The Perfect Gift
Letter Size Tract, Tri-fold
Copyright © 2005 James L. Melton
Suggested Donation: 10 cents each
(Printed in red and green Christmas colors, this tract is heavily used at Christmas parades, shopping malls, etc.)
Every year hundreds of millions of people around the world shop for countless hours in hopes of finding the perfect Christmas gifts for their loved ones, but seldom are such gifts found. Most people will grow tired of their presents in a very short time, and many presents will even be returned to the retailers for exchanges or refunds. Many children will have their new toys broken before New Year’s Day, and many parents will also have broken bank accounts. Although much can be said for the good cheer and warm-heartedness of the holiday season, it is far from perfect. In fact, many people hate to see it come and will be glad when it’s gone.
Then there are others who never worry themselves over the stressful holidays because they’ve already found the perfect gift. They know that the Bible says in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” The perfect gift cannot be purchased at any retail outlet or on any web site because the perfect gift comes from God only. In John 3:16, the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Can you think of a more perfect gift than to freely receive everlasting life—to live forever without sin, pain, sickness or danger? Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Year after year people give to one another material gifts that will only last for a limited period of time, but God offers to everyone an eternal gift, the gift of salvation from sin, death, and hell through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s gift lasts forever.
We all inherited our fallen sin nature from our original ancestor, the first man, Adam. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
It wasn’t your fault that you inherited a sin nature, and God knows that, so He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem you from your fallen condition. Just as a good doctor would cure some physical sickness that you might have, God is the Great Physician who has the cure for your sin problem. As someone has so rightly said,
Life is short;
Death is sure.
Sin is the curse;
Christ is the cure.
Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, lived a sinless life and then shed His sinless blood and laid down that life as a payment for your sins. He died, was buried, and then He rose again on the third day so that you could have a living Saviour offering to you eternal life, an everlasting cure for your sin disease.
If you were presently dying of a terminal disease and then someone cured you of your illness, would you not count this Christmas your greatest one ever? Would you not count your gift of life to be the greatest gift anyone could have given you? Well, friend, you are terminally ill. You are sick with sin, and only Jesus Christ can heal you. Jesus Himself once said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17) God wants you to repent of (turn from) your sins and receive His free gift of salvation. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
You see, Jesus Christ is a GIFT to you from God the Father. You must receive Him just as you would receive any other gift. You cannot earn salvation because it is a gift, and a gift is to be received, not earned. Many today think they will escape the damnation of Hell simply because they have been baptized, are faithful church members or are doing certain works to merit their salvation, but such peo-le are sadly mistaken. Nobody can do a better work than Jesus Christ has already done, so our salvation rests in fully trusting Christ, not in doing religious things.
Friend, have you received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? Buddha cannot save you because he is dead. Mohammed cannot save you because he is dead. Mary cannot save you because she is dead. You cannot save yourself because you are a sinner who will die. Jesus Christ conquered sin and death, so only Jesus Christ can save you. Why not call upon Him right now? Confess that you are a lost and hopeless sinner in desperate need of His saving grace.
God’s word has a precious promise for you in Romans 10:9-10. Here the Bible says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Don’t insult God by rejecting His free gift. After all, God’s gift is the most perfect gift anyone has ever offered to you. Receive that gift! Repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour today and make this your best Christmas ever.
Santa Claus & Satan’s Cause
Letter Size Tract, Tri-fold
Suggested Donation: 8 cents each
The modern-day Santa Claus is an American version of Saint Nicholas, a fourth century Roman Catholic bishop from Asia Minor who was noted for his good deeds and gift giving. This tradition first spread throughout Europe, and then found its way to America by the early Dutch settlers.
Since God's word warns us to BEWARE of tradition (Col. 2:8), we shouldn't be surprised to find the Devil right in the middle of the world's most celebrated holiday. Lucifer's desire has always been to dethrone God and exalt himself (Isa. 14:12-15). He desires worship (Luke 4:7; II Ths. 2:3-4). Perhaps you've never thought of it, but please note how Satan robs the Lord Jesus Christ of His glory by spreading the Santa Claus tradition...
SANTA IS ETERNAL
A child knows nothing of his beginning. To a child, Santa has just always existed.
JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8)
SANTA LIVES IN THE NORTH
Tradition holds that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, a place ABOVE the rest of us.
JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN THE NORTH
"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." (Psa. 48:2)
SANTA WEARS RED CLOTHING
Santa wears a red furry suit.
JESUS CHRIST WEARS RED CLOTHING
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Rev. 19:13)
SANTA HAS WHITE HAIR
Santa is always pictured as an old man with white hair like wool.
