5:32-33
Repeated in both the new and old testaments, ensuring no
misunderstandings, God instructs us to be careful to observe
His commands so that it may be well with our souls.
Key is to do as He says.
"Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children ..." ~ Deuteronomy 12:28
A repeated main message of the Bible is to be good,
and do what is right, as God is the witness.
... acted proudly, Hardened their necks, And did not heed Your commandments. They refused to obey, ... ~ Nehemiah 9:16-17
One of the stumbling blocks all face is pride void of humble acceptance
that God is. Too often people follow people, and not the word of God.
God is always ready and waiting for all, no matter how sinful, if the
soul is hoping to become better in His sight. He never turns a
repenting heart away, if genuine. We all must remember
to ask for His help in both good and bad times.
... 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, ...' ~ Jeremiah 7:23-24
Each of us has to ask what is at the bottom of our hearts. What our
heart aches for is our greatest desire. If evil thoughts consume one,
the course is that of destruction, for both personal and public health.
Considering His word improves anyone for the better. The greatest
battlefield is control of one’s own emotions and character of
goodness, over that of bitterness and loss of composure.
"... for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice." ~ 1st Samuel 15:24
The counter to fear is trust. Mistakes and regrets will happen.
Trusting we climb rather than fall defines the direction a soul travels.
Forgiveness is a quality that heals all who live by it. To be forgiven,
and to have peace of heart, one must be forgiving; it involves that
higher quality of patience. All sanity hinges off of the truth as it is.
"No one can serve two masters; ... You cannot serve God and mammon." ~ Matthew 6:24
Hypocrites are double hearted loving and hating the focus of their desires.
Stability only comes to those sure of their pursuit, be it either good or bad.
As in making a milk-shake, evenly mixed and balanced ingredients
create a smooth product. Adding inappropriate ingredients, as rocks
or sand, make the whole unusable. So too with the soul, water
and vinegar do not mix, goodness and evil can not co-exist.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." ~ John 14:15
One word that many have a hard time embracing is the word “keep.”
Keep involves the definite issues of promise and commitment. Selfish
hearts do have problems enduring. and or remaining loyal. with desires
sifting as the sands blow with no certain direction. Love has the quality of
piercing the deepest height, no matter what moonlight wanes. Knowing
who one is has no comparable value. Love is the highest pinnacle of life.
... "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ..." ~ John 14:23-24
To be at the top one must see the bottom
Loves Me = Keep My word
Not love Me = Not keep My words
What one does is found by God unhidden in any forest. The doings
of a heart declare nobility under God or despicable without Him.
... and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. ~ James 1:25
Doing good works is the essential purpose for living. Adhering to
the word of God enhances the wider view unseen by all unbelievers.
Skeptics ride the anger waves bound in time without eternities chime.
... rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, ... ~ 1st Peter 1:13-16
To find oneself truth is crucial for awareness
He who called you in your ignorance
⮡ "Be holy, for I am holy"
⮡ as obedient children
⮡ not to former lusts
Gird up your mind, be sober
⮡ Rest your hope fully upon the grace
⮡ at the revelation of Jesus Christ
Each of us is that canvas ready to be written.
How we work the goodness in us declares honest or dishonest hearts.
Denial or acceptance colors the depth of a soul.
... "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" ... ~ 1st Peter 4:17-19
In our climb to commit to Him in doing good,
obedience to His truths must be observed.
... who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord ... ~ 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9
There is no glory in evil works, and missing the
word of God’s own truths is the greatest loss of life.
... if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, ... ~ 2nd Thessalonians 3:13-15
The Bible is a book of promises and warnings; a call to conduct
describing consequences and results of various human interactions. It
is by no means easy to remain in good company when would be friends
choose less than honorable directions. Resisting evil is His call to return.
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ~ Revelation 14:12
With eternity in sight, disciples pursue faith in the light of His promises
through Jesus Christ. God is not an author of confusion, and He has
not created the so many faux similarities that man declares in who He is.
God has made it plain and clear without conflicting interests. All religious
doctrines catering to man hold the darkness He has not lit.
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." ~ John 13:17
Doing what He asks is found in His irreplaceable word.
Find truth and cherish it in everything all around
● By Abraham’s obedience all nations are blessed
● Instruction is to be careful to walk in His ways
● God does not want us to dismiss His presence
● God’s kindness waits for any and all to return
● Evil hearts do not follow God’s good word
● Fear of opinions can defeat spiritual courage
● Those that love God keep His word
● Blessed are those practicing what God has directed
● Use all one's intelligence to remain obedient
● Committing one’s soul to God is an act of faith
● Damnation awaits all who do not obey God’s word
● Keeping commandments is a matter of enduring
● God’s blessings come by following His word
In service one finds what cannot be bought.
ObediencePM2.mp3 (33m 03s)
... "We ought to obey God rather than men." ~ Acts 5:29
Without knowledge of God, divergence from His ways occurs, and does
become polluted through self-seeking within unrestrained desires.
Dismissing His truth embraces the lies of men.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. ... ~ Hebrews 11:8
Whatever journey we travel we must
manitain faith in His will with trusting hearts.
... if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. ~ Job 36:10-12
Believing in forever softens the plight of temporality
He opens their ear to instruction
⮡ commands turn from iniquity
If they obey and serve Him
⮡ spend their days in prosperity
⮡ years in pleasures
But if they do not obey
⮡ They shall perish by the sword
⮡ die without knowledge
God has sent His word into the world through the Holy Spirit, and
the love of His heart has manifested in the flesh. These truths have
been plunged into the earth for all to know, of His ways, and
His desires for His children in the light. The choice is to
live in contentment or be destroyed within turmoil.
... For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. ~ Romans 5:18-19
One good man took the fall for all the evils in the world.
How many times since, and before, has sacrificial lambs, honest souls,
been condemned for telling the truth? Injustice across the ages of man
is the misery of unobtained justice that each unfairly soul has felt.
Evil will forever steal joy from the upright.
... He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. ~ Hebrews 5:7-9
Christ is the crown of truth.
Suffering delivers strength to endure past previous comforts.
Suffering deepens understanding and increases awareness.
No one can know the pains of living without experiencing hardships,
that one has had to have overcome, gaining that elevated wisdom.
Heights of success come to those who have dug from the bottom.
... according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith -- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus ... ~ Romans 16:25-27
That which establishes a heart rounds off the sanctuary
where relaxing occurs. It is obedience that brings happiness to a soul.
It is the hand of God that lifts us into comfort without measure.
God rises beyond the bickering's of man.
... you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness ... ~ Romans 6:16-18
Without trust in God eternal sight is impaired
Sin leading to death
⮡ Slaves of sin
Obedience leading to righteousness
⮡ Obeyed from the heart
⮡ Slaves of righteousness
If one desires to break the bondage of life’s despair,
eternity and the promise of God must take precedence.
... thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. ~ 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6
Thoughts run as they do in the clouds, but if not controlled, they
may damage the conscience of a soul. If comfort of thought is a desire,
longing for God satisfies more than any store could supply.
... obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, ... ~ Colossians 3:22-24
Advanced students have literally gone through several Bibles
and multiple gluing attempts. Duct tape prolongs use as
we ride the temporary, where decay is unavoidable.
... authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. ~ Titus 3:1-2
To be ready one has to know what is asked of in the faith,
and actually be a practitioner of these good works. God Himself
calls out for us to reflect His image of goodness and truth.
Practicing sin disavows one’s preparedness.
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. ~ Colossians 3:20
Created for God’s pleasure, building excellence
comes from legacies of deep faith.
... Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, ... ~ Galatians 3:1
There are earthly religions down here that do not adhere to the word of
God, but rather, cater to their own doctrines created by traditions of men.
There is only one holy Father and shame upon those that claim His name.
We obey when we follow the word of God and not
the false worship man has doctrinally devised.
... as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation ... ~ Philippians 2:12
Relationship with God is purposed in its’ singular creation.
