The Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, J. Whiddon
- CHRISTIANS VOTING “Here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired.” (1 SAMUEL 12:13)
Voting is the most basic way citizens participate in a democracy. By voting, we help determine who will make the laws and protect our liberties. Unfortunately, people of faith often vote at an alarmingly low rate. When believers fail to vote, is it any wonder that policies contrary to our core values are enacted? America’s leaders have always understood the importance of voting:
“If America is to survive, we must elect . . . individuals who will seek Divine guidance in the affairs of state.”
—BILLY GRAHAM, EVANGELIST
“The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption.”
—PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD
“God commands you to choose for rulers, just men who will rule in the fear of God. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted.”
—NOAH WEBSTER”
Excerpt From: Lee, Richard. “In God We Still Trust: A 365-Day Devotional.”
- WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” (ACTS 5:29)
“Perhaps surprisingly, New England ministers played a key role in rallying popular support for war against England. They pressed their congregations to overthrow King George because they believed that rebellion to tyrants was obedience to God. From many pulpits, ministers recruited troops and strengthened them for battle.
These church leaders knew that the Bible places great emphasis on due submission to civil authorities (Romans 13), but they noted that many passages approve resistance to ungodly authority (see Acts 5:29 above).
It is, therefore, no coincidence that one of watchwords of the American War for Independence was “No King But King Jesus.”
Excerpt From: Lee, Richard. “In God We Still Trust: A 365-Day Devotional.”
- QUOTES FROM BOB SHANK
“MARRIAGE is an equal partnership. The husband is the managing partner and will report to God on the partnership.”
“AUTHORITY can make you do something – but it has limitations and it stops at some point. INFLUENCE is unlimited and eternal.”
“Your business may be the size of your plans, but your calling is the size of your God.”
“To God, “fruit” is people.”
- MISTAKES “When you’ve turned down the wrong road, the fastest way to the right road is to turn back.” Excerpt From: Turek, Frank. “Stealing from God.”
- MAD MEN “Atheists call murderers like Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot, who were atheists themselves, “madmen”—as if reason alone should have led them to act morally. But those dictators were very reasonably following their atheistic belief that without God, everything is permissible.”
Excerpt From: Turek, Frank. “Stealing from God.”
- CHOICE “A commitment is making a choice to give up other choices.” — Dr. Scott Stanley
- NEXT LIFE When he was in his early twenties, Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706–April 17, 1790) wrote this verse to serve as his epitaph:
The Body of
Franklin, Printer,
Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents torn out
And stripted of its lettering and gilding,
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be lost;
For it will, as he believ’d, appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition,
Revised and Corrected
By the Author.”
- YOUNG MEN BEWARE “Younger men haven’t yet realized the mistakes they are making, but eventually they will. The details are different in each case, but the roads they have traveled look very familiar.
Those who have “Type A” personalities have bumped their heads on the same old rock. They began adult life with an unquenchable thirst for power, possessions, success, achievement, and position, which led to constant time pressure, exhaustion, marital conflict and/or divorce, and ultimately, alienation from children. If something doesn’t happen to turn them around, the end result will often be chronic illness, despair, and death.
Whatever you ache for, whether it is money, status, glory, sex, influence, or all the above, I promise you that Satan will appear to offer it to you. He knows your vulnerabilities, and he will put what you lust for right in front of you. Then he will entice you to take it, as he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. But as it was with her and later with Adam, you won’t get the prize without paying a dear price for it. You may even have to sell your soul to bring it home. You may begin to compromise your belief system, such as with dishonesty, sexual flirtation, excessive drinking, and exploitation of others. You might be among countless men who ignore the sexual and emotional needs of your wife. That can lead to your own inner loneliness, which gives rise to pornography, gambling, and other cheap thrills. It’s all part of the package.”
Excerpt From: Dobson, James. “Your Legacy.”
- MEDICAL MARIJUANA “Unlike medicines that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires to be safe and effective, marijuana is unregulated, non-standardized, and not proven to be either safe or effective. Furthermore, because medical marijuana is not regulated, dosage is inconsistent and purity is unknown.”
Excerpt From: William J. Bennett & Robert A White. “Going to Pot”
- PRAYER COVERING PARENTAL SHORTCOMINGS
“Lord, You know my inadequacies. You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting, but in every area of my life. I did the best I could, but it wasn’t good enough. As You broke the fishes and the loaves to feed the five thousand, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family. Make up for the things I did wrong. Satisfy the needs that I have not satisfied. Wrap Your great arms around my children, and draw them close to You. And be there when they stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. All I can give is my best, and I’ve done that. Therefore, I submit to You my children and myself and the job I did as a parent. The outcome now belongs to You.
Excerpt From: Dobson, James. “Your Legacy.”
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