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. Leadershi…

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…

"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 u…

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 h…

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 …

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 b…

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…

“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…

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…

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 pu…

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 Apost…

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 pa…

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 ge…

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 f…

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 …

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…

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 t…

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. …

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 st…

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 an…

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 f…

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 …

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". …

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 factorie…

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 depart…