... in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ... ~ 1st Peter 1:22-23
Honest hearts do leave one vulnerable, to manipulations and
abuses by those that would take advantage of this. In a hard world,
to be wise is to be desired over those that would exercise deception.
Honesty can invoke murderous behaviors in those that deny truth,
and who prefer secretiveness within practices of sinfulness.
Secret desires hide an open heart. No height can replace
where honesty lifts a soul in the satisfaction of living.
"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." ~ John 15:14
There will always be a fence to climb, and woe the day we have
none to see over. Valleys will come before each mountain that
must be climbed. For clarity of vision, it can not be done alone.
We all have His word to lift us to that next plateau.
... those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ~ Revelation 22:14
If it is truly a desire to achieve heaven in the presence of God,
one must work to do His commandments, to refresh one's life
from the root He alone supplies, it is glory upon all who belong.
Deep love leads to obedience under His care
● Obeying God takes priority over man’s lawlessness
● Faith is obeying what can not be proved
● Serving God obediently delivers tranquility
● Jesus’ obedience reveals walks to become righteous
● Refined through suffering deepens dedication
● The gospel establishes obedience to the faith
● Obedience renders a righteous heart; sinners die
● Self-control exalting God’s knowledge is deliverance
● Loyalty to God first delivers immeasurable rewards
● We are called to be respectful of authority
● Charlatans deceive away from the truth of Jesus
● Obey the truth with a sincere pure heart
● Obedience leads to salvation in heaven above
Obedience leads to an eternal reward otherwise missed
Darkness haunts an empty heart.
Each heart holds unused tools of courage.
“The pen is mightier than the sword” — Edward Bulwer-Lytton
"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." – Douglas MacArthur
Vietnam acronym of WHAM = Win Hearts and Minds
The ages have revealed that ideals of truth have taken precedence
over domination and oppression. In the individual image of God
we were created to know.
Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. ~ Psalms 22:20
One must ask for salvation for it to well up from within.
... heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; ... ~ Psalms 119:9-10
Clean hearts turn to His ways praying to remain steadfast.
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. ... ~ Psalms 119:130-131
It is the word of God that give fire to our lives.
"Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" ~ Jeremiah 23:29
No mere sword can shatter all falsehoods as God’s word does.
... There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. ~ Proverbs 12:17-18
Bad words spoil life where righteous ones deliver health.
"Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good." ~ Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom rises above all weapons that sinners would choose to use.
... They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, ... ~ Isaiah 2:4
A time will come where peace will be the joy of all.
"... But the word of our God stands forever." ~ Isaiah 40:6-8
The breath of God cheers all times with the sweet life of His word.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, ... ~ Hebrews 4:12-13
Truth’s light slices through all naked lies
Word of God > Any two-edged sword
No weapon devised can stand against
the true word that emancipates all flesh.
... may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ... ~ Romans 15:4-6
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8
Hope is an act of patience that unites those in the faith He has authored.
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. ... ~ 1st John 2:1-3
To know God is to understand His word
and beg He increases our will to obey.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ... ~ Ephesians 6:12
Swords cannot battle the beasts from within that attack from without.
These must be conquered by wit of heart and dedication to God.
Each soul touches eternity where this fight must be won.
To breathe in the light of the sky delivers the sense of life’s truth.
... bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 10:4-6
Happy times are defined in usefulness of heart
Mighty in God:
● Casting down arguments
‣ against the knowledge of God
● Bringing every thought into captivity
⮡ to the obedience of Christ
● Punish all disobedience
⮡ when your obedience is fulfilled
To be a warrior of God one must exercise self-control.
... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ... ~ Ephesians 6:17-18
The word of God is our sword allowing light to radiate forth.
But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." ~ Matthew 26:52
Violence can only return violence.
... be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, ... ~ Ephesians 4:31-32
All of the highest ideals reside where love dwells deepest in a soul’s heart.
Tools arrive from the fire of thought in desire for truth’s usefulness.
That which is not seen is immeasurable and maintains the substance of
what is. For one to incorporate insight, vision of heart transports a clarity
of what is unnoticeable. Intelligence is a tool that arrives where no one
has travelled before. The gifts God has given have no end.
Words impact the heart behind all defenses
● Taking heed to God’s word heals the heart
● Desire for His word renders simple understanding
● Righteous words bring health rather a sinner’s bite
● One sinner causes great havoc among the peaceful
● God promises for an age where all souls do not war
● The breath of God’s truth endures all ages
● God’s word is greater than any mortal weapon
● God’s word delivers hope to those that endure
● His word helps lift us from sin to glory
● Battles lie in each heart where soul’s breath the sky
● God’s word is the defense which leads to salvation
● Aggression will always be defeated by aggression
● Qualities of kindness & forgiveness empower a soul
Without the sword of truth there is no good outcome
Darkness is the smoke of death.
Wounds carry heavy debts when inflicted by others.
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
“Forces of good and evil are massed and armed and opposed
as rarely before in history. Freedom is pitted against slavery;
lightness against the dark... In the final choice, a soldier's pack
is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner's chains.”
“We face a hostile ideology global in scope, atheistic in character,
ruthless in purpose and insidious in method.”
Evil has no regard for God
Global in Scope
Atheistic in Character
Ruthless in Purpose
Insidious in Method
“How far have we come in man's long pilgrimage from darkness toward
light? Are we nearing the light-a day of freedom and of peace for all
mankind? Or are the shadows of another night closing in upon us?”
... men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, ... ~ John 3:19-20
“This is a long tough road we have to travel. The men that can do things
are going to be sought out just as surely as the sun rises in the morning.
Fake reputations, habits of glib and clever speech, and glittering
surface performance are going to be discovered.”
“The hope of the world is that wisdom can arrest conflict between
brothers. I believe that war is the deadly harvest of arrogant and
unreasoning minds. And I find grounds for this belief in the wisdom
literature of Proverbs. It says in effect this: Panic strikes like a
storm and calamity comes like a whirlwind to those who
hate knowledge and ignore their God.”
"When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. ..." ~ Proverbs 1:27-29
“Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation,
the blessings of Almighty God.”
“Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong, and
allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the
laws of this land. Especially we pray that our concern shall be
for all the people regardless of station, race, or calling.”
... aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ... ~ James 1:21-22
“We the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve.”
“Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life,
as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water-and at times, of
course, more so. By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with the
Infinite. We know that our prayers are imperfect. Of course they are.
We are imperfect human beings. A thousand experiences have
convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the
strength of the individual and brings within the scope of
his capabilities almost any conceivable objective.”
... we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings ... ~ Romans 8:26
“Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an
American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the
most basic, expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of
America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.”
“Our government makes no sense unless it is founded on
a deeply held religious belief - and I don't care what it is.”
“If we make ourselves worthy of America's ideals, if we do not forget
that our nation was founded on the premise that all men are creatures
of God's making, the world will come to know that it is free men who
carry forward the true promise of human progress and dignity.”
I was a boy scout leader until while at a summer camp class,
we were told we could not hold public prayer as it could be offensive
to those who did not believe. I withdrew from the scouts after this,
for I opened every meeting with a prayer. How offensive when we
make laws against open worship. A sad day when we cannot say
“God Bless America,” because it goes against our moral code?
Good senses are lost when we flip common sense upside down
and file lawsuits for not allowing girls to be in the boy scouts.
We entertain unreasonable lies for the sake of claimed injustice.
We have replaced “In God we Trust” to “Trust no One.” There are
those waiting to attack with every breath. If fact, we have moved
more toward unthankfulness wherever we can attack, rather than
remaining thankful for His blessings bestowed upon us from the
hard fought trials of our fathers. Lawyers have become the leaders
of our demise where the noble are outlawed. Is there no rights for
what is decent as norms are changed for the corruption of it?
Women have filed lawsuits against sexist discrimination for not
being allowed to walk our streets topless. Freedom was never
intended to legalize evil. The rights of God fearing people are
being stolen by those that this country was built to protect us
from. If we allow the darkness to invade our open worship
of God, darkness will consume us and murder will become
more the norm than life. God’s warning is to all who hate,
where there will be none of His inheritance.
"Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die." ~ Ezekiel 18:4
“The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and
the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth. The Bible is endorsed by
the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other book is
there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope.”
The truth can be refused but not denied
The Bible:
⮡ Endorsed by the ages
⮡ Civilization built upon it
● Inspired wisdom
● Reality
● Hope
Times are such they are unique, and when heroes of yesterday
turn in to the monsters of today, we look to find the worst in us,
rather than the best. Is this truly who we want to become for
our children’s children? A legacy of disgust over praise? When
climbing the hill we need help and encouragement over criticisms
and predictions of gloom from screaming cynics. To achieve the
best in life optimism cannot be substituted with pessimism.
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is ... ~ 1st Timothy 4:8
“In the highest sense the Bible is to us the
unique repository of eternal spiritual truths.”
“The teaching of their ancient belief is filled with truth for the present day.
Its profound sense of justice, nation to nation, man to man, is an
essential part of every religious and social order. The health of
our society depends upon a deep and abiding respect for
the basic commandments of the God of Israel.”
“We have never stopped sin by passing laws; and in the same way, we
are not going to take a great moral ideal and achieve it merely by law.”
“What the church should be telling the worker is that the first demand
religion makes on him is that he should be a good workman. If he is a
carpenter he should be a competent carpenter. Church by all means on
Sundays-but what is the use of church if at the very center of life a man
defrauds his neighbor and insults God by poor craftsmanship.”
... in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ... ~ Colossians 3:22-24
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, ... ~ Ephesians 2:10
“This is what I found out about religion: It gives you courage to make
the decisions you must make in a crisis, and then the confidence to
leave the result to a higher Power. Only by trust in God
can a man carrying responsibility find repose.”
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, ... ~ Proverbs 3:5-7
... Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ Matthew 11:28-29
PresidentialQuotesPM26.5.mp3 (30m 27s)
“There are three stages of life: youth, maturity,
and 'My, you're looking good!'”
“The past sharpens perspective, warns against pitfalls,
and helps to point the way.”
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. ~ Proverbs 27:17
“Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of
men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like
a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.”
... As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, ... ~ Psalms 103:14-16
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, ... ~ Psalms 103:17-18
“The qualities of a great man are vision, integrity, courage,
understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character.”
“Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free.”
“May the light of freedom, coming to all darkened lands,
flame brightly - until at last the darkness is no more.”
"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. ..." ~ John 12:46-48
“But we know that freedom cannot be served by the devices of the tyrant.
As it is an ancient truth that freedom cannot be legislated into existence,
so it is no less obvious that freedom cannot be censored into existence.
And any who act as if freedoms defenses are to be found in suppression
and suspicion and fear confess a doctrine that is alien to America.”
... "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ~ John 8:31-32
“To have a free, peaceful and prosperous world we must be ever stronger
particularly in the spiritual things....It is American belief in decency and
justice and progress and the value of individual liberty because of the
rights conferred on each of us by our Creator that will carry us through.
... There must be something in the heart as well as the head.”
“We are so proud of our guarantees of freedom in thought and speech
and worship, that, unconsciously, we are guilty of one of the greatest
errors that ignorance can make - we assume our standard
of values is shared by all other humans in the world.”
“As we peer into society's future, we -- you and I, and our government --
must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own
ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow.
We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren
without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage.
We want democracy to survive for all generations to come,
not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”
“It is not a struggle merely of economic theories, or forms of government
or of military power. At issue is the true nature of man. Either man is the
creature whom the psalmist described as a little lower than the angels ...
or man is a soulless, animated machine to be enslaved, used and
consumed by the state for its own glorification. It is, therefore,
a struggle which goes to the roots of the human spirit, and its
shadow falls across the long sweep of man's destiny.”
Only fools cannot see the truth
True Nature of Man
⭩
A little
lower than
the angels
A soulless
⮡ Animated machine
to be enslaved
⮡ used and consumed
⮡ by the state
↓
For its own
glorification
... For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. ~ Psalms 8:3-5
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired
signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not
spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is
not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds
of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.”
“The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school
in more than 30 cities ... We pay for a single fighter with a half million
bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes
that could have housed more than 8,000 people.”
Love departs where hurt thirsts. There will always be those
waiting to attack any and all things. The Hyper-critical students of
little knowledge or self-control presently lurk in both the future and
past. Condemning dead men and glorifying no one but their own
demagogues, they seek what they cannot find, peace. Hate will
forever divide songs of joy. Personal achievement is found
in unity, the solution as part of the climb, not the dive.
Battles are won when His light shines
● The great battle is freedom from slavery
● Hating knowledge and despising God brings defeat
● One must pray to distinguish between right & wrong
● The Bible holds timeless wisdom, reality, & hope
● Societies heath is dependent upon adherence to God
● Trust in God is the only sane way to peace
● Truths of the past delivers wisdom in the present
● Greatness is found in the gauge of good character
● The light of God’s truth is found in His word
● Passion to pursue the will of God strengthens people
● Values like grasping water can shift as sand blows
● Impulsive greed steals the birthright of our children
● The cost of war enslaves the whole world
The canvas of life is spewn with challenges to return to Him.
Darkness is the end of a fool's folly.
Passions run the length of time oblivious to the One that gives life.
None of us can claim we have not followed foolish ways in life.
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. ~ Psalms 14:1
O LORD, how great are Your works! ... A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this. ~ Psalms 92:5-6
If one does not embrace God in this world, indeed, he or she remains a
limited creature of the flesh. The desert of the world is not the Kingdom
of God. Our bodies will return to the dust while God remains.
To ignore Him is to reject Him.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. ~ Proverbs 1:7
Without instruction, knowledge, and the wisdom that accompanies it, one
remains more humanist that spiritual. To reach for the heavens one must
put on these badges. Fools are guided by short sided selfish whims of
impulse, not really having insight or direction other than desperation.
We were created to be thoughtful, not mindless.
What One Seeks Defines Direction
Wisdom
↑ Knowledge
Instruction
Fools ↓
Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise? ~ Psalms 94:8
"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge." ~ Proverbs 1:22
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. ~ Proverbs 23:9
"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, ..." ~ Matthew 7:6
Power to the people does not necessarily reflect power to God.
Followers of men can and does discount the will of God Almighty Himself.
The moral majority is an illusion where it has always been the moral
minority. Follow Me was the call of Jesus to all wishing salvation
from the confines of manmade corruption and tyranny.
... things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. ~ 2nd Peter 3:16
For all those that perceive they are free to do as they will, without
accountability to God, are not one in His Spirit. They are united in their sin
and will find His grace unobtainable upon judgment of character according
to His will and standards. Sexual revolutions have perhaps been the
downfall of all nations striving to unite by delivering only contempt and
confusion as they selfishly cry wandering without leadership. Revelation
does not equate to lawlessness, and God throughout time has warned us
sin no favor with Him. To be in His light is to come out of the darkness.
As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. ~ Proverbs 26:11
Dogs and fools alike wander about in a stupor
not knowing or caring to know.
... a rod for the fool's back. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. ... ~ Proverbs 26:3-5
If a wise man contends with a foolish man, Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace. ~ Proverbs 29:9
Fools are generally hotheads and have very thin skin when it comes
to depth of character. In ridicule they can dish it out, but in return,
very little criticism or rebuke sets off their I immediate rage. It has
been my experience there are more raging fools than laughing.
Laughing is a cover-up whereas rageis an easier
flow for the miserable unthankful complainer.
For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:6
It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel. ~ Proverbs 20:3
A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. ~ Proverbs 14:16
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. ~ Proverbs 26:12
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so. ~ Proverbs 15:7
A fool can be a bull in a glass house, but in truth, most fools hide
behind the fear of insecurity in the depths of their turmoil. Recall,
where there is a fool there can be no peace or unity of thought.
... A fool's mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. ~ Proverbs 18:6-7
Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. ~ Proverbs 10:18
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. ~ Proverbs 19:1
Fools do not have integrity, which is to remain steadfast,
for their houses are built upon the sand.
Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. ~ Proverbs 29:20
Hasty words often rhyme with nasty.
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! ~ James 3:5
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. ~ Proverbs 15:14
Fake news has torched all civilizations with a plethora of liars. God
loves all and will forgive all sins, and if you believe this you surly are a fool
waiting for His breath of truth, which strips all lies as we all fall before Him.
FoolsAM2.mp3 (23m 38s)
"Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding. ..." ~ Proverbs 9:6-8
The Bible states fools will not like you with wisdom delivered from above.
Most will not hear choosing rather to dismiss what will eventually
convict their actions; His Word. One of the easiest
things a fool can do is to hate others.
Fools fester upon anger isolated in misery
FOOLS
Understand:
● Correct a scoffer
→ Get shame and Harm
→ He will hate you
● Rebuke a wise man
→ He will love you
Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. ~ Proverbs 17:10
... the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him. ~ Proverbs 17:24-25
A fool only sees permanence in the world, with eternity only a shadow
of what will never be. This world was made shallow to test the
height of character under weights absent of feathers.
He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. ~ Proverbs 17:21
Fools can certainly hurt you and each of us has been hurt by a fool.
A fool despises his father's instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. ~ Proverbs 15:5
Hate is the barrier curtailing all that is greater in
appreciation of true wisdom delivered to the humble.
... a foolish man despises his mother. Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, ... ~ Proverbs 15:20-21
A fool generally cannot see past his own face.
Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. ... ~ Proverbs 14:7-9
The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools. ~ Proverbs 3:35
To leave being a dumb fool, one must rise to become a smart fool, in that
letting truth shine in upon the sin to reveal regret that softens the soul.
A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. ~ Proverbs 29:11
Many situations can trigger a foolish a heart, but to be reserved is control
through the power of wisdom. We are all in the arena of sharks circling.
A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. ~ Proverbs 18:2
If you want to leave the fool behind, one must
hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. A fool's wrath is known at once, ... ~ Proverbs 12:15-16
A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. ~ Proverbs 9:13
... In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them. ~ Proverbs 14:1-3
The things that tear a fool apart are found in perversity,
despising others, and a swelling smugness. A fool
tears things down rather than building it up.
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:9
The proof is in the nail. Direction guides the heart.
... the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. ~ Proverbs 15:1-3
Soft or harsh, each of us has to examine the most inner self
to discover ones true worth. To lie is to remain oblivious that we
all need to improve under the wise eye of God.
"... So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.' ..." ~ Luke 12:16-18
God has given to each of us, some more abundantly than others. When a
lack of thankfulness, for what one does have, pervades the conscience,
greed can focus on what takes a soul away from a godly presence.
"... God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'" ~ Luke 12:19-20
Without a constant awareness of God, in humble acknowledgement,
the moment can deliver troubled expulsion upon facing
deliverance at eternal judgment.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ... ~ Galatians 6:7-8
If one cannot possess a spiritual nature over a carnal material one,
those lessons and tests God watch out for, in how we live,
and for what, will cause our eternal downfall.
Fools spiral in the faults that condemn them
● Only a fool denies God is real
● Fools despise wisdom and instruction
● The wise have no unity with raging or laughing fools
● A fool rages and is self-confident
● A fool’s mouth is his worst enemy
● Perverse lips & spreading slander is a fool’s delight
● Wise correction of a fool invites his contempt
● Sorrow, grief, & bitterness on the parents of a fool
● Shame is the legacy of a fool
● A fool speaks impulsively lacking all control
● A fools way is right in his own eyes
● A foolish woman is loud and destructive
● Anger rests in the bosom of fools
The madness of a fool views no self-control.
→ Sees no harbor
Darkness struts about with no direction to go.
FoolsAM3.mp3 (36m 16s)
Fools may consider strength of humble spirit out of reach, perhaps even
dismissing the need for an improving change as they frolic in their sins.
To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. ~ Proverbs 10:23
Evil plots with no mercy mired in hate and discontent.
... abomination to fools to depart from evil. He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. ~ Proverbs 13:19-20
As the ditch is deep, foolish associations will lead to the
demise of good behaviors, and deposit only what is foul.
God purposed creation and we in His image to find purpose as well.
Foolishly we all battle sins in coming to know, becoming either
earthly fools or ones with eyesight on heaven. Better to be
a heavenly fool rather than one of earthly fadings.
... the complacency of fools will destroy them; ~ Proverbs 1:32
Fools desire an escape from misery and take little account
of the fall that lays before them. Pits remain deepening
when one cannot come to senses of truth with restraint.
The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. ~ Proverbs 10:8
Fools often cling to desperation and
have an insatiable desire to be noticed.
Within hours you may know more about their jobs, complaints,
marital problems or lack of, to their financial woes, without them ever
even asking your name or any other concern than themselves.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:4
With so many “legal” mind altering substances available today,
the power to resist is not for the faint hearted.
In this world one cannot be sane without sorrow.
If one only pursues pleasures without thought of tears for
the children, how despicable is he or she who cares only for self.
The deeper essence of a soul is found in love of others over self.
... The wise man's eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. ... ~ Ecclesiastes 2:13-15
Certainly, there is much more foolishness that buries the masses,
than wisdom that guides the children.
For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, ... ~ Ecclesiastes 2:16-17
No intelligence can achieve that nirvana souls seek.
For all that we are or can become, it is worthless without God. For as
dust has no living value, without love from above, presence has no worth.
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, ... ~ Titus 3:3
In becoming creatures of God, awareness through experience
either lifts or sinks a heart. To establish excellence, our minds
must rule over impulsive desires spanning what is wicked,
pursuing mercy and compassion which opens a wise
heart’s freedom, and this is acceptable to God.
"... whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." ~ Matthew 5:22
Wishing death upon fellow humans is one of the most condemning
judgments that can fall upon us, when God asks if we heard his call to life.
"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ..." ~ Matthew 7:26
A wave of truth approaches and all false facades will crumble in His presence.
If one cannot hear His call to rise in goodness, more so angry
with self faults over blaming others, delusions of living through
external assumptions denies one’s self actuations of spirit in truth.
... but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, ... ~ Romans 1:20-22
Because He is, we have life, and can choose to live in hope or fall to
something less than what pleases Him. Do we cherish ourselves over
the father that created us? Divine or despicable defines destination.
Hope is greater than all that is temporary.
... the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ~ Romans 1:23-25
No matter of substance should be worshipped, and objects of our
worship have no value when exalted above He who created them.
As creatures we rise from the dust to return as it were; what in creation
has more value than the spirit that sustains our very souls in existence
itself. As a sword that cuts is not greater than He who allowed it to be,
His word transcends all vibrations where sounds form.
Pursuits in life can be a delicate dance with eternity
Sows to his Flesh = Corruption
Sows to the Spirit = Everlasting Life
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ~ James 2:20
Working for a higher sense of identity, in service with
one another, is the path He declares all should follow.
... transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ~ 2nd Corinthians 11:12-14
There are fools who are best at exceptional and most spectacular lies,
testing honest hearts with their deceptions. Hearsay religions
do not adhere to the word of God preferring to cater
to the whims of man over God.
... transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 11:15-17
Many proclaimed good deeders play on innocent
sympathies to achieve their selfish ends.
... you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 11:18-20
Fools can be extremely crafty in knowledge, manipulating fellows.
Fools can best get along with other fools. As misery loves company,
so too does a fool love other fools.
... I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 11:21-23
Pride has the stealthy mask of a fool.
Arrogance rises from the cruelty in a heart.
If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:3-7
Selfishness misses the moment leaving one crabby
To our shame
Godliness with
Contentment
is great gain
Fools teach otherwise:
● Proud, knowing nothing
● Obsessed with arguments
● Envy, strife, reviling
● Evil suspicions
● Useless wranglings
● Corrupt minds
● Destitute of the truth
● Suppose godliness
is a means of gain
... those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:8-11
... He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. ~ Proverbs 28:25-26
The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. ~ Proverbs 10:21
God in His purpose has one path to salvation
including His wisdom for man to know.
