Trick or Treat?

Halloween is the time for "trick or treat." But did you know that every day you are being offered a trick far worse than a prank and a treat far better than candy?

Don't Be Tricked!

Satan can trick you. Satan tricked Eve into thinking that eating the forbidden fruit would be good for her. "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (Genesis 3:13). He still tricks people today into thinking that doing bad things is fine—that disobeying God is all right. But Eve found out that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Your heart can trick you. Many people today believe that you should "follow your heart." In other words, "It doesn't matter what you believe, just so you believe something." They think that having a "religious experience" or a "good feeling" tells their heart that what they believe is right. That may sound nice, but it's a trick! The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9). If you are trusting someone other than Jesus, you have been tricked! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6).

Money can trick you. Everywhere you look it seems that people are doing anything they can to get more and more money. They have been tricked into thinking that money can give them happiness. It's sad to see people spend their whole lives trying to get rich, only to find out in the end that money cannot satisfy their need for happiness and peace. The Bible talks a lot about "the deceitfulness of riches" (Mark 4:19), and says "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19,20).

Sin can trick you. Maybe sometimes it seems that the people who are doing the most bad things are the ones having the most fun. Don't be tricked by such thoughts. Sin is like a fishing lure—it may look great on the outside, but there's a hook on the inside! Sin will hook you and lead you further and further away from God until your heart has become "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13).

Other people can trick you. There are lots of people speaking empty words today. They have come up with their own ideas about spiritual things which are not true. That's why God tells us "Let no man deceive you with vain [empty] words" (Ephesians 5:6). Remember, if it's not in the Bible, it's probably a trick, and will lead you down the wrong road!

You can even trick yourself. The Bible tells us what is right, but don't think that hearing or knowing the truth is good enough! God says, "Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22). You must believe what God says for yourself and act on it.

Here's The Truth!

God will never trick you. Unlike all the other things we have looked at, we know that "God … cannot lie" (Titus 1:2). Instead of telling us a lie, God's Word points out that "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). You see, our sin makes us dirty like a pair of shoes that have walked through the mud. And just like we can't walk through our own house with muddy shoes, we can't get into Heaven, which is God's house, with our sin.

God loves you. In fact, not only does He love you, but "God is love" (1 John 4:8,16). No one could ever love you as much as God does. And even though you've done bad things, He still loves you. That's why He has done the only thing that could ever wash your sins away. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who had never done even one thing wrong, to go to the Cross to suffer and die for your sins. God showed that Jesus had fully paid sin's debt by bringing Him back to life three days later. Now you can have your sins washed away by receiving what He has done for you.

God calls you. Salvation from sin is a free gift. Like any other gift, you must receive God's offer of salvation. All you need to do is tell God that you know you are a sinner, believe that Jesus died for you on the Cross, and trust Him to be your Saviour and Lord. God will hear you no matter where you are or what words you use. Then you will have the best treat of all—forgiveness of all your sins and eternal life with Him in heaven! "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36).

Source: mwtb.org

Who is the Master Illusionist? #Halloween

Illusions are fun because they challenge our sense of reality. We see them everywhere, from tricks in magic shows to special effects in movies, and can usually tell the difference between what is real and what is not.

But did you know that there are some deceptions which millions of people fall for every day? They are the work of the master illusionist, Satan, who is called “the father of lies” in the Bible (John 8:44). He has been tricking people into disobeying God since the beginning of time, and is an experienced deceiver. Have you fallen for any of Satan’s illusions?

Illusion #1:  This life is all that matters

We can get so caught up in this life that we pay no attention to eternal realities. God says that is foolish: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Illusion #2:  If it feels good, do it

Should we care about what we do? Is there such a thing as right and wrong? God says we will reap what we sow: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Illusion #3:  There is no Hell

If you start to ponder what comes after this life, Satan may try to convince you that there is nothing to worry about. God says otherwise: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Illusion #4:  Everyone goes to Heaven

Another much-believed lie is that no people will ever have to go to Hell. While it’s true that Hell was created for Satan and his angels, the Bible says that those who fall under Satan’s deceptions will go there as well: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

Illusion #5:  You’re not that bad

Every time we answer one of Satan’s lies, you can be sure that he has another one ready to go. Are we really bad enough to go to Hell? God’s Word says: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Illusion #6:  You can earn Heaven

Once we admit that we have sinned, the next lie we often fall for is that we have probably done enough good to overcome our faults. However, in God’s eyes “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good works] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). 

