Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out
of thy law." Psalm 119:18 (KJV)
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The Church That Would Not Help Once upon a time there was an average preacher, who pastored an average church in an average city. The church was always short on mission funds. One day a salesman approached the pastor with the following proposal. “If you will give me the opportunity to speak to your congregation for 15 minutes, I will show you how to easily add $10,000 to your mission program now and an extra $1,000 each month, if the church members will cooperate.” The average preacher consulted with the average church board. They put it to a vote of the average congregation. They quickly accepted the proposition. A date and time were set; announcements were made, and every member of the church was urged to attend. The time arrived; the church was full, and the salesman began: “Ladies and gentlemen, I represent a home training program. If you use our equipment, I guarantee you will quickly learn at least 32 things that will each give you a thrilling experience. Our equipment sells from $100 to several thousand dollars, and $20 each month from then on. Our equipment will teach you:
“The 32 things are only the beginning of what our equipment will teach you. I guarantee it! “Now by a showing of raised hands, let me see how many of you are willing to invest in our equipment? None? Can it be there is not one raised hand? “Now by the raised hand, let me see how many of you have a television or DVD player. Nearly every hand is raised. “Evidently someone beat me to the sale, for I am selling TV’s and DVD’s. Now I promised this church an opportunity for $10,000 plus more than $1,000 each month for your mission program, if you would follow my suggestions. The suggestions are for each of you to sell your TV’s and DVD’s and give the proceeds to your church missions program and for each of you to give the monthly cable charge to your church’s program. “Now, how many of you are willing to follow my suggestions? Raise your hands please. Can it be not one hand is raised? Tell me why are none of you willing to help missions?” “Wait, we don’t want to be too hasty. There are some benefits of controlled TV,” said the pastor. The salesman questioned, “Do you control the TV, or does it control you? Few, if any Christians can overcome the erosion of clear thinking, traditional values, and Biblical living caused by improper exposure to TV and DVD’s.” “There are still some good things on TV,” retorted a deacon. “Yes, of course; even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.” “I believe there is some good in everything,” added a Sunday School teacher. “Yes , there is no doubt some good food is in the garbage can, but we do not go there to get our dinner,” answered the salesman. “Most of us have already signed a petition to the FCC to clean up TV,” said a choir member. “Noble thought, but the Christian’s job is not to clean up the pigpen, but to keep the pigpen out of our homes, lives, and our churches.” “Let’s be reasonable. There’s nothing wrong with laughing at comedy and have a good time,” interjected the youth leader. “Yes, but we cannot laugh our life away or laugh when sin is glorified. Folks, the mission money your church needs is in your TV’s and DVD’s. The revival you need is in the disposal of that equipment.” The saleman ended his presentation at this point as no one really wanted to support missions or end their exposure to sin. The average church continued to wonder why they were always short of money for the missionaries.
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