The Illusion

Everyone has heard of Harry Houdini - the greatest escape artist in America, if not the world. A man who performed before crowned heads of state and U.S. presidents. Some of his escapes are so difficult no one has dared attempt them, all these years after his untimely death.

He was an amazing Illusionist as well as an escape artist and won international fame for his many and varied feats of amazing dexterity and 'magic'.

Even on the day he died of peritonitis he performed his acclaimed "Chinese water torture cell" suffering from what we now know as a ruptured appendix. He died on 31st October, 1926 aged just 52.

Harry was a illusionist, magician, escapologist. stunt performer, actor, historian, film producer and pilot.

In many of his more dangerous routines, assistants were present with knives and keys to release him in the event that he was unable to escape. Often a doctor was on hand.

What was interesting and what brought my attention to Harry Houdini and to writing this blog was the pre-show discourse the presenter made to the audience prior to Houdini doing 'his thing". It went like this:-

"Never forget that by entering our show you're abandoning reality. What you're absolutely convinced you see might not exist at all. 

What you know has to be an illusion may turn out to be God's hard truth.

Your companion at our show might turn out to be a complete stranger. A man and woman in the audience you don't recognise may know you far too well.

What seems safe may be deadly. And the dangers you guard against may be nothing more than distractions to lure you to greater danger.

Who can you believe and who can you trust?"

The question I would like to ask today is Who indeed can you believe and who indeed can you trust - Is life really all an illusion?

I lived so many of my years being so naive, trusting in people and things, believing just about everything anybody ever told me. I was like that wave described in the book of James, blown and tossed about in the wind ~ going from one thing to another, never really believing, never really trusting.

I got to the stage in my life thinking "is there anything or anybody in life you can trust ~ Is there anything in life you really can believe?'

Looking at the world today, I can see why so many thousands are asking the very same question I asked myself for fourteen long years of my life. The world with its deceit, and where lying in governments has become the norm, where paedophile rings in religious and other organisations have ran rampant over decades and where billions of dollars are embezzled in corporate fraud - Oh yes I can really understand where people are coming from.

Can I say this in all honesty, if it wasn't for Jesus and the example and truthfulness He offered when he was here on earth and the claims proven true over many many years, I hate to think where I would have ended up.

Jesus' sheer truthfulness alone overwhelmed me then as it overwhelms now. His confidence in God and His word, even to death, made such an impact on my life that I honestly had no option than to follow Him.

The very prophesies of the Bible coming from the Old Testament and being brought to reality in the New is enough proof on its own. Prophesies that were made hundreds of years before they actually came to pass can't be just swept under the carpet as coincidence. Jesus was unique and why?

I truly believe with all my heart that Jesus is indeed God and man - Born of a virgin and died a criminal death to pay the penalty of my sin and yours all those years ago.

I can so understand why some folk find it hard to trust God considering what has gone on the past and especially as they see for example little ones dying horribly of cancer. You know God isn't the author of death and suffering.

I truly believe that the world as we know it is not what God intended it to be. It was a prefect world until the fall of man. When man decided to walk a way from God and do his own thing ~ abandoning God . Praise God that He didn't abandon us.

I quote Dr. Krish Kandian of the London School of Theology when he says "...to blame God for natural disasters and childhood cancer is like blaming the landlord after tenants have trashed their house"

Yes! the world certainly is not like it was intended to be. But God, because of His grace, mercy and forgiveness, stepped into history and came as Jesus to die for us and brought that forgiveness and reconciliation to those who trust and believe in Him.

God promises us a future where death, disease, misery and all sorts of evil will be overthrown and I know now what, for years, I sought and longed for ~ that Jesus died for me and on Him I can trust even when the world around me falls apart.

Lots of things in life can be an illusion ~ lots can be untrustworthy and deceitful ~ we can be lied to and taken advantage of but this I can assure you from my own experience that God will never let you down even in the mightiest struggle you may be going through at the moment.

I have proven Him over and over again - In Him will I trust ~ in Him will I pin my future.