Subject: FW: AWWY - "Deadly Magic" (#3849)
A WORD WITH YOU By Ron Hutchcraft #3849 - "Deadly Magic" 2 Corinthians 4:4 Listen with RealAudio! http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/sounds/awwy/awwy3849.ram When I was a kid, I used to like to put on shows for the other kids in the neighborhood - wait a minute, am I still doing shows for the kids in the neighborhood? Well, anyway, I bought a couple of cheap books on magic back then and a little kit of magic tricks. Even at my juvenile level, I soon learned that magic wasn't really magic - it was illusions. My beginner magic book talked about this basic magician skill called "misdirection." The idea is that while you're doing the trick over here you do something that will get everybody looking over there. They said it helped to talk a lot. I knew I'd at least be good at that part. Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Deadly Magic." So one of the secrets of fooling people is to get them looking at something other than what's really going on. It's a tactic employed by someone with far more sinister intentions than some magician or illusionist - this misdirection ploy is being used to keep a lot of people from going to heaven. Maybe you, or someone you love. This deadly strategy is revealed, actually, in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 4:4. The devil is called here "the god of this age." And it says, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." Satan really doesn't want you, or anyone, to see who Jesus really is and what Jesus could really do to light up your life. So he blinds you. He keeps you from seeing Jesus - because if you ever really give yourself to Jesus, the devil has lost you forever. Of course, few people are going to knowingly follow the devil or cooperate with his plans to have them in hell forever. So Satan works his deadly magic - of getting us to look at something other than Jesus - anything other than Jesus. He may be trying that blinding, misdirecting strategy on you. Again, he doesn't care what you focus on, as long as it isn't Jesus. So maybe the deceiver's got you focused on Christians, instead of Christ - the hypocrites, the professed Christians who've hurt you, the inconsistencies of the Church. But that isn't Jesus ... and Jesus is the issue. Or maybe the devil's got you all wrapped up in your religion, even a religion that's very much about Jesus. He doesn't care - as long as your depending on your religion makes you miss Jesus. Maybe the deceiver's blinding you by getting you focused on personal spirituality ... or a career that's keeping you too busy for God. Maybe he's got you looking at your pain ... your past ... your family ... a love relationship ... the fine points of theology ... a sin you can't let go of. Satan will use anything to keep your eyes off Jesus ... to keep you from getting to that cross where God's only Son paid the awful price for your sin ... where you can finally face your sin, be forgiven of your sin, and receive the guarantee of heaven forever. But today - right now - Jesus is coming to you where you are, reaching out His hand, offering you His awesome love. The moment you die, you will know that the only thing that really mattered was what you did with Jesus. But then it will be too late to change it. Today, you can still open your heart to Him - today you can finally turn your eyes to Jesus. If you want to begin your personal relationship with Jesus, would you tell Him that right now? And I hope you'll let me know - I want to send you the booklet, "Yours For Life," that I wrote about beginning this relationship. Just let me know you want it. Satan has desperately been trying to get you to look at anything but Jesus - so he can have you forever. But today you can finally see the Light he's been trying to keep you from for so long. This is your Jesus Day! If you're not sure you belong to Jesus, and you would like to make sure today, Ron would like to send to you a free copy of the booklet, "Yours for Life: How to Have Life's Most Important Relationship." To read it online, click here: http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bounce?b=871 OR, to request your free copy of "Yours for Life," click here: http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bounce?b=872 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Discuss today's "A Word With You," post your comments, or encourage others in our new discussion forum! http://forums.gospelcom.net/view/rhm/awwy If you have been encouraged by Ron Hutchcraft's daily challenge, please forward this email along to a friend! To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit YOURS FOR LIFE: HOW TO HAVE LIFE'S MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP at: http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bounce?b=871 Or, call 1-888-NEED HIM. "A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft is a daily radio challenge, with slice-of-life illustrations and insights - providing practical help on the issues that matter most. If your local Christian radio station does not air "A Word With You," please let them know how much you value this program. Over five years of transcripts are available online, at http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/awwy/awwymenu.htm Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is a member of the Gospel Communications Network - http://www.gospelcom.net "A Word With You" is a production of: Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. Or, http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/ Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft. 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