Philippians 3:13-14 ~ "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you."

Good morning and welcome to today's flashback edition. Today is Friday, July 18, 2025, and I bid you welcome to a rerun from June 5, 2007. What were you doing 18 years ago? I obviously was writing about the stuff found in this blog. I mention Lexie in the blog, our granddaughter who was seven back then but now has graduated from the University of Texas, Austin, and she has a job in that area today. My how quickly time gets away from us all. Have a great weekend and may God help us all is my prayer. Amen.

 

                Looking for laughs in all the wrong places!

 

On this June 5, 2007, I’m going to confess something that may shock some of you. I find the state of regular television programming so absolutely void of entertainment value, I’ve resorted to watching televangelists and presidential debates in order to enjoy a good laugh. Some might think the first to be offensive or sacrilegious and the second may be less than patriotic. However, I will attempt to explain why these forms of presentation strike me as being humorous even while I recognize them to be deadly serious. This void in having anything to watch happened to be more so with my wife out of town because if we watch TV together, you can be sure it will the Game Show Network, which is her most favorite, and I watch it with her because the Bible teaches I am to love my wife even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for the Church. I sure hope there are special points for giving yourself up as it relates to watching black and white reruns of “I’ve Got A Secret”!

I must make a few obvious exceptions by stating that I do watch quite a lot of CSPAN, some news programming, anything relating to NASCAR, some History Channel documentaries, some PBS programs, and maybe the Home Alone movie, which I’ve only seen at least 100 times. The reason I watch it is because I have an entire crew of grandchildren that have grown up seeing this movie and when I watch it now I remember when each of them began to ‘get it’ and how funny it was to them when they did. I do have one young lady who ‘got it’ much earlier than the others, our little Lexie, and she’s been laughing at that movie since she was about two. I know exactly what you are thinking. Old people are nothing but drooling sentimentalists! I plead guilty in the first degree with premeditation.

The televangelist’s deal is just too good to pass up. I know their teachings for the most part are absolutely foreign to any common sense reading of God’s word, and I know they have led, and or leading many people astray. I certainly do not find this fact to be humorous in any way, but when you watch them as entertainers and use even a lick of the sense God has given to you, it just turns out to be funny. It’s like my granddad used to say, “Son, are you going to use your head for something other than a hat rack?” I hasten to add that when I use the word televangelist I certainly am not talking about many wonderful faithful Bible teachers who have television programs.

I remember one night watching this fellow who felt compelled to explain why he had purchased a private jet to travel in. He had not really wanted the jet but his people had insisted on him buying it in order to protect the special anointing that was on him, whatever that means. He actually said this with a straight face and as always the people clapped and went wild in their approval. To me this was hilarious. Let me see if I’ve got this right? I would suppose this special anointing came from God, and God is Supreme, but you need to travel in a private jet to protect this anointing which was given to you by God Who is in control over all things. You might not think this is funny but I do, sorry, I do. Now as for the millions the plane cost and as for the millions who are deceived by this type of idiotic rationalizing, I feel sad for them and my prayer is they will someday begin to read the truth as God has given it to them.

Now for the political stuff that also can be very entertaining at times. On Sunday evening our Church had fellowships planned and since my class did ours after morning service, I was at home and able to watch, as much as I could stand, the democratic presidential nominee debate from New Hampshire. Okay, I’m a conservative, registered republican, who considers himself to be entirely independent in terms of choosing someone to represent my point of view. But on that particular night it was so much fun to see who could out bash Bush. He was blamed for everything except hemorrhoids and I’m sure that would have been called out but it was only a two hour program. The other thing was to see them try and touch every interest group that might be watching and hit them all in one sentence. I’m certainly not saying the republicans do it differently but they were not on that night.

It is said that during one of the elections involving General U. S. Grant, that his opponent said this about him, “Among pygmies he is a giant, among giants he is a pygmy”. I had a similar feeling about the democratic hopefuls, to me they came off as all being pygmies among pygmies, period, end of story. Yet, I do appreciate the entertainment value but to tell you the truth I could not envision one of these characters being the commander and chief of our great republic. However, if one of them does become our next president then I will pray for that individual because this is exactly what God has told us to do. (See 1st Timothy chapter 2 and Romans chapter 13)

Until then, forgive me for looking for laughs in all the wrong places! More later…..