Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Object Lesson: His Mighty Works

        Since there is still no word from Kat or Carter, I have decided to post one of the object lessons from my book Visual Illustrations. This book is out of print, but will be rereleased soon. Feel free to use this lesson that teaches we can see the reality of God in the mighty works He performs. It is a very magical demonstration.
        This illustration will get many comments. You will need a matchstick or a book match, a nickel, and a plastic rod (such as a plastic magic wand) or comb. I prefer to use a plastic magic wand, and do this lesson as a magic trick. You can purchase a plastic wand at novelty shops, magic stores, or at many toy stores.
        This illustration makes use of static electricity. To set up, place the magic wand under your arm while wearing a coat or sweater. The wand needs to be touching cloth, and the bulk of the wand needs to stick out back. Place the nickel on a flat surface, and balance it on its edge. You may need to use a piece of chewing gum or modeling clay to help stand the nickel on its edge. Balance the matchstick on the top edge of the nickel so that it lies like a compass needle and will move easily.
        At the appropriate time, you will slide the plastic rod/wand straight forward and out from under your arm. As you do, bear down on the rod with your arm so that as you pull it out it receives a static electric charge. Be careful, if the cloth is damp, it will not charge the rod.
        Another way you can charge the rod is to wrap it in a cloth and put the wrapped wand inside a box or bag. Hold the cloth tightly around the wand with one hand, and draw the wand out of the box or bag with your other hand. If you choose this option and if you wish to do this illustration as a magic trick, be careful that your group does not see the cloth.
        If you tell your group that you are going to use static electricity to move the match, you could use a plastic hair comb. Run the comb through clean, dry hair a couple of times to give it a static electric charge. Once you have charged the plastic device, slowly move it a couple of inches over the top of the match. The match will move and fall off the nickel. If the match does not move, try rubbing the wand with different fabrics. Some fabrics work better than others in giving an electric charge.

TRUTH ILLUSTRATED:

        We can see the reality of God in the mighty works He performs.

MESSAGE:

        [Begin by setting up the match and nickel as described above.] I am going to move this match without touching it, blowing on it, or hitting the table. Instead, I will move it with an invisible force. [Use your electrically charged device to move the match.]
        Did you see the force that moved the match? No, because it is invisible. Yet, something caused the match to move off the nickel. We know there is a real force involved because we saw its effects.
        That's kind of the way it is with God. We can't see God with our   eyes, but we see the evidence of His existence and power by the results. In Romans 1:20 the Apostle Paul points out that since the creation of the world, God's invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen through what He has made. We see His powerful works of creation all about us. We see how people's lives change when God's spirit comes to live in their hearts.
        We can't see the force that moved the match, but we can see that there is a force. In the same way, we see the evidence of God's existence by the results of His powerful hand at work.

2 comments:

  1. Very interesting, indeed! Thanks Steve. I'm going to use this sometime during our children's group. Appreciate it!

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  2. That's a good way to show how the Lord works in our lives. We don't often see it. Doesn't mean that it isn't there. We sometimes expect to see some big miraculous event that we often miss seeing His hand in our lives.

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