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I love this report because I got to read "Pilgrim's Progress" for a skit we had to do along with it! And I got an A+! Pastor Bunyan was such an amazing man! ~Scarlet
Grace Abounding John Bunyan was living proof of “Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners”; his life, worded works, and even character were testimonies to God’s amazing grace. His ungodly beginnings show that our Lord is almighty and His faithfulness cannot be measured. Bunyan humbled himself and in turn was lifted up, just as the King commanded. John Bunyan was born and raised in Elstow, England to a financially humble family. Even as a child John was unable to find his match, “both for cursing, swearing, lying, and blaspheming the holy name of God”. As a teen, he strayed farther and joined an army (we are not sure which) during the civil war between the king and parliament. The young soldier served for three years. A while after becoming a civilian, he married his first wife Mary, who helped him come to trust in Christ. Bunyan did become a Christian but not until he went through a huge spiritual war that lasted four years. Sometime after his conversion, Bunyan was chosen to be a deacon in his church. As he grew stronger in his understanding of the Bible, the call to preach also grew. John Bunyan proved to be a wonderful preacher, even though he was given no license to do so. The man was also an amazing writer and excelled in religious allegories. Bunyan spent a grand total of about thirteen years in jail for “open air preaching”. There the gifted man wrote most of his books. “The Pilgrim’s Progress” was by far his greatest work. Though many do not realize it, the book is based on his own spiritual struggles in coming to Christ. In a close tie for John’s second best are “The Holy War” and “Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners”. Bunyan was also a poet and published many of his accomplishments in a book entitled “Book For Boys And Girls”. In all, the gifted preacher wrote at least one book for every year of his life, and he lived to be sixty years old! John Bunyan appeared to be rough and stern in character, but intimately he was mild and willing to make friends with anyone. The writer’s spirit was that of a humble servant, who knew that glory belonged to the Most High and not to himself. The Lord gifted him with a discerning eye that he employed with great care and skill. Bunyan loved his family and always found a way to support them, even while in prison. John Bunyan lived a life of ups and downs, just like any other person. He encountered the trials and tribulations of this life without Christ. Indeed he was “the chief of all sinners” as we all are, and was humbled by the abounding grace of God. The preacher was jailed twice for worshiping God the way he believed the Bible instructed. John lost his first wife, who had been one of Christ’s lights in his life. Yet through all of this, he gave glory to God, and kept his eyes on the prize. John Bunyan, though his life, gave a truly amazing testimony of God’s abounding grace! Scarlet O’Rourke 5-23-05
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