You will need both a crystal cube and spring flowers or silks for this trick. You can even use the small cube that comes with a silk. (show the empty crystal box) The crystal cube is an awesome utility trick you'll want to use again and again. Not only do we carry the spring flowers, but we also have the spring money. I prefer the spring loads, but silks work well also. I use this trick everywhere I go.

I can only imagine how empty the women must have felt that morning.  The events of the past few days left them numb with pain and empty with loss. They had watched His miracles. Maybe Mary recalled the cute things He had done as a toddler or the story of His turning the water into wine-but now He was gone.

There were things they wanted to tell Him. Little things left unsaid. Little things that now they wanted desperately to say. But it was too late. Jesus was dead. There was only one thing left to be done, now that the Sabbath was past, and they were on their way to do it that early Sunday morning. It was the only thing they could do to show their love.

As they approached the tomb where Joseph laid the Messiah-- their Messiah, the conversation turned to the rock. It was huge. How would they ever move the rock? It was more than they could handle. But they quickly discovered that it was not more than God could handle. The rock had been rolled away. Sitting on the rock was an angel dressed in a brilliantly white robe.

Maybe there are things in your life that are too big for you to handle. You don't have a solution for the problems you are facing. Give them to God. Ask Him to help you. He wants to meet your needs. He wants to be with you when you feel lonely or afraid. He loves you and is listening for your voice.

Matthew 28:5-7 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.

They were frightened, shocked, stunned, but no longer empty. The tomb was empty, so that all mankind could be filled with the life of God. Because the tomb was empty and because they believed the good report they were no longer empty. They were filled--filled (produce the flowers) with joy. Jesus was alive. They saw Him die, but now He was alive. They would see Him. They would see Him soon!

Good news. It was amazing news.  They came empty and left full. His death was part of God's amazing plan. It made a way for you to be filled. Filled with His love. Filled with His joy. Filled with His life.

You can receive Jesus today. Believe on Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. You don't have to be empty. You don't have to try to fill that empty spot inside you with things. It won't work. It is a God sized emptiness that only He can fill. Accept God's free gift of love and He will fill that emptiness in you.

CRYSTAL TUBE

This is a great trick for your Resurrection Celebration. I like it because it is very easy to do and the message is strong. Kids love it. 

Pick up the yellow and green silk to illustrate how God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, but sin separated them. God did not want to be separated from his precious creation so he sent his Son into the world (represented by the red silk). The red silk is tucked into the Crystal Tube. Then the green silk is tucked into one end of the tube, followed by the yellow. You raise tube to your mouth and blow down tube. Silks fly out knotted together to represent because of Jesus, believers can have fellowship with God. Trick complete with gospel illustration. Story included.

God's Math

You don't need the Life to Death Screen to do this trick, but it is a great visual for producing small items. Every where I have used it people love it. Satan must have rejoiced.  He plotted and schemed and now Jesus was dead. Nature was so sad that it sobbed with a great earthquake when Jesus hung His head and died. But not Satan. He had won. Finally, he had defeated the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. Jesus, the Son of God was dead.

(Pull the three nails and the paper cross out of the load.) But Satan did not understand God's math. Satan thought he could take Jesus' life and destroy Him once and for all with a cross and 3 nails. He thought a cross and 3 nails could reduce Jesus to zero. He didn't realize that 3 nails, plus 2 boards does not equal defeat.  It equals four-given. (pause and let it soak in.) Let's do the math. (pull out paper and show them the math as you talk) 3 nails, plus 2 boards take away the life blood of the one and only Son of God equals  four (for)-given.

(Fold the screen flat. You may need to practice this move as you don't expose the load. Refold the  screen to show Jesus) This amazing feat of victory snatched from the jaws of defeat was possible because Satan couldn't take what Jesus had already freely given. Jesus laid down his life as a substitute for mankind. Because Jesus loved you so much, He laid his life down freely, He redeemed mankind from sin. 

(Tear the bottom off the cross so you have a plus sign in one hand and a minus sign in the other)Three nails plus 2 boards then take away God's one and only son equals four-given. Satan didn't understand God's math. You see with Christ's death on the cross, He subtracted (took away) the penalty of sin. He subtracted (took away) your sickness. He subtracted (took away) your fear. He paid the debt of sin with His life, so you could go free from sin. (Pull silks or other objects from the load as you talk)

But God's message of the cross does not end with the things he subtracted. The cross is also a place of addition. Jesus came to give...to add to your life. He came to add life and that life more abundant. He came to add peace, to add joy to add eternal life. (Pull silks or other objects from the load as you talk)

The message of the cross goes beyond subtraction and addition. Because Jesus never sinned death could not hold him. On the third day God raised Jesus from the dead and brought Him back to life. Think about that. Dead for three days yet God gives Him life. God is all powerful. What a loving, awesome God is that He would send His precious Son to die so you could be born into His family. So multiplication could take place. So many sons could become joint heirs, enjoying the privileges that belong with being part of God's family. Now you can have Life-- abundant life. God wants you to enjoy eternal life. The God kind of life that can only come from knowing and making Jesus Lord of your life. Receive His gift. Receive Jesus as your Savior.