# 264: Trickery

Just about everywhere we turn, the general public has been, and is still being, deceived. We are so used to it that we accept it without grumbling. Since I don’t travel in other countries, I can only speak of how Americans are tricked. It is big business and even small business, along with many religions that have been pulling the wool over our eyes.

Prime examples: They make the size of many products smaller by a few ounces or a few inches and still charge the same price; cigarettes are wrongly sold as “light” and “low-tar”; we are pawns to the oil industry; the big corporations charge whatever they please to make more billions for their stockholders; additives may make food taste great, but are not good for us; medicine that may alleviate the discomfort but has detrimental side effects; most commercials lie or exaggerate concerning their products; many things that are sold to consumers are things that we don’t really need, but their ads make us believe we need them; many operations are not necessary and could be cured by natural means, yet they tell us we must be operated on. It seems like everywhere we go, there is someone trying to trick us out of our hard-earned money. Why is it so easy for us to be tricked? Why do many of us believe we are right, while we think others are wrong, including this author?

Retailers get us into their stores with cheap, undesirable products, with the hope of selling us the expensive, top-of-the-line products. These gimmicks have been going on since retail stores had their beginning. And we, for the most part, still fall for their tricks.

I believe one of the most pervasive ruses is commercials on TV. I realize there are some of us who are not so smart and fall for their deceptive advertising, but sellers must think we are all stupid, and that may be true to some degree.

I truly believe the most deceptive of all the tricks played on us is by run-of-the-mill religions. The one thing that is blatantly misleading, which they have been playing on us since the fourteenth century, is to make us believe that going to church every Sunday, paying our tithe, singing a Christian song or two, going to Sunday school, and being good all week are the only duties of disciples of Christ. This gathering together on Sunday stems from the verse in Hebrews 10:25. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing." Of all the commands in the New Testament, this one, by all means, may be the easiest to obey.

The only thing is, keeping that command does not negate the keeping of hundreds of other commands that are also to be obeyed. Many of them, which go against our sinful human nature, are not mentioned by the majority of denominations. And that is where this Biblical blog comes to the rescue.

Let me start by stating that when obedience to Biblical commands is unknowingly ignored or knowingly and blatantly disobeyed, the result will nullify faith in Christ Jesus and even God’s grace. Without obedience, anything and everything that is done or believed in for the cause of Christ is done in vain. Although this is a hard statement, it makes as much Godly sense as “one and one are two.” And that is the trick that is being pulled over all who don’t know what is taught in the New Testament. Most, if not all, who are aware of what is openly taught in God’s Word, and at the same time discount what the clergy so adamantly preach, will vividly see the trickery. Hebrews 5:9. ". . . he [Jesus Christ] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

And the reason for this trickery, as I have said dozens of times in this blog, is to keep a tight reign on the souls and pocketbooks of naive/gullible people.

The main reason is that, even with this knowledge of how deadly disobedience is to Christ’s teaching, it is most likely that to obey the holy commands that rub against our easy Christian lifestyle will not be adopted. I am talking about the commands that seem absolutely absurd, like those that teach to love our neighbor as ourselves, which means we would actually sell our possessions and give to the poor. There are many, many verses that teach this divine principle. Luke 12:33-34: "Sell your possessions and give to the poor [Why?]. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 16:15. "What is highly valued among men [money] is detestable in God’s sight." Luke 18:22. "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Even with all these Scriptures and many more, there is a seemingly legitimate, churchy alibi (make-little-of) for every one of these verses. For instance, in this last verse, they (the clergy) say that Christ was talking specifically to the rich young ruler, and didn’t mean all of us, and so on.

With eyes wide open, churchgoing people are being tricked, tricked and tricked at every turn with sweet words of acceptance. Not every person who claims to be a Christian (disciple of Jesus Christ) will be able to be obedient to these hard-nosed Biblical teachings. The reason is because Christ-like ones do not have their own interests at heart but also interests of the spiritual and physical welfare of others. 1st Corinthians 13:5 (The apostle Paul describing what real Godly love is): ". . . love, it is not self- seeking." That principle will separate genuine Christians from the fakes. Again, I am saying this: Loving others at one’s personal expense will not be an easy thing to live by; in fact, it may be the most difficult challenge anyone will ever be confronted with. Are you and I ready to live in that fashion? I can hear loud cries of "Leave us alone; we don’t want to hear all this stupid stuff. We are going to let it go in one ear and out the other, and stay in the same pleasant churches we’ve belonged to for years.”

What I am wondering is how many of the above- mentioned people, who claim to be Christians and regularly go to church, are being tricked into silently calling God’s love stupid as it is presented in Scripture; I mean those who do not possess the Spirit of the living God. Without that powerful Spirit, it would be stupid and impossible for anyone to attempt to live as God’s Spirit inspires and commands. Here is a verse that says it all: Romans 8:9. "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." I think the way the hierarchy and other church leaders get around that verse is to somehow persuade the laity that they have the Holy Spirit, even with no convincing evidence of faith, love and obedience. That is a crime that will not go unpunished and will bring the severest punishment possible.

This is how anyone can know for certain that they actually are possessed by God’s Holy Spirit, other than just saying they have the Spirit: when their main focus in life is in Jesus Christ and all that He stands for, which means their thoughts and actions are being guided by the Holy Spirit. If this criterion seems too tough, it is never to late to pray to God that He will give you the desire and power to receive the Holy Spirit. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free of all the trickery that has engulfed many sincere people.

In conclusion, it is a crying shame that trickery and lies, with their enticing powers, are wining over the truth of the Gospel. To fight that prevalent deception, this Biblical blog has been fighting tooth-and-nail to win as many bloggers as possible to the truth of the Word of God, and with nothing more than words from the Christian Bible.