Arrogance is the seed of anger.
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." ~ Matthew 10:16
Difficulties in life will never cease in the flesh, but to rise in spirit
has no measurable comparison, leaving the desires
of the earth behind for untold glories ahead.
... I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexualy immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ~ 1st Corinthians 5:8-10
To put off those unspeakable qualities and share belief
in God has challenged all who choose to believe.
See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ~ Ephesians 5:15-16
To obtain wisdom is the choicest of all possessions that no thief can steal.
Wisdom frees a soul to roam silence in the noise, to live in contentment
as others discontently die. When eternity becomes a gift
rather than a curse, a soul finds God.
It is foolish to expect callous hearts are wise
● A fool finds evil as fun
● A fool as a companion will lead to destruction
● Fools tend to be simple minded and lethargic
● Fools seek pleasures where forgetfulness dwells
● Fools walk in darkness
● In time both the wise man and fool die as the fool
● A fool heeds not the word of God but blames others
● Hypocrites who claim wisdom fall on their own lies
● A greedy fool is unprepared for God’s judgment
● Faith without works is the regard of a fool
● Many boast in self-goodness void of holiness
● Trusting in one’s own proud heart is foolish
● Walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise
Darkness cannot find a walking path.
Success comes to those with a common bond.
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
“We have the disgrace of racial discrimination, or we have prejudice
against people because of their religion. We have not had the courage
to uproot these things, although we know they are wrong.”
“The final battle against intolerance is to be fought -
not in the chambers of any legislature - but in the hearts of men.”
But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; ... ~ Proverbs 4:18-20
... life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. ~ Proverbs 4:21-23
“… make it a practice to avoid hating anyone. If someone's been guilty
of despicable actions, especially toward me, I try to forget him. I used to
follow a practice - somewhat contrived, I admit - to write the man's name
on a piece of scrap paper, drop it into the lowest drawer of my desk, and
say to myself: "That finishes the incident, and so far as I'm concerned,
that fellow." The drawer became over the years a sort of private
wastebasket for crumbled-up spite and discarded personalities.”
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, ... ~ 1st John 2:11
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. ~ 1st John 3:15
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? ~ 1st John 4:20
"... if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ~ Matthew 6:14-15
“Civilization owes to the Islamic world some of its most
important tools and achievements...the Muslim genius
has added much to the culture of all peoples.”
“And I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, that under the
American Constitution, under American tradition, and in American hearts,
this Center, this place of worship, is just as welcome as could be a similar
edifice of any other religion. Indeed, America would fight with her whole
strength for your right to have here your own church and worship
according to your own conscience. This concept is indeed
a part of America, and without that concept we would
be something else than what we are.”
“No people on earth can be held, as a people, to be an enemy,
for all humanity shares the common hunger for peace
and fellowship and justice.”
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ~ Galatians 3:28
... to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ~ Romans 14:7-9
"... bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ..." ~ Matthew 5:44
“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”
“Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.”
... And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ... ~ Isaiah 9:6-7
“We are particularly thankful to you for your part in the movement to have
the words under God added to our Pledge of Allegiance. These words will
remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must
remain humble. They will help us keep constantly in our minds and hearts
the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man.”
“In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith
in America's heritage and future. From this day forward, the millions
of our schoolchildren will daily proclaim in every city and town, every
village and every rural schoolhouse, the dedication of our nation and
our people to the Almighty. In this way we shall constantly strengthen
those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's
most powerful resource in peace and war.”
“The Founding Father expressed in words for all to read the ideal of
Government based upon the dignity of the individual. That ideal previously
had existed only in the hearts and minds of men. They produced the
timeless documents upon which the Nation is rounded and has grown
great. They, recognizing God as the author of individual fights, declared
that the purpose of Government is to secure those rights.”
... Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, ... ~ Hebrews 12:1-2
“Every step we take towards making the State our Caretaker of our lives,
by that much we move toward making the State our Master.”
“If our founding fathers were alive today, they'd roll over in their graves.”
“America is best described by one word, freedom.”
“Speeches are for the younger men who are going places.
And I'm not going anyplace except six feet under the floor of that
little chapel adjoining the museum and library at Abilene.”
Experienced leaders can be caught off guard when ruthless
adversaries scheme in secret. Maturity comes when experiences
with failures are overcome with cautious wisdom. No man is short
of failures where hind-sight exposes the tides of blame or blessing.
If we are to walk in the light, we must not forget the chains we have
been freed from. A return to tyranny arrives when power seeking
individuals hold no mercy, covering their own scheming with clever
speech, accusing others. Responsibility and righteousness go hand
in hand, filled with what is best, for those who wish to believe.
For America, we are defeated when hate rises past love and
action turns to inaction, with ineffective laws protecting
the guilty more so than the innocent.
PresidentialQuotesPM27.5.mp3 (38m 14s)
35. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
“The rights of man come not from the generosity
of the state but from the hand of God.”
But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. ~ Job 32:8
Consciousness is the gift He gives to life
Spirit in man
⮡ Breath of the Almighty
⮡ Gives him understanding
... Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: ... ~ Zechariah 12:1
... in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ~ 2nd Corinthians 3:15-18
“This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.”
“To those whom much is given, much is expected.”
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. ~ James 3:1
“The day before my inauguration President Eisenhower told me,
You'll find that no easy problems ever come to the President of the
United States. If they are easy to solve, somebody else has solved them.
I found that hard to believe, but now I know it is true.”
“No man who enters upon the office to which I have succeeded can fail
to recognize how every president of the United States has placed special
reliance upon his faith in God. Every president has taken comfort and
courage when told that the Lord 'will be with thee. He will not fail thee
nor forsake thee. Fear not-neither be thou dismayed.' Each of our
presidents in his own way has placed a special trust in God.
Those who were strongest intellectually were also strongest spiritually.”
'... Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' ~ Isaiah 41:10
“We have become more and more not a nation
of athletes but a nation of spectators.”
“We shall be judged more by what we do
at home than what we preach abroad.”
“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country
can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
“My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you,
but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
“Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that
the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans - born in this
century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace.”
“A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has
been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that
quality in its chosen leaders today - and in fact we have forgotten.”
“Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
... we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ~ Romans 8:27-28
“Never let your fears hold you back from pursuing your hopes.”
“The stories of past courage... can offer hope, they can provide
inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself.
For this each man must look into his own soul.”
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort ... ~ Romans 15:4
“The highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist, is to
remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may.”
“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that
can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.”
For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. ~ Psalms 18:28
“But however close we sometimes seem to that dark and final abyss,
let no man of peace and freedom despair. For he does not stand alone.”
... "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ~ Hebrews 13:5
“Persons are judged to be great because of the positive
qualities they possess, not because of the absence of faults.”
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. ~ 1st John 1:10
“The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate,
contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and
unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We
subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy
the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
"'... honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " ~ Matthew 15:8-9
“The most powerful single force in the world today is neither
Communism nor Capitalism, neither the H-bomb nor the guided missile
-- it is man's eternal desire to be free and independent.”
“If men and women are in chains anywhere in the world,
then freedom is endangered everywhere.”
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ~ 2nd Corinthians 3:17
There is a sorrow that will never pass. It wombs in the core of
thought. Agonizing such with push or pull, it remains visibly hidden
forever in the depths of no end. Can it be a loneliness stretching past
mortal life? Dreams lost in a fleeting mist of breathless hope; what is
irretrievable. The death of something precious can never be drawn,
a cold inexpressible emptiness rendering no artistic expression.
A wind without force. Who can understand what cannot be known.
Life’s true possession is missed by merely viewing the passing
temporary, void of eternal sight. To rise beyond the fretting and
fighting, easily trusting, is the key to the freedom He offers.
In Kennedy’s death, the nation found purpose in the vision
he put forth. Without purpose the children suffer
in the oblivion left with no way out.
