Podcasts about thinkonthesethings

Let's make certain we feed our brains high quality mental food. There are good healthy things and harmful, unhealthy in every category of life. test and make sure you only feed your brain the good stuff.

Let's make certain we feed our brains high quality mental food. There are good healthy things and harmful, unhealthy in every category of life. test and make sure you only feed your brain the good stuff.

Your mind is directly linked to the issues of your heart.We must meditate on the Word of God.

It has been said that politicians would not have to mend their fences so often if they had not sat on them so much. A man who straddles the fence isn’t going very far in any direction. In fact, he will be hung up for the rest of his life. Progress and the onward march of Christian moral values demand inspired and highly motivated leaders. Leadership is no place for men and women who hesitate to take a stand on critical issues; who look to see who is smiling at them or who is frowning at them before they cast their vote. Someone once said that we have the best leadership that money can buy. There is more truth than humor in that statement.Our Nation is wallowing in moral slime worse than anything since Sodom and Gomorrah. And it’s not only because of our leaders, it also because too many people have forgotten to pray for our Nation. Too many people have neglected their responsibility at the polls. If they vote at all, they choose to ignore candidates whose moral values are above reproach. They vote for candidates who promise everything but who stand for nothing. We get the leaders we deserve! God wants us to have the best. And He’ll help us get it if we will call on Him.Paul Graham

What remains of the Coliseum at Rome stands as an indictment of a pagan civilization which fed itself on the blood of both man and beast. Thousands of men, women and children and wild beasts were slain to please the blood-thirsty throngs. To the Romans, human flesh was good for nothing but to make a Roman holiday.The great Coliseum is gone, and so are the cries of the wounded and dying lying on the bloody sands of the Coliseum floor. But human nature did not change with the passing of time. It remains as the source of indescribable evils, and no human being is safe in the presence of untamed human nature.Almost 120 years before the Coliseum was dedicated, God sent His only Begotten Son into this world to save man from his own evil nature. Christ was sent as the "Foundation Stone" upon which men and civilization could build the lives. The offer is still being made. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly."Considering the direction in which Nations are going and the speed at which they are traveling, we will be back in the Coliseum soon. The murder of millions of unborn children is certainly a giant step in that direction. The future is no brighter than the light that we take with us. Christ is the light of the world Our choices are simple--CHRIST OR CHAOS!Paul Graham

"The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America " was signed on July 4th, 1776. On July 8th, at noontime, it was proclaimed in the State House Yard in Philadelphia, and on July nineteenth it was proclaimed in Boston from the State House Balcony. John Adams wrote, "I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration and support and defend these states...I can see that the end is worth all the means...with solemn acts of devotion to God we ought to commemorate it." After a long and bloody battle for independence, our forefathers wrote a constitution to govern their Nation, and aside from the Bible, nothing has so altered the course of human history. But let us not forget that the constitution is no better than the people who are governed by it. Without the support of the people, the Constitution is no better than the paper on which it is written. Laws are written on paper, but unless they become property of the heart there will be no respect for nor obedience to the principles and laws set forth in it. This is what the Psalmist was talking about when he wrote: "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Psa. 127:1) It is impossible to reverence the Constitution without reverencing God. And it is impossible for the Constitution to protect us if we evict God from our Government and our lives. Paul Graham

I'm sitting at my computer, surrounded by state of the art electronic devices, listening to beautiful Christian music while I compose this article. I am connected to the world through the internet. I can transmit or receive messages around the world. I am glad that we have so many ways to say things, but I am sad that so little is being said that has any lasting value. My father didn't have these magnificent methods of communication, but he did have some very important things to say. His precious words are still with me, and I know they will outlast all the vulgar trash that floods our airwaves today.My father's advice was excellent, and it wasn't because he was a genius; it was because his wisdom came from the Bible. He stayed in contact with God. He raised his family with a fourth grade education, a radio, a telephone, a Bible and place to pray. With these tools he enriched his life, instructed his family and left us rich is spiritual values.I don't want to go back! I just want to bring some of those things into our modern world. I am convinced that our society would be much happier if we had less to live with and more to live for. We trust in gadgets rather than in God. We boast that we can see, but we are blind; we glory that we are a Nation of wealth, but we are poor and naked. God help us recover our senses and return to the God of our forefathers.Paul Graham

