On an episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” the mom is pressured to remove the plastic cover that’s been on the couch since it was purchased years ago. She declares it was saving the fabric of the furniture. So, very carefully and tentatively Ray, his brother and dad, slowly sit on it. I think it goes back on after they dropped food or spilled something.
Well, the original plastic that is often on big ticket items remains on for years and years over here in this country. I’ve often thought this was just silly. When I did a TV program, the new station (which has since gone off the air) had the original plastic on all the very nice, brand-new desk chairs. I joked about it with Suresh back then, and joked some more this time when I noticed various things in his house still with the original plastic. Some of it wasn’t a bad idea—like the plastic on the foot rests of the recliners. Although, since they never have shoes on in the house, maybe it’s not needed either.
On Sunday afternoon when we returned from a preaching gig, I asked my friend and ride, Rev. Sathyabal, why the plastic was still on his sun visors. He chuckled and dodged the real reason but stated that often people do this to show off their car like it is still brand–new. It can be a status symbol, he noted.
But the one vehicle I was in the Sunday before had more than 27,000 kilometers and the plastic was hanging loose and yellowed?
Humans are alike the world over. Status symbols may vary in costs and material from plastic covers to personal attire. But most people are trying to impress others about whom they think they are but really are not. It’s a ruse.
Fortunately, God sees right through the trappings and fakery into the very being of a person. He knows who you are. He knows you are a sinner; that your heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9); and you are serving your father the devil (John 8:44–45). He also knows that when you come by faith to Jesus and receive Him as your Savior that now it’s not your wickedness that God sees, but the righteousness of His Son (2 Corinthians 5:21). But still, since we are trapped in these mortal bodies and continue to sin, we, like our parents Adam & Eve, try to hide and cover it up so that He doesn’t see it or us. It doesn’t work. Oh how it must grieve Him to see us fall back into the same sin over and over again.
1 John 1:9 tells us to confess to the Lord—He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So, don’t try to cover it up or hide from Him. He sees. He knows. And He’s waiting for you to admit it, confess it and come back to him.
As far as the plastic that is on the very nice plaque given to me at the orphanage, I’m keeping it on. I like India and I want to be like my Indian friends.
We vs. I
Dan Allen
2/23/2022
Going to Hell
Dan Allen
12/14/2021
Stay Away from the Meatloaf
Dan Allen
11/6/2021
A Dog Leading the Way
Dan Allen
7/27/2021
The Speed–Breakers of Life
Dan Allen
7/10/2021
High School Reunion
Dan Allen
4/8/2021
"Skin, it's the thing that's in"
Dan Allen
3/13/2021
Emerging from a Covid Cell
Dan Allen
2/20/2021
'Twas The Real Night Before Christmas
Russell T Allen
12/17/2020
Christmas Catalogs
Dan Allen
11/14/2020
Cancel This!
Dan Allen
10/3/2020
Don't Judge By Its Cover
Dan Allen
9/8/2020
Our Plans Trumped by God
Dan Allen
9/5/2020
We Fall Down
Dan Allen
8/5/2020
Battle with a Bug
Dan Allen
7/13/2020
Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out
Dan Allen
7/3/2020
Setting the bar too low
Dan Allen
6/25/2020
Good is Evil, Evil is Good
Dan Allen
6/9/2020
Misguided Freedom
Dan Allen
6/4/2020
A Preaching Nightmare
Dan Allen
5/9/2020
Restaurant and/or Church Possible
Dan Allen
5/2/2020
A Good Dose of Cloistering Going On
Dan Allen
4/15/2020
So, Where is God in All of This?
Dan Allen
4/14/2020
I Finally Learned How to Wash My Hands
Dan Allen
4/13/2020
Fire Truck - Glory Train
Dan Allen
4/16/2019
Some Sins Seem to Do More Damage
Dan Allen
4/16/2019
The Canopy is Gone
Dan Allen
12/15/2018
Brushing Teeth with Iced Tea
Dan Allen
11/5/2018
Never in Danger, but Could Have Been
Dan Allen
11/4/2018
Another Festival
Dan Allen
11/3/2018
Cow Town
Dan Allen
11/2/2018
Dressing Down
Dan Allen
11/1/2018
#MeToo
Dan Allen
10/25/2018
All Alone Among 1.35 Billion People
Dan Allen
10/24/2018
Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?
Dan Allen
10/23/2018
Time To Be Spiritual Weather Forecasters
Dan Allen
10/22/2018
Words Change . . . But Someone Gets the Final Word
Dan Allen
9/4/2018
To Cremate or Not to Cremate
Dan Allen
7/15/2018
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Dan Allen
7/4/2018
I Finally Caught a Foul Ball . . . Sort of
Dan Allen
6/8/2018
I Can Only Imagine
Dan Allen
6/1/2018
Do Panhandlers Have Regulars
Dan Allen
4/8/2018
Can't Good Dogs Go To Heaven?
Dan Allen
4/3/2018
At the Taj . . . in pictures only
Dan Allen
1/24/2018
Cold, But Warm Inside
Dan Allen
1/22/2018
Don't Remove the Plastic
Dan Allen
1/12/2018
Put Your Big Boy Pants On
Dan Allen
1/9/2018
In the Spirit . . . or not?
Dan Allen
1/3/2018
You Could Cut It With a Knife
Dan Allen
1/1/2018
Personal Message Boards
Dan Allen
11/24/2017
Men Acting Badly, err Should We Say---Horribly!
Dan Allen
11/18/2017
History of Bible Fellowship Church of Ephrata
Dan Allen
8/29/2017
Large Crowd Diversion
Dan Allen
6/19/2017
Bikes, Bikers, and Trying New Things
Dan Allen
6/18/2017
Lessons from T-Ball for Churches
Dan Allen
6/17/2017
Authenticity of and in Jeans
Dan Allen
5/11/2017
Don't Let Me Fall
Dan Allen
4/22/2017
Have We Lost the "Awe-factor," Wonderment?
Dan Allen
4/21/2017
Bumped - Not Bumbed
Dan Allen
4/13/2017
Go Fly a Kite
Dan Allen
1/18/2017
What's In Your Bag?
Dan Allen
1/17/2017
Cultural Faux Pas
Dan Allen
1/13/2017
The Three Hour Trip Ends Up 23 Hours
Dan Allen
1/12/2017
Walking Headrest Cover
Dan Allen
1/9/2017
The Gift that Keeps Giving
Dan Allen
12/17/2016
Let's Keep Things in Perspective
Dan Allen
8/1/2015
I've Got the Nine
Dan Allen
6/26/2015
God Often Works in Mysterious Ways
Dan Allen
6/5/2015
I'm From Negadelphia
Dan
3/24/2015
Positive Spin
Dan Allen
2/16/2015