Unmasking the Masquerade

Three Illusionists Investigate Deception, Fear, and the Supernatural

You are here: Home / Archives for Unmasking Journal

Want to keep learning about deception, fear, and the supernatural?

Rod, Toby, and Adrian would love to interact with you.  Check out these thought-provoking articles, then let us know what you think, ask questions, or pose your own responses.

The Journey to Unmasking the Masquerade

by

Have you ever ventured out on a path that you felt God wanted you to take, not really knowing where it was headed?   But after traveling, for what might have seemed like an endless (or pointless) journey, you looked back at the pathway behind you and remembered God’s hand guiding you every few steps.  And ahead of you, off in the distance, with a narrowing of your eyes to gain a clearer view, you begin to see it–the destination.  And in that enlightened moment the long, arduous trip begins to make sense.

I set out on a journey to write a book just about fifteen years ago with my friend, illusionist Toby Travis.  Unmasking the Masquerade: Three Illusionists Investigate Deception, Fear and the Supernatural was just published by Encourage Books this past January. (I’ll get to the third illusionist in a moment.)  The pathway to publishing it was long, often frustrating, and at one point we put it on the shelf thinking that maybe it wasn’t worth the effort.

Toby, who at the time was a widely traveled illusionist sharing the Gospel around the world, invited me to speak and perform at a symposium in London, England entitled, The Christian Consortium on the Paranormal.  He and I had shared a common interest in exposing the deception and often deliberate trickery at the crux of alleged paranormal powers.  We’d seen more than a few Christians deceived by those claiming such powers, and even some claiming to be Christians who were using deception to lead others to believe they had extra-sensory powers.  We felt that a book exposing such deception to the light of truth would be of value to the Church.  But well down the path we discovered that the book needed to offer much more than an exposure of deception.

The London symposium was an opportunity for like-minded Christians, most of them magicians, to share thoughts on a biblical response to claims of the paranormal. It was held at the acclaimed Magic Circle Theater, an ornate and enchanting venue and home of the prestigious Magic Circle in Central London.  One might say it’s the Magic Castle of Europe.

It was a full day of papers presented, discussions conducted, and thoughts shared. That evening several of us performed to a packed house on the main stage.  That one day launched the book project when Toby and I decided to combine efforts by using our white papers as the core of a book.

We worked on the project in earnest for a year or so.  Then, like a marathon runner hitting the proverbial wall, I was done.  And so was Toby.  I think we both sensed that it simply wasn’t the right time.  We agreed to put the project on the shelf and wait.  Maybe God would tell us when the time was right.  Maybe there would never be a right time.  And there the unfinished manuscript sat for ten years.

I was okay with not finishing the book if that was what was best.  Yet I never lost the conviction that there was a message that needed to be shared.  Just not now.  I wasn’t even sure why “just not now,” I just knew it.

Then in the fall of 2015, I took my daughters to see hypnotist Michael Deschalit, a good friend from my hometown of Tucson.  After his show he mentioned to me that he was self-publishing his books to which I responded, “Tell me more about self-publishing” – wondering if the time was right.  A few days later we had a lunch, where I learned with him as the teacher, and me as the eager student, holding a tiny ember of publishing passion now beginning to flame up.

Self-publishing had come very long ways since the infancy of the project and so I determined to complete the project and publish it myself using Amazon’s Create Space.  “How hard can that be?” I reasoned.  As it turned out, much harder than I imagined, especially with the many other arduous tasks involved in researching, writing, editing, rewrites, typesetting, and crowdfunding, all while holding down a full-time job.   But God stepped in at just the right time to solve that problem.

Several chapters of what was to become the first section of the book dealing with deception were already nearly completed including chapters on the Salem Witch Trials, the rise of psychic mediums in the past two hundred years, the strange relationship between Houdini and ardent spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, my on-site investigation of psychic mediums and the tricks-of-the-trade I witnessed, and a few others.  But there was so much more to research and write about.

