Quoting Satan
QUOTING SATAN by CHAD MCCALLUM*
EVER LOOK AROUND THE CHURCH AND GET DISCOURAGED? I DO.
THE ENEMY SEEMS TO BE MAKING GAINS ON ALL FRONTS.
HOWEVER, CONSIDER HOW YOU'D FEEL IF YOU WERE ON THE *OTHER* SIDE -- THE ENEMY'S SIDE.
PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF ONE COMMITTED TO DESTROYING THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
TALK ABOUT DISCOURAGEMENT!
YOU'D BE THINKING SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
THESE CHRISTIANS ARE A STUBBORN LOT,
THEIR ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET RID OF.
FOR TWENTY CENTURIES WE'VE TRIED TO STOMP THEM OUT;
YET, IN SPITE OF ALL OUR EFFORTS,
THEY'VE SPREAD THEIR RELIGION TO EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD.
IT'S AN AWFULLY HARD RELIGION TO DESTROY—
YOU CUT OFF A HEAD, AND TWENTY GROW BACK.
YOU PERSECUTE THEM,
AND THEY GO UNDERGROUND
AND DEVELOP A PURER STRAIN OF THEIR RELIGION.
YOU KILL THEM, AND THEY BUILD ON THEIR MARTYR'S BLOOD.
GET THEM TO WATER-DOWN THEIR FAITH,
AND A LITTLE GROUP SOMEWHERE WILL REDISCOVER REAL FAITH AND START ALL OVER AGAIN.
THEY HAVE AN INFURIATING WAY OF REGENERATING THEMSELVES.
THESE CHRISTIANS
KNOW HOW TO TURN A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE.
THEY TURN OUR BEST-LAID PLANS UPSIDE DOWN.
GET A COUPLE OF THEIR FAMOUS RELIGIOUS FIGURES TO COMMIT ADULTERY OR VISIT A PROSTITUTE,
AND THEY'LL SIMPLY PRODUCE A THOUSAND SEMINARS AND BOOKS ON SEXUAL FIDELITY,
AND THEN THE NET EFFECT WILL BE GREATER MORALITY AMONG MANY OF THEM, NOT LESS.
IT'S JUST PLAIN DISCOURAGING!
DENOMINATIONS ARE, OF COURSE, GOOD TARGETS.
HOWEVER, AS QUICKLY AS ONE COOLS OFF,
THEY'LL START A NEW ONE.
THESE CHRISTIANS PRODUCE NEW DENOMINATIONS FASTER THAN ROACHES REPRODUCE BABY ROACHES.
IT'S THE SAME WITH LOCAL CHURCHES—
NO SOONER DO WE GET A LOCAL CHURCH TO DIE SPIRITUALLY,
AND THERE'LL BE TWO BRAND-NEW ONES CROPPING UP IN SOME SCHOOL AUDITORIUM ACROSS TOWN.
IT’S HOPELESS, I TELL YOU!
YOU ARE THE LIGHT
A FEW TIMES IN HISTORY, WE'VE PRETTY WELL GOT THE WHOLE CHURCH TO GO LUKEWARM—
BUT NOT FOR LONG.
ALONG COMES A JOHN WESLEY OR A JOHN KNOX,
AND A WHOLE NATION TURNS BACK TO GOD.
EVEN WHEN ALL OF ORGANIZED RELIGION IS WANING,
THEY'LL GO OUT AND LAUNCH A NEW STRAIN OF PURE CHRISTIANITY IN SOME RELIGIOUS ORDER
OR PARACHURCH ORGANIZATION.
MAKE 'EM POOR, AND THEY PRAISE GOD.
MAKE THEM RICH, AND SOMEONE LIKE ST. FRANCIS WILL COME ALONG AND TEACH THEM TO LIVE THE OPPOSITE WAY.
GET THEM TOTALLY ABSORBED WITH THEIR FANCY BUILDINGS AND ELEGANT WORSHIP,
AND SOME QUAKER-LIKE GROUP WILL SPROUT UP
AND REINTRODUCE A RELIGION OF SIMPLICITY AND PLAINNESS.
CLOSE ALL THEIR BUILDINGS AND LOCK THEIR DOORS,
AND THEY'LL SHRUG THEIR SHOULDERS
AND MOVE INTO HOMES, DECLARING IT AN IMPROVEMENT.
CLOSE A NATION TO MISSIONARIES,
AND THEY'LL SNEAK IN AS TENTMAKERS
AND INFECT PEOPLE ONE AT A TIME.
KICK OUT ALL THE MISSIONARIES
AND SUPPRESS CHRISTIANITY LIKE WE DID IN CHINA,
AND WHAT DO YOU GET?
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER,
WE'VE GOT SEVERAL MILLION COMMITTED CHRISTIANS WHO PRACTICE THEIR FAITH UNDERGROUND.
THEY'RE HARD TO GET RID OF, I TELL YOU.
