The Deception
Are you trusting in deceptions which will forfeit your life?
INTRODUCTION
Malcolm Mouse sniffed the air and caught the scent of a really nice smell. He put his head outside his mouse hole and the beautiful aroma was even stronger. Malcolm knew what the beautiful aroma was and it caused him to become excited and his nose began to twitch with anticipation. He could smell cheese. Malcolm followed his nose and soon he came around a corner. There it was, cheese, beautiful cheese, wonderful cheese, lovely cheese, glorious cheese - but the cheese was in a trap. The trap was set. The spring was tightly wound back and the trip wire was lightly set with the biggest piece of cheese attached to it.
Malcolm saw the danger but he wanted that cheese. He must have the cheese. He remembered his friends that had been caught in traps just like this one and they never came back. Malcolm still wanted the cheese, and he began to tug at the cheese first this way and then that way. The cheese began to come loose. Malcolm thought that perhaps he could get the cheese out without setting the trap off. He kept tugging at the cheese. Suddenly off came the cheese and snap went the trap and poor silly Malcolm would never eat cheese again.
Malcolm Mouse's greatest asset was his nose, but it became his biggest problem. God had given Malcolm a healthy fear but Malcolm ignored God's gift and forfeited his life.
WHAT DOES IT PROFIT A MOUSE IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE CHEESE AND LOSE HIS LIFE?
Malcolm should have read the Bible where it says, "What
does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?"
Jesus wants us to have a good life. He said "I have come
that you may have life and that you may have it abundantly." Jn 10:10.
God does not want us to focus on riches. The book of Proverbs
states that, "So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for
gain, It takes away the life of its owners". Prov 1:19.
Jesus told a parable to illustrate this: The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So He said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
There are still many rich fools like that man, inside and outside the church. Lk 12:16-21
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS: "To Know God"
At the first Christmas, wise men travelled from the east to
find and worship the one - Jesus - who would be the King of the Jews, indeed
the King of all heaven and earth.
Wise men still worship Him today.
At the first Christmas there were ordinary working men keeping
sheep in the paddocks. Angels appeared to them singing, "Glory
to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will towards men".
They were told, "This night is born to you one who is Christ
the Lord." The shepherds went into town and found the Christ
child.
Plain working people still look for Him today.
At the first Christmas King Herod was threatened by the birth
of a babe who had greater authority than he had.
Kings and leaders are still threatened by Him today, and today
angels still sing about Him.
Jesus lived as a person, learnt a trade and practised carpentry.
He began ministry at 30, saying, "The kingdom of Heaven is
at hand." He taught people, raised the dead, healed the sick, delivered
them from demons and gave them abundant life. Then they killed
Him on a cross. He was a perfect sinless man who only helped
people. When He died on the cross He paid for your sins and mine,
and opened the door to heaven. He rose to life again on the third day. All
we need to do to get to heaven and have eternal life is to accept
Jesus Christ as our saviour.
HE IS STILL JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD, KING OF HEAVEN.
People still do not follow Jesus because the devil deceives them.
COMMON DECEPTIONS
PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY CAN GET TO HEAVEN BY DOING GOOD WORKS.
The Bible says, "For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest anyone should boast". Eph.2:8-9
Another variation of this is the notion that being righteous gets
you into heaven, but again the Bible says, "But when the
kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
His mercy He saved us." Tit.3:4-5
(If you disagree with this then have a look at Who Gets To Go To Heaven?)
TRUSTING IN SOMEONE OTHER THAN JESUS
People say, "You don't need Jesus, there are many roads to
Heaven." This is simply not so. The Bible says there is no
other name given among men by which we may be saved. Acts 4:12.
Jesus was the only sinless man ever to live.
No one else has ever died for the sins of the world.
No one else rose from the dead three days after he was buried and
defeated death, sin and the devil.
No one else has opened the door to heaven and has gone ahead to
prepare a place for us. Only Jesus Christ has done these things.
YOU DON'T NEED A GOD, MONEY IS ENOUGH
Money and things can never give you the peace of mind that a
relationship with Jesus can give you.
Money and things can be stolen by a thief, burnt by a fire,
washed away by a flood, blown away by a cyclone, buried by a
volcano, or blown to bits by a bomb. These catastrophes can never
touch the true riches of a relationship with the living God.
WHAT NOW?
Are you living for what will not last, like the man who built bigger barns?
Are you trusting in your good works which will not save you?
Are you trusting another saviour when only Jesus can help?
Are you trusting in money or things that can be stolen, burnt,
flooded, blown away buried or blown to bits?
Don't play with the deceptions or you will end up like Malcolm Mouse for eternity!