I contacted Toby who was by then living in Ecuador, having retired from itinerant ministry as a Christian illusionist, and transitioned to Christian education and consulting.   He was working on his doctorate at the time so had virtually no time to work on the revived book project.  But his already-completed manuscript “Whom Shall We Fear” was the perfect core for what would become the second section of three sections of the book.  Toby’s section would focus the light of Scripture on the question, have we, as members of the Body of Christ, the Church, adopted more cultural depictions of Satan than scriptural?  As I wrote in Unmasking the Masquerade: “Throughout the centuries and into our current age, folklore and popular, fanciful, Hollywood-esque notions of Satan have crept into our cultural ethos, often supplanting scriptural descriptions of him and his powers.  When we, even inadvertently, assign to Satan more power than he has, we give him more power over our lives.”  Toby, as a formally trained theologian and educator, had the deep biblical knowledge needed to tackle that sometimes controversial topic.

With my section on deception and Toby’s on fear, especially as it relates to unfounded fear of Satan, the book was taking shape.  But something was still missing.  We didn’t want the book to be merely an expose of psychic deceivers and fear of Satan, as important as those topics are.  We wanted the reader, after having learned about counterfeit miracle workers and Satan’s lies and deceptions, to be given a solid foundational knowledge of the real thing.  For non-Christian readers, we wanted to introduce them to the verifiability of the written record of Jesus’ miracles, claims, and life-transforming power.  For Christians we wanted to assure them of the validity of their faith.  Enter international award-winning illusionist and apologist, Adrian Van Vactor.

I’d known Adrian since he was fifteen years old and watched him mature into one of the nation’s most talented magicians.  At age nineteen, he won two of the magic world’s most prestigious honors—The Milbourne Christopher Award, for the most promising young magician of the future, and the first annual Lance Burton Award.  That same year he was on his way to a headline gig at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, driving west on I10, listening to a preacher on the radio, when Adrian surrendered his life to Christ.  Having grown up in an atheist home and being a natural born skeptic, he spent the next few years examining the evidence to verify whether Jesus was a Myth, Magician, or Messiah – which, not coincidentally, is the title of one of his chapters.

Adrian’s personal story, and his search for truth, formed the perfect backdrop for the final section of the book.  Now we had our full circle themes to take the reader on a journey from deception to fear to the truth that overcomes both deception and fear. Those three sections are titled: Unmasking the Deception, Unmasking the Fear, and Unmasking the Miracles of Jesus.

Researching and writing a 272 page book was a massive undertaking.  But that was only part of the project.  We still needed to get it edited, proofed, typeset, designed, and printed.  And, frankly, it was more than I could do alone. The self-publishing route was simply not an option for me.  A good friend and former employee of mine, Adam Colwell, stepped in to greatly improve the manuscript with his superior editing skills.  I then needed someone to run the ball on most of the other above-mentioned processes. I had no clue who that might be.  But God had someone in mind.

In the 1970s I sang with a band named Selah (not the current group that performs under that name). We were, instead, one of the pioneer Contemporary Christian Music groups.  Our drummer was a talented musician named Paul Turner.  By the time Toby, Adrian, and I were wrapping up the writing of the book I hadn’t seen Paul and his wife Leslie for maybe 25 years.  I posted one of my chapters on Facebook to bounce it off of my friends.  Leslie happened to be one of those who saw the post and messaged me about her publishing company and that she would like to see more of the book.  I sent her the not-quite-finished manuscript and after reading it her passion for how the book could change lives matched ours.  Leslie grabbed hold of all the tactical tasks that I was no good at and ran the ball through publication with her company Encourage Books.  My very talented graphic artist daughter, Jen Hanson, gave the cover design the provocative, shadowy tone I was looking for.  World-renowned illusionist, author, and evangelist Andre Kole, with whom both Toby and Adrian had toured, provided the Foreword to the book and more than a little encouragement and excitement about the book. The book is dedicated to Andre in honor of his inspiring friendship with all three of us over the years.