INTRODUCE DIVISION AND STRIFE AMONG THE CHURCHES,
AND THEY'LL INVENT SOMETHING LIKE PROMISE KEEPERS
OR THESE NEW CITYWIDE WORSHIP EVENTS TO RESTORE A SENSE OF UNITY.
DIVIDE THEM, AND THEY MULTIPLY;
CREATE STRIFE, AND THEY MAKE PEACE.
OH, AND THEY'VE GOT MONEY—LOTS OF MONEY!
THEY GIVE BILLIONS EVERY WEEK!
DID YOU HEAR ME,
THAT'S "B" AS IN "BILLIONS,"
AND "W" AS IN EVERY "WEEK"!
CHRISTIANITY IS THE LARGEST SINGLE ECONOMIC ENTERPRISE IN THE WORLD,
IT DWARFS PIP-SQUEAK OUTFITS LIKE KRAFT FOODS.
MILLIONS OF THEM GIVE 10% OF THEIR INCOME EVERY WEEK—
IT ADDS UP!
JUST THINK IF NON-BELIEVERS WERE THAT COMMITTED.
AND THEY SUPPORT A ZILLION DIFFERENT ENTERPRISES:
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
TO TRAIN MILLIONS OF THEIR YOUTH,
RADIO PROGRAMS UP AND DOWN THE DIAL,
THEY EVEN OWN ENTIRE RADIO STATIONS NOW.
AND THEY SPONSOR TV PROGRAMS, BOOKSTORES, PUBLISHING HOUSES, SEMINARS, TRAINING PROGRAMS—
THEY EVEN HAVE THEIR OWN FULL LINE OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
I TELL YOU, IT’S DISCOURAGING FOR US NON-BELIEVERS AT TIMES.
AS SOON AS OUR SIDE GETS HOLD OF A NEW MEDIUM, CHRISTIANS COME RUNNING ALONG
AND SWAMP US WITH THEIR MESSAGE.
LOOK WHAT THEY DID WITH BOOKS, RADIO, AND TV,
AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE THEY’LL DO ON THE INTERNET!
WE DO HAVE ONE ADVANTAGE:
CHRISTIANS ARE EASY TO GET OFF-TRACK.
BUT THE DISCOURAGING THING IS,
ONCE WE'VE GOT EM SIDETRACKED,
A WHOLE NEW WAVE COMES ALONG
AND GETS THE CHURCH BACK ON TRACK.
IT’S AS IF THERE’S SOME INVISIBLE SPIRIT CORRECTING
AND GUIDING THEM.
IT'S DISCOURAGING, I TELL YOU!
HOW DO WE CRUSH THESE CHRISTIANS OUT OF EXISTENCE?
ROME COULDN'T DO IT.
THE DARK AGES DIDN'T DO IT.
STATE RELIGION DIDN'T DO IT.
DARWIN COULDN'T DO IT EITHER.
RATIONALISM COULDN'T.
NEITHER COULD LIBERALISM, COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, DEMOCRACY, NOR EVEN MODERNITY.
YOU CAN'T TAX THEM INTO OBLIVION
OR LEGISLATE THEM OUT OF EXISTENCE.
AND IF YOU IGNORE THEM, THEY WON'T GO AWAY.
I TELL YOU, THEY'RE HARD TO BEAT!
DIVIDE THEM AND THEY'LL UNIFY,
BEAT THEM DOWN AND THEY POP BACK UP.
CREATE STRIFE, AND THEY MAKE PEACE.
CRITICIZE THEM, AND THEY LISTEN WITH A SMILE;
HATE THEM, AND THEY LOVE YOU BACK.
TAKE THEIR COAT, AND THEY'LL GIVE YOU THEIR CLOAK, TOO.
PERSECUTE THEM, AND THEY'LL MULTIPLY;
ARREST THEM, AND THEY WITNESS TO YOU;
BEAT THEM, AND THEY SING;
KILL THEM, AND THEY SIMPLY GO TO HEAVEN!
I'M TELLING YOU, YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM!
SINCE YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM... WHY NOT JOIN THEM?
CHAD MCCALLUM SERVES AS THE LEAD PASTOR OF COMPASS CHURCH IN BYRON CENTER, MICHIGAN. CHAD AND A SMALL GROUP OF HIS FRIENDS PLANTED COMPASS CHURCH IN 2006 WITH A VISION OF SEEING THE ENTIRE REGION PERMEATED WITH THE LOVE AND MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST. CHAD RECEIVED HIS THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION FROM INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
CHAD RECENTLY STATED, "I WANT TO BE A PART OF LEADING COMPASS CHURCH INTO THE FUTURE AND HELPING OTHER CHURCHES AS WELL. BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE MY LEADERSHIP STARTS. MY SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP BEGINS IN MY HOME, WITH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN. AFTER GOD, THEY COME FIRST.".