Blessings, Magic and Miracles

                                                                 By: Art Javier  

 

     There is a vast difference between Magic and Miracles. By the same token, there is also a huge contrast between blessings and miracles.

I.               MAGIC VS. MIRACLES

     Between magic and miracles, the critical issue is the source. Miracles are the supernatural works of God while Magic is either human or demonic.

     In the realm of human magic, these entertainers practice the “sleight of the hand” in their performances. More aptly they are referred to as Illusionists. These are the likes of David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Siegfried and Roy and probably Penn and Teller. The people who watch these Illusionists know that it is not real magic since they consciously know that behind it is a trick. Nonetheless, they delight in it anyway, since they cannot figure out how the trick was done. Next week the movie “Now You See Me” will have its second sequel.  In the first installment, some of the tricks in their magic were revealed in the movie.

     The real magic somewhat spelled as “magick,” is drawn from an occult or demonic power associated with conjuring and sorcery which is condemned in Scriptures.

     The differences between Magic and Miracles are:

(1)   Magic draws power not from God. Miracles are the results of God’s power intervening in the world.

(2)   Miracles glorify God. Magic brings glory to the magician.

(3)   Magic involves manipulation and opposition to the truth. Miracles reveal the truth.  The Magician manipulates the people for his personal gains while the Miracle worker manifests the power and glory of God. 

     Maybe to some, magic and miracles are the same. But the truth is, their goals are widely apart. The magician or illusionist distracts the eye from reality. Miracles draw the eye to reality. Miracles reveal. Magic hides. Miracles are a gift. Magic is a studied skill.

 

II.             BLESSINGS VS. MIRACLES

     Miracles can be construed to be a suspension or superseding a natural law. Truth be told, it is a temporary fix. On the other hand, blessings are consistent and overflowing in our lives. They are always in our midst because when we are always obedient to the commands of the Lord- the natural consequences are blessings. “For every obedience, comes blessing.” They are fresh every morning. Overpowering and, overwhelming.  In Tagalog, “siksik, liglig at umaapaw. “

     In a snapshot, here are some reasons why it is better to receive God’s blessings than beg and constantly plead for His miracles:

(1)   Living in blessings connotes avoiding problems. Blessings prevent crisis. In contrast, we ask for miracles to deliver us and bail us out from the crisis or the problems that we have created.

(2)   Blessings are always in constant abundant supply. Miracles are rare to come by.

(3)   And as mentioned earlier, miracles are a temporary fix but blessings are permanent solutions.

               When one lives from miracle to miracle, that means one lives from crisis to crisis. On the contrary, living from blessing to blessing means living from glory to glory. Miracles are not natural and definitely not permanent.

     You may have experienced your car ran without gas at one instance since at that time you had no money to buy gas but wanted to be in Church with the Lord. Or you only had $7 in your pocket but were able to buy groceries that could feed your family for one whole month. The question is: “Would you rather be living in miracles, constantly broke because you refuse to work or the other choice to live your lives in constant blessing, by following the commands of the Lord- enjoying the abundance of His love and mercy-fresh every morning- which are already anchored in your lives. The saddest part of it all is that a lot of people do not know, nor will they ever know, that they are already blessed!

     When your car runs empty, you pull up the gas station, fill it up, pay with cash or credit card and boldly say “Thank you, Jesus!”

     You must take care of your bodies, eat right, follow God’s instructions, exercise and attain an excellent physical and mental health. Do not abuse your bodies, and end up constantly pleading for God’s miracles- for healing of the diseases and infirmities you have contracted. Father time will catch up with you for neglecting your physical and mental health. Let us put the Word of God in our circumstances and not our circumstances in the Word of God.

  “(1 Peter v 23. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the Word of God, which lives and remains forever.)”

     My ultimate question is: What is the blessing of God? Are these the things that we possess, like a new car, wealth, a big house, or even a happy marriage? ‘I’m pretty sure many of us think of it this way. Because whenever we achieve any of this, a brother or sister will tell us “you are blessed.” But my answer to this question is: No. The things that we possess are not the blessings of God. The blessings of God are those that will produce the things not the things per se. An example is a Pastor who has been blessed with the gift of teaching and delivering good and inspirational sermons. Ultimately, he will produce a congregation that will be close and able to establish a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus.

     Let’s take a biblical character. Abraham is a case in point. Do we want the animals, the horses, or the things such as personal belongings or things of Abraham? Of course not. What we want is the favor of God that was spoken to him which produced his physical and spiritual abundance.

     Therefore, in conclusion, the blessing of God is His divine spoken favor. And this blessing combined with our faith, trust and righteousness in Jesus Christ will provide abundance in our Spirit, soul and body.