And then, there was one more surprise turn along the pathway—one none of us saw coming.  Adrian and I live in Tucson, AZ, so we’ve done many shows together.  But Toby lived 3200 miles away in Ecuador where he was serving with a Christian school.  About the time the book was in the final editing stage in late 2016 I received a call from him.  Of all of the Christian schools in the United States he had been asked to interview for the position of Headmaster at one in Tucson.  My immediate response was, “God, what exactly are you doing here?  Does this have anything to do with the book?”  I mean, what are the chances?  Tucson, of all places.  In December Toby, his wife, and their daughter moved to Tucson.  In January we presented our first Unmasking the Masquerade LIVE! event together—me performing mentalism, Toby speaking, and Adrian performing magic and sharing his personal testimony; essentially, the book on stage.

That same month, Unmasking the Masquerade: Three Illusionists Investigate Deception, Fear, and the Supernatural, arrived from the printer.  Testimonials we are receiving from readers are confirming that God is working in people’s lives through the book.  One reader said that after reading the book she cancelled a “psychic cruise” she had booked.  Several readers shared that it helped liberate them from unfounded fear of Satan or that they are now better equipped to avoid deception.

I told my wife recently that I’m glad now that I didn’t know how difficult and time-consuming writing a book would be.  Had I known when I took the first step on this multi-year journey how hard it would be, I would have turned back. Which is probably why God didn’t let me know. Because now that the book is finished I couldn’t be happier with the destination.

I share this story with you because you may find yourself somewhere along your life’s journey – pursuing a passion but wondering if the road will be too difficult, or finding that the many twists and turns are simply too confusing.  Well, I can’t tell you if your passion is a God-given one; that’s between the two of you.  But I can encourage you that if it is His direction for you, rest assured that the doubts are just a deception, that when the steps ahead of you seem confusing and difficult, give your fears to Him, and trust in His supernatural ability to see the entire pathway ahead of you and prepare your way.

What One of the World’s Greatest Illusionists Says About Unmasking the Masquerade

by

For over a half-century Andre Kole has been widely known among professional magicians as one of the most creative illusionists in the world. Many of the over 1000 illusions he has invented are performed by the top magicians in the world including David Copperfield with whom he has collaborated on over 100 illusions including the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty. His tours have taken him to all fifty states and seventy countries world-wide. Having spent more than twenty years investigating claims of psychic powers, Andre is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost authorities on paranormal claims.

Andre Kole and David Copperfield

Several decades ago I issued a challenge to all psychics and others claiming to possess paranormal powers, including but not limited to levitation or walking on water. If any one of the many thousands of them stepped forth and demonstrated their power under test conditions, I would hand him or her a personal check for $25,000. As if that tidy sum wasn’t enough incentive, imagine the acclaim and free publicity to be gained by simply reading a thought, moving an inanimate object with the power of their mind, levitating, or predicting the future—without the use of trickery. I say “without the use of trickery” because, as the inventor of illusions performed by David Copperfield, Siegfried and Roy, Harry Blackstone Jr., Doug Henning, and countless other magicians, and as someone who investigated psychics, witch doctors, psychic surgeons, mind readers, and all manner of paranormal claims all over the world, I’d become adept at spotting deception long ago.

It’s been over forty years since I first made the $25,000 offer. In that time, thousands of psychics have come and gone. Millions of followers have been duped by them, chasing a lie in search of the truth. Billions of dollars have been sucked from those followers’ checking accounts. In that same time, I’ve publically exposed the schemes of many of those who claim to possess paranormal powers. But in all of those years, my resolve to handsomely reward and publicly acknowledge any genuine psychic was unwavering. Frankly, I wasn’t too concerned about losing my $25,000, because I had seen so much deception passing for “the real thing.” Regardless, I was still open to being convinced.

