Think on These Things

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 Graham My 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 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 passing is still deep and I’m amazed that this is the case. While he was alive, Travis loved me unconditionally. Unconditional Love is what all humans want, but it is the most elusive of our desires. Strangely, as highly as people value unconditional love, we do not aspire to be such a person ourselves. We aspire to be wealthy, or famous, or pretty, or popular, or powerful, or a different color, and so on. All things which, in God’s scheme of things, are pretty much irrelevant. God’s desire for us is to be more like our canine friends…in a manner of thinking. To love each other selflessly; love rather than be ignorantly judgmental; Love unconditionally the way that God, while we were yet sinners and unworthy, loved us so much that he gave his Son for us. “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, all your soul and all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus didn’t need to say any more than that when summing up God’s will for us because the message is not so complex as to warrant further explanation! As for me, I intend to take a closer look at my priorities and aspirations and to be the person God wants me to be and, perhaps, to be more that kind of person that my dog thinks I am! Gerald 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