GOOD MORNING WORLD
I am a stickler for correctness in my own words and deeds. Others can choose what they want. Our children are very familiar with ‘the look’ that says ‘elbows off the table’ or some such eye to corrective behavior.
I was taught a long time ago that the world belongs to the Devil. Calm down Dear Readers. That is not necessarily a statement of fact. There are many writings that uphold this. I am not going to get into a religious debate here. Suffice it to say the Bible has a few things to say about this.
The first Gospel refers to Christ going out into the desert and being tempted by the Devil. The Devil says he will give him the ‘kingdoms of the world and their glory’. How could he give away something he did not own? is a question that comes to mind. In the last gospel Christ says in John 18:36 “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Lastly in 1 John 5:19 it says” … the whole world is under the control of the evil one”. You make up your own mind. For me I am counting on the grace of God and Jesus love.
Let us move on, to get to the point of this blog, that the world does belong to the Devil. Our job as Christians is to choose to live God’s path for our lives. This is what I believe Paul Harvey did. He was born in 1918 and worked as a radio broadcaster and died in 2009. I encourage you to look him up. Part of his obituary from Wikipedia sums him up nicely.
The New York Times obituary says:
[He] “personalized the radio news with his right-wing opinions, but laced them with his own trademarks: a hypnotic timbre, extended pauses for effect, heart-warming tales of average Americans and folksy observations that evoked the heartland, family values and the old-fashioned plain talk one heard around the dinner table on Sunday.
“‘Hello, Americans,’ he barked. ‘This is Paul Harvey! Stand byyy for Newwws!’
“He railed against welfare cheats and defended the death penalty. He worried about the national debt, big government, bureaucrats who lacked common sense, permissive parents, leftist radicals and America succumbing to moral decay. He championed rugged individualism, love of God and country, and the fundamental decency of ordinary people.”[4]
I used to love to catch him on the radio and hear what he had to say. It was usually inspirational and certainly informative. I was reminded this morning of a broadcast he did in 1964. When you read this you will be amazed especially if you are younger. Many gems have come and gone and it is good to recall, stop and listen and maybe even heed sometimes.
It was called, “If I were the Devil”. Since it has been mangled some since its delivery I also have included the link to a you tube of him speaking it. I encourage you to link and listen to him speak as you follow along with the words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Az0okaHig
If I were the Devil by Paul Harvey
If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.
I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — thee.
So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.
I’d subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers.
With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.”
To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I’d confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is square.
And the old, I would teach to pray after me, “Our Father, which are in Washington …”
Then, I’d get organized, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.
I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed.
And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I’d tell teachers to let those students run will. And before you knew it, you’d have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
With a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and them from the houses of Congress.
In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I’d lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.
If I were the devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.
If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
What’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?
I would caution against extremes in hard work, in patriotism, in moral conduct.
I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be.
And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.
In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.
ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…
http://reluctant-messenger.com/Lost-Doctrines-Christianity007.htm
http://www.netbiblestudy.net/denominations/
ktsquared 