Now here we are, nearly a half-century later, and no one—no one—has been able to claim the prize. Surely, if in fact some people are gifted with psychic and other paranormal powers, someone would have stepped forward, demonstrated just one of those powers, and walked away with the prize money and the acclaim that accompanied it. But those who did step forward, submitting themselves to being fairly tested, failed the test. Just one such test was conducted while I was touring Russia in 1993. An individual claiming the ability to astral project asked to be tested, hoping to win the $25,000 prize. I devised a simple test involving a boxlike cover placed over the individual’s head and the sentence, “Billy is a boy,” written in Russian on the opposite side of a chalkboard only a few feet from the alleged astral projector. The subject was then asked to project his astral body to the other side of the blackboard, read the sentence, and reveal it to the committee we had gathered for the test. After a few minutes the subject shared what he thought was written: “God loves us.” Not a bad guess, since the claimant knew I was a Christian, but a guess nonetheless. I returned to America with my $25,000.

When I collaborated with David Copperfield to accomplish incredible feats like walking through the Great Wall of China, levitating across the Grand Canyon, and making the Statue of Liberty vanish, the impossible seemingly became possible to millions of onlookers. There were those who claimed that David had special supernatural powers. They couldn’t fathom how anyone could accomplish such impossible feats without the aid of otherworldly powers. I’ve been accused of the same despite the disclaimer I issue at the start of every show—that everything the audience is about to witness is only an illusion. Yet there are still some who simply are not about to be convinced.

The belief that some people have paranormal powers is ubiquitous, even in our “enlightened” age and culture. Hollywood and entertainment media have had a field day capitalizing and profiting from this fascination with the paranormal. Some skeptics claim that the prevalence of such beliefs is the result of religious teachings, and, ironically, as a Christian, I agree with them—but not in the way you might think. I do believe in the supernatural. But I also believe that God alone possesses the ability to perform the truly miraculous. What concerns me are teachings within Christian churches suggesting that some people—presumably under the influence of Satan—possess supernatural (or paranormal) powers. Bible passages are even marshaled in an attempt to provide credence to such teachings.

I find that many Christians assume, without really examining the biblical evidence, that Satan has far more power than God ever gave him and that he confers some of his powers to humans. But as I examine the Bible, I find that it lines up perfectly with the empirical evidence before me—people do not, in fact, possess miraculous powers that God reserves only for Himself. The Bible does tell us that Satan is the father of lies. Deception is his stock-in-trade. By deceiving us to believe that he is more powerful than he actually is, Satan’s deception becomes a powerful tool for even more deception.

The three illusionists who wrote Unmasking the Masquerade—Rod Robison, Adrian Van Vactor and Toby Travis—put forth a convincing case that prominent beliefs in the paranormal are erroneous and without merit. You’ll explore with them some of the history of alleged paranormal activities that were later found to be fraudulent or simply misunderstood. Some of these incidents had enormous impact on our culture and still do, years and even centuries later. You’ll delve into what the Bible has to say about Satan’s true powers and lack thereof, and how the scriptures have been misunderstood and even, in some cases, manipulated to lead people down dangerous paths to deception and unwarranted fear.

And you’ll discover why Jesus, who has been accused by ancient and modern-day skeptics and critics of being a magician or even a myth, was, in fact, the One who really did accomplish the impossible, laying legitimate claim to being “God with us.”

Andre Kole

President, Andre Kole Productions

Tempe, Arizona

Christian Magicians?

by

This article was written for the benefit of organizers of events sponsored by Christian groups that utilize entertainment featuring a MAGICIAN. The article provides a biblical and theological foundation to address objections or concerns that individuals occasionally may have with churches, Christian schools, and ministry groups sponsoring a MAGIC SHOW or performance by an ILLUSIONIST. The purpose of the article is to assist individuals in understanding the distinction between occult practices (which are clearly prohibited for the Christian) and the entertainment form that utilizes sleight-of-hand, misdirection, psychology, and other natural skills and mechanical methods to present the illusion of  the impossible (i.e. magic).

Definitions

The word MAGIC itself perhaps creates the largest source of confusion on this subject. There are at least two meanings provided for the word MAGIC in any contemporary dictionary. First we find: “The art of producing effects by what are claimed to be SUPERHUMAN means via occult powers.” Even a brief study of the Biblical Scriptures will clearly show what is described in this definition is forbidden activity for the follower of Jesus Christ.

A second definition is: “The art of applying NATURAL causes, whose operation is secret, to produce a surprising effect.” This defines what entertainers, called MAGICIANS or ILLUSIONISTS perform today.

