Magnet Match (Holy Spirit) (Nothing Is Impossible With God)
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God, all thing are possible.” Matthew 19:26
The Basic Bible Truth
The world we live in is becoming increasingly skeptical of the Bible. There are those who adamantly say that the Bible is of no consequence and refuse to consider anything it may say. Another segment of the population laugh at it contemptuously and deny its truth. Others read it, study it, and believe parts of it but place the difficult passages into a file labeled “Fables and Legends”. God is far bigger and more powerful than any of us can imagine. We tend to define Him down to our level because it makes Him seem more familiar to us. The truth is, He is so far above us that if we were to see Him in His full majesty and glory, we would not remain alive. He is a God to be revered and feared. Because He can do seemingly impossible things.
The Object
A LARGE 12 Volt Remote Control Coil Electro-Magnet Wooden Matches With A Thin Steel Wire Drilled Into Them
Inside this wooden box covered in Formica is hidden a large homemade coil electro-magnet. Nearly 2,000 feet of #12 stranded, insulated, copper wire has been wound around a solid metal core. I have some rechargeable 6 volt DC batteries that I use for many of my projects. Hooked up in series, I then have a 12 volt system that is compatible with automobile circuitry. Automotive remote controls can then be used to activate the magnet. Usually I will have an accomplice in the audience activating and deactivating the magnet on my hidden cues. When 12 volts of current is run through this coil, it creates a sizable magnetic field that is reasonably powerful. I have oriented the poles of the magnet perpendicular to the top of the box, so the magnetic flux lines run invisibly nearly vertical in the center of the box. By placing a match with a thin wire threaded through it on top of the box, and activating the magnet, the match will immediately stand upright. When the magnet is turned off, the match falls down helplessly.
The Lesson
I am not going to even pretend that I have an understanding of the Trinity. I don’t. And I seriously question anyone who says they comprehend the idea. I am constantly amazed at the complexity of our incomprehensible God. I fall on my face in awe in response to what He has shown us in the pages of the Bible. The concept of the Trinity is elusive because we have no parallel with which to compare. God the Father is spirit and cannot be seen by our physical sense of sight. God the Son, who we know as Jesus, came to this earth and made Himself like us. We could touch and talk to and see God in human form. And then there is God the Holy Spirit, also a spirit. He is a person of the Trinity, just as the Father and Son are and is not just a force as in the Star Wars concept of “may the force be with you”. God has said through the Bible that the Three work in such perfect unison and agreement that we can call God One. Three unique, separate, distinct, beings and yet, they are one!
At the moment of salvation, God places His Holy Spirit in the life of every believer. He lives inside of us, comforting, teaching, guiding, and always pointing us towards the person of Jesus, showing us the perfect example of what our lives should look like. He is a spirit and therefore, invisible. But He is there. So the question then becomes, “How can I know that He is there if I can’t see Him?” I’m glad you asked. The answer…by His power. When we push ourselves out of the way and allow God to work through us, we can see the results around us as God accomplishes His perfect plan. Jesus is the perfect example of how a Christian should operate and live by the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything Jesus did, He accomplished through the Spirit. The many miracles were the result of the Holy Spirit doing what He does best. Pointing to Jesus and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Messiah.
If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and are actively pursuing His plans for our lives, nothing should be impossible for us. Look at the Old Testament and read the stories of the impossible things that happened in the lives of God’s people. Amazing things, coincidences beyond imagination, are God’s specialty. Now, that does not mean we should expect God to step down into our physical realm and perform miracles. He can accomplish the impossible by much more sophisticated means. By moving the hearts and minds of people opposed to His desires, God steers the world with intricate precision. And if we are in the center of His will, we have a front row seat to watch it all happen.
I think we would all agree that this little match does not contain the necessary muscles and flexibility to stand upright here on command. It is not something that we would ever expect to see a match do. But what if it could? How might it happen? What if I gave it the ability to stand up? I have the power available to do just that. On my command, you will see the match suddenly rise and stand upright here on top of this box. An impossible feat on its own, but with me involved, it can happen.
Ladies and gentlemen, it stands before you as testament to my power, my involvement. It cannot accomplish such a task on its own. It gets its strength from me. I sustain it, I control it. And so it is in our lives with God. He is the only reason we can do what we do. It is Him working through us.
In and of ourselves we are little to nothing. But for some reason, God chooses to work through His children, giving them the ability and desire as needed to accomplish great things. May we be willing to allow Him access to out hearts and minds.