Why Satan has an easier job than God.

*Satan can win someone’s heart and soul even if they don’t believe he exists, God can’t.
*God has certain standards that must be met to please Him, Satan doesn’t.
*God has several steps that must be taken by the individual. Satan only needs one step to be 
ignored, skipped, or refused. For example: 
         *We must believe God is and that He rewards those that seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6
         *We must believe the Bible is God’s word. - Romans 10:17, Ephesians 6:17
         *We must believe Jesus is God’s Son and that He is God. - Acts 16:30-31 
         *We must believe Jesus rose from the grave. - John 20:9 
         *We must repent of our sins. - Luke 13:3,5
         *We must confess Jesus. - Acts 4:12 
         *We must obey the gospel / be born again. - John 3:7, Acts 9:6
         *We must be faithful(This opens a whole new list.) til death. - Acts 14:22 
         *We must worship in Spirit and Truth(This is another list). - John 4:24 
         *The gospel must be shared with others. - Mark 13:10 
If there is a break in any one of these Satan wins.
*God requires man to have no other gods, Satan doesn’t care how many as long as it is not God only.
*God requires sacrifice and self-control, Satan doesn’t.

The Advantage To Growing Up In A Christian Home
Part 2

In our last issue we discussed the advantage of growing up in a Christian home and how we might question those who became Christians later in life getting the same reward in heaven as we do. In this issue we want to look at detail the advantage of long lives of service to God.
Those who have lived faithful lives throughout most of their adult years have some definite advantages over those who didn’t.
The one who has lived a life of sin has many regrets in their lives. The Apostle Paul asked the Romans, “What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” (Romans 6:21) Sin takes a toll on a person’s life in many ways. Sin has ruined people’s physical health that can never be regained. Sin has destroyed people’s mind and emotions that can never be restored. Sin has taken away the livelihood of many. But, perhaps the way sins affect us most drastically is in our relationships. Not only does sin destroy our relationship with God, (Isaiah 59:2) but it also destroys our relationships with those we love on this earth.
One of the saddest things I have faced in this life is to hear people grieve over the loss of their children to Satan. Their children grew up in their home before they became Christians and were not brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) When parents become Christians later in life, after their children have left home, they deeply regret the fact that their children are not Christians and the parents often find it very difficult to reach them for Christ.
Another thing I hear often is grief over a marriage relationship which has ended in divorce. Many people divorce because they were not Christians and did not build their relationship on biblical principles. Most of the time it is too late for them to mend those broken relationships after they have become a Christian.
Alcohol, adultery, fornication, anger, jealousy, greed and any other sin can bring many regrets and sorrows into the lives of those who are not living by God’s principles. Even though the sins can be forgiven, the scars and results of the sins can affect us and those we love all of our lives and even into eternity.
So, if you have been a Christian from an early age, be thankful that you have escaped the snares of the devil that produce so much pain and sorrow in the lives of others. Also, be thankful that those who have lived a life without God, can be forgiven and become His children and have that home in heaven also.
If you are not a Christian, don’t wait any longer. The longer you wait, the more sorrow, pain and heartache you may have because of you delay in obedience to God. - LP

CAREERISM - DEVOTION TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER, OFTEN AT THE EXPENSE OF ONE’S PERSONAL LIFE, ETHICS, ETC.
 What does it mean to be successful in life? The world around us believes that success is being wealthy, having popularity, having fame, living in the right neighborhood, and driving the right car. Anyone who takes a lower stress, less time consuming job in order to spend more time with family is considered lazy or at best just not ambitious enough. I want to suggest to you that God never intended for life to be lived the way many of us do today.

The Bible tells us that anyone who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel, but what does he need to provide? The necessities of life are really not that many. Paul said that with food, and raiment we should be able to be content. I know I am not usually content with that, are you? We always want a little more than we have. Just when we think we have everything we want, some new invention or some new style comes along and suddenly, we are right back where we started. Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly, not that we might have things in more abundance.  We are driven many times by materialism that can only be fulfilled by practicing careerism. We somehow have been fooled into the belief that our lives won’t be fulfilled and our children won’t grow up ‘normal’ unless we buy everything that everyone else has. We constantly see people promoting ‘quality time’ but never ‘quantity time’. We need to have both.  I am going to start asking myself the following questions about my priorities, time, money, etc.:

1) Will this bring me closer to God or pull me farther away?
2) Will this draw me closer to my family or pull me away?
3) Will this encourage me to be moral and ethical or will it tempt me to be otherwise?
4) Will my life be better, really better, in any way because of this?
5) Will this interfere with something which would better help me in the above areas?

Not everything is clearly good or bad. Many of the things we spend our time and money on are neutral tools that become good or bad as a result of how we use them. Computers are a perfect example; they can be used for wonderful purposes like keeping in touch with family, friends and other Christians, or they can become destructive addictions that isolate us from life around us or draw us into sinful activities like pornography.

When I see how miserable the people who are supposedly successful by the world’s standards are I think to myself there must be a better way to live.  Let’s look to the Bible for guidance in life. After all God made us it wouldn’t surprise me if he knew what would make our lives worth living.
 

ATAVISM - REVERSION TO AN EARLIER TYPE
This word is not normally used in religious circles, but we are talking  about things that are dangers to the church so we must make a spiritual  application. Of course atavism in and of itself is not necessarily wrong, in  fact, at times it is a must. For example: (Rev 2:4-5) “Nevertheless I have  somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. {5} Remember  therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works;  or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out  of his place, except thou repent.” or (Mat 18:3-4) “And said, Verily I say  unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall  not enter into the kingdom of heaven. {4} Whosoever therefore shall humble  himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of  heaven.” Both of these passages refer to atavism. The Ephesian church is  told that it needs to revert to an earlier type by returning to her first  love, Christ. All men are told that they must revert to the humility and  innocence of childhood in order to enter the kingdom.

On the flip side there are any number of examples we could think of in  scripture and in our personal experience where the negative side of atavism  has reared its ugly head. The recovering alcoholic who goes on a drinking  binge, the drug addict who can’t stay clean, the new babe in Christ who  doesn’t remain faithful, or the once faithful husband who deserts his family  to ‘rediscover his youth’ are all examples of atavism. Peter warns us that  as Christians there may be some who will turn back to that former sinful  life. (2 Pet 2:20-22) “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the  world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are  again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them  than the beginning. {21} For it had been better for them not to have known  the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the  holy commandment delivered unto them. {22} But it is happened unto them  according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and  the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” Jesus said that  anyone who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back (signifying  atavism) is not worthy of the kingdom.

The good news is that God is willing, actually, desiring that those who  have fallen back into sin will return again to Him. (James 5:19-20)  ”Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; {20}  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way  shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”  (Gal 6:1) “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are  spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering  thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Are you in a condition which can be corrected by atavism? If so, change.  Are you or is someone you know on the verge of reverting back to sinfulness?  If so, encourage one another to be steadfast. Is there a case where atavism  has already taken hold? If so, follow James’ and Paul’s advice and restore  or convert that individual before it is too late.