The first recorded roller skates, called skaites, were built in 1760 by a Belgian musical instrument maker named John-Joseph Merlin. Each skate had only two wheels, which were aligned one in front of the other along the center of the shoe. The crude design was based on the ice skates of Merlin’s day, which were strapped to the shoes.


Soon after inventing the skates, Merlin decided to wear them to make a spectacular entrance at a costume party. A master violinist, Merlin intended to roll into the party while playing his violin. Unfortunately, he had neglected to master the fine art of stopping on skates, and when the big moment came he went careening through the room and crashed into a very valuable full-length mirror, breaking it and his violin and injuring himself. His entrance was indeed spectacular, though it did not have the desired effect of increasing the popularity of his new invention!

Did you know that in the near future the devil is planning to make his own spectacular appearance masquerading as Jesus Christ? But unlike John-Joseph Merlin, Satan has been practicing his dramatic entrance for 6,000 years! The Bible says that the coming deception will include “great signs and wonders,” convincingly designed in order to “deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

How can we avoid being deceived? The answer is threefold. First, we must stay close to Jesus. The Bible tells us that the only way to resist the devil is to “draw near to God” (James 4:7, . Second, we must test every religious teaching by searching the Scriptures diligently: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). Third, we must pray for the discernment that the Holy Spirit can give, because spiritual things are “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). As we do these three things, we can rest in Jesus’ promise to His disciples: “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John 10:29