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I'm really thankful that you have a genuine concern for my soul, Brainfreeze. I'm not saying this in sarcasm... I'm really not. I'm thankful that you love me in Christ, and that you wish to share a way to escape what seems like a threat to my soul. I love Jesus too, man. And as a Christian, putting aside the magician for now, I am truly thankful for your loving prayers for me. This message really isn’t trickery. I really love Jesus and am thankful that you, and like-minded others, love and worry about me one here in the same way.
It seems to me that arguing about magic like this is more fruitless than good. Both of us being mature, we can agree that even if we don't see eye to eye on this issue, we do see eye to eye on one. We both belong to Jesus according to Romans 10:9. It says that “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Well, here we are to say that we both declare that Jesus is Lord, and that God did raise him from the dead. The Bible cannot lie. Based on our acceptance of that statement, we must logically assume that BOTH of us are saved and set.
As such, you are my brother, and I state my position only in respect. My magic performances are much the same thing as Acting.
Would you tell a Christian Dramatist (actor) to stop acting because actors pretend to be someone they are not? This is also a form of illusion.
What about Christian Storytellers? Not all stories they tell will be true, but that’s just part of storytelling. It creates an illusion in the imagination of the listener.
What about Christian Soldiers? Soldiers must sometimes trick an enemy with tactics. In fact, no good soldier who truly serves his country should be without sly tactics. This, also, is not wrong. It’s just part of the job.
How about a Biblical example? What about Rahab the prostitute, who hid the spies in her home during Joshua’s siege of Jericho? She lied to the guards who came looking for the spies. Without her illusion of not having the spies in her home, Israel would have lost good Soldiers (as mentioned above) because of a lack of illusion. Yet Rahab is actually commended for this deception (commended for it!) in the book of Hebrews where she is listed as a member of the heroes of faith.
Also, the Spies Rahab hid were trying to create the illusion of being just visitors to Rahab to the sinful residents of Jericho. Were they also sinning by being spies for God’s army? No. It’s part of the job. Espionage requires illusion.
The point is, sometimes illusion is not a sin when used appropriately. There is nothing wrong with being a good Christian actor, a good Christian storyteller, a good Christian Solder, or even a good Christian spy. Consequentially, my magic is nothing more than acting and storytelling, so it doesn’t really fit into the realm of sin per se.
It seems to me that arguing about magic like this is more fruitless than good. Both of us being mature, we can agree that even if we don't see eye to eye on this issue, we do see eye to eye on one. We both belong to Jesus according to Romans 10:9. It says that “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Well, here we are to say that we both declare that Jesus is Lord, and that God did raise him from the dead. The Bible cannot lie. Based on our acceptance of that statement, we must logically assume that BOTH of us are saved and set.
As such, you are my brother, and I state my position only in respect. My magic performances are much the same thing as Acting.
Would you tell a Christian Dramatist (actor) to stop acting because actors pretend to be someone they are not? This is also a form of illusion.
What about Christian Storytellers? Not all stories they tell will be true, but that’s just part of storytelling. It creates an illusion in the imagination of the listener.
What about Christian Soldiers? Soldiers must sometimes trick an enemy with tactics. In fact, no good soldier who truly serves his country should be without sly tactics. This, also, is not wrong. It’s just part of the job.
How about a Biblical example? What about Rahab the prostitute, who hid the spies in her home during Joshua’s siege of Jericho? She lied to the guards who came looking for the spies. Without her illusion of not having the spies in her home, Israel would have lost good Soldiers (as mentioned above) because of a lack of illusion. Yet Rahab is actually commended for this deception (commended for it!) in the book of Hebrews where she is listed as a member of the heroes of faith.
Also, the Spies Rahab hid were trying to create the illusion of being just visitors to Rahab to the sinful residents of Jericho. Were they also sinning by being spies for God’s army? No. It’s part of the job. Espionage requires illusion.
The point is, sometimes illusion is not a sin when used appropriately. There is nothing wrong with being a good Christian actor, a good Christian storyteller, a good Christian Solder, or even a good Christian spy. Consequentially, my magic is nothing more than acting and storytelling, so it doesn’t really fit into the realm of sin per se.