DECEPTION

     When I was a young child, I believed in Santa Claus.  I had my dream list in my head, and each year, on December 25th, my dream list was under the Christmas tree.  The evidence of my belief was in the fact that my wish had been delivered as well as the evidence that Santa had helped himself to the cookies and milk we had left for him, and he even wrote a note!  On that day, too, I dealt with the fact that it would be another whole year before Santa would return; and for me, at my age of life, a year was like an eternity.  But I waited.  The following December, right on schedule, Santa visited our home again.  And I was thrilled!
     Santa was also a visitor at our school during Christmas plays and he even came to church for an appearance during Christmas plays.  I knew enough to know that Santa, in these circumstances, were men dressed like Santa and they were only playing make-believe.  They were not the real Santa, for after the plays they took off their masks.
     About the time I was seven years old, my older brother told me something that I could not believe!  He told me that Santa was not real and that our parents were leaving the gifts, eating the cookies, drinking the milk.  To this day, I can still remember the shock I experienced.  Not only was I shocked, but I was also stunned and perhaps even dazed.  This can't be real, can it?  No Santa Claus?  I accepted this truth, however, and life went on as I, too, became a pretender as well as a perpertrator of the deception of Santa Claus.
     The moral of this story is this:  if you tell a child a lie, often enough and long enough, the child will believe it as truth.  As he believes the lie, he will also walk in the lie, live the lie, and tell others.
     In the world in which we live, there are many deceivers.  They are just like Santa Claus except for their clothes.  They dress like us, walk like us, talk like us.  In the United States and around the world, they are in governments, education, business, finance, banking, and also in our churches and religious institutions.  They wear nice suits, dresses, shine their shoes, comb their hair, and even add cuff links.  Many of them also wear priestly garments.  They are highly educated and have smooth tongues.  And their lies actually sound like truth.
     Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."  (Book of Matthew 7:15)
     The difference between deceivers and Santa Claus is the fact that deceivers do not take off their masks.  How, then, shall we know them?  By researching for truth; and when you seek the truth, you shall find it.  The truth may stun or even shock you, but at least you will know the truth.
     Even now, there are false prophets among us.  They are on television, on the radio, they write books and magazines.  They are in the United States and around the world.
     Be not deceived, however, for we shall know them.