Thursday, November 3, 2022

The Practice of Magic

In conversation with a friend yesterday who shares with me, the love of Jesus and his words (John 1:1,14; 14:6), she expressed interest in what scripture means when it speaks of sorcery and witchcraft.  My response to my friend's interest is below, and as always, anyone who visits this blog is directed to read all the scriptures referenced because it is Jesus who gives us the meaning of what he is saying (John 1:1,14; Rev.19:13). Scriptures will pop up for readability when on a mobile device if lightly touched, or if on a laptop, hovered over by cursor.

When we consider Jesus’ words, we reflect on how he taught throughout all scripture…through parables that contain analogies, similes, illustrations, and figurative discourses, which help us to understand spiritual things (John 1:1,14; Rev.19:13; Matt.13:3,10,34-35; 22:1; Mark 4:33; John 10:6; 16:25; Mark 4:13; Psalm 78:2-3; Ezek.17:2; 24:3).  Jesus explained to his disciples why he used parables and told them the meaning of the parables, which helped them to reason in their mind and heart the nature of his kingdom and to recognize that not all would “see,” perceive, because not all who proclaimed to believe, truly believed him and had a real love for truth (Mark 4:34,10-12; Matt.13:34,10-13; 16:5-12; Mark 2:6-8; 4:11; Luke 8:10; Rom.10:2-3; John 14:6; 8:31-32; 4:23-24; 5:39-40; 2 Thess.2:9-12).  Jesus’ disciples listened to him, but they also needed to belief and have faith in him, to rely upon him, his promise of Holy Spirit to teach them in his absence so that they may bear much fruit and be a light to others (John 14:1-3,15-28; 14:26; 16:13; 6:63; 14:6; Luke 12:12; Rom.8:9; Neh.9:20; John 2:22; 12:16; 1 John 5:10,13; Matt.14:25-31; Heb.11:6; John 15:1-4,8; Prov.12:14; John 8:12; Matt.5:14-16). 

We were warned that there will be false prophets and false teachers among us, so we are unsurprised that there will be those who are in positions of teaching and that appear and sound sheep-like, but who are not speaking for God (Matt.7:15; 24:11; 2 Pet.2:1; 1 John 4:1). Those who speak lies about God and his son speak not by Spirit but from their own imagination, conjuring charms, seductive words as magic stunts to create an illusion of special spiritual power, knowledge, and insight (2 Pet.2:1; Nahum 3:4; Rev.17:3-5,15; Prov.31:30; Mark 7:6; Isa.29:13; 47:10-13; Psalm 57:4; 58:3-6; Luke 6:45; Matt.13:15; Rom.1:21-25; 1 Cor.10:19; John 6:35,51; 7:37).  They do not rely on Spirit, but divine lies purported as true they mix religious “magical potions” that when ingested “drug” people’s minds putting them under a “spell,” a captivity of mind and heart (John 14:6; 1 John 5:6; 1 Tim.4:1; 2 Tim.4:3-4; Ezek.13:9-10; 2 Cor.11:13-14; Deut.11:16,18; Prov.4:23; Gal.3:1-3; 5:17; Heb.3:10-12).  When lies are craftily mixed to appear as light from Jesus, this is sorcery, but this sorcery is cut off, demolished by the sword of the Spirit, God’s word (Isa.5:20; Ezek.13:9-10; Psalm 34:12-13; Prov.12:22; Deut.18:9-14; Isa.47:1,12-14; Jer.23:29; Micah 5:10-15; Rev.18:21,23; 2 Thess.2:8; Psalm 29:7; Rev.2:16; Eph.6:17; 2 Cor.10:3-5; Rev.22:12-15).  Both “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov.18:21) – What we hear and allow to penetrate our mind and heart, and what we speak that comes from within our heart can be as lethal as drawn swords (2 Cor.10:3-5; Prov.18:21,6-7; 11:9; 12:13-14; 55:20-21; 57:4; Psalm 140:3; John 6:63; 8:44; Psalm 5:6; 52:2-5; Prov.19:9).   

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