|
LucyJo
Since Oct 8, 2003
| ||||||
|
| ||||||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If you can induce a community to doubt the genuineness and authenticity of the Scriptures,
to question the reality and obligations of religion;
to hesitate, undeciding, whether there be any such thing as virtue or vice;
whether there be an eternal state of retribution beyond the grave; or whether there be any such being as God;
you have broken down the barriers of moral virtue, and hoisted the flood gates of immorality and crime.
I need not say that when a people have once done this, they can no longer exist as a tranquil and happy people…
Avarice, perjury, ambition, and revenge would walk through the land, and render it more like the dwelling of savage beasts than the tranquil abode of civilized and Christianized men."
(William McGuffey, quoted in Power Lectures, The Parables of Jesus, page 320).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Gospel Broadcasting Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General Douglas McArthur wrote:
"History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline.
There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash, and it is gone;
But there is half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.
Drop a pebble in the water; in a minute you will forget,
But there is little waves a-flowing and there is ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started the flow.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet.
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life that was happy where you dropped that unkind
word.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there is half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave,
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you will forget;
But there's gladness still a swelling, and there's joy circling yet.
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard,
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.
Author Unknown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~