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Several blogs which were written recently as well as an incident which happened to me a few days ago, have caused me to consider the Christian and magic. In our zeal and our desire to see "great and powerful things", do we tread dangerously close to committing that which is an abomination to God?
Lest anyone think I am attacking a "denomination", I want to start out by saying that I was both raised as and I continue to be, a Pentecostal. I adamantly believe that the gifts of the Spirit, including speaking in other tongues, are for the Church today as well as in the first century. I have observed and also been the recipient of miracles. I have prayed for people who have been healed, I&039;ve asked for God to provide for people and they have been provided for. I have asked for doors to be open and they have been opened. I&039;ve asked God to provide food, money to pay bills, etc, and it has happened. I have shocked people on occasion by telling them something pertaining to something they thought no one knew about and they have told me, "Only God could have told you that." He did.
However, there is a growing trend amongst Christians which troubles me greatly. It is the same trend which is taking place in the world at large and that is the dabbling in magic. The world is rather open about this. What at one time people would have kept hidden is fast becoming accepted in popular culture.
For the Christian however, I believe it is much more subtle. The enemy knows that if he openly introduces a lot of practices to us, we will recognize them immediately for what they are and reject them immediately. That won&039;t do so instead, he "covers" them up. He copies that which is of God and tries to pass it off as the "original". The enemy is an expert counterfeiter. Only the Holy Spirit can tell the difference between that which is genuine and that which is not.
Consider this:
We are all familiar with what an incantation is. We will all agree that such a practice is wrong. At least, I hope we do. You say certain words and that causes the desired effect to happen, right?
From pulpits across America, people are being told that if you need a new job, a new car, a new husband, or whatever, you pray "these words" (insert your favorite phase here) and it will happen. Back when I was a teenager it was referred to as "name it and claim it" or... "blab it and grab it".
So what&039;s the difference here? You&039;re praying in the name of Jesus? Is that the difference?
Consider this:
They used the name of Jesus but look at what happened to them. Saying the words is not what delivers or heals. It is Jesus Christ.
I am a firm believer that every prayer we utter and everything we do must reflect the attitude of Christ. We find His example of prayers both in the Lord&039;s Prayer and the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene. What did He pray? Thy will be done.
This is what keeps our course steady and sure and prevents us from venturing into that place the enemy desires us to go. A place where it is so easy to get our eyes off of God and onto ourselves, a place where it is so easy to become prideful fall into the trap of trying to manipulate God.
Let all that we do be for the glory of God; not ourselves but Him and may we never under estimate our enemy.
Blessings!
K
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