As a child, I became fascinated by the world of magic. Whether the disappearance of a bunny or an entire Boeing 747 vanishing into mercurial air, each event captivated every ounce of my attention from start to finish. The landscape of suggestive mental misdirection ranges from Houdini to Burton, or even Copperfield. Even when I was informed of these tricks as concealment and distraction, my regard for them never wavered. Who cares, right? I care! I love a good “sleight of hand” concerning entertainment. But how does it move from illusion to delusion? At any point, is it integrous to carry out the deception?
At the point of unbelief may be the answer. You see, many have equated the remnants of the Bible with the Old School masters’ illusions. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Evil people choose deceit from the beginning. Deceit typically evolves from a strong desire to gain an advantage over others through misinformation. This has been a human fallacy since the beginning of time. Satan evokes this behavior from the Garden, and those choosing a similar path have perpetrated it within their surroundings over time. This motivated Jesus to state, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44, NKJV).
Those being judged that day purposed in their lives to see the Lord’s demise. They tried to achieve this end game using the same deception they had chosen over righteousness for years (Acts 7:51-53). But alas, they only deceived themselves. Paul encourages the young preacher to “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11).
Evil men will always try to impede the handiwork of God by making the “tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard” (Matthew 27:66b). Humanity still struggles to grasp that the last deception is on them, not their Creator. For the last two thousand years, mankind has tried to silence the grave, but they cannot! For, “He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!” Additionally, with that came a “might triumph o’er His foes!” No one should endeavor to become classified as a foe to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Take magic for what it is: entertainment. Never consider what God wrought from the grave as a “magician’s trick.” There is no salvation in a gimmick, nor is there any faith good enough for salvation that was left in the grave of deceit. A loving God never misleads, only guides. Follow the trail from Gethsemane to Heaven.
Think about these things,
Archie R. Green
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