|
|
Topic: Devil, Temptation
Satan called a worldwide convention.
In his opening address to his evil angels, he said,
"We can't keep the Christians from going to church.
We can't keep then from reading their Bibles & knowing the
truth.
We can't even keep them from conservative values.
But we can do something else.
We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding experience
in Christ.
If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them
is broken.
So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles,
but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus
Christ.
This is what I want you to do, angels.
Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior & maintaining
that vital
connection throughout their day."
"How shall we do this?", shouted his angels.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life & invent unnumbered
schemes
to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then, borrow, borrow, borrow.
Convince the wives to go to work & the husbands to work
6 or 7 days a
week, 10-12 hrs. a day, so they can afford their lifestyles.
Keep them from spending time with their children.
As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape
from the pressures of work.
Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still
small voice.
Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they
drive, to
keep the TV, the VCR, & their CD's going constantly in their
homes.
And see to it that every store & restaurant in the world plays
music
constantly. This will jam their minds & break that union
with Christ.
Fill their coffee tables with magazines & newspapers.
Pound their minds with the news 24 hrs. a day.
Invade their driving moments with billboards.
Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order,
catalogues,
& every kind of newsletter & promotional offering, free
products,
services, &false hopes.
Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.
Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted
& unprepared
for the coming week.
Don't let them go out in nature.
Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts &
movies instead.
And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in
gossip &
small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences &
unsettled emotion.
Let them be involved in soul-winning.
But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time
to seek
power from Christ.
Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their
health
& family unity for the good of the cause."
It was quite a convention in the end.
And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing
Christians
everywhere to get busy, busy, busy & rush here & there.
Has the devil been successful at his scheme?
You'll be the judge.....