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Experience the magic of…
Jesus Christ
As a Chaplain’s Assistant in the
One Bible commentator wrote that
Jesus’ words were magic (healing the sick and raising the dead with just
His voice), and that just the mention of His name can dispel all darkness! In
this light, you could say that Jesus
Christ is the magic in my life. The Bible calls the gospel
(the “good news”) of Jesus Christ a “mystery,” because
His self-sacrificing love is beyond our finite comprehension. It’s that
awesome love led me to accept Him as my Savior, and my Lord. Now I desire to
share Him with others.
I have devoted this page (and the
links below) to exposing some of Satan’s greatest deceptions on the
Church. Over the years, he has succeeded in misguiding us about God, His Son
Jesus Christ, and His Word. We have, in part, allowed this to happen because we
have neglected to study God’s Word as we should. Thus, it is my sincere
prayer that each Bible study here will bring you closer to God as you learn
more about Him.
James L. Merrills, M. Div.
* See bottom of page
for my comments on “Christian illusionists.”
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THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. An overview of the Book of Revelation. Highlights include Revelation’s
“opening story” (chapters 1-7), and the Christ-centered messages of
the Four Apocalyptic Horsemen (6:1-8). CLICK HERE REVELATION.
REVELATION: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This brief study focuses on the
Christ-centered messages of the Four Apocalyptic Horsemen (Rev. 6:1-8). It also
unveils one of Satan's greatest deceptions—prophecies that once pointed
to the Messiah have been replaced with the Antichrist! This is a must study!
CLICK HERE SEALS.
REVELATION: Victory in Jesus. This concise study explains how we can experience daily victory through
Christ’s power! VICTORY.
DANIEL'S PROPHECIES. A overview of the Book of Daniel. CLICK HERE DANIEL.
THE LORD’S DAY [PLEASE CHECK BACK.]
LIFE AFTER DEATH—WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. This is one of the most fascinating—yet
misunderstood—subjects in the Bible! Here, we turn to God’s Word to
find the answers to questions like: Where are the deceased, and can I
communicate with them? Are the unsaved being torment right now? -- [This page
is being edited] CLICK HERE LIFE AFTER DEATH.
Comments
or questions can be emailed to:
James L. Merrills, M.Div.
Last
updated Oct. 25, 2008
A CHRISTIAN ILLUSIONIST
I have enjoyed
the art of illusion since I was a youth. I use to go to the local restaurant on
“kid’s night” to watch the magician perform. I enjoyed the
entertainment, and loved being amazed. I took up magic as a teenager, using
common items like coins, rope and cards. Much of what I learned came from books
in the library. As a Chaplain’s Assistant, in the Army, I used my skills
to communicate Bible truths. And after I graduated from college, I continued to
use my skills in my counseling career.
I slipped out
of my office one day to watch a magic show at my daughter’s elementary
school. It was a wonderful show—until the magician used a set of wine
bottles to entertain the children. “What’s up with that?” I
thought, “What an excellent opportunity to include a drug-free message!”
Honestly, that was all it took for me to incorporate my professional skills
into a school-based prevention program. My “bag of tricks” (my
“tools”) would serve two purposes: they would hold the
students’ attention, and illustrate my points (educators understand the
valuable of visual aids in the learning process).
I discovered,
along the way, that some Christians are uncomfortable with the word
“magic.” The title “Christian Magician” seems like an
oxymoron to them. Why? It’s largely due to the fact that the translators
of the King James Bible (1604) use
the word “magician” for persons who served in the courts of Egypt
and Babylon (Exodus 7:11-22; 8:19; Daniel 2:2, 27; 4:7), nations opposed to
Yahweh, the true God. But let’s take a closer look at the Bible.
The Hebrew word
for “magician” is charat, pronounced “ka-rat”. Sound familiar? It
literally means “to cut” or “to engrave.” We have
borrowed this word to describe a diamond ring, which we cut into carats. But the Babylonian magicians
were not cutting carrots or diamonds. Archeologists tell us that they cut
animals open, to “read” their entrails (guts!). In so doing, they
explained to the king, they could predict the kingdom’s future (one such
story is recorded in Daniel 2). If this sounds a bit bizarre, think of all the
people today who throw their money at palm-readers and psychic hot-lines!
(Maybe we haven’t advanced that much!)
Now then, the
dictionary defines magic as
“the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of
hand.” There’s a world of difference, then, between an ungodly
“magician” in the Bible and a boy who can do a trick with a coin.
And the vast majority of Christians understand this. For what its worth, years
ago a magician was commonly called a “prestidigitator,” meaning (in
Latin) “nimble/fingers”—today we say “sleight of
hand.” In the end, a preference to say “illusionist” or
“prestidigitator”, instead of “magician,” reveals a
certain lack of knowledge.
The point is,
today’s illusionist has little, if anything, in common with magician of yesteryear—the
former simply serves to entertain, while the latter deceives (his employer) and
acts in opposition to God. Their purposes, activities and mode of operation are
completely different. More than anything, they serve two different Gods!
“But isn’t
the purpose of magic to deceive?” you ask. Yes, it is! But is that a bad thing? Think about it: everyone
knows that deception is an integral part of basketball; it’s part of the
game! We admire the skilled player who can “fake out” his opponent
with his shifty eyes and body movement, and score! Without this offensive
tactic the player would seldom get a shot off! It’s a necessary part of
the game.
Now then, a
magic trick is actually a puzzle. And
who doesn’t appreciate a good puzzle? A puzzle has a surprise ending,
which is why people enjoy watching magic. (I’ve often wondered why people
examine the cover of a puzzle box before putting it together. Isn’t the
final “discovery” the whole point?)
So what about the title “Christian Magician.” Is
it really an oxymoron? I don’t believe so. Like many other arts, magic
can illustrate Bible truths. I have performed for many Christian venues, as
have many Christian teachers and pastors. This collective body has formed the
Fellowship of Christian Magicians (www.FCM.org). But one magician stands out
from rest. Andre Kole, whose evangelistic ministry is
sponsored by the Campus Crusade for
Christ, has performed in more lands and for more people than any other
illusionist. I’ve seen his program, and I appreciate his ministry. (I
strongly recommend his book Mind Games,
which deals with modern-day hoaxes and fraudulent Christian miracle-workers!)
My purpose here
is not to convince. I realize that some people have no more interest in
watching magic than seeing someone twist a 60-inch balloon into an elephant.
(Yes, I do that too!) But I hope that I have been able to enlighten you with
facts and truth.
God bless!
“Mr. Jim”
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