House of Cards

A friend shared a ‘magic’ card trick video with me today. On a table were six royal cards. A pair of Kings, a pair of Queens, and a pair of Jacks. The narrator said, “Focus on one of these six cards, really fix it in your mind. I will try to guess your card.” I dutifully focused on the King of Clubs and waited for the ‘magic.’ The video pans away for a moment and when the camera returned to the cards, the King of Clubs was gone. Hmmm. Now, the video wasn’t being done live, so how would the narrator guess my card and that of others?

My friend told me to watch the video more than once. At first I thought it was the location of the cards that was the trick. It wasn’t. I observed that both Queens were of a different suit when the camera panned back in. My friend was kind enough to share with me that it wasn’t just the Queens that were a different suit – it was all five remaining royal cards had been swapped out for five different royal cards. This guarantees a 100% success rate for the ‘magician.’

Sleight of hand has been employed for centuries by magicians and pickpockets alike. The art of misdirection tricks our minds into seeing things that don’t exist, not seeing things that do, or trusting something or someone who isn’t trustworthy.

It’s important to know who you can trust, and of equal importance, who you can’t. But how? I believe the Bible has the answer. Matthew 7:15 -20.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit ^. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit^.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

In simple terms, actions speak louder than words. Or as American poet Maya Angelou once said, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”

If your car mechanic couldn’t tell the difference between a camshaft and a crankshaft – would you trust him to work on your car? Would you trust a doctor to perform surgery on you if they never seemed to listen to you? Would you trust someone to be your friend if they disappeared off the radar the moment trouble hit your life?

You can trust the word of God. You will know false prophets – and others – by their fruits.