LightGrams
April 21, 2021
Volume 25, Number 15
A traveler passing through security at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport was pulled aside. His luggage didn’t raise a red flag, but his breakfast burrito did. Once the alert was issued the burrito was scanned by Xray, and a small package with crystal meth was discovered inside. Needless the say, the passenger’s itinerary changed that day.
A few weeks ago a similar report came from a local prison in our area. A shipment of lumber had been delivered to the prison, and something about it didn’t look quite right to one of the officers. A closer inspection revealed that some of the planks had been hollowed out to make compartments for packages of drugs, cell phones, etc. Though lumber is expensive, this shipment’s value was considerably higher.
Stories like this abound. Some items are considered “contraband”, illegal, for various reasons. Since there is a demand for such items, people are willing to pay more to get them. In hopes of big financial rewards, sellers get very creative in concealing their wares in order to make delivery.
Satan is the source of all dark marketing, and the spiritual market is no different. The last thing Satan wants is for the truth about salvation and righteousness to be delivered. His strategy often involves delivering lies in packaging that looks to be truth, but in fact is not true.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 presents this reality: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”
For the casual observer the teachers appear to be holy and righteous. They may be charming and eloquent. But look closely and you’ll see that what they’re marketing is not at all the word of God.
Who is to blame for such deceptions? Satan, of course, is ultimately to blame, but are we closely examining what is presented to us? In 2 Thessalonians 2:10,11 Paul spoke of some who will “perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” As a result they “believe the lie”. Do we love the truth enough that we scan it closely, making sure there is no concealed contraband in the message?
The people of Berea are described as “more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Will we be diligent about what we hear?
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2021, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “Tim@GraceMine.org” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
Permission to reproduce and/or use the messages for noncommercial purposes is freely granted provided the messages are not altered.