It's Magical!

 

This life is full of decisions; in fact, we make an average of thirty-five thousand of the little buggers a day! From what to wear and what to eat to whether or not to smile at a stranger, our life is composed of decisions. The smallest of them can change the course of our lives forever, and the biggest of them can either destroy us or save us. To talk about the decision we have to make, we must talk about the war. The biggest and longest-lasting battle in history is the battle between dark and light, good and evil.

As long as humans have existed, we have been choosing one side or the other. Choosing a side isn’t as simple as choosing and then continuing to live your life the way you always have; whichever side you choose will require your participation in the fight. There is no neutrality; you choose darkness simply by making no choice. You would think everyone would choose the side of light, the side of life, but that’s not so. The darkness is attractive, it’s fun, and they have cookies. People choose the dark side all the time, but it’s not light and dark, as portrayed in Star Wars.

There isn’t a single force flowing through the universe that you can tap into and use for good or evil. This is a popular myth perpetuated by Satan through the use of movies and books. No, instead, there are two beings in the universe, one wholly good and the other wholly evil. Good works can only be produced by using God’s spirit, and evil works can only be produced by using Satan’s spirit. In Matthew 7:17-18 it says,

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

Many popular books push the idea through magic that there is only a neutral force that can be used for either good or evil. As we can see, this is a mistruth because good can only come from God, not evil. What the books call magic is actually the spirit of Satan, and we as Christians are warned to stay away from magic. 

Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

Piel) to practice witchcraft or sorcery, use witchcraft

כָּשַׁף kâshaph, kaw-shaf’; a primitive root; properly, to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practice magic:—sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft

Deu 18:10-11 There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

נָחַשׁ nâchash, naw-khash’; a primitive root; properly, to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate

כָּשַׁף kâshaph, kaw-shaf’; a primitive root; properly, to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic:—sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft).

חָבַר châbar, khaw-bar’; a primitive root; to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate:—charm(-er), be compact, couple (together), have fellowship with, heap up, join (self, together), league. unite (usually intransitive), be joined, tie a magic knot or spell, charm

יִדְּעֹנִי yiddᵉʻônîy, yid-deh-o-nee'; from H3045; properly, a knowing one; specifically, a conjurer; (by implication) a ghost:—wizard.

דָּרַשׁ dârash, daw-rash’; a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship

Witchcraft and magic are one and the same thing, and books that teach magic or present it as something harmless that anyone can access are extremely dangerous for our children’s minds. Children desire control over their own lives, which is why magical powers are so attractive! They promise power, control, and unique specialness. In reality, their end is death, but our children don’t know enough to see beyond the dangling carrot to the slaughterhouse that awaits. 

Of course, there is the use of magic as a literary device, which is different from magic as a source of special abilities. Some good examples of books that use magic as literary devices are ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ Some that use magic as magic are ‘Harry Potter’ and the ‘Tiffany Achins’ books. When I say literary device, I mean that it is used as a method of explaining the unexplainable and giving a method for the characters in the story to go places they wouldn’t normally be able to go, such as the wardrobe in Narnia or Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Characters can appear who have “Magical Abilities” to help the characters in their quest, much like angels help us in ours using the power of God, but the “magic” is inaccessible to the characters themselves. Magic is the only word the inhabitants of that world have to describe what these beings or people can do.

Dan 4:9 "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God [is] in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

Here we have Daniel being called the chief of the magicians, yet we know he used the spirit of God, not magic. So what's going on here? The king of Babylon couldn't explain what Daniel was doing, so Daniel was numbered with the magicians. Literary magic. This is the difference between magic as a literary device and magic as a source of power.

Getting back to decision-making, we must choose between magic, the power of Satan, and the Holy Spirit, the power of God. His very essence. To choose the Holy Spirit is to choose God. Remember, magic is the power of Satan and the Holy Spirit is the power of God.

How do we choose God?

This brings us to the most critical decision we will ever make. It’s not what college you will attend or what career you will pursue; it’s not even who you marry. While these are all critical decisions, none of them are the most important decision. Remember, the most critical decision involves choosing God. Let’s look at Mark 16:16.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.

