What do you think of when you hear that phrase, maybe a magic act or a sleight-of-hand card trick? Something appears then disappears then reappears unexpectedly. How’d they do that? Often it involves getting you to focus on something while something else is happening. It can be fun—or not—depending on the circumstances. If there’s no consequence the phenomenon can be entertaining and fun. But there are some parlor tricks that can seem innocent enough but result in great loss. People get lured into giving away access to their finances, or lose control of their assets, like their house. Not good, not good at all. In large part it depends on who’s running the show. Are they just trying to entertain or is there another motive. And the best “grifters” can rob someone blind without their victims even knowing it, at least not right away. The sleight of hand is presented as reality and it’s only later that the ruse is exposed for what it is. Some swindles are conducted on a scale that defies detection. The ruse is so extensive that nobody suspects it until it’s too late. Remember Bernie Madoff?

These days everybody’s being tempted to fall into a trap. How many times have you gotten phone messages or emails attempting to get your personal information or to corrupt your device just for fun? It really is a jungle out there. What we need is a sure thing to help us stay on track, keeping us safe from those who seek to rob us blind. When it comes to the use of our phone or our computer we learn not to believe everything that’s presented to us. We learn to watch what we’re doing and pay attention. It’s important; we’re so dependent on our technology that we must use it even though the environment of the internet is so treacherous. And the more we use the technology the more alert we must be in order to avoid this treachery.

Why don’t we take this approach to everything else that pertains to our world? Indeed, the Apostle John tells us that Jesus recognized the whole world to be under the rule of the evil one. (John 12:31; 1John 5:19) But too often we don’t act like that’s true. Why is that? Could it be that we’re not aware of what scripture says? Or perhaps we’re not taking the Bible seriously, at least not enough to really study it and hear what it says. We know that Jesus loves us; this we know for the Bible tells us so. But when it comes to what it says about the nature of this world and the powers that animate it, maybe it appears too farfetched to be taken seriously. If that’s the case then I’m here to say that such a posture is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!! The Bible is as relevant now as it’s always been. Maybe in times past it was easier to believe in the supernatural aspects of human existence. Features of the natural world were so mysterious that they appeared to be supernatural phenomena. But now that we know why something that goes up must come down—at least on earth—we think that most things can be explained as natural phenomenon.

Again I say, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!! It’s not just heaven and the here-after that are supernatural; everything is associated with the supernatural. God holds reality together. (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17)  Everything is informed by His existence. We’ve got to be convinced of that in order to recognize the supernatural nature of our lives. It’s from this vantage point that the true value of the Bible comes to light. It’s through the scriptures that we gain the necessary understanding for navigating this strange place, this world. That’s why we’ve got to take the Bible seriously and study it aggressively, asking the Lord for insight along the way. I’m not talking about ghosts and goblins, or manipulating circumstances for our advantage through an exercise of some supernatural power. The extent to which we actually encounter supernatural phenomena varies widely and in our western world such encounters appear eccentric. But ours is a supernatural reality nevertheless.

To illustrate what’s of concern here, let’s consider a contemporary feature of modern culture. In the current state of things everything is impacted by technology. We have the capacity to communicate around the globe instantly. Seemingly everything that’s been written in human history is now being digitized, rendering it accessible to everyone, everywhere. Social media allows us to be engaged with one another no matter whom we are or where we are. Important texts, including the Bible, can be dissected, analyzed and evaluated by anybody that has the inclination to do so. All they need is the right software. But when it comes to the scriptures there’s a big difference between studying the Bible and analyzing the Bible. If the Bible is the Word of God, then analysis isn’t necessarily going to produce understanding. If the Bible is the Word of God then the potential is there to encounter the Lord in the process of study. All the technology in the world can’t insure that encounter, but approaching and receiving the Word by faith promises that such an encounter is possible. And it’s by encountering the Lord that we get where we need to go. Technology is a means whereby we can access the scriptures, but it’s by faith that that access results in the encounter we really need.

The technology alone can result in another type of encounter as well. Apart from the Lord it presents an encounter with human potential. Human capacities are encouraged, orchestrated, and applied in an effort to maximize human potential and this is where the Christian needs to pay close attention. That’s because the whole world is under the rule of the evil one, and that rule extends to the arena of technology. Having a Bible at our fingertips through our computer or our phone allows us to evaluate what the Bible says on a particular subject or through the use of a particular word. It’s great isn’t it? We don’t have to flip through pages or consult a concordance; just use the search engine. We don’t even need to own Bible software because so much material is available without charge on the internet. However, reading the Bible and analyzing it, or consulting what somebody else has to say about it can give a false impression that understanding the Bible and making use of it in our lives is a product of our own analysis. The technology enables us to become familiar with the Bible and its content just like it enables us to understand how to bake a cake, or fix a car…or build a bomb. Such ease of access is alluring. There’s power in this media and it’s had a profound impact on how we live our lives. Seemingly anything’s possible in this expanding world of technology and its use. We can go anywhere, see anywhere; communicating, calculating, analyzing, solving all things pertaining to the human condition. And the Bible is more accessible in this environment as well. Where will it lead us?

This brings us back to the power of illusion. The slight-of-hand that presents then hides; the offer of something of substance that ends up being the means of taking away. Remember, the “whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” The world offers something profound in the use of technology: possible solutions to human limitations, a chance to overcome what ails us within and without, even enhancing our access to the Bible. But who’s running the show? That’s something we have to think about, and our thinking needs to be informed by what the Bible itself says and taking it seriously enough to apply it to our lives. What we’re really after through our study of the Bible is an encounter with the Lord. That doesn’t happen through analysis alone it happens by studying it in faith and seeking the Lord in prayer with regard to what it says. What I’m saying is use the technology to access the Bible, but recognize it for what it is: the Word of the living God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, revealing the profound nature of the Lord’s existence as well as our own.

Studying the Bible is not about gathering information; it’s about encountering a person…the Person. It takes effort, and it requires investigation. Questions need to be asked and answered.  What’s it got to do with me? Why does it seem to contradict itself? Is there such a thing as the devil? What’s church got to do with it? All legitimate questions that need to be addressed. But in order to address such questions you need to want, expect and implore an answer. In the process we get to know this Person. God by His Spirit renders us familiar with Him. It’s personal…intimate, sometimes profound and even a little scary. But it’s worth it.

Don’t fall for the sleight-of-hand fostered by this world. Just because it isn’t obvious doesn’t mean that intimacy with God isn’t available. The world is treacherous and empowered to deceive and all the human reasoning in the world can’t overcome it, only Jesus can. Properly handling the text does include analysis but that analysis must be informed through an effective and vibrant prayer life. Without it we won’t know what to expect from the Lord in our prayers; and not handling the text properly can skew our prayers prompting expectations that are out of step with God’s agenda.