When something comes along to disappoint, to discourage, to challenge us, we often remark, “Well, there’s the rub.” As if to say that anything contrary to our goal is considered a “rub”, a thing to detour us or defeat us. No so! An unknown author, writing almost one hundred years ago, gave us something to think about.Rub a bow over the strings of a well tuned violin and it becomes a beautiful melody. Rub your hands together when they are cold and it will bring warmth. There are rubs that remove wrinkles, and rubs that take away pain. My mother rubbed the dirty clothes and made they white again. The next time you are inclined to say, “there’s the rub”, consider this: it might just be the hand of God trying to turn your sorrow into a song. It might be God rubbing you to take away pain. Or maybe He is trying cleanse you and make you white and bright again.. The rub makes one person bitter while it makes another person better. Let the “rub” do its thing. You can choose which it will be--Bitter or Better.Paul Graham

I heard about a doctor who said to his patient, “You’re in good hands. I’ve performed this operation over fifty times. In fact, if I continue to have such good success, I think I’ll apply for a license.”If aspiring politicians were required to apply for a license and past a stringent test before they could run for office, our Country might be in better shape. It will never happen, but if people where required to pass a course in such things as communication, book keeping, budgeting, shopping, forgiveness, temperance, love, gentleness---you get the idea?---marriages would last longer and homes would be a more stable place to raise children.God has the best idea. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it Prov. 22:6.” In Eph. 6:4, the Apostle Paul said that families should make sure that the training of their children included giving attention to the Lord, Jesus Christ. We have no right to claim an interest in the future when we neglect to include in the training of our children the teachings of the Bible.Paul Graham

There is an ancient story of a man who in his dreams was haunted by a veiled figure who always took from him every good thing he desired. If he dreamed of gaining a fortune, the figure took it away. If he dreamed of peace and joy, the figure took it away. If He dreamed of fame, the veiled figure ruined his reputation. When he dreamed of his wedding day, the veiled figure appeared and shouted, "I forbid this marriage."Finally the haunted man grabbed the veil and ripped it from the face of his adversary. To his utter shock, the face he saw was his own!This legend sets forth the truth that man is his own enemy. Men make or mar their own future. See how Adam tried to hold Eve accountable, and Eve tried to hold the serpent accountable, but God held each one of them accountable.Pharaoh murdered the male children of the Hebrews, but in due time the angel of death stretched its wings and flew across Pharaoh's kingdom, bringing death to the first born of every Egyptian home. Pharaoh had no one to blame but himself.There is a law of retribution at work in the universe. It neither fears nor favors any Nation or individual. In due time it will collect from you what you owe. "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall be also reap."Pay day will come some day unless men repent and come to terms with God. "Today is the day of salvation." "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."Paul Graham

“Persistency of purpose is the secret to success," but please remember that persistency of purpose involves setting the right priorities and sticking with them. Whatever is necessary in reaching one’s goals must become a part of the goal itself.There are lots of inconsistencies in our society. A couple gets married and the first thing they want is an apartment or a home. Then they buy a car so that won’t have to stay home anymore than necessary. How to lose weight and where to park our cars are big problems, but hardly anyone wants to leave their car at home and walk. There was a time when people wanted to be millionaires, now they just want to live like one.Jesus advised us that setting our priorities on the right thing would bring a better life (Matt. 6:33). Paul achieved an abundant life by keeping his priorities on track (Phil. 3:13-14). The secret is out! Set your priorities according to God’s word and you can have the “abundant life” through Christ.Paul Graham

When Louis Jacques Mande’ Daguerre invented the photographic process known as “daguerreotype”, a German publication reported that “the desire to capture evanescent reflections was not only impossible, it was blasphemy. God created man in His own image, and no man-made machine may fix the image of God.”Edwin Land, in 1947, announced his “picture-in-a-minute” camera, and immediately a major photographic equipment dealer called it a gimmick that would not last. The Polariod Corporation is now one of the world largest makers of photographic products.Which suggests two things: One) one man’s wisdom is another man’s foolishness, and two) the man who says it cannot be done should not interfere with the man doing it.Two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth conducted a teaching ministry in the hills of Judea. He claimed to have been sent from God. He even claimed that His message would someday be preached in all the world and that millions would follow His teachings. His generation responded by putting Him to death on a cross. But in the last two thousand years His teachings have been at the leading edge of societal revolution. Just another testimony to man’s foolishness.Paul Graham

