Heightened Awareness - the devil and his ways

HEIGHTENED AWARENESS – The devil and his ways
Yesterday we talked about the schemes of the devil—how his entire purpose is to lie, steal, accuse, and destroy. Without doubt, another way he gets at us is through busyness.
Take a look~

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 cannot keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We cannot even 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 their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with 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 nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home 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. 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 music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

Fill the 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, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what is important, and they will become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly! Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Do not let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.

Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions. Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!”

It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. I guess the question is has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge!

“The Devil’s Convention” by Richard J. Enrico

One reason busyness is so dangerous to the Christian is that it crowds out God. Here is the thing: in order to stand up to the schemes of the devil, we have to be strong in the things of the Lord. As I said yesterday, Satan trades in lies, but our Lord only deals in TRUTH. Jesus said of Himself, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…” [John 14.6]

So, gird up your loins. Put some arrows in your quiver, and be ready . . . won’t you? Here’s some truth you must not be without:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5.8 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4.7

Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4.4

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5.4-5

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13.5

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Prov. 18.10 This morning, at my Downtown Prayer meeting, a friend spoke up to attest to the awesome power in the name of Jesus. (You will remember that it was Jesus himself who gave us the right and privilege to use his name in John 16) There is power in the name of Jesus Christ. Well, back to my praying friend—he is in a fiery trial that might naturally and even logically keep him awake at night with worry---but, he has learned to invoke the power in the name of Jesus to clear evil, fear, and worry from his mind. He told us of the peace God has given him, and that his sleep has been restored. Amazing . . . grace.

Finally, what’s the big deal about busyness? Isn’t it just a sign that we are vital people, doing things that matter? Maybe . . . Just take care, that your busyness does not keep you from your Lord, and spending time in His presence. The vitality and strength of your Christian existence depends on it.

Awareness of the evil one and his schemes is a good thing; however, do not dwell overlong. . . We serve the risen Lord, and we know how the story ends. The devil will get his due, residing forever in the lake of fire. Hell? Oh, that’s another story for another day.

Be blessed, dear ones. Mind your busyness, and take time to be with Jesus.

May the Lord bless you and keep you~ may the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious,

Christine

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