That is how you choose God, and you then receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Baptism is a necessary ceremony to show that you are going to follow God’s way because it is the representation of the old man dying and being washed away, made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our savior. The decision to lay down your life and follow Christ is a huge one with massive potential costs. You must be ready to literally give up everything, including family, possessions, and jobs, to follow Him. In Luke 14:26-27, we find these very words.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 

“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

We must count the cost of following Him. This isn’t a decision we can change our minds on once we make it. Once we put our hand to the plow, we cannot turn back. It is the best decision you will ever make. Later on in Luke 14, Christ says this,

Luk 14:28-29, 31-33 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has [enough] to finish [it]-- 

“lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see [it] begin to mock him, ... 

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 

“Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 

“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

This is a massive commitment! How can you know if you are ready? Why not just wait until you are old to make it? You are binding yourself by God’s law, after all. Isn’t it restrictive on a young person? No adultery such as sex outside of marriage, no getting drunk, resting every seventh day, etc. Seems restrictive, like God doesn’t want us to have fun! Except that stuff isn’t really all that fun, and it has a tendency to wreck your life. We also never know when we will die, so waiting until we are old is risky and not in the spirit of following God. How do you know if you are ready? For those of us who have grown up in the Church, we have been living God’s way our entire lives, more or less.

Because of this, we won’t get that “Aha!” moment like someone who is called into the Church later in life. The “Aha!” moment is the moment you get a light bulb, brought on by discovering the Truth and God’s way for the first time, starting a wild blaze and desire to follow God, which usually results in baptism. This wildfire either eventually settles into a slow, hot burn or burns out. It takes a slow burn to endure. Because I and many others who were raised in the Church are already at that slow burn stage, we have a hard time knowing if the time is right. We get a decision freeze and start to second guess ourselves. Are we really good enough? What if I don’t have what it takes? What if I fail? When we think this way, we fail to realize that we will have God’s Holy Spirit to carry us through and give us strength. We don’t rely on our own strength, which on its own would be too little to carry us through. 

2Co 12:10 Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When I first thought about getting baptized, I knew it was what I eventually wanted, but I didn’t know if I was ready. One day I would be convinced that I was ready; the next, I would be worried that I wasn’t. I talked to friends who had already been baptized, trying to get an idea of how to tell when you are ready, and it helped a little. I prayed a lot, asking for a way to tell if I was ready, and I eventually talked to my pastor. He talked to me and gave me some things to read, which really helped. What I was missing were a few key questions that I needed to answer. These five essential questions will tell you if you are ready to be baptized.

1. Is this the way of life that you want to follow for the rest of your life?

2. Do you feel like God is calling you?

3. Do you believe Christ died for your sins and that He loves you?

4. Are you willing to give up everything down to even dying for Him if necessary?

5. Have you repented of your sins and asked for forgiveness?

If you are able to answer yes to all of these questions, you are ready. If you are thinking about baptism but are hesitant because you are afraid you might make a mistake after you are baptized, don’t be because you will. We all do. Romans 3:23 says that,

 

“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” 

Even after baptism, we all make mistakes. The key is to repent and ask God for forgiveness. Then do your best not to do it again. You will have God’s spirit to help you. That is the key to the whole thing. If you are waiting to be baptized until you understand everything perfectly, you will never be baptized. It’s impossible for you to fully understand what you are committing to until after you commit. A lot like marriage. We need God’s Holy Spirit in order to fully understand His word, and we do not receive His Spirit until after we have hands laid on us after baptism. 

So if you are thinking about baptism, great! You are on the right track. However, it is a grave and important decision not to be made lightly. This is why we don’t practice child baptism because you are getting engaged to Christ and becoming part of the future bride of Christ. There is no backing out, so take your time and ensure you can run the course and pay the price, as Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians.

1Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain [it].

When you have thought and prayed about it for a while, seek counseling from the elders in your congregation. They will help you prepare, but they can’t make the decision for you. The final decision to take that magical step comes down to you. The literary device type of magic, of course. 

© Kyle Bacher 2022