Think on These Things
25 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 18 years ago -Think on These Things is a Christian blog containing encouraging and inspiring articles written by Paul and Gerald Graham.
(If you prefer to listen to the audio version, click on the title of the post you want to hear).
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
All That Money Can Buy
June 28, 2006 16:24It 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 ...
The Gladiators
June 13, 2006 21:56What 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...
The Godly Constitution
June 08, 2006 01:51"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 devotio...
The Good Old Ways
May 26, 2006 20:08I'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. H...
Rub it In, Rub it In!
May 18, 2006 21:36When 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 th...
You Got a License for That?
May 12, 2006 21:31I 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, sho...
If You're Gonna Dance...
May 09, 2006 16:21There 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 ...
Stick With It!
April 28, 2006 20:25“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 ...
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
April 25, 2006 22:00When 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 n...
Too Big For Your Britches
April 22, 2006 15:06Money 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 yo...
Time Conquers All Things?
April 19, 2006 20:16In 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 ...
I Love My Thumbs!
April 17, 2006 20:17A 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. Th...
Somebody Shoot Me!
April 14, 2006 19:35I 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 e...
The Next Step is a Doosie!
April 12, 2006 22:22I 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 heal...
Take My Word for It
April 10, 2006 20:26Men 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...
Hey, Mister, Got Any Change?
April 07, 2006 20:16There 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...
Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me!
April 05, 2006 20:37A 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...
Are You Blind or Something?
April 02, 2006 02:19According 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 ...
The Hands of Time
March 31, 2006 22:57History 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. ...
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!
March 29, 2006 21:27A 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 problem...
It's a Dog's Life
March 27, 2006 21:48I recently read, ”Marley and Me” by John Grogan. It’s about a family and their yellow Labrador. The adventurous dog was put to sleep due to a terminal illness. When I finished the book, I was ok at first…and then I started thinking about my big old yellow lab, Travis, who died about 12 years ago. I shed more than a few tears as I thought about my faithful old friend. He had been my BEST friend; faithful, loyal, sensitive…my companion for years before I was married. The pain of his passi...
Yin and Yang, Man...Yin and Yang
March 24, 2006 21:43I 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 ...
Do You Need a Spanking?
March 22, 2006 21:49Remember 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 ...
The Top of the Heap
March 20, 2006 21:31Alfred 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 ...
That's Entertainment?
March 12, 2006 14:07A 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 differ...