From www.gty.org one can download for free the 11 page booklet "What Does It Mean To Be Filled With The Spirit" by John MacArthur (or it can be purchased for $2). Just put the name of this booklet in the website search box. This is part of their "Spotlight on Scripture" series. I thought I could incorporate some of the content of this small but helpful booklet into a simple children's routine. See below.

To illustrate the idea of "pressure" (see page 3 of "What Does It Mean To Be Filled With The Spirit?"), show a hand held pinwheel (or hand out toy pinwheels to the kids, one can buy 36 pinwheels from Oriental Trading for $7.98), then blow on it/have the kids all blow on their pinwheels. Explain how this illustrates the Holy Spirit "providing the thrust to move the believer down the pathway of obedience (page 3)".

Then drop an Alka-Seltzer in a glass of water (see pages 3 and 4), this illustrates "permeation" - "God wants the Holy Spirit to permeate and flavor our lives so when we're around others they will know for certain we possess the pervasive savor of the Spirit."

Next, use a "Blendo" trick of your choice to complete the last phase. If you do not have a Blendo, just place in the search box "Blendo" at www.silkmagictricks.com where many different types of silk blendos are available online for purchase (or at your local magic shop) which use either a change bag, a blendo silk routine or a blendo bag. The "Four Square Blendo Silks by Diffata and Laflin" for $29.95 work well.

Finally, hold up four silks. The red silk can be viewed as our emotions. The green silk can signify our acts. The blue silk can signify our bodies. The yellow silk can signify our thoughts (see page 4 of MacArthur's booklet). The Holy Spirit must have "domination" in ALL AREAS (then show the four silks now blended together) of our lives, not just in one part such as our emotions only (or in our consideration/thoughts on Sunday mornings only). As Paul says: "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you". "One can be filled with the Holy Spirit only when controlled by the Word. It is knowing truth (so we must read our Bibles) and obeying it" (taken from page 4 of MacArthur's booklet).

I will then have the kids sing a hymn of praise (see page 5) which is one of the "practical consequences of being Spirit filled" after first talking about being thankful (pages 6-9) and submitting to one another (pages 9-11).

If you are looking for inexpensive pinwheels for handout to the kids to encourage participation/discussion with the above, www.orientaltrading.com has "Palm Leaf Pinwheels" with a cross in the middle of pinwheel that are very inexpensive to purchase in quantity ($7.47 for 36 of them plus shipping charges). Another idea would be to do a "color changing liquid effect" to help illustrate point number two above (if you are looking for something more magical than placing an Alka-Seltzer or a now discontinued "Fizzie" in a glass of water). An example of a water changing effect would be "Cleansing Cross" for $25 available from www.GospelMagic.com which usually illustrates/used in the context about how the cross/work of Christ wipes out our sins.

MagicBob suggested rather than use Alka Seltzer to illustrate permeation, could use either "Dissolvo" magic paper or a toy "pill" (can usually find at dollar stores) where you drop the "pill" in water and it turns into a toy animal or other toy figure.