Evils built across the ages must be cast off
● Prejudice and intolerance has always been with us
● Hatefulness puts one’s eternal life in jeopardy
● Freedom of conscience holds high, an American ideal
● Reckless demands for freedom diminish principles
● Humble loyalty for one another is godly cement
● Socialism destroys freedoms of noblier character
● It is God who gifts life to living beings
● Without spiritual knowledge our morals are ruined
● Much is expected from those who are ably blessed
● A torch without truth has little light
● Each soul must delve to find an honest heart
● Climbing to a good life admits faults from behind
● Traditions can blind one to underlying real truth
Darkness has loneliness without blue's hue.
Joy is a matter of perspective and mastery of thought.
... For you are our glory and joy. ~ 1st Thessalonians 2:19-20
There is joy in the quantity of numbers when
hearts bear genuine faith in His ways.
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ~ Luke 1:47
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice! ~ Philippians 4:4
Rejoice always, ... ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:16
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; ... ~ Psalms 32:11
Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. ~ Psalms 97:11
... my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. ~ Psalms 16:8-9
For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. ... ~ Psalms 33:21-22
Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart. ~ Psalms 119:111
Time will run out for each of us. The greatest question is are you
prepared to meet your maker? Strangers will find no sanctuary while
the faithful enter His kingdom freely. Forever is a timeless event
and it is the most important destination we all will face.
... In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ~ Psalms 16:11
'You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.' ~ Acts 2:28
This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalms 118:24
... Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. ... ~ Psalms 100:1-3
The Lord does not want us to remain quiet or complacent with our faith.
He wants to hear us shout out singing praises to His glory.
... with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. ... ~ Isaiah 12:3-4
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. ~ Psalms 51:12
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. ... ~ Galatians 5:22-23
Finding the heart of truth calls to all that is good
Fruit of the Spirit is:
● Love
● Joy
● Peace
● Longsuffering
● Kindness
● Goodness
● Faithfulness
● Gentleness
● Self-Control
A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. ~ Proverbs 17:22
It can be a challenge to have a merry heart is such a dreadful world
filled with death and destruction. Rising in Him where death has
no power delivers a peace the earth cannot possess.
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. ~ Proverbs 15:13
... ~ Proverbs 15:15
Spirit is the golden medicine that keeps life fresh.
JoyAM2.mp3 (26m 03s)
The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. ~ Proverbs 10:28
"... I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. .." ~ John 15:11-14
The joy of Jesus is to love others.
"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves." ~ John 17:13
And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. ~ 1st John 1:4
Inner sanctuary is a precious commodity
that is hard to steal where thieves cannot go.
... we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. ~ Romans 5:11
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ... ~ Romans 15:13-14
God puts a premium on knowledge of His will and ways.
... for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 14:17
... fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ... ~ Romans 12:10-13
God’s will is purposed through what we endure
Be kindly affectionate:
in honor
in diligence
fervent in spirit
rejoicing in hope
patient in tribulation
steadfastly in prayer
... count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ... ~ James 1:2-5
... yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls. ~ 1st Peter 1:6-9
Though often feeling submerged under the weight of living,
faith in Him lifts the heart. We are all looking for more
solid ground as the waves of time continue to pound.
... rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ~ 1st Peter 4:12-13
Certainly the heights of joy cannot be achieved
without going through the grace of Jesus.
... Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. ~ Psalms 30:5
"... as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ..." ~ John 16:21-22
... so that I may finish my race with joy, ... ~ Acts 20:24
"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." ~ Luke 15:10
The angles are waiting to welcome all who believe,
with repenting hearts, to be better than they are.
Tender hearts all have their share of piercings
● Rejoicing swells from the hearts of the righteous
● Trust in Him rests in our hope for His mercy
● His presence instructs in the ways of life
● Salvation is a deep well of devotion
● Merry hearts lift the soul and heal the body
● Jesus spoke so we could be full of His joy in us
● Scriptures are written that our joy may be full
● In Jesus Christ we are receiving reconciliation
● A believing hope in joy & peace involves knowledge
● Rejoicing is rooted in hope with many other virtues
● Trials build patience when yielding to God’s wisdom
● Suffering is a moment and afterward will be joy
● Strive to finish the race with joy of heart
Darkness tears pages away from life.
Without moral leadership, assassins lurk on every corner.
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
“This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds.
It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and
that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of
one man are threatened ... It ought to to be possible, in short,
for every American to enjoy the privileges of being
American without regard to his race or his color.”
... thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness ... ~ 1st Timothy 2:1-4
“I'm 43 years old and I'm the healthiest candidate for
the Presidency of the United States. You've travelled with
me enough to know that I'm not going to die in office.”
“To exclude from positions of trust and command all those below the
age of 44 would have kept Jefferson from writing the Declaration of
Independence, Washington from commanding the Continental Army,
Madison from fathering the Constitution, Hamilton from serving as
secretary of the treasury, Clay from being elected speaker of the
House and Christopher Columbus from discovering America.”
“The Jewish people, ever since David slew Goliath,
have never considered youth as a barrier to leadership.”
“I think it is appropriate that we pay tribute to this great
constitutional principle which is enshrined in the First Amendment
of the Constitution: the principle of religious independence,
of religious liberty, of religious freedom.”
“But I think it is also important that we pay tribute and acknowledge
another great principle, and that is the principle of religious conviction.
Religious freedom has no significance
unless it is accompanied by conviction.”
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen. ... ~ Hebrews 11:1-3
“I believe the American people are more concerned with a man's
views and abilities than with the church to which he belongs. I believe
the founding fathers meant it when they provided in Article VI
of the Constitution that there should be no religious test
for public office. And I believe that the American people
mean to adhere to those principles today.”
“Whatever one's religion in his private life may be, for the officeholder,
nothing takes precedence over his oath to uphold the Constitution
and all its parts - including the First Amendment and
the strict separation of church and state.”
“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state
is absolute - where no Catholic prelate would tell the president
(should he be Catholic) how to act. I do not speak for my church
on public matters - and the church does not speak for me.”
“We do not want an official state church. If ninety-nine percent of the
population were Catholics, I would still be opposed to it. I do not want civil
power combined with religious power. I want to make it clear that I am
committed as a matter of deep personal conviction to separation.”
“I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant
nor Jewish; where no public official either requests or accepts instructions
on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any
other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose
its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public
acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that
an act against one church is treated as an act against all.”
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! ~ Psalms 133:1
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." ~ Matthew 7:12
He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace. ~ Proverbs 11:12
God’s will is clearly Announced
Bondservants of God:
● Honor all people
● Love the brotherhood
● Fear God
● Honor the King
... as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. ... ~ 1st Peter 2:15-17
For blessings His ways must be applied
Be of One Mind ↓
● Having compassion
● Love as brothers
● Be tenderhearted
● Be courteous
● Not returning evil for evil
⮡ or reviling for reviling
→ But on the contrary blessing
... be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil ... ~ 1st Peter 3:8-9
“Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday
end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every
man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice;
where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of
any kind; and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and
pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division
which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote
instead the American ideal of brotherhood.”
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. ~ 1st John 3:15
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. ~ 1st John 4:21
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. ~ Proverbs 17:17
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. ~ Proverbs 18:24
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs.
Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.”
Many religious zealots hate other religious doctrines contrary
to one’s own personal beliefs. Condemning others is contrary
to the instructions of God. It is God alone who
reserves the right of final judgment.
... when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. ~ 1st Peter 2:11-12
“The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.”
"... my voice is to the sons of men. O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. ..." ~ Proverbs 8:4-6
“War and hunger and ignorance and despair know no religious barriers.”
... having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, ... ~ Ephesians 4:18-19
The godless have no sense of truth
● Understanding darkened
● Alienated from the life of God
● Ignorance that is in them
● Blindness of their heart
● Past feeling
● Given to lewdness
⮡ Uncleanness with greediness
It is the godless that plague all mankind past true sense
of eternal caring. Above all the Bible is a book,
and expression, of truth for souls to know.
“A nation that is afraid to let its people judge truth and falsehood
in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
Without fear of God, no conclusive outcome for good is possible.
PresidentialQuotesPM28.5.mp3 (34m 53s)
“Don’t pray for an easy life, pray to be a stronger man.”
