Scams

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

roboThe year was 1987 and the title of the movie, RoboCop, was futuristic and ripe with sci-fi-intrigue.  The plot of the movie told the story of Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop, who was was brutally murdered by a gang of thugs.  Murphy becomes the experimental project of a tech company and he reappears as RoboCop, a superhuman cyborg with a conscience.  

When I did a “robo” search, the Top 10 results surprised me:

  • robots
  • robocop
  • robot chicken
  • robo craft
  • roboform
  • robot vacuum cleaner
  • robotech
  • robot games
  • robotic surgery
  • robots movie

I’m not surprised by the contents of this list; however, I do wonder about the absence of “robocall.”   Consumer Reports describes robocalls as “those prerecorded, unsolicited annoyances that are invading homes every day like a swarm of gnats.”

The Federal Trade Commission receives over 150,000 complaints each month from consumers asking for relief from this technological nightmare.  It’s estimated that scams related to robocalls rob consumers of about $350,000,000.00 a year.

I’m not suggesting that the church should adopt the techniques of the gods of the robocall; however, I do marvel at their zest and zeal to promote their product.  Why is it that those who live in the shadows are so energetic in the propagation of a lie while those who walk in the light are so lackadaisical in their stewardship of the truth?

Jesus warned us of the wolves who come in sheep’s clothing:  “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The minions of darkness carefully lay a snare with the intent of trapping the naive with their lies.  Your task, is to brighten the path of the innocent, so they can see Jesus and live life more abundantly.

Think about that annual loss of $350 million.  What if we changed the scheme of things and translated that to 350 million prayers.  How would your part of the world be different if people like you would prayer more and say more about Jesus?

 

 

 

Dude, I Got A Dud

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crowdfundingA parody by Stephen Colbert reminded me of a project that projected great benefits to potential investors.  On a recent show, Colbert mocked the Vessyl smart cup. The designers of the cup claim that it can distinguish between a cappuccino or a black coffee with the added benefit of tracking your caloric intake and how much sugar and caffeine you are ingesting.

This full-of-potential-cup has hit the market half empty of promise:  It only tracks how much water you are drinking and sells for $99.

This hoopla and hype reminds me of a crowd funding project that cost me somewhere around a $100 to get 3 or 4 tracking devices.   It sounded like an inexpensive way to track an expensive or important item.  After syncing the device to a smartphone, you attach it to whatever you want to track and then monitor the location on the screen of your phone.

Since Hank, my dog, is a prized companion, I attached a chip to his collar and said, “Alright,” which Hank interprets as, and “I’m free to run.”   I watched the blip on my phone for about 10 seconds and then it disappeared.

After I whistled Hank in, I contacted the company.  I was informed that the device was for finding things like a lost set of car keys in your house, and could only track items within a short distance—10 to 15 feet not a block or two.

Projects like these offer the hope of riches, wealth, and an easier way of life, but they can be empty promises.  When I read the story about the Vessyl, it reminded me of the wise words of Solomon:

  • A greedy person is in a hurry to get rich, but he is ignorant of the loss that is about to overtake him. Proverbs 28:22
  • One man pretends to be rich but has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7

The safest investment you will ever make is not going to found on Wall Street or in in a crowd funding project, it will always be Jesus:

“I assure you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields because of Me and the gospel,  who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first (Mark 10:29-31).”