Money is not in short supply, is only seems to be so. The problem is that a dollar won’t go as far today as it used to. But then, men won’t go as far for a dollar today as they used to. A lot of little boys wanted to hurry and grow up so they could wear long pants. Now they get to wear their pants longer than they ever dreamed they would. If you purchase quality merchandise and take good care of it, you’ll be stretching your dollars, and that’s just as good as getting an increase in your income.Are there any bargains around today? Of course there are. I found the best bargain of my life many years ago, and I am so glad I found it early in life so I could enjoy it for a long time. Here’s the bargain I found: I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and committed my life to studying and following His commandments. It was such an easy thing to do, and it cost me nothing. It was a free gift from God. I have never regretted it. I have “joy unspeakable”, and a “peace that passes all understanding.” I am living the “abundant life.” I have gone through a lot of cars and clothes and other goods and services in the last fifty years or more since I accepted Christ, but I have never had to replace Him.Paul Graham

In the poem, "The Happiest Heart", by John Vance Cheney, you will find these lines:"The rust will find the sword of fame, The dust will hide the crown;Ay, none shall nail so high his name Time will not tear it down."The point is well taken as long as it is applied to mortal men. But it can never be said of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Apostle Paul, when writing about Jesus Christ, said: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father., Phil. 2:9-11""Jesus Christ is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, to Him be honour and glory for ever and ever, I Tim. 1:17." He is the one who said, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev 1:18.""The rust will never dull His sword, and the dust will never dim His crown." And the good news is that He invites every man, woman and child to enter His Kingdom. It is an everlasting Kingdom and those who enter it receive everlasting life. He is your ticket to life and immortality. It's the best offer you will ever receive.Paul Graham

A man who mashed his thumb with a hammer said that it was a good thing since it taught him to appreciate his thumb more. He said, “By actual count the first day I found that there were 257 things I had been using my thumb for without giving it a thought.” Two African Princes visited England. When asked what they would like to take with them as a parting gift, they replied that they would like a cold water faucet and a hot water faucet. They thought the faucets were things of magic. They did not comprehend the system that was back of them. We have a lot to live with in our Country. But we seem to have forgotten that material prosperity is nothing without the Spiritual and moral persuasion to live in peace and harmony with both God and man. The best part of life is not “things.” The best part of life is to know God the Father and Christ the Savior. America must turn back to God! Unless we do, the last living American won’t need to turn off the faucets for there will be nothing in them except rust. Paul Graham

I learned a long time ago that you can’t believe everything you hear, because if you do you will eventually lose everything you have. You might wind up like the fellow who read his name in the obituary column and then went out and shot himself. It is important in life to know who you can trust. Sooner or later you have to trust someone, and it’s getting more and more difficult to find that person. I know a lot of people who are trustworthy. I enjoy their company. Which is what makes me enjoy fellowship with Christ so much. I have known Him the better part of my life, and in all of that time He has never once been dishonest with me. He told me that that I could have life more abundantly if I would follow Him. I took Him at His word and I have never been disappointed. I trusted Him. You, too, can trust Him. When we all get to heaven, I’ll tell you, “I told you so”, and you can tell me that I was right about Him. See you there! Paul Graham

I recall a few lines of a poem:“There is a time, I know not when; a place, I know not where.It seals the destiny of men for glory or despair.There is a line unseen by man, it crosses every path.It is the boundary line between God’s mercy and His wrath.” Once or twice in a lifetime, a person’s road may led to a dividing point. His or her whole future may depend on a single decision, one short step. It could be a decision that leads to despair, or it could be a step that leads to health and happiness. It may, at that moment, seem slight in significance, but in time the importance of that time and place will tower over everything in your life. So make every decision carefully; take each step cautiously. Don’t fear that it might be your last step. Just remember that it is the first step in the rest of your life and you want it to be a step in the right direction. Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.” And again He said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life John 8:12.” The message is clear. The Light Road is the Right road. Paul Graham

Men used to say, “A man is no better than his word.” And that’s the truth. Words are really nothing. It’s the power of the personality behind them. Keep that in mind as you ponder the babble that comes out of the mouths of politicians and special interest groups.A spokesperson for the tobacco industry once said, "there is absolutely no proof that tobacco is harmful". What could be more criminal than a statement like that?A man is only as good as his word. Keep that in mind as you read the words of Christ and as you review the recorded moments of His life. Jesus stands behind everything He says. He promised to raise Himself from the dead…and He did! He promised to come again to this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords…and He will! No word of Christ will be void of the power to perform it. Men lie. Christ is the truth! Men kill and steal and destroy. Christ gives abundant life! Men are thieves. By deceit or force or by some other means, they take the wealth of others as the robbers did to the traveler on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Christ takes our burdens and our misery, and replaces them with strength, peace and joy. You’ll never get a better deal. He promised to give abundantly, above all that we could ask or think...and He does…and he will!It's in His word. And behind His word is the untarnished character of Almighty God. Paul Graham