Godly Magicians in the Bible

It is important for Christians to realize at the outset of this discussion that the Bible does not categorically condemn MAGICIANS. For example, In the Old Testament we read that Daniel was a great prophet of God, yet his political position and official title was that of CHIEF MAGICIAN in Nebuchadnezzar’s court (Daniel 5).

In the New Testament the Greek word MAGOI (from which the word MAGIC is derived) is literally translated WISE MAN or MAGI and is used to describe the men of the East who followed the star in order to worship and present gifts to Jesus shortly after His birth.

Occult Definitions

Consider the following words that are found in Deuteronomy 18:9-14, along with their definitions:

DIVINATION: a diviner is a person who claims to obtain secret knowledge through occult powers.

AN OBSERVER OF THE TIMES: The RSV version of the Bible uses SOOTHSAYER and AUGUR. These terms all relate to someone who claims to be able to predict the future by observing the flight action of birds.

ENCHANTER or CHARMER: This is someone who claims to be able to cast charms or spells through sexual influence and power.

WITCH: The RSV uses SORCERER. Both refer to one who whispers spells  or practices  cheating and defrauding the public.

A CONSULTER WITH FAMILIAR SPIRITS: The RSV uses MEDIUM. This is a person who pretends to communicate with the spirits of the deceased.

A WIZARD: The literal Hebrew definition is “one who pretends to have great knowledge.”

It is important to note that in Jeremiah 27:10 the individuals mentioned above are described as “liars” and in Isaiah 57 they are told that their practices will not succeed. In fact throughout Scripture we discover that witches, sorcerers, wizards, etc. do not possess any genuine miraculous powers. Their work and limited power is all based on lies and deceptions. It should also be obvious that the practices described above have very little in common with entertainers using the title MAGICIAN today.

My Years Performing as a CHRISTIAN MAGICIAN

Let there be no doubt that many people today are involved in the occult, but they typically have no connection with those in the entertainment industry who use the term MAGICIAN or ILLUSIONIST. In fact, from 1974 to 2008 I worked in the entertainment industry serving thousands of Christian organizations around the world, performing and sharing the Gospel as a CHRISTIAN MAGICIAN.   In my performances of illusions or magic I would also make it very clear that I did not possess genuine miraculous powers and that I would never seriously claim to have such. In fact I would point out Scriptures like Psalm 72:18 and Psalm 136:3-4, which make it clear that God alone can perform the miraculous.

The MIRACULOUS is an Attribute of God – not Satan

Even Satan is unable to perform the genuine miraculous. In passages such as II Thess. 2:9 we note that his powers are described as “LYING WONDERS” or “IMITATION MIRACLES.”

In Exodus 7:10-12 Pharaoh’s magicians attempt to duplicate the genuine miraculous performed by God through Moses and Aaron. According to the passage their illusionary wonders were accomplished by their “SECRET ARTS.” The original Hebrew being translated as “SECRET ARTS” is “LAHAT” – which is literally translated “to perform covertly” and does not give any indication of genuine miraculous ability, but rather that of a trick or deception.

That which is Beyond Comprehension is Not Always Supernatural

Many individuals are superstitious and misunderstand the use of natural MAGIC, or the ART OF ILLUSION and SLEIGHT- OF-HAND. When faced with a mind-boggling experience or effect some individuals take the stand that if they cannot explain the phenomena, it must be supernatural. As part of my stage show I would regularly create the illusions of people appearing, disappearing, floating in the air and instantly transporting from one place to another. But again, these were all illusions; accomplished through countless hours of rehearsal, and utilizing the tools and technology of stage lighting, mechanical props, and other theatrical methodologies. Following these performances, occasionally someone would say to me, “That just is not possible. You must be possessed!” Well, if I was possessed, and if Satan and his demons really had the ability to produce the genuine miraculous, then why was I hauling around a commercial truck with 5 tons of theatrical equipment, and employing a stage crew and cast members who worked long hours every day just to set up and tear down the show each night? When faced with the unexplainable, always remember, that from a Biblical perspective even the “possessed” cannot perform the genuine miraculous. The ability to produce genuine miracles is an exclusive attribute of God.

