Greetings!
Satan's Convention
Their convention was the largest the world had ever seen. From every corner of the earth came the delegates, worried because instead of destroying the competition they themselves seemed in danger of destruction. This evening would be the keynote address by their extraordinary leader. The delegates talk to each other in hushed tones and repeatedly the hope that if anyone can turn the situation around, tonight’s speaker can!
For as long as they can remember, he has been their leader. More than that, he is the one they all want to emulate. He has both their affections and their loyalty, and has over the years become in essence their god. Thundering applause spontaneously erupts from the delegates as he appears before them and takes his rightful place at the podium. He looks out at the sea of eager upturned faces and like a politician, he feeds upon the crowd’s approval. As the ovation calms, he takes a deep breath and begins.
“Listen, you devils! You aren’t going to keep the Christians from going to their churches. They are going to go! You can’t prevent them from holding their doctrines or from saying their prayers. They are going to do it! We must change our tactics if we are to enjoy continued success.
“Time is the key, my friends. We can concede them their doctrines, their prayers, and their churchgoing if we can control their time. Time is the essential ingredient, for without this they will never find a saving connection with ‘Jesus’!” he said, spitefully spitting out the last word.
Satan went on. “Let them think they are saved, while we control their time and they are ours just as surely as those who never set foot inside a church. How are we going to do this? Simple. Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds. Encourage them to spend, spend, spend and then work, work, work to pay for it. Fill their mailboxes with catalogs full of the most enticing offers. Follow these up with credit card offers to pay for it all.
“Teach them that happiness comes from things and induce the husbands to work 8,10,12 hours a day six to seven days a week. Make them work two jobs if necessary. Make it appear a necessity for the wives to work. Tell them there is just no other way, if they are going to maintain the lifestyle they want for their families. Then get the wives to work long, hard hours coupled with the home responsibilities so they have no energy left at the end of the day for their husbands or children.
“Over-stimulate their minds so they cannot hear Jesus whispering to their consciences. Bombard their senses with music playing in every home, work place and store. Make sure that bad news hits them every day wherever they turn. Use newspapers, magazines, radio. and television, 24 hours a day.
“Corrupt the moral fabric of their marriages and their young people by placing sensual images that invite impure thoughts on billboards, in movies, newspaper or magazine covers, and of course television. Use TV talk shows to parade the most deviant members of society through their living rooms. Have them hungrily feast upon the sordid details of immoral behavior until they begin to see evil as just another alternative.
“Have them dwell on the trash, trivia, and trouble of the world. Detail the misdeeds of the rich and famous. Distract them from serious realities of life by vain hopes with sweepstakes, lotteries and gambling casinos. Fill their shelves with books, magazines and still more books. These represent time and more time spent here is less with God.
