October 3, 1999 Humble Messenger

The Devil's Convention    (Author unknown)
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 them from reading their Bibles and 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 relationship 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 and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent un-numbered schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10-12 hours 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."

"Over stimulate 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, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical, contradicting music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to Amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and 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 and family 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 and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge.

How about this definition of Busy:

Being Under Satan's  Yoke

Wow huh, makes one think!..

Satan's goal is to take our minds and hearts off Christ then steer us toward the cares of the world.

God wants us to enjoy life but He must be first.

If we are too busy for God, then we are too busy.

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"and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." Mark 4:19, NASB.

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News of Interest
Steve and Pat Fontenot are out of town this week. Mike Head will teach the Sunday morning auditorium class. Kris Emerson will preach Sunday morning and Larry Legg will preach Sunday evening. David Osteen will teach the Wednesday evening auditorium class.

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The Day the Scientists Voted
Does it bother you to hear that "all" reputable scientists hold to evolution and deny creation? Is it upsetting when a picture is painted that portrays evolution as a "fact" that no reputable scientist would deny?

Fact: Not all scientists, either now or in the past, believed in (yes, believed - it is a faith - it has not and cannot be demonstrated empirically) evolution. Reputable scientists both past and present can be found who believed in the creation of the world and man by the Almighty God.

Fact two: Truth is not determined by counting noses, even if the long noses of scientists. Truth  can be ascertained by historical testimony and by examination of empirical evidence. Evolution has but its interpretation of the empirical evidence. Creation also can appeal to empirical evidence - a different interpretation of it. But creation also has historical testimony. If Moses was a prophet of God and if Jesus was the Son of God, their testimony confirms the creation of the world and man as recorded in Genesis.

If you would like to pursue further this conceited but sandy foundation of evolutionists' approach, there is an excellent tract available in the foyer, "The Day the Scientists Voted," by Bert Thompson, Ph.D. You may find it useful, not only for yourself, but for someone else who may be intimidated by the boastful claims of evolutionists.

(If this tract is not on the file cabinet in the foyer, or you would like to have more to distribute, there are probably more available in one of the file drawers. If we are out, let one of the elders or deacons know.) srf

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SCHEDULED TO SERVE
Wednesday, Oct. 6
Song Leader:

Sunday AM, Oct. 10
Announcements:  Kris Emerson
Song Leader:
First Prayer: Larry Legg
Lord's Table:
Bread: David Osteen
Fruit of  the Vine: Charles Tu
Contribution: John Whitehead
Assistant: Arthur Wilborn
Closing Prayer: Tod Aldridge

Sunday PM, Oct. 10
Song Leader: Boyd Hurst
First Prayer: Mark Ary
Lord's Table:
Bread: Mike Head
Fruit of the Vine: Derek Huddleston
Contribution:
Closing Prayer: Fred Ferguson