Now, I am not denying that supernatural events take place in the world today, but the supernatural should not be used to explain everything beyond a person’s understanding. I’ve been watching television for years – and I still don’t really understand how those images get into that screen in front of me. However, I do not attribute a supernatural explanation to the images appearing on the screen.

How About the Association with Evil

A frequent argument raised concerning the use of magical entertainment performances associated with Christian events goes something like this: ‘because magic has been associated with evil in the past, and Christians should avoid every appearance of evil, it should not be used as an evangelistic or educational tool by Christians.’ This argument would be worth consideration if it could be applied to every other medium of communication and entertainment.

Certainly music, drama, and dance have been associated with evil, even aggressively used by evil influences – but in no way does this mean these methods of communication and entertainment are forbidden for the Christian. Simply because an art form has been used for evil purposes does not automatically invalidate that medium. For example, false teachers and preachers have often used the art and skill of public speaking, but we would not suggest that Christians should be forbidden from participating in using those same skills and talents (i.e. preaching and teaching) simply because those abilities have been utilized for evil ends in the past.

Justifying Deception?

One evening following a very successful community outreach event hosted by a large Christian ministry in the USA, a friend of mine asked me “How can you justify using deception as part of a Christian ministry?” My answer? I can’t! I don’t! “I love magicians because they are the most honest of men”’ said author Elbert Hubbard. “They tell you they are going to fool you and then proceed to do it.” (It’s kind of like the opposite of being a politician!)

Without a doubt secrecy is a part of the magician’s trade. Secrecy, however, does not equate to an evil deception. Just because I do not divulge how the stage illusions are accomplished does not mean that I am being deceitful. Secrecy is an integral part of the work of an illusionist, just as a certain recipe is for Kentucky Fried Chicken! Secrecy is simply a matter of good business.

Millions Reached Around the World Each Year through Christian Magicians

In the work and ministry that I participated in for several decades before retiring from performing, (along with the ministries of such performers as Andre Kole, and the work of contemporary Christian performing artists who utilize MAGIC, such as Rod Robison, Adrian Van Vactor, Harris III,  Brad Brown, Brett Myers, Don Bursell, Bruce  Chadwick,  Darrel Barrie, David Hamner, Steve Taylor, Tim Hannig,  Duane Laflin and many more) – I did as a follower of Jesus Christ for the express purpose of reaching the unreached through a creative means in order to introduce the genuine amazing power of the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ.

To conclude, throughout the many years of serving churches and para-church ministries around the world by  presenting the Gospel via a simple illusion in their communities – it provided me the opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with literally millions of people who would most-likely never have stepped inside of a church or attended a Christian concert or a ministry-sponsored event. As a result I witnessed thousands place their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives.

My challenge and encouragement to others is to consider what unique talents, abilities and skills God has given you, and then find ways to utilize those gifts in whatever venue you may to also share His love with a lost and dying world.

©1995-2017 Toby A. Travis

About the Author: Toby Travis holds an undergraduate degree in theology, a master’s degree in Religious Education, and a doctorate in education. His doctoral dissertation is entitled, “The Trusted School Leader: Gaining Better Results, Deeper Stakeholder Relationships, and Greater Stability.”

For many years Dr. Travis performed as a professional actor, singer, magician and illusionist (as well as being an author, speaker, and variety- show producer); winning international acclaim and high honors before his retirement from the entertainment industry. Throughout his performing years Toby also possessed a passion for leadership development and education – often combining his work as a performer with his work in training and consulting leaders, as well as producing educational seminars. Today Toby serves as the Headmaster of Desert Christian Schools in Tucson, AZ. He is also an Associate Consultant with PAIDEIA, Inc. – a comprehensive consulting firm serving private schools and universities around the world for over 50 years.

Even Magicians Fall for Deception

by

(Because we all do.)

