A Letter From Hell

Once again, I find myself taking the the wisdom of Joseph Harris and putting on my blog because his article is so pertinent at this time!

 

Joseph Harris   

http://www.josephharrismagic.net/rnd/id3.html

I realize among conservative Bible believers and most fundamentalists, Clive Staples Lewis is not a staple in their literary diet. I certainly do not agree with or endorse everything from his pen, however, “The Screwtape Letters” stand alone as genius. This work is an account of an experienced demon instructing his novice demon nephew in the ways of sabotage and subterfuge against Christianity. Below is my version of a Screwtape letter.

My Dear Wormwater,

This is just a note of encouragement for you in your ministry. I have been hearing good reports of your evangelism for our master. Your massive, intense campaign undertaken over the past 40 years has been fruitful. It is evident that lives have been changed, families transformed, churches altered, and society affected as a whole. I notice as you have used phrases such as “reaching this generation” and “discovering felt needs”, people have been encouraged to “make a decision” for our lord. Cunning is your prestidigitation indeed.

Changes in your converts are manifested in lifestyles, churlish attitudes, dress, and worship. As a demon in training, you have excelled in converting the church in your outreach program. In bringing the unconverted to our master’s ways, many churches now look, act, talk, think and dress like the world. Instead of the church reaching the world, we have successfully reached the church with the world. The majority of churches today feel the pressure to conform to new and modern standards, with only a few still holding on to “the old paths”, as they like to say. How thorough is your work. I commend you for focusing on burning the forest, not just cutting down a couple of trees.

Your “methods change, but the message remains the same” mantra was a stroke of genius. It has beguiled many unsuspecting churchmen into introducing worldly devices into their ministries and worship services they might not otherwise have tolerated. Your perfidy is unmatched. Our father below may even take note of your progress, if your perseverance is relentless.

Man has an insatiable desire to worship. Your mission is to always encourage worship, but incorporate small changes that steer incrementally away from their “worship in spirit and truth”, with the appearance of focusing on the enemy (and always cloaked in stained glass language), yet creating a god for them to worship who is strikingly similar to their divine, yet unmistakably different.

Patience, my dear Wormwater, patience. One cannot eat a whole elephant in one meal, but even the largest pachyderm can be ultimately consumed one bite at a time. Resist the temptation to change the enemy overnight, but continue with small bites.

Your affectionate Uncle and Demon mentor,

Slewtape (Joseph Harris)

http://www.josephharrismagic.net/rnd/id3.html

Jesus and the Syrophoenician

 

“And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs,” Mark 7:28.

 

One day during Jesus’ earthly ministry, a Gentile woman humbly came to Jesus begging Him to heal her daughter who was demon possessed. Jesus responded with a statement meant to test her faith, instructing her that His immediate task was to enlighten and correct the wayward Jews and that it was not time to begin His ministry to the Gentiles. “Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs” (Mark 7:27). The woman’s response was remarkably humble and persistent.  She said, “Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs” (verse 28).  When Jesus saw the woman’s faith, He honored her request and healed her daughter. Jesus was focused on the task at hand but was available to extend grace and healing to this woman.  She believed He had the power to heal, and she persisted in faith.

 

We have all been in situations that seemed hopeless. Like the distraught Syrophoenician woman, we must come to the realization that we are absolutely helpless to control our circumstances and in desperate need of God’s intervention. Similarly, we should come to Him with humble persistence, acknowledging that it would only take a few “crumbs” (verse 28) of God’s power to deliver us in our times of need. Jesus honors the simple, persistent faith of those in need.

 

 

JUST A THOUGHT

 

Will you come to God today in simple, persistent faith?

 

 

Mark Clements

 

 

Demons Believe in God

 

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble,” James 2:19.

 

 “They [the demons] cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:29). 

 

Like the demons, I believed in Christ a long time before I was saved.  I believed He died to pay for my sins, but if I had died before I was fifteen years young, I would have gone to hell as an unbeliever.  One can believe that Jesus Christ was a historical person who died on the cross to pay the cost of people’s disobedience. That kind of belief will not save the sinner’s soul. Salvation only comes after repentance of sin, asking forgiveness and asking Christ into one’s life, total surrender, depending on nothing else but Jesus’ sacrifice.

 

Satan and his demons know they have only a short time to build Satan’s kingdom. Satan is not omnipresent, but he has enough demons who know his agenda to aggravate every one of us. In Ezekiel 28:11-19, God teaches that Satan was created full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. He was created the most beautiful, talented angel. God never took that wisdom and beauty from him. His demons use the devil’s music to trap souls for hell. Polls tell us that young people get their culture and attitudes from their music. James said, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). However, resisting is a conscious act, and Satan hypnotizes the mind with his musical vibrations, then plants wretched lyrics in the mind which forms the character of young people and adults.  Try listening to good Christian music for a week and see if it does not make a world of difference because you receive a different message of peace and salvation.

 

 

JUST A THOUGHT – One must trust Christ if he wants to be saved.

 

Robert A. Brock