No Magic

It seems no matter what type of employment you might be involved in nowadays there’s a computer keyboard, mouse and monitor mixed in somewhere. Computer programs make what used to be rather tough tasks magically materialize in ready to print form without much effort at all. Many programs are simply fill in the blanks grade school stuff after someone initially programs a basic format to fit the task. Then there are programs allowing the operator a lot of latitude to be as creative as his knowledge will allow. I have a basic knowledge of how a computer functions, but it’s still magic to me how 1’s & 0’s, simply thought of as “on” or “off”, can be switching at thousands of times a second and always be correct. For me, I’m just happy it works so well.
Synonymous Scrabble is one of those things that people who have too much time on their hands use the computer for. Rearrange the letters in the word “Dormitory” and you have “dirty room”; “desperation” equals “a rope ends it”; “George Bush” becomes “He bugs Al Gore”; “The Morse Code” becomes “Here come dots”; “Slot Machines” becomes “cash lost in me”; “animosity” rearranged becomes “is no amity”; “snooze alarm” is “Alas! No more z’s; “Mother-in-law” can become “woman Hitler”; “a decimal point” transforms into “I’m a dot in place”; “the earthquakes” rearranged is “that queer shake” and “eleven plus two” rearranged equals “twelve plus one”.
[Isaiah 53] I’d like to share with you part of an essay by Jesse Fonville entitled, “Why Didn’t Jesus Become A Magician?” Jesus could have been the greatest magician or actor who ever lived. Just think how differently his life would have been with little or no opposition, fame, fortune, popularity and the praise and glory of the world. How easy it would have been for him to gather crowds of eager excited spectators, as he would make himself disappear or float in the air. How dramatic it would have been for him to dissolve a mountain before their eyes or instantly clothe a crowd of 50,000 with new raiment. The people would have loved it and felt good about it. But Jesus could not and would not have become a performer, an actor or entertainer, even though that would have attracted immense crowds. You see He came to make people good, not simply feel good. He came to convict the world of sin. He came to perform surgery on dying humanity with the sword of the Spirit. He came to rescue us from the power of darkness and sin, not to make us laugh and be satisfied with our fleshly selves, and eventually be plunged into everlasting destruction. He carefully avoided the use of tricks, comedy and entertainment as He brought the life saving message to a lost world. Do you remember His first miracle? (John 2: 1-11) Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana. Mary, His mother, had to talk Him into doing it as it seems Jesus didn’t feel comfortable being involved in the problem. But because He did it His disciples “…put their faith in Him.” I’m happy Jesus didn’t come as an entertainer or magician. Can you imagine what our preachers would look like and our worship would be like? Paul wrote to Timothy (II Timothy 1: 13), “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” Jesus demonstrated the compassion and love that God the Father wants to lavish upon us in the last day. God’s saving grace isn’t magic. It’s for all who love and live righteously before Him.