While watching the NY Rangers play the NY Islanders with my daughter tonight, I caught one of those “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” commercials. I think it’s a new one, although I watch TV about as much as my brother listens to music instead of Sports Talk (that would be very seldom). In this flashy, and I’ll give them the credit of assuming they intended it to be funny, commercial, a guy travels to Vegas with his “little devil” riding sidekick. They tool around Vegas together while the devil pleads with the guy to let him have some fun. It ends with the guy’s “little angel” telling him to listen to the devil and have fun because…wait for it…what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
Huh? Maybe it’s just me. After all, I was on a retreat all weekend that encouraged me to live my life according to the Word of God, not according to the world. Maybe I’m just seeing the dichotomy that is all around us between what is holy and what is not. But what I saw tonight was deception at its finest. I think it’s been said that Satan’s biggest coup is convincing the world that he’s not real. That commercial is proof positive: no one who believes in a literal devil and a literal hell could produce such a spot. (It just came on again…unbelievable). The world looks at it as a cute tourist-enticing hook: “C’mon out to Vegas and indulge yourself! And don’t worry! We won’t tell a soul!” Never mind the fact that our sins, whether they are ever made known to anyone but us and God, destroy us. Never mind that they destroy families, marraiges, lives. As if we need any additional encouragement to run from reality and please ourselves!
It was a glaring, technicolor testament to the world’s motto: if it feels good, do it.
I’ll leave with this:
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
The Wading Pool 