As a preacher I would try to reassure folks I had read the last chapter in the Bible and everything turns out well in the end. But there is this caveat that things are going to go to hell in a basket before this happens. It is during this interim that I would sometimes leave off preachin’ and go to meddlin’. The Weedpatch Gazette is just an extension of such “meddlin’."

Maybe America isn’t the “Babylon” of the End Times in Revelation chapters 17 and 18 as per my opinion, but it sure seems our leaders are intent on our nation being so and are bent on national suicide aided by the MSM, the universities, TV and Hollywood. Whether or not, it just seems the Devil is calling the shots for now rather than any of the “good guys.” But then again, where are the good guys? Well, I expect Satan to get his comeuppance as per Scripture however things are not going to get any easier till then.

It seems one of those unrelenting truisms of life that small-minded persons given a little authority will generally abuse that authority. The worst of these too often become politicians, university professors, school administrators, and preachers. There is a very good reason Scripture declares not many mighty or noble, not many “successful” by the standards of this world are called in the service of the Lord, but the truly humble seem in short supply when it comes to some of the “servants of the Lord.”

Seems to me the last thing God needs is more bad press by those like Jeremiah Wright, et al. wallowing in wealth while professing to represent the Almighty. At the height of his multi-million dollar empire and popularity when Jimmy Swaggart preached his sermon “Fields White Unto Harvest” years ago and claimed God had told him he was the only preacher the Lord could depend on to save the world I knew Jimmy was doomed! I was dumbfounded! Didn’t Jimmy realize he had just declared war on every other TV evangelist at that very moment by such a stark statement attacking their relationship with God!

I wondered at the time what could have possessed Jimmy to make such an outrageous statement? But not only was it never repeated, I concluded this was one of those moments of hysteria where Jimmy had gotten carried away “in the spirit,” but it was only a short time after this Jimmy “fell from grace” and I knew this was no coincidence, that there would be people “gunning” for him as a result of his unbelievably outrageous and conceited presumptuousness hysterical or not. Not a few like Jimmy have been brought low through believing their own press, becoming puffed up over worldly success despite implicit warnings in the Scriptures about the deceitfulness of riches.

Rex Humbard’s wife had doomed their “ministry” by the People Magazine interview in which she boasted of her collection of diamonds, declaring “God had nothing against her having diamonds.” The fall from grace of the Bakker’s because of an opulent lifestyle, his sexual escapades and their air-conditioned dog house and a little getaway “shack” in Palm Springs, etc. was widely publicized. God was going to kill Oral Roberts if people didn’t give millions to save him, and for the most part it seemed if one were to judge by their lifestyles the Lord was disposed to shower wealth on TV evangelists if you were to believe them to be the true prophets of God.

You may wonder why I was watching Jimmy Swaggart those years ago when he made that startling pronouncement that in my opinion sealed his fate. Truth is I enjoyed Jimmy’s enthusiastic preaching as “theater,” and most of all I enjoyed the music. It is my opinion he should have left off preaching and stuck to his real gift of music, which is the reason I continue to listen to my LPs of his music I still have; and only goes to show you can appreciate music despite the character of the artist whether Mozart or Jimmy Swaggart.

I freely admit I thoroughly enjoy the old-time gospel music characteristic of our small church in Little Oklahoma, I enjoy the foot-tapping, hand-clapping kind of music like When the Roll is Called Up Yonder, Come and Dine, Beulah Land, I liked grandad’s preaching punctuated with “Amen” and “Hallelujah” from those in the congregation, I enjoyed the fellowship of good people, the friends and neighbors of our community. One of the songs we used to sing was titled If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again. I wonder if that song is sung anywhere now?

Somehow I seemed to have escaped those parts of college and university education and sophistication that are designed to remove the “rough bark” of humble origins from so many. But then I have met many of these “sophisticates” that seemed to spend a lot of their energy denying the things they believed would betray their not being of the “better classes.” Some of these folks struck me as being like the wealthy sister of Mammy Yokum who spent so much or her energy trying to distance herself from the denizens of Dogpatch.

One thing about it though, as I watch and listen to politicians and many preachers on TV II Corinthians 11:13-15 comes readily to mind: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Well, no need t’ go meddlin’ further; I think y’ all get the message. Besides, while Satan may be successful in his deception of transforming himself into an angel of light to those he deceives who is going to mistake this present bunch parading across TV screens for ministers of righteousness?