THE WORD I HEARD

In the past twelve months or thereabouts a friend of mine has had a bout with prostrate cancer, deafness in his right ear and more recently a stroke in which his right arm was paralyzed and he lost the ability to speak.

The operation for cancer was successful and the doctor done wonders by rebuilding a new eardrum and restoring about eighty percent of his hearing. The therapists done remarkable things and he is now considered a stroke survivor with an eighty-five percent recovery rate!

Talented and knowledgeable people contributed to these recoveries and in the case of cancer, probably saved his life!

My friend realized that God and his greatest creations are in a joint adventure in this blinking eye of time. He thought the best way to express his true feelings during the Sabbath while convalescing, and to thank Him for his blessings, was to tune into the television set and listen to one of these super preachers!

He recently told me about his experience with his new partner in faith!

"DON’T EVER DO THAT!" he yelled!

He added. "These super preachers, these Sunday morning con men are really good. You are instantly caught up into a pre-planned series of sob stories designed to give you a guilt trip that will last you exactly one week. By the second Sunday you turn on the TV with one hand on the remote control and the other hand clutching your checkbook!"

He went on. "During your third session you will be convinced that he and his foreign missionary division have taken on the financial burden of the majority of the evangelistic ministries all of Africa and a large portion of southeastern Asia. Again you open your checkbook and begin thinking big numbers!"

"By the fourth Sunday there is no money left in your bank account but you call your partner in faith and donate one complete wing to his hospital of divine healing! Your credit cards are then maxed out!" he allowed.

"Then on Sunday number five you invite his attorney friend, also a partner in faith, to view the program. You are just before changing your will when suddenly a news bulletin flashed on the TV and you find out that your super preacher has been placed into handcuffs right there in the pulpit and carted off to jail!" he lamented loudly.

"Coming to your senses after you have kicked the attorney out the front door, you realize that you had the best of intentions!" he went on sadly. "Will my God ever trust me again?"

I merely advised my friend that one of Gods most precious gifts is your freedom of choice and to always respect your own intellect to make that choice. You may have lost your money but God always forgives us and expects us to continue to enhance His kingdom!

THE WORD I HEARD

If you want an education, if you are blind and cannot see,
If you are feeling low and lonely, just turn on your TV
And tune in Sunday morning to the Reverend Verbal Word.
I won’t quote him here verbatim, just what the man inferred!

He has a direct hot line to the director of the show.
He’s an instant translator for the people here below.
He’s a moral man of principle and he knows what’s right and wrong.
He’ll promise you most anything and he comes one very strong.

Forget about the mainline church, you’ve attended all your life.
They’re all filled with hypocrites and will only cause you strife.
Ignore your family doctor – the overeducated quack,
Just write the Reverend Verbal Word and he’ll send a cure right back!

Send in your dimes and dollars and he will share his special dream.
You keep all the blue john and he’ll skim off the cream!
You’ll receive a set of praying hands and a lapel pin for your coat.
Then you can read the "Answer" in the latest book he wrote!

He will send a bumper sticker for the rear end of your car,
To be displayed so proudly and he will even go so far
As to replace it with a new one if it gets torn or bent,
Along with a campaign placard of his choice for president!

He will take your dimes and dollars, but prefers a tithing partnership.
And he’ll lay a guilt trip on you if you ever stop or slip.
He needs all that folding money, for it’s as plain as it can be,
The Reverend is in dire straits in his condo by the sea!

As I said in the beginning, this is what the man inferred.
You be the judge and jury; I just know what my ears heard.
So, tune in Sunday morning to this man of note and fame,
Speaking from the crystal tower that bears the Reverend’s name!