Today is Halloween! I was just now standing out on the front porch in the dark of early morning, as hubby drove away to work … when suddenly, off in the trees just beside the house there was a high-pitch call of an owl!
It was the coolest thing ever!
I have never heard an owl this close-up before! There were three distinctly different parts of the call. It started out with a high-pitch … which eventually settled out into the lower “whoo-whoo” at the end. It was really cool!
This, for sure, was my “treat” for Halloween!
In keeping with the festivities and celebrations of today, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the greatest “Trick-or-Treat!!” case studies in the history of the world!
In the very beginning … when the world was brand-new and just made by God, a “trick-or-treater” showed up in the beautiful Garden of Eden.
Here you can see a “trick-or-treater” in the “garden” of my pot of mums. This “trick-or-treater” is in disguise. Deception is going on.
In the beautiful Garden of Eden, the serpent showed up in disguise. Deception was going on. He was actually the dragon, Satan, who had been defeated in Heaven … and cast out of Heaven! But in the Garden of Eden, he looked about as harmless as the little cat in the pumpkin.
“Trick-or-treat!!”
“Check out that tasty, sweet fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil! Mmmm – mmmm! Doesn’t that look good!!”
Eve, our very first mother of all humanity, didn’t know anything about evil. She didn’t know anything about pain or suffering. She didn’t know anything about lies or deception.
All she knew was that God had told her and Adam that they could have anything in the entire garden … except the fruit from that one tree!
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil …
… that would open up their minds to evil! That would open up their minds to know about pain and suffering! That would usher in lies and deception and sin!
Eve responded to the slyly disguised “trick-or-treater” dragon – “God said we can’t have that fruit.”
“Trick-or-treat!!”
“God is tricking you! God knows that fruit will make you just like God himself! Oh, look how delicious and tasty it is! Wouldn’t it be absolutely delicious to know what that treat tastes like?!”
“Go ahead! Have a bite! You deserve it. You know you’ll like it.”
But the trick was on Eve!!
Not only was Eve tricked … but Adam, our very first father of all humanity, was tricked too!
It was a nasty horrible trick!
Evil was ushered into the beautiful perfect world God had made! Pain and suffering came rushing in! Lies, and hate, and deception!
Humanity was immediately separated from God by sin!
And the slyly camouflaged dragon of evil threw off his costume and danced in glee!!
Time passed …
… Evil spiraled out of control on Earth!
… Humanity suffered from their sin!
… All of Creation groaned underneath the curse of sin!
Then one day, Jesus Christ left Heaven and came down to Earth.
“Hmmmm … is this a trick???” the evil dragon wondered.
“Well, I’ll trick you right back!!” … the evil dragon tricked King Herod into killing/murdering all the baby boys under the age of 2 yrs. (Matthew chapter 2)
“That will take care of you!” the evil dragon thought.
But the trick was foiled. The little child Jesus was spared.
Time passed – 30 years passed.
Jesus grew up.
He began to do signs, wonders, and miracles. Jesus healed the sick. Jesus calmed storms and controlled nature. Jesus cast out demons. Jesus raised the dead back to life. Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven.
“What trick is he up to???” the evil dragon wondered.
“Whatever it is, I’ll trick you right back!!” … the evil dragon tricked Judas Iscariot into betraying Jesus. The evil dragon tricked the religious leaders into crucifying/murdering Jesus.
Innocent, perfect Jesus … God himself … was hung on a cross and he was crucified!
And the evil dragon danced in glee!!
“Trick-or-treat!!”
“Wait!?? What?!??” the evil dragon panicked!! “Jesus has just taken possession of death and hell! That’s not supposed to happen!!”
“He’s leading a victory procession … that’s not supposed to happen!”
“He’s taking back the captives … that’s not supposed to happen!”
The trick’s on you Satan! “Trick-or-treat!!”
Jesus said: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” – Revelation 1:18
“When Jesus ascended on high, he led captives in his train.” – Psalm 68:18
“Death has been swallowed up in victory! Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? … But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
“None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” – 1 Corinthians 2:8
“Trick-or-treat!!”
The trick is on Satan!
The treat is for all humanity!
The greatest treat in the history of the world has now been made available to all humanity!! Freedom from sin! Freedom from the curse! Freedom from evil!
Just like back in the Garden of Eden, the relationship with God can be restored once again!
What an amazing treat!!
Do you want this treat?
It’s available to you … for free!
Just ask.
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10:13
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” – John 20:30-31
