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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My son's a successful athlete. While he grew up in church, it seems that the exciting life he is now living doesn't make a prominent place for God. He is surrounded by advertisers and a crowd that doesn't think about God. Are these Satan's tactics to get him off track? -- W.F.

A: We're an obsessed society accumulating material possessions, building our bodies to impress others, worshiping money and devising ways to get more, and flaunting power and position. Our society is persuaded by sex-driven minds, where advertisers appeal to lustful eyes to sell even motor oil and cereal.

Satan is masterful at deceiving us into thinking that as long as we do good things, God will approve. The devil has even infiltrated religious services that now focus on good deeds as an acceptable replacement for living in obedience to Christ. Our culture is saturated with the worship of sports rather than worship of the Savior.

The Bible tells us that the time will come when people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of pleasure instead of lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:2-5). We are busy humanizing God and deifying man. Our idols are not statues made of gold and marble; our idols come from entertainment, technology, and fashion industries, with "self" centered in the midst.

Some years ago, a blockbuster movie came out of Hollywood titled "Children of a Lesser God." Anything other than God is less than His command for the human race, and He doesn't turn a blind eye.

One thing is certain -- Christians can pray for those who are being pulled away by the world. Most of all, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them so that they will turn back to the Lord.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2019 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.