And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." ~ Luke 17:5
... after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ~ 1st Peter 5:10
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”
... not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy ... ~ 1st Peter 1:13-16
“With a good conscience our only sure reward,
with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead
the land we love, asking his blessing and his help, but knowing that
here on earth God's work must truly be our own.”
“I know there is a God - I see the storm coming and I see his hand in it
- if he has a place then I am ready - we see the hand.”
“We in this country, in this generation, are by destiny rather than choice
the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we
may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our
strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time
and for all time the ancient vision of peace on earth, good will toward men.
That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must
always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: except the
Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”
... Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. ~ Psalms 127:1
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall
pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend,
oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
“It is an unfortunate fact that we can
secure peace only by preparing for war.”
“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.
We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future.
And we are all mortal.”
The Lord has created His nursery for a soul’s return
Our basic common link is we:
● All inhabit this small planet
● All breathe the same air
● All cherish our children's future
● Are all mortal
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the
highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
... law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. ... ~ James 1:25-26
“The guiding principle of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be
IN GOD WE TRUST.”
... humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, ... ~ 1st Peter 5:6-9
“Children are the world's most valuable
resource and its best hope for the future.”
“We can say with some assurance that, although children may be
the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect.”
“I think when we talk about corporal punishment,
and we have to think about our own children, and we are rather reluctant,
it seems to me, to have other people administering punishment to our
own children, because we are reluctant, it puts a special obligation
on us to maintain order and to send children out from our homes
who accept the idea of discipline. So I would not be for corporal
punishment in the school, but I would be for very strong discipline
at home so we don't place an unfair burden on our teachers.”
Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. ... ~ Proverbs 23:13-14
The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. ~ Proverbs 29:15
“A revolution is coming – a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise
enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate
enough – but a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not.
We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability.”
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible
will make violent revolution inevitable.”
“The world was not meant to be a prison
in which man awaits his execution.”
... not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly ... ~ Romans 12:10-12
Noble characteristics remain timeless
Serving the Lord be:
● Kindly affectionate / brotherly love
● In honor giving preference
⮡ to one another
● Not lagging in diligence
● Fervent in spirit
● Rejoicing in hope
● Patient in tribulation
● Continuing steadfastly in prayer
“There can be no progress if people have no faith in tomorrow.”
“We can have faith in the future only if we have faith in ourselves.”
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. ~ Proverbs 29:18
“Forbidden fruit tastes sweet, but its aftertaste is bitter.”
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. ~ Proverbs 20:17
“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces
but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
"This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." ~ Luke 22:19
“If anyone is crazy enough to want to kill
a president of the United States, he can do it. All he must
be prepared to do is give his life for the president's.”
How is it that rights are extended to those reckless without morals?
Absent of any decent scruples delving into such corrupt
offensiveness, yet still they are extended mercy in the face of their
heinous acts and lack of remorse. Cop killers and rapists declaring
innocence in a justice system gone mad condemned in its’ own
unethical insanity, the colors of truth can have many shades, and
what fades from God’s ways is not the brightest of responses.
There is little glory in loneliness where evil dwells, and separation
from God can drive the most miserable of feelings, leading to the
brink of permanent ruin, if lost in bitter ungratefulness. We are all
at the bottom of our hearts alone. Truly in times of widespread
desperation and confusion, wisdom hides where few listen.
Without individual faith, in an unjust world, angers and jealousies
can divide the people and devour the children. Come is His call.
To rise to all that is better His light must shine
● God created all the colors of His creation
● Noble achievements of man serve timelessly
● Constitutional freedoms do not include morality
● No moral test is required to achieve public office
● Separation of brothers is to the grief of God
● A friend can weigh in better than a brother
● Tolerating evil has always defeated greater glory
● Forced beliefs plague all that is heartfully clear
● Life has commonalities in cherishing family & friends
● Life is meant to be lived, not regretted or despised
● Where there is no faith only futility lingers
● All thieves eventually carry piercing anchors
● Murder is the core of hate
Darkness is where death holds all thoughtlessness.
God commands and redeems those who believe in truth.
... be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:31-32
"... forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us ..." ~ Luke 11:3-4
Surely we hope to be delivered from this tortuous existence
where temptation and death overwhelms the lot of us. He asks
for forgiving hearts as a prerequisite to His grace of truth.
"... forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ..." ~ Matthew 6:11-13
... if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ... ~ Mark 11:25-26
If our deepest desire is to get to heaven it will not be done if we hold
grudges against those around us. How big is our hope of heaven for
if we fail to forgive we will be left to the coldness where we reside.
"... First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." ~ Matthew 5:23-24
True forgiveness is love without compromise. Pure in the sight of God is
His children who see Him above any and all arguments of men. People
and family may forever hate you, it is when you fester on returning the
ugliness that God will not accept your sacrifice of shallow love.
The greatest gift one can hold is love.
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ~ Matthew 6:14-15
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." ~ Matthew 18:21-22
Forgiveness extends rising past hate
7 x 70 = 490
"... If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ..." ~ Luke 17:3-5
"... Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." ~ Luke 6:36-37
"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." ~ Luke 7:47
People that are unable to forgive generally are those who love little,
more contemptuous than not, normally critical of all others.
Shallow unloving hearts wither upon emptiness
Who love little forgives little
... you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. ... ~ 2nd Corinthians 2:6-8
A grudge does not equal forgiveness which sets
a soul free to believe in God without hindrance.
... if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, ... ~ Col. 3:12-15
→ Bearing with and forgiving one another
→ Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
→ Be thankful
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. ... ~ James 5:16
"... do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.l and evil." ~ Luke 6:27-28
... having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ~ Colossians 2:13-14
We are alive and the more so when we
understand the blessing of His forgiveness.
... to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ~ Romans 3:23-26
In His sacrifice and patience He offers redemption
His grace
His blood
His forbearance
His righteousness
... In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ... ~ Ephesians 1:7-10
He wills that souls are found in Him undivided
His will
His grace
His blood
His good pleasure
We fall away from God when we forget Him, whereas He never forgets us.
His coming to earth in the flesh achieved His purpose in hoping more of
His creation of souls would not forget but yield to that which created all.
... If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ... ~ 1st John 1:8-10
Sin has a lot to do with our forgiveness, and our ability to allow
His word to change our life in pursuit of the goodness
He calls forth from His creation.
... "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." ~ Acts 2:38
"To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive the remission of sins." ~ Acts 10:43
... if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ~ Romans 10:9
Spiritual change is that which belief builds confidence upon.
Return on investment swells up from the heart reaching out
past earth and time in Him. It is learning to fly on His wing.
"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." ~ Isaiah 43:25
The biggest part of God’s forgiveness is to acknowledge
that we need Him to forgive us. Only the humble can follow forward
into His kingdom. It is God that forgives sins and no other.
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ... ~ Acts 3:19
Accepting His forgiveness brings one into a relationship that touches heaven itself. To be refreshed in life is to find His eternal love.
The heart of God forgives all genuine saints
● God in Christ offers forgiveness to all soft hearted
● Pray for forgiveness to those who wrong us
● Without a forgiving heart, God will not forgive you
● Forgiveness is a process that never should end
● Faith is a course of an improvement upon His word
● Those who love little find hollow unforgiving hearts
● Brow beating a sinner serves not their recovery
● Loving minds are crucial in setting a soul free in Him
● We are made alive in God through His forgiveness
● God justifies those who have faith in Jesus
● Truth is found in confessing our sins to God
● Admitting Jesus has been raised holds salvation
● Repentance is key for sins to be forgiven
Darkness has no destiny.
Faith is a path that brings life above death.
36. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
“I am going to build the kind of nation that President Roosevelt hoped for,
President Truman worked for, and President Kennedy died for.”
“You might say that Lyndon Johnson is a cross
between a Baptist preacher and a cowboy.”
“John F. Kennedy was the victim of the hate
that was a part of our country. It is a disease that occupies
the minds of the few but brings danger to the many.”
