At 07:18 PM 5/13/99 -0500, Spirit Rider wrote:
>All,
>Friday night at pow wow I'm to give a group devition.
>I'm thinking about doing something called "Tricks of Satan".
>Basicly I'll be talking about how Satan uses the things of World
>to get our eyes off the Lord and what we can do to see through his
>tricks.
>Anyone have some simple magic tricks I can do, to get my point
>acrossed? I was thinking of making a coin disappear. Anyone know that
>trick?
Making a coin disappear is easy! Just spend it. <big grin>
I like to do some "magic" tricks for the children every once in a while.
There are some important things to keep in mind, though. First of all, in
is important to keep the distinction between illusions created to tell a
good story and sorcery. I once read a book on Christian Illusions that had
a "code of ethics" in the front that went something like this:
1. Illusions must always be secondary to the message, which should bring
glory to Jesus Christ.
2. A Christian illusionist never practices sorcery (i. e. conjuring up evil
spirits or calling on demonic forces or familiar spirits) nor even gives
the appearance of doing so (lest someone be encouraged to dabble in such
dangerous sin).
3. A Christian illusionist is honest in admitting that illusions and tricks
are exactly that, even if they don't always reveal how they are done.
That said, we can now have some fun.
There are several ways to make a coin "disappear" (besides spending it).
Most of them require practice to do properly before "performing" in front
of a bunch of boys. "Palming" and the "French drop" are my favorites. It
would take a lot of words to explain these without pictures, but check out
your local library or bookstore for books on the subject. The "make the
coin disappear and pull it out of someone's ear" trick is so old it was
probably done with denarii in ancient Rome, but it still amazes some kids
when done well. Practice it until you can do it easily and tell your story
about not letting the devil trick us (or whatever the object lesson you use
is). Another neat story you can talk about is how God multiplies back to us
what we invest in His Kingdom 30 to 100 fold (meanwhile making a penny
appear to transform into a dollar).
Rope tricks are fun, too. I like the "camel knot" -- where you tell the
story of the rich young ruler while getting ready to thread a great big
(camel) knot through a tiny loop of rope (eye of the needle) that is MUCH
smaller. Make several unsuccessful attempts to illustrate the humorous
image Jesus created, then when you tell about how "with God, all things are
possible," make a successful attempt. When performed well, this trick is
suitable for boys and girls of all ages.
Another good one is the cut & restored rope -- good for explaining the
complete forgiveness and restoration of fellowship with God Jesus purchased
for us.
Linking rings are cool for baffling kids of all ages with -- again, with
lots of practice, and a relevant story (trust in the Lord and lean not on
your own understanding and/or another view of sin and redemption).
So much fun can be had, but again... keep the devotional message foremost.
___
Michael Paul Johnson aka Soaring Golden Eagle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
http://eBible.org/mpj Rocky Mountain Outpost 207 New Creation Church
Jesus Christ is Lord! If Jesus came back today, would you be READY?
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