JESUS CHRIST HAS WHITE HAIR
"His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;" (Rev. 1:14)
SANTA FLIES AROUND GIVING GIFTS
Santa has the ability to defy the laws of gravity and fly around giving gifts to people.
JESUS CHRIST ASCENDED AND GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN
"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." (Eph. 4:7-8)
SANTA IS COMING SOON
During the Christmas season it is emphasized over and over that "Santa is coming".
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON
"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20)
SANTA IS OMNISCIENT
Children are taught that Santa "knows when you've been good, and he knows when you've been bad".
JESUS CHRIST IS OMNISCIENT
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Pro. 15:3) "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Mat. 9:4)
SANTA IS OMNIPRESENT
Santa must be omnipresent, because he has the ability to visit over a billion homes in a twenty-four hour period. That's over 1100 per second!
JESUS CHRIST IS OMNIPRESENT
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mat. 18:20)
SANTA IS OMNIPOTENT
He has the ability to carry presents for over a billion children.
JESUS CHRIST IS OMNIPOTENT
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Mat. 28:18)
SANTA HAS SPIRIT HELPERS CALLED ELVES
Webster, 1828: "ELF...a spirit, the night-mar; a ghost, hag, witch"
JESUS CHRIST HAS SPIRIT HELPERS CALLED ANGELS
"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." (Mat. 4:11)
SANTA - SANAT - SATAN?
Sanat Kumara is worshipped by some new age groups as God. H.P. Blavatsky, the mother of the new age movement, said on page 350 of her book, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. 2: "The name isn't important. It is the letters". "Santa" has the same letters as "Satan"! According to G.A. Riplinger, "Ole Nick" is listed as the name of a fallen angel in the Dictionary of Fallen Angels. (New Age Bible Versions, Gail Riplinger, pg. 53)
Friend, don't glorify Satan by giving the glory and attributes of Jesus Christ to Santa Claus! Santa is a COUNTERFEIT GOD, and you are honoring Satan when you teach your children to believe in Santa! Christians should teach their children the TRUTH. We should glorify God by teaching our children about Jesus Christ and His saving grace!
If you've never received Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, we would love to send you a free copy of Understanding God's Salvation Plan.
Dear Santa
Letter Size Tract, Tri-fold
Copyright © 2005 James L. Melton
Suggested Donation: 10 cents each
Dear Santa,
This year for Christmas I just want the truth;
Come clean, if you will, and stop deceiving our youth!
Isn’t it true that only Jesus knows
When we’ve been good or bad, Santa, isn’t it so?
And all of that hype about presents for everyone,
You know the greatest gift is God’s beloved Son!
And, Santa, are you really coming in the sky,
Or will it be Jesus in the twinkling of an eye?
And that home in the north of which you tell,
Why, it’s really God’s throne, and your home is Hell!
That’s right, Santa, you’re Satan in disguise;
Folks could see it in your name if they’d open their eyes!
So, come on, Santa, let’s have the real story,
Just rip off your mask and give God the glory!
A child of Jesus
Friend, don't glorify Satan by giving the glory and attributes of Jesus Christ to Santa Claus! Santa is a COUNTERFEIT GOD, and you are honoring Satan when you teach your children to believe in Santa. Christians should teach their children the TRUTH. We should glorify God by teaching our children about Jesus Christ and His saving grace. If you are not a Christian, you should become one, and you should teach your children to believe in Jesus. Children need a real God, not the worldly, make-believe Santa.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ has come and PAID for your sins by shedding His own blood on Calvary. By receiving Him as your Saviour, you can be WASHED from all your sins in His precious Blood (Rev. 1:5, Col. 1:14, Acts 20:28, I Pet. 1:18-19).
Notice these important words from Romans 5:8-9: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Friend, Jesus Christ PAID your way to Heaven. By receiving Him as your Saviour, you will be receiving God's ONLY means of Salvation for you. Are you willing to forsake YOUR righteousness and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your ONLY HOPE for Salvation?
Romans 10:13 says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Why not pray right now and ask the Lord to come into your heart and cleanse you from all sin? Then tell your children about someone far greater than Santa!
If you've received Christ as your Saviour, start attending a Bible-believing church. Submit to believer's baptism, and become a faithful church member. Read your Bible and pray daily. Keep Jesus Christ FIRST in your life, because He kept YOU first on Calvary's cross.
Should Christians Observe Halloween?