There is a verse in Ephesians, chapter 2 and a verse in Philippians, chapter 3 that I like to put side by side in my meditations. In Philippians 3: 7 Paul says: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” And In Ephesians 2:3-4 Paul says: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which he loved us...saved us by His grace.” In Philippians, Paul is speaking of a time of great change in his life. And in Ephesians, he is speaking of what caused that change to take place.Change is inevitable. It happens all around us. Most of our time is spent in responding to changes around us. But some of our time is spent in making changes in our own lives.The basic meaning of the word “repent” is change. In repentance we decide to make a change. We decide to change from a self-centered person to a Christ-centered person. We can’t make that change complete without the help of Christ. We decide to allow Christ to come into our heart, and then we and Christ complete the change together...for the rest of our lives.Change will still be inevitable, and we will still spend a lot of time responding to changes around us, but it will be easier with Christ as our partner. “We can do all things through Christ because He strengthens us.”Paul Graham

A man arriving late to work one morning explained to his co-worker, “I’m just so depressed that I couldn’t get out of bed…that’s why I’m late. But, I’ll leave early to make up for it”.The Apostle Paul was one of the most courageous men the world has ever known. In spite of constant threats to his life, he proceeded to spread the Gospel of Christ throughout the ancient world. He traveled, he wrote and he preached, proclaiming Christ to everyone within the reach of his pen or the sound of his voice. To the Corinthian Church he wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Cor. 4:8.”“Despair” means to be utterly without a way. Despair is the complete abandonment of hope. Jeremy Taylor said, “It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.” Paul’s source was God. “We are laborers together with God”, he wrote. Man can’t win without God and he can’t lose with God. “God is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think Eph. 3:20.” When it comes to putting your faith in God... it’s OK to start late... just don’t quit early.Paul & Gerald Graham

According to an ancient legend, An Angel in his journey overtook two travelers. One was a greedy, covetous man; the other was of a jealous and envious nature. The angel promised to give them anything they asked for. The first to make a wish would have his wish fulfilled and the second would receive a double portion of what the first man asked for. Neither man would make the first wish for neither could bear the thought of his companion getting twice as much as he had. Finally, the greedy man took his companion by the throat and threatened him with death if he did not make a wish. "Very well", said the envious man, "I will make my wish. "I wish to be made blind in one eye." Immediately he lost the sight of one eye and his companion went blind in both eyes. So it is with those who have a greedy, envious nature. In their determination to prevent others from having and enjoying the things of this life, they are willing to destroy even the blessing they could have enjoyed. Christ taught men how to get the most out of life. He said, "Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down shaken together and running over shall men give unto your bosom." And again He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Paul GrahamMy Odeo Channel (odeo/e69c9f9f6d617ad0)

History has been crowded with people who “almost” succeeded. When I was a young man just starting in the grocery business, Kroger was a popular and a very successful chain of grocery stores. Mr. Kroger and his associate, a man named Scovanner, met in the back room of a little roadside grocery store and drew straws to determine who should run the store and who should haul the produce. Scovanner made the choice which led him to enter the trucking business. He missed wealth and fame by a straw.In Acts 26:28 you will find the story of a man named Agrippa. The last words recorded of this man’s life were, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Whether Agrippa spoke in scorn or was seriously considering becoming a Christian we will never know in this world. But we do know that he had the opportunity to gain eternal life and passed it by. It reminds me of the words of Christ, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the world and lose his soul?”Every day we make choices that have eternal consequences. The door of time opens in only one direction; it opens toward the future. You cannot go back and change yesterday. “The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on. Not all your piety nor wit can lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all your tears wash out one word of it.”Paul Graham