"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." ~ John 15:18
... The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. ~ Psalms 11:4-5
“Justice requires us to remember that when any citizen denies his fellow,
saying, 'His color is not mine,' or 'His beliefs are strange and
different,' in that moment he betrays America,
though his forebears created this nation.”
“Emancipation was a proclamation, but not a fact.”
“The law cannot save those who deny it but neither can the law
serve any who do not use it. The history of injustice
and inequality is a history of disuse of the law.”
... natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 2:14
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. ~ James 4:17
“The men who have guided the destiny of the United States
have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees.
This private unity of public men and their God is an enduring
source of reassurance for the American people.”
“Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets.
America and Israel have a common love of human freedom, and they
have a common faith in a democratic way of life. ... Most, if not all of you,
have very deep ties with the land and with the people of Israel, as I do;
for my Christian faith sprang from yours. The Bible stories are woven
into my childhood memories as the gallant struggle of modern
Jews to be free of persecution is also woven into our souls.”
“In our home there was always prayer – aloud, proud and unapologetic.”
“Greater love hath no man than to attend
the Episcopal Church with his wife.”
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." ~ John 15:13
“The noblest search is the search for excellence.”
“Doing the right thing is not the problem.
Knowing what the right thing is, that's the challenge.”
“Above the pyramid on the great seal of the United States it says in Latin:
"God has favored our undertaking." God will not favor everything
that we do. It is rather our duty to divine His will.”
“Art is a nation's most precious heritage; for it is in our works of art that
we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us
as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. ~ Proverbs 29:18
“I believe in the American tradition of separation of church and state which
is expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. By my office -
and by personal conviction - I am sworn to uphold that tradition.”
“The separation of church and state is a source of strength,
but the conscience of our nation does not call for separation
between men of state and faith in the Supreme Being.”
“We need to remember that the separation of church and state must never
mean the separation of religious values from the lives of public servants.
... If we who serve free men today are to differ from the tyrants of this age,
we must balance the powers in our hands with God in our hearts.”
Common sense is lost without God
Seperation of church and state:
→ Never mean
⮡ Seperation of religious values
⮡ From lives of public servants
↓
Free with God in our hearts
“This nation, this generation, in this hour has man's first chance
to build a Great Society, a place where the meaning of
man's life matches the marvels of man's labor.”
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, ... ~ Ecclesiastes 5:12-13
“At the desk where I sit, I have learned one great truth. The answer for
all our national problems - the answer for all the problems of the world -
come to a single word. That word is ‘education.’”
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life. ~ Proverbs 4:13
“Today, 8 million adult Americans, more than the entire population
of Michigan, have not finished 5 years of school. Nearly 20 million
have not finished 8 years of school. Nearly 54 million - more than
one-quarter of all America - have not even finished high school.”
“'Human history, ' H.G. Wells once wrote, 'becomes more and more
a race between education and catastrophe.' You and I cannot be
indifferent to the outcome of that race. We care deeply about the winner.
Because we do care so deeply about the winner, that is why
we are all in the East Room of the White House today.”
... my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, ... ~ Isaiah 5:13
“This Congress did more to uplift education, more to attack disease
in this country and around the world, and more to conquer poverty
than any other session in all American history, and what more worthy
achievements could any person want to have? For it was the Congress
that was more true than any other Congress to Thomas Jefferson's
belief that: 'The care of human life and happiness is the first
and only legitimate objective of good Government.'”
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ~ 3rd John 1:2
PresidentialQuotesPM29.5.mp3 (36m 03s)
“The family is the corner stone of our society. More than any other force it
shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child.
And when the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged.
When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled.”
He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD. ~ Proverbs 18:22
God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. ~ Psalms 68:6
“This administration here and now declares unconditional war on poverty.”
“I believe that the essence of government lies with unceasing concern for
the welfare and dignity and decency and innate integrity of life for every
individual. I dont like to say this and wish I didnt have to add these words
to make it clear but I will regardless of color, creed, ancestry, sex or age.”
“Nothing comes free. Nothing. Not even good, especially not good.”
“But if future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than
with sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology.
We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as God really made it,
not just as it looked when we got through with it.”
“'All men are created equal', 'government by consent of the governed',
'give me liberty or give me death'. Well, those are not just clever words,
or those are not just empty theories.”
“In the years since then, those four freedoms - freedom of speech,
freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear -
have stood as a summary of our aspirations for the
American Republic and for the world.”
“Free speech, free press, free religion, the right of free assembly,
yes, the right of petition... well, they are still radical ideas.”
Our rights are given by God’s own image
Radical ideas:
● Free speech
● Free press
● Free religion
● Right of free assembly
● Right of petition
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. ~ Proverbs 18:21
... let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ~ James 1:19-20
“I believe we can continue the Great Society while we fight in Vietnam.”
“Boys, it is just like the Alamo. Somebody should have
by God helped those Texans. I'm going to Vietnam.”
“If we quit Vietnam, tomorrow we'll be fighting in Hawaii,
and next week we'll have to fight in San Francisco.”
... Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ~ Romans 14:1
“Every old man complains of the growing depravity of the world, of the
petulance and insolence of the rising generation. He recounts the decency
and regularity of former times, and celebrates the discipline and sobriety
of the age in which his youth was passed; a happy age which is now no
more to be expected, since confusion has broken in upon the world,
and thrown down all the boundaries of civility and reverence.”
... Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:9-10
“There is nothing that exasperates people more than a display of superior
ability or brilliance in conversation. They seem pleased at the time, but
their envy makes them curse the conversationalist in their heart.”
... for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:4
Jealousy and envy tear down the heights all can aspire to be.
When we want more than applaud, what is stolen are
the mountains that build greatness itself.
“Nothing is more despicable than the old age of a passionate man.
When the vigour of youth fails him, and his amusements pall with
frequent repetition, his occasional rage sinks by decay of strength into
peevishness; that peevishness, for want of novelty and variety, becomes
habitual; the world falls off from around him, and he is left, as Homer
expresses it, to devour his own heart in solitude and contempt.”
... Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short ... ~ Hebrews 12:14-15
“He that in the latter part of his life too strictly inquires
what he has done, can very seldom receive from his own
heart such an account as will give him satisfaction.”
“Light at the end of the tunnel? We don't even have
a tunnel; we don't even know where the tunnel is.”
“Our most tragic error may have been our inability to establish a rapport
and a confidence with the press and television with the communication
media. I don't think the press has understood me.”
“If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River,
the headline that afternoon would read: 'President Can't Swim.'”
“Faith builds, cynicism destroys.”
... For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips ... ~ Psalms 12:1-3
“I'm tired. I'm tired of feeling rejected by the American people. I'm
tired of waking up in the middle of the night worrying about the war.”
“The last thing I wanted to do was to be a wartime President.”
“What we won when all of our people united just must not now be
lost in suspicion, distrust, selfishness, and politics among any of
our people. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept,
the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. ~ Proverbs 11:14
To be mired in humanity without God reduces to decaying flesh
without hope. Love without knowing drops upon an aging scornful
heart. A smile reaches to touch what is imagined in a tearless life.
Belief brings vision without having to see or be shown the existence
of the strength of faith. It is tritely said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Those waiting will never see the greater promises of truth. The song
of God is simple horns of certainty. Seeing is understanding what
He has brought forth to be known. Life is greater than what comes
before us; something in the heavens reminds us of a distant home.
Survival is encased in submission to His omnipotence.
Stars shine His truth explaining now and forever
● Promises are often made from over inflated egos
● A misconception that only a few hold hatful hearts
● Hypocrites pray one day then curse the next
● Knowledge without understanding blurs truth
● American ideals build from duty to God & His word
● Faithful separate from public service is destructive
● Without adequate education oblivion looms
● What unites a people is tight bonded families
● History contains the wealth of basic truisms
● Contempt for those capable drives jealous hearts
● Bitter hearts die alone void of welcoming truth
● Obsessive arguing over truth leaves just empty truth
● Faith builds heaven’s ladder while hate carves a pit
Reactor