When I picked up the phone one evening just over ten years ago one of the last people I expected to hear on the other end was my magician friend Scott Wolf.  It’s very possible you’ve seen him before.  A video of one of his magic routines gone horribly wrong went viral on YouTube and was seen by millions more on TV.

I was in the audience a few years prior to his phone call when Scott set his entire head on fire.  Not on purpose.  But because he deceived himself into assuming that playing with fire—even as a seasoned and highly trained fire-breathing magician who had performed the trick countless times—would never result in severe burns over his entire face.

Scott Fire Breathing Performance

I’d seen him perform the trick flawlessly many times before. I say “trick” but it’s no trick in the sense that it wasn’t real fire or any real danger.  Scott’s fire breathing act is dangerous and, yes, it is real fire.  Holding a blazing torch in one hand and two others not yet set aflame, he opens his mouth, sticks his tongue out and touches it with the ignited torch. Then, with his tongue on fire, he sets the other two torches aflame.  Repeatedly blowing out and reigniting the torches with his mouth, with no apparent harm, Scott has duly petrified the audience. But he’s just getting warmed up, if you’ll excuse the pun. Then, in an explosive conclusion, Scott chugs a couple of  ounces of lighter fluid, holds one of the flaming torches at arm’s length and blows a massive ball of fire the size of a couch into the air.

But the night of the accident Scott got a little careless, lighting up his face and head like a six foot candle. Frantically patting his face in a vain attempt to extinguish the flames, he ran off stage while the audience gasped in stunned horror.

I was the first to reach Scott offstage.  I found him face down in the stage right wing, the fire now extinguished.  His first words were, “I can’t believe I did that.”

He was rushed to a nearby hospital and, after several painful procedures over the next few weeks, made a full recovery.

A few years later Scott, who had dedicated his life and talents to Christ, began touring with a Christian performance ministry.  Although in his younger days he had abused alcohol and drugs, he’d been clean for several years and was determined to keep it that way.  But with the boredom of life on the road and little accountability Scott let his guard down and the deceptive thought, I can handle it, gained a foothold in his resolve and soon his old habits returned.

After being forced to leave the ministry, Scott moved to Alaska where his downward spiral accelerated, sucking him into a seemingly hopeless life of meth and cocaine addiction.  It was at that point that he picked up the phone and called me.

“Rod, I’m in trouble.”  His trembling voice told me he wasn’t kidding. “I need help. I have to get straight.”

I hadn’t seen Scott in quite some time, so he filled me in on his descent into drug-fueled deception.  For a second time he had played with fire.  And for a second time he was burned badly. This time not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

I told Scott I would help him under one condition.  “I’ll see if I can pull together some plane fare from some of our magician buddies and fly you to Tucson where you can get some help and accountability.  But you have to promise me one thing.  When you get off that plane you’re going straight to Teen Challenge treatment center and enter their program.”

Scott happily agreed.  I called Teen Challenge and told them Scott couldn’t afford their program but he desperately needed them.  They agreed to accept him and, true to his word, Scott stepped off the plane and into a new life.

His years-long road to recovery was not without its stumbles, but today Scott is the Director of Teen Challenge Ministry Institute where he oversees interns at eleven campuses across the Northwest.  By God’s grace and Scott’s determination, a magician who himself was badly deceived now helps men find their way out of the darkness of deception by introducing them to the Way, the Truth, and the Light, Jesus Christ.

In our book Unmasking the Masquerade we focus on psychic deception to help illustrate the nature of deception itself and our vulnerability to it.  When I began writing this book and invited my friends Adrian, Toby, and Andre to contribute, I hoped that it could be more than merely an exposure of deception as it relates to apparent paranormal phenomena, as fascinating as that topic is. I wanted that kind of deception to act as a poignant metaphor for whatever deception you and I struggle with daily. It’s tempting to view people who are trapped in various types of psychic deceit as naïve and caught up in something we could never fall for. But the type of deceit we fall for isn’t really the point.  The real point that I hope you take with you when you read the book is that we do fall for it…every day. Being aware of our own propensity to lose our footing when deceit crosses our path makes us much more aware of it when it does, inevitably and repeatedly, cross our path.

