Mar | 18 | Of Sniglets & Baglers

Key Word:- BECOME

Title:- Of Sniglets & Baglers

Mark 16:17,18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

A ‘sniglet’ is defined as a ‘word that should be in the dictionary, but isn’t!’ Sniglets are jokes in which people make up their own humorous words to define items or concepts that have no ‘official’ definition. So it’s all fun. That is, unless you’re the rapper ‘BG’ from the group called ‘Cash Money,’ who invented the general and now well-known name, which also appears in the Oxford English Dictionary by the way, for any sparkly jewellery item. Of course, I am talking about the once famed sniglet of ‘Bling Bling!’ ‘BG’ is reported to have said concerning his own little former singlet, “‘Bling Bling’ will never be forgotten, so it’s like I will never be forgotten!” Yeah, right.

These spicy little sniglets are obviously great advertising folks, eh! And with a couple of lawyers working for you, could seemingly pay exceptionally well. Maybe we should all be working on our own catchy little and fully copyrighted little sniglet!

The fast food chain, Burger King also got in on the act and used a new term to help better target its munching public and that term was the “Bagler”! A bagler is a definition for that stray french fry, which often falls to the bottom of the bag and these seemingly stray fries, are in fact, not just dropped potatoes, but rather they are misunderstood and rebellious fries, feisty little food items if you will, which have attempted to escape from their restrictive container, only to strand themselves in the depths of a brown paper bag. These baglers, the marketers are suggesting, are like you mate, just like you, you rebel burger-eating monster of a man! “Yeah baby,” cries Burger King, “have it your way!” Just to add to the marketing hype and the oh so deep suspense, apparently the first person to open the brown paper Burger King food sack and thus bag the bagler, gets the honour of being the one to quickly gobble up that even tastier rebel of a French fry, so obviously, it’s in the best interest to be the bag holder; “Or even better,” suggests BK, “to be the bag buyer!” Ah now we get it! The Burger King bagler! The coolest dude of all who buys the goods to bag the bagler. Brilliant! It’s a bit salty, but it rolls off your tongue doesn’t it? Rebellious, different, having it your way…ah advertising! You see, being the bagler, is all about me spending my money, and spending it at Burger King!

So, it’s really amazing isn’t it don’t you think? All this worldly effort to sell… well to sell… potatoes! Millions of dollars in advertising, in creative invention, in audience capturing campaigns, in hocus pocus focused marketing, to sell a piece of potato? However, it’s not actually potatoes they are selling is it, but rather the desire and need for you to put more potato down your throat, yes, they are selling a concept, an idea, a lifestyle, a product that speaks how you feel, yes that’s it, they are selling an experience! Starbucks attests to the fact that selling the experience of the coffee house is far more profitable than trying to sell the taste of their coffee! In my humble opinion of course!

Well, what about us? As Christians proclaiming the gospel, should we be so crass? Do we now have to be inventive in the selling of our ‘experience of God’ in the mass marketing place of public protestation? You betcha! Yes indeed we must do this. However, we need to remember that the public are not that easily fooled when it comes to religion. For if we foot followers of the Master cannot come up with the goods, that is, the tingly tasty, hot and hasty Christianity of the Bible, then the public shall not be at all interested in the touting of our experience of God. 
So, we need to have an authentic experience of the living God to peddle, to push, to pronounce and to proclaim amongst the populace and friends I tell you today, if we haven’t got the goods we speak of, then we’d better stay at home, for this generation is not after a set of bullet pointed propositions about God and salvation! Oh no, they want the goods and the good God who sells them. Oh God! So, we’d better give Him to them and show them what He’s got, else they’ll find their spiritual experience elsewhere. Don’t think they’re just after a little ‘sniglet’ friends, a deception, a shadow of the real thing? Oh no! They want to see us walk the talk and as we begin to do just that, I tell you the truth, that in itself will be inventive enough, that in itself will be a miracle that draws the crowds! Christians walking the talk and full of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Imagine that!

People are after an experience of God and so God Himself invites us to visit the ‘taste and see’ world of experiencing Him! Woe betide us if we are selling snake oil experiences powered by technology and boy band worship leaders. Woe betide us if we are selling the professional pantomime, Christian cutting room, visually tickling, earlobe massaging, mass-media messages of the middle ground. Woe betide us if our power is simply purchasing power and if our dynamic power supply, simply flows through an extension cord hooked into a man made socket, ‘cause I tell you, once the electricity gets turned off and our back-up batteries are dead, people will see us for what we are; an empty husk of the living thing we once tried so hard to pitifully portray. Yes, if we are going to market our experience, then it had better be the real deal. I wonder if the reason we are are so intent on marketing the Gospel is because with the absence of the real conviction and presence of God the Holy Spirit, then marketing is all we’ve got. If so, God help us.

Tell me, how are you marketing the Father? With loot of with fruit?


Listen: - “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money , Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you — The sure mercies of David.( Isaiah 55:1-3)

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 30:8)
 
Pray: - O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; (Psalm 25:2-3)