Harry Potter's life is pretty hard. He became an orphan when his parents were killed by the evil wizard Voldemort. His mother actually died while she was saving Harry's life. Since then, he's lived with his Aunt Petunia, his Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley. They treat him horribly. They hardly feed him, and they make him live in the closet under the stairs. He doesn't feel loved, and he definately doesn't have any power to change his life.
And then the magic starts. On his 11th birthday, Harry gets a letter explaining that he has special powers he doesn't know about. he is invited to study at Hogwart's School where, instead of being a "nobody," he is very respected. He meets lots of new friends who become like new family to him. And he has magical adventures that he never dreamed of. Sounds great, huh?
Well, it's not quite that simple. You see, Harry and all the friends in his imaginary world are witches and wizards. They try to do good things and defeat evil, but in reality, there is no such thing as a good witch or wizard. People who use witchcraft in the real world are not getting their power from God.
The Bible tells us that any power that doesn't come from God is evil. So, for our own protection, God tells us not to do these things:
" Don't sacrifice your sons or daughters in the fires on your altars. Don't try to learn what will happen in the future by talking to a fortune teller or by going to a magician, a witch or a sorcerer. Don't let anyone try to put magic spells on other people. Don't let any of your people become a medium or a wizard." -Deuteronomy 18:10-11
We must remember this and never disobey God by experimenting with witchcraft and magic. Besides, Harry potter's imaginary world may be exciting, but there is a real-life adventure that's even more wonderful. It's an adventure that God designed, and it's waiting for you!
LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE?
Maybe you don't have a real family. Even if you have a terrific family, you may still feel lonely at times. You might feel like a "nobody"...like no one notices you and no one cares. Guess what? God understands all the things that make us feel empty and abandoned. He promises us:
" I will not leave you all alone like children without parents. I will come back to you." - John 14:18
But what about mean people who do bad stuff? You probably know a Dudley or a Draco--someone who does wrong things and makes life difficult. Well, here's a hard question: Do you ever find yourself doing the mean, awful kinds of things that these bullies do? Do you ever lie or pick on people or do selfish things? The truth is, all of us do. These bad thoughts and actions are called sins. In the Bible, God tells us that:
"All people have sinned and are not good enough for God's glory." - Romans 3:23
We all have hurts and fears. We all sin and are harmed by the sins of others. There has to be a better way to live. And the good news is, there is! The answer to all these problems begins with one amazing invitation.
THE INVITATION
God sent amessenger, His own Son, Jesus, to bring us the message of a new life that's waiting for us. Jesus' job of delivering this invitation was very hard. Remember how we learned that everyone has sinned? Well, God also tells us that the payment for our sins is death:
"When people sin, they earn what sin pays--death." - Romans 6:23a
Jesus knew that if we died for our own sins, we would have no chance of a new life with Him. So Jesus chose to die in our place and take the punishment for our sins. He did this because He loves us so much. What's amazing is that Jesus didn't stay dead. Because of His power, which is better than magic, Jesus came back to life. Now He invites us to have this same kind of new life with Him.
" But God gives His people a free gift--life forever in Jesus Christ our Lord.
A NEW LIFE
When you accept Jesus' invitation to new life, He comes to live inside you, and you can experience His power. The Bible says:
"And you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength that God used to raise Christ from death." - Ephesians 1:19,20
Jesus' power inside us means that we can talk to God, even though we can't see Him. We are protected from Satan's curse of death. And even though our bodies may die, we will miraculously keep on living with God forever in a place called heaven.
New life in Jesus also makes you part of God's family. The members of this family can care for each other with the same kind of love that God has for us. In fact, Jesus Himself said:
"Love each other like I have loved you." - John 15:12
ACCEPTING THE INVITATION
Your new life will begin when you accept Jesus' invitation and do what He tells you in the Bible. If this is something you would like to do, you can pray a prayer like this:
"Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to bring me new life. I am sorry that I have sinned. I know that Jesus died to pay for my sins. Right now, I want to accept His invitation to have a new life and be a part of Your family in heaven forever. Amen."
I have just prayed to receive Jesus as my Savior. If you have call 1-866-782-7927 or go online to: www.ATSkids.com
or another toll free number to call is: 1-888-633-3446.