Jim Bramlett - Powered by InJesus
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Jim Bramlett
Oct 19, 2004
Dear friends:
Think you got problems? Consider this poor guy:
He was born in rural Kentucky to parents of low social standing and little education.
When he was seven years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them. At age nine, his mother died. At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to law school, but his education was not good enough. At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no. At 37, on his third try, he was elected to Congress, but two years later, he failed to be re-elected. At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At 47, he failed as the vice-presidential candidate. At 49, he ran for the Senate again, and lost. (This paragraph from Leadership magazine.)
Actually, 144 years ago this man of misfortune went on to become President of the United States. He was Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest Presidents in U.S. history but one who, at the time, was fiercely derided and criticized, and later brutally assassinated. One biography says, "A combination of luck, manipulation, and talent won Lincoln the Republican nomination for president in 1860. An especially fragmented race, featuring four major candidates, resulted in a victory for Lincoln despite the fact that he won less than 40 percent of the popular vote."
Lincoln took an overpowering role as commander-in-chief in a time of war. Controversially, he suspended several rights as defined by the Constitution and expanded the powers of both the executive and the federal government considerably.
God raised up Abraham Lincoln for the greatest crisis in American history. His integrity and leadership, and most importantly, his faith and time on his knees before God, preserved the union and helped the nation rid itself of the horrible institution of slavery.
Mrs. Lincoln stated that the battle of Gettysburg had a profound effect upon her husband, as he saw the graves of thousands of soldiers. One historian states that it was there that President Lincoln made a deep commitment to Jesus Christ.
Schuyler Colfax, who later became Vice President of the United States, said that Lincoln would often get up as early as 4 a.m. in order that he might have time to read his Bible and pray before visitors would begin to arrive at the White House. On one occasion, Lincoln said: "That the Almighty does make use of human agencies, and directly intervenes in human affairs, is one of the plainest statements of the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own, that I cannot doubt that this power comes from above."
On April 14, 1865, just five days after the Civil War had ended, Abraham Lincoln went to Ford's Theatre with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. She recalled his last words as they sat there:
"He said he wanted to visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footprints of the Saviour. He was saying there was no city he so much desired to see as Jerusalem. And with the words half spoken on his tongue, the bullet of the assassin entered the brain, and the soul of the great and good President was carried by the angels to the New Jerusalem above."
Jim
(Some of the above was excerpted from the writings of the late Dr. Bill Bright, some from Internet research, and some from personal files.)
The below is being automatically appended to every message: Now online, free to be read by all -- the awesome 220-page book, THE POWER! (by me). Don't miss it. Many exciting and detailed examples of dramatic miracles and healings and the power behind the universe.
http://www.choicesforliving.com/book/the_power.htmAlso, see main Web site at http://www.choicesforliving.com/spirit
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