Medical Miracles Run Rampant

     It started about a year ago when I fell for all the wonderful promises in the colorful advertising tabloid and ordered a book.    It was one of those “four easy payments of $7.99 each, plus shipping” offers.

Well, the book arrived in due time (and was promptly paid for).   Though of impressive bulk, its contents were somewhat disappointing.

What is amazing is the fallout from this purchase.   I’ve thrown a few away, but I’m looking at a stack of “health news,” “exclusive reports,” healing the incurable “in as little as two minutes” tabloids and booklets that seem to arrive  on about a twice weekly basis.

I’ve thrown a few away, but have a pile of 31 four-color mailings next to me which glowingly promise incredible health benefits.   All I have to do is order the advertised publication (or in some cases health remedy).   For publications, the pitch almost always includes the requirement of four “easy” payments of $7.99, plus shipping. 

I have figured that all of them together would have cost me over $1,000.  Of course, the upside is that, if I followed all of the miracle advice, I would be so healthy that I’d be challenging Superman for his job. However, the downside is that I might be so confused that I’d be banging my head against the wall.

Wow, all I need to be sure I’ll never have a heart attack is eat a handful of walnuts (probably not a bad idea) every day, take my oral chelation, avoid diet soda, drink the right kind of juices, etc.  Put all this together and I’d have about 150%  less chance of having such an attack.   This, of course, would mean I would never suffer such an event.  Why,  if I was careful in traffic,  I might live to be around 200 or more! 

Well, I’m sure these various marvelous health advisories and miracle cures include much sound and excellent counsel.  However, the fact is that the human body wears out, runs down and tends in the direction of more and more disorganization.    Actually, these mailings have a humor factor about them that helps keep me healthy.   The Book of Proverbs says, “A merry heart does good like a medicine,” so I don’t mind the mailings and will probably, in some future feverish moment, get persuaded to respond to another “amazing offer.”   I especially liked the one from the guy who said he had not had a drink of water for 5 or 6 years. 

However, talking about long life, I can give you the key not only to long life, but to eternal life.   Can you handle a couple of Bible verses at this point?  Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).   He also said, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)

These bodies we walk around in will grow old and die.  But, if we have trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord, the One who paid the penalty for our sins, we will enter a new and better place.  The Apostle Paul said he had a desire to depart (from this life) and “be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

You don’t have to believe Jesus.  And you can take health foods and remedies which may help you live to be 120.  However,  one day you’ll discover whether Jesus was the biggest fraud and liar the world has ever known, or whether He was speaking the absolute, irrevocable truth!   My suggestion and hope is that you would decide for Jesus right away.  Tomorrow is uncertain; “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).