The Bible makes it clear that there is an enemy of our souls whose malevolent passion is to not only deceive us but, in the process, to destroy us.  Here’s how one of Jesus’ closest followers, Peter stated it: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8

That can be a terrifying  realization and has, indeed, struck fear in the hearts of millions who have read those words over the centuries. Yet, as we’ve learned in our journey together, the Bible also tells us, rather paradoxically, that we are not to fear that roaring, deceiving enemy, “… because, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world [the spirit of the anti-Christ.]”  I John 4:4

It’s been said that the phrase “fear not” appears in the Bible 365 times—one for each day of the year.  But that’s not entirely accurate.  While that phrase and “be not afraid” appear 103 times in the King James Version, there are hundreds more that tell us to fear God alone, do not be anxious, and do not worry. Regardless of the phrase count, it’s abundantly clear that we don’t need to fear Satan when Christ is the King of our lives.

Beyond the assurances from Scripture that we need not be afraid, there is ample description of our enemy in the sacred pages to lead us to the conclusion that his stock-in-trade is deception and fear.  Not God-like powers, but deception and fear.  Not conferring miraculous powers to humans as popular lore would have us believe.

Deception

 Fear  

 Ultimately, our liberation from deception and fear is not dependent upon what our enemy can or cannot do.  It is anchored firmly on what our sovereign God, the Creator of the universe, alone can and does do.  He provided us all a Way out of that deception and fear through the Truth and Light–His Son.  It is our hope and prayer that whether you know—as Jesus called Himself—the Way, the Truth, and the Light or are merely one seeking a way forward toward truth and light, that you’ll continue on that path, “…because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

Anyone.

Demon Magicians? Really?

by

 

Most professional Christian magicians have, at one time or another, been confronted by a well-meaning but uninformed audience member claiming that the magic they just saw on stage had to have been accomplished with demonic assistance. Or as some disparagingly call it, “demon magic.”  The “miracles” witnessed are so inexplicable they must be supernatural in nature.  There could not possibly be any other explanation.

To be sure, the vast majority of Christians know that, as impossible as some magical effects appear, there has to be a natural explanation and that demons were not the magician’s unseen assistants.  But some don’t and go to great lengths to prove to the world that magicians – even Christian magicians — employ the powers of darkness.

“Demon Magicians” Unmasked

Youtube video claims this magician is using demonic powers

Such was the case in 2014 when a series of popular YouTube videos dubbed “Demon Magicians” emerged featuring clips of various magicians, most of them well-known, in an attempt to “prove” that many magicians tap demonic powers to accomplish their magical, mysterious feats. What proof is cited? The author of the series of videos points to the impossibility of the effects and the sinister persona of the magicians. To be sure, some of the magicians in the videos do sport ominous and sometimes downright creepy guises to enhance the mystery experience. After all, they are on stage playing a part.

As for the impossibility of the effects cited as proof positive of demonic aid, I can assure you they are merely magic tricks. Really good tricks—but tricks nonetheless. The secrets are much more mundane than marshalling the demonic forces of darkness; some, such as a levitation cited on one of the videos, use methods that have been commonly employed by stage magicians for well over a century.

Sadly, tens of millions of views and thousands of comments to this video series indicate that many viewers have accepted the false notion that Satan’s powers are far greater than the powers God bestowed on him.  And sadly the series has advanced the stereotype in the minds of non-Christians, who see the folly of the author’s claims, that Christians are backward-thinking pinheads lacking any reasoning ability.

In our book Unmasking the Masquerade we attempt to bring a biblical, rational balance to the discussion of the limits of Satan’s powers.  Although he is unquestionably the enemy of our souls, Scripture is clear that he does not possess miraculous powers that God reserves for Himself.   Nor do his demonic minions.  We also make the case that the more power unwitting Christians assign to Satan, the more unnecessarily fearful they will be of him.  In such cases our enemy scores another defeat.  On the other hand, when we understand that Satan is not to be feared and that his powers are greatly limited by our Creator, we are liberated to reverence alone the God who loves us.