Illusion #7:  You’re too bad

Sadly, lots of people fall for this one, too. Yes, it’s true that we have all messed up. But it’s also true that God stands ready to help us: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Why does God want us to come to Him? Because He loves us. He loves you, and He loves me—not because we have earned it, but because He chooses to. God proved His love for us when He sent His only Son, Jesus, into the world because of our sins (Romans 5:8).

When Jesus died on the cross, He made the way for sinners like you and me to be brought back to God. Our sin was like a debt that needed to be paid; Jesus paid it. Our sin was like a sentence that needed to be served; Jesus served it. Our sin was like a burden that needed to be lifted; Jesus lifted it.

Now He is using messages like this to awaken people to their need of Him, to “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18). Don’t fall for Satan’s illusions any more. Turn to God and put your faith in someone you can trust—Jesus Christ—TODAY!

Source: mwtb.org

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Lots of people are afraid of the dark. Why is that? Why are we afraid of the dark? Some people think that when we can't see what is around us, we begin to imagine all kinds of scary things that might be out there. Plus, if something really was there, we wouldn't be able to see it.

But there is another kind of darkness which is even more scary than anything we can imagine, and just as real as anything we can see. It's the kind of darkness that the Bible talks about: the spiritual darkness that comes from ignoring or rejecting God.

Are You "In the Dark?"

Many people spend their lives "in the dark" about important spiritual things. They have not read much of God's Word, the Bible, and nobody has ever taught them what it says. Just like it's easy for us to trip over things when we walk in the dark, if someone doesn't know what the Bible teaches, their view of life "is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." ¹

The Darkness of Evil

When the Bible talks about darkness, it is usually telling us about evil. Evil is the opposite of good. Every time we do something that we shouldn't do, the Bible calls it sin. Sin, which is a kind of evil, is called the "unfruitful works of darkness" ² in the Bible.

It is important for us to remember that God is not the only spiritual being trying to get our attention and loyalty. Satan, the enemy of God, is the ultimate example of evil and darkness. The Bible warns that our greatest enemies are Satan and "the rulers of the [spiritual] darkness of this world." ³

Eternal Darkness

Any time I get scared of the dark, I think about how much worse it will be for the people "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." ⁴ The Bible says that because of our sin, we all deserve an eternity of darkness apart from God in hell. Some day He will say about many: "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." ⁵

Where Can We Find Light?

We all know that turning on a light makes the darkness go away. This is why we need to turn to God, who "is light." ⁶ Let's find out how from the Bible, which is "a lamp unto my feet, and alight unto my path." ⁷

The first thing we learn is that God is so perfectly holy that sinners cannot be with Him. ⁸ Next, it teaches us that we are all sinners. ⁹ Finally, it shows that none of the good things we try to do can take our sins away. ¹⁰ Does this mean that we are all doomed? Yes, but it's not the end of the story. Read on for the good news!

The Bible also tells us about Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who came to earth to show us the way to God, and also to make the way to God by dying as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus taught that we must all "repent … and believe the gospel." ¹¹ To repent is to tell God that you have been doing the wrong things, thinking the wrong things, and going the wrong way in your life. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again from the dead. ¹²Believing the Gospel means not only accepting it as true, but also trusting Jesus Christ completely as your Saviour.

The message of the Bible is that we can only be saved from hell, rescued from darkness, and given a home in heaven some day ¹³ because of what Jesus Christ has done. Salvation is a gift purchased by Jesus Christ and given by God to sinners like you and me who see their need of it and receive it by faith. ¹⁴

Walking in the Light

Spiritual darkness like evil, Satan, and eternal separation from God are all scary things. But when we are saved and begin to follow Jesus, we don't have to be afraid of them anymore. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." ¹⁵

Bible references: ¹ Proverbs 4:19  ² Ephesians 5:11  ³ Ephesians 6:12  ⁴ Jude 1:13  ⁵ Matthew 22:13  ⁶ 1 John 1:5  ⁷ Psalm 119:105  ⁸ Isaiah 59:2  ⁹ Romans 3:23  ¹⁰ Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8,9  ¹¹ Mark 1:15  ¹² 1 Corinthians 15:1-4  ¹³ Acts 26:18  ¹⁴ Romans 5:6-18; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9  ¹⁵ John 8:12

Source: mwtb.org