Pocket Size Tract, Tri-fold
Copyright © 1997 James L. Melton, Revised 2005
Suggested Donation: 4 cents each
The Origin of Halloween
The idea of observing October 31st as a holiday originated with the ancient Celtic priests, called "Druids", around 300 B.C. The Druids lived in the area between Great Britain and Germany. Their new year began on November 1st, so October 31st was set aside to worship the god of the dead at the festival of Samhain. October 31st was the Celtic New Years Eve, the time for their Festival of Death.
The Druids believed that the god of the underworld gathered all the souls of the past year's dead on this night. These souls had been confined to the bodies of various animals to atone for their sins. Animal sacrifices and even human sacrifices were carried out. This practice was observed until around 61 A.D. when it was outlawed by the Romans. However, some animal sacrifices were still practiced as late as 400 A.D.
The Druids taught that the spirit world was closer to the earth on this night than at any other time, and that "the gods" would even appear on this night to play tricks on people.
Pope Bonoface III, in the seventh century, set aside May 13th as "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day" as a time for Roman Catholics to honor all known dead saints. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III moved the date to November 1st which conveniently merged "All Hallows Day" and "All Hallows Eve" with the Festival of Samhain.
This custom wasn't much observed in America until the 1840's when large numbers of immigrants came over from Ireland and Scotland.
The Pagan Customs and Characters
Halloween is filled with all sorts of pagan characters and customs that Christians need to avoid.
The black cat, for example, was believed by the Druids to be evil spirit friends of witches, and even witches themselves. These cats were often kept in wicker cages and burned in animal sacrifices.
Witches are worshipers of Satan, and they are an abomination to God (Exo. 22:18; Deu. 18:10-11). Why would a God-fearing Christian want to dress-up their child like something that God hates?
Scary masks were worn by the Celts to scare away evil spirits. The jack-o-lantern was used for the same purpose, although the idea likely originated with the beheadings carried out by the Druid priests. So, the original jack-o-lantern was probably a human head!
What the world thinks of as "ghosts" are not the spirits of dead people, but rather EVIL spirits which we are warned about in the Bible (Lev. 19:31; 20:27; II Kgs. 23:24; Mat. 10:1; Mar. 3:11; Acts 8:7; Rev. 16:13). Why would a Christian want to decorate their home with such wickedness? Does God want you to dress your child up like an evil spirit?
Even the orange and black colors of Halloween have a wicked origin. At the Druid Festival of Death, huge bon fires were used for offering human and animal sacrifices. So the colors of the night were orange flames glowing in the dark.
Trick-or-treating finds it's origin in the custom of peasants going house to house begging for money to purchase necessities for a feast for Muck Olla, the Druid sun god. A blessing was promised to generous givers, while threats were often made to those who were stingy.
Apple bobbing probably comes from the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. This festival was merged with the festival of Samhain after Rome conquered Britain. In honor of Satan (the god of the dead), subjects were forced to bob for apples in boiling hot water. Those who lived through this ordeal were set free.
Friend, Halloween is Satanic! You may pretend that it's a harmless game for kids, but in reality it represents paganism, Satanism, human sacrifice, torture, rape, murder, idolatry, witchcraft, and spiritualism! Did you know that October 31st is considered by many Satanists to be their most important day of the year? Friend, WAKE UP! Don't honor the Devil! Honor God instead by refusing to observe Halloween this year. The Lord Jesus Christ wouldn't dress innocent children up like the devils of Hell and march them around town, so why should you? Are you a TRUE follower of Jesus Christ? Then SKIP Halloween this year and tell others to do likewise!
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (I Tim. 4:1)
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Eph. 5:11)
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Rom. 13:12)
Have You Been Saved?
Jesus Christ came into this world to lay down His sinless life for YOU--to pay for your sins because you couldn't. Jesus is your only hope for salvation. Only by receiving Him as your Saviour can you enter the gates of Heaven. There is no other way. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ has come and PAID for your sins by shedding His own Blood on Calvary. By receiving Him as your Saviour, you can be WASHED from all your sins in His precious Blood (Rev. 1:5; Col. 1:14; Acts 20:28; I Pet. 1:18-19). Notice these important words from Romans 5:8-9: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Jesus PAID your way to Heaven for you! By receiving Him as your Saviour, you will be receiving God's ONLY means of Salvation. Are you willing to forsake YOUR righteousness and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your ONLY HOPE for Salvation? Romans 10:13 says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Are you willing to forsake your own righteousness, and ask Jesus Christ to save you? Why not pray right now and ask the Lord to come into your heart and cleanse you from all sin. He will save you just as He promised.
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