Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…Thanks to all who actively partnered with me to get the message of Truth out to Unbelievers during my last series, “Don’t Miss the Great Feast. All Are Invited!” It was a very successful endeavor. I did, however, get a few questions regarding the title, so let me clarify that right now. We are told in Luke 22 that when we get to heaven, we will sit down for a “great feast” as we enter into the eternal joy of our Lord. Communion is a reminder of the death and resurrection of Jesus; the “Great Feast” is a future promise to all whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Everyone in the world has the same opportunity to reserve their spot at the table; all that is required is accepting God’s Gift of Grace.
The last series was a weighty series. There was so much Truth to cover and explain that the challenge became keeping it thorough, yet still digestible. I tried my best to do that. Therefore, I want today’s blog to be a lighter read in comparison to the past two months.
I’m sure you probably had to stop and read today’s subject line a few times to be sure you saw it correctly. But…indeed you did! The spot-on prophetic nature of Paul Harvey’s amazing article, “If I Were the Devil” provides the perfect change of pace. It is both entertaining as well as thought provoking. No doubt God equips certain people to give insights into the future, and Paul Harvey certainly fulfilled what I consider to be a calling. The prophecy itself is a gift from God so people will have the opportunity to prepare for what lies ahead. How the people respond to the prophecy, well…that is up to the people. You can draw your own conclusions after you have read this.
If I were the Devil, the Prince of Darkness, what methods of deception would I use to rule the world? What areas of society would I target? What tactics would I employ? In the transcript below, Paul Harvey in 1965 airs one of the most astonishing monologues ever recorded. Now nearly 50 years later, everything that Paul Harvey said the Devil would have to do to rule the world, has come to pass. How did 100% of what he said in 1965 come true? Was Paul Harvey a modern-day prophet? Was this glimpse of the future inspired by a supernatural power? No doubt, he was plugged into something particularly special. Ponder that as you will, but enjoy, or rather be appalled with… the rest of the story!
If I were the Devil, if I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness and I would have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t 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. I’d 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 them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what is bad is good and what is good is “square.” And the old, I would teach to pray after me: “Our Father which art in Washington.”
And 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 make TV look worse than movies and then make movies look worse than TV in a vicious cycle that just gets worse and worse. I’d peddle narcotics to whomever 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 intellects but neglect to discipline emotions; just let those run wild until, before you knew it, you’d have to have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing. I’d have judges promoting pornography. Soon I could evict God from the courthouse, and then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I would 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 would take from those who have and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what will 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, that what you see on TV is the way to be and thus I could undress you in public and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure.
In other words, if I were the Devil, I’d just keep on doing what he is so successfully doing.
Paul Harvey…. Good Day!
To those who are familiar with “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis, I’m sure you saw a similar insightful sense of humor. 😊 Next week I will be back with a new juicy topic: “God Certainly Gets a Bum Rap”
May God Bless You abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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