A Politician burst into the editorial office of the local newspaper and blurted out, “You are telling lies about me in your newspaper, and you know it.” “You should be thankful that we are telling lies”, replied the editor, “we could start telling the truth and then you would really be upset.” When you don’t have anything to hide, you won’t have any trouble with the truth.Is there a problem with truth in our Nation? I think so! And the sad thing about it is that once we start having problems with TRUTH, we soon start having problems with TRUST. We are at the point now where we don’t trust our leaders, and that wouldn’t have happened had they been truthful with us in the past. While many people in our day say that truth doesn’t matter as long as a man can do his job, the leaders of the past took a different view.Herbert Hoover, speaking at the reception given him on his 80th birthday, said: “A Nation is strong or weak, it thrives or perishes upon what it believes to be true. If our young people are rightly instructed in the faith of our fathers; in the traditions of our country; in the dignity of each individual man, then our power will be stronger than any weapon of destruction that man can devise.” On the battlefield of politics, the first casualty is truth. And after the first lie, things are never the same. The truth welcomes investigation; a lie shrinks from inquiry. A man who seeks truth--who loves it and lives it--is a precious commodity. Paul Graham

Alfred E. Smith said, "Without the help of thousands of others, any one of us would die, naked and starved. Consider the bread upon our table, the clothes upon our backs, the luxuries that make life pleasant; how many men worked in sunlit fields, in dark mines, in the fierce heat of molten metal, and among the looms and wheels of countless factories, in order to create them for our use and enjoyment." Francis Rodman said, "you may be on top of the heap--but remember you're still part of it." The Apostle Paul said, "What do you possess that has not been given to you, and why boast of it as if it were something you had achieved yourself?" I Cor. 4:7 America is the greatest Nation in the world. For over two hundred years we have held the light of freedom for all people. But we did not achieve it by ourselves. We did it with the help of Almighty God. Let us not forget to take God with us as we live our lives! God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. We will be wise to follow Him. Paul Graham

I heard about a Texan who lived to the age of 105. When asked to what he attributed his long life, he gave this good rule, “I never stole a horse and I never called a man a liar to his face.” He credited his long life, not to what he had done, but to what he hadn’t done.A good way to live is to mix the positive with the negative. Paul had this in mind when he said, “Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good Rom. 12:9”. That which is evil will never do you any good, and that which is good will never do you any harm.If we have learned anything from history, we have learned that anytime we want to do good, evil is present with us. Evil never gives up, and with evil there is no respect of persons. It is always on the offensive. It attacks the youth and it pushes itself on the aged. The wise man and the fool are on the same level when it comes to evil. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”Jesus Christ came to set men free and give them an abundant life, and His life is the power that accomplishes this feat. Accept Him as your Lord and Savior. You’ll notice a difference in your life very quickly.Paul Graham

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 8:2, NIV)It’s easy for us to take God’s protection for granted. We seldom take notice or thank God for the things that "don't go wrong". I wasn't sick today! I didn't have an accident today! I didn't lose my job today!The people of Israel didn’t even notice that in forty years of wandering in the desert, their clothes didn’t wear out and their feet didn’t swell. Thus, they did not remember to give thanks to God for these blessings.What has been working well for you? What has been giving you good service? What has been lasting for a long time without breaking down or falling apart? Remember to thank God for the things that didn't happen today!Many people wait until something bad comes into their lives, then they turn to God. Like a child, they wait until they have been spanked to be good. But the Apostle Paul said, "The GOODNESS of God leads men to repentance."Gratitude, gratefulness, thankfulness, grateful heart, feeling of obligation, sense of obligation, grateful acceptance and appreciation are all synonyms for being thankful. The Apostle Paul indicated that one of the signs of a society in decline is the absence of a grateful heart toward God for His blessings. (See Rom. 1:21)"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, I Thess. 5:18."Paul Graham

A Pastor had announced that he would soon be leaving to serve in another city. The congregation selected a faithful member who had a good heart but who wasn't very good with words to present the departing Pastor with a memento of his years of service. The faithful member said something to the effect that, since the preacher had announced his departure, the congregation was anxious to give him a little momentum.The difference between just any word and the right word is the same as the difference between a lightning bug and a lightning bolt. When you're on the receiving end you know the difference.What the Bible calls Sin, men call minor indiscretion, What Adam did, we call sin. But what David did with Bath-sheba, we call moral indiscretion. God puts it all into one category and calls it SIN. The first chapter of the book of Romans tells us that sin...moral indiscretion to society...will eventually permeate society in the form of entertainment. In the last hours of earth's history men will mock the laws of God as they laugh themselves into hell. It will be Belshazzar and Babylon all over again. Except this time it will involve the whole world and will bring destruction upon all nations.The wages of sin is death. Christ died on the Cross for our sins. God takes the matter of sin seriously...and so should we.Paul Graham