Here’s another thoughtful inspiration message that Reverend Mark Adams, Senior Pastor of Redland Baptist Church in Rockville, Maryland, recently shared with the members of his congregation:
A few months ago my amazing daughter-in-law forwarded an e-mail to me full of advertisements from yesterday entitled, “Print Ads You’ll Never See Again.” I chuckled as I scrolled down and gazed at actual magazine and newspaper ads from yesteryear:
- “Isn’t it time you gave yourself a Christmas gift?” – an ad from Colt (pictured above) suggesting everyone buy themselves a handgun for Christmas morning.
- “The Chef does everything but cook. That’s what WIVES are for!” – an ad from Kenwood encouraging husbands to buy their spouses the perfect gift: a new blender.
- “Cocaine Tooth Drops” – an ad from 1885 suggesting parents purchase these drops at only fifteen cents each as an instant cure for their child’s toothache pain.
- “More Doctors Smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” – an ad from the ‘60’s saying people should follow the example of their physicians and smoke Camels.
- “How television benefits children” – an ad from the ‘50’s by Motorolla encouraging parents to purchase a television for their little ones to watch as much as possible as a way of stimulating their intellectual development and social skills.
- “How Mother and Baby ‘Picked up’” – an ad from the ‘40’s talking about the benefits for mother and baby of drinking Blatz Beer. The ad says, “A case of Blatz beer in your home means much to the young mother and obviously baby participates in its benefits. The malt in the beer supplies nourishing qualities that are essential at this time and the hops act as an appetizing, stimulating tonic.”
- “Eat! Eat! Eat! And Always Stay Thin!” – an ad from the turn of the century encouraging readers to purchase and eat a “sanitized” tape worm as a way of keeping the fat off.
These humorous and shocking advertisements illustrate the ever-changing morals of our culture, while at the same time proving how unreliable the world’s wisdom actually is.
They also underscore the importance of basing life’s decisions on the Word of God, “Who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). As Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7: 24-25) Aren’t you thankful we serve a Lord Who, “…is the same, yesterday, today, and forever?” (Hebrews 13:8).
© 2013 Mark Adams
