Alive When Dead!

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4,5 NIV)

People have written books about the walking dead, made movies about the walking dead, the zombies who were dead brought back to life, the vampires who were immortalized though dead, and yet all these created terror in the hearts of those who knew they were dead.

When we were the walking dead because of our sins due to lack of knowledge, God’s love for us was so great, that He came and took upon Himself our spiritually dead lives and quickened us to become alive–not as a terror to people, but as a testimony of His grace and mercy. What a difference!

Most Believers should be able to make a distinction in their lives between what their lives were like Before Christ and what their lives are like After Christ. I call this my–BC time and my AC time. In my BC time, I thought I was living–doing what I wanted to do, without much regard or consideration to others–especially those who attempted to tell me anything about The Word. However, when I reached the bottom of the pit (my Damascus Road), and could no longer enjoy the simple things I loved to do–buying new books, I had no other book in my house but the Bible and my love of reading motivated me to read it, not a great desire to understand it was God’s Word.

I read on the bus going to work, during my breaks, on the way home and at home during my leisure time. The more I read, the more I felt something changing in my life. The more I felt the change, the more I wanted to change, until eventually, I reached the stage of my life where God could speak to my heart and I heard and understood and obeyed. Hallelujah! I had no idea that I had been the walking dead until I understood the life that God wanted me to live!

While I understand the reticence that some may have in accepting The Bible as God’s Word, I encourage all to re-think where their lives are and know that if there is even the slightest possibility that “you are the walking dead” because of a life lived in opposition to God, get into His Word and enjoy the newness of life that He has planned.

There is nothing like knowing “the better life” that God has for us. Know that provision has been made for us to be “alive when dead” with Christ Jesus because of God’s mercy and grace and now is the time for us to receive it and be glad!

I am so thankful for the BC time because it gives me greater appreciation for my AC time–living life with Christ in the midst is so much better than living without Him.

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Hollywood’s Harvest!

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:7,8 NLT)

My daughter recently got upset over the fact that there was nothing on television worth watching on a Thursday night–she was so disgusted that she started using the hastag #justunplug. Now, she’s thinking about starting a crusade against all the “junk” on television and of course, I’ll join her.

What junk? All of the shows that revel in revealing all manner of sexual promiscuity—Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Modern Family, all the soap operas (left), the seamy reality shows that are not real at all and many, many more. With all of this junk on television (with no real story-lines or plots, just a promotion of ungodly behavior), why are we amazed at the moral decay we see on a regular basis in our homes and communities?

Teens are “exploring” their sexuality because of the junk they see on television and then everyone is complaining about the rise in sexually transmitted diseases. But then–we celebrate teen-motherhood by promoting people–specifically Bristol Palin–as a “star” simply because she had a baby as a teenager! What is this world coming to–the pathway of destruction and we will all reap the harvest planted by Hollywood.

Toddlers and pre-schoolers (encouraged by their godless parents and psychologists) are claiming to want to be another gender and the world is standing by applauding because the babies and their parents are riding into the limelight on television.

We glorify same-sex relationships and demonize anyone who opposes them and because Believers won’t take a firm stand on Gods Word–the opposition’s harvest is abundantly covering the planet. Hollywood would not be so successful if they did not have willing, demoralized people–waiting with baited breath to see what else they (Hollywood) can do to take us further into degradation.

And the other junk that has absolutely mesmerized people--werewolves, vampires, and walking dead (now there’s an oxymoron). We have truly become a universe of walking dead–dead to the leading of the Holy Spirit and anything remotely promoting Godly living. We sit back and complain and criticize all the young people who get caught in drugs, sexual promiscuity, deadly games to get attention, wife-swapping (like that’s supposed to be normal) and raising children in environments that are not conducive to “norms” and yet we get upset when they act out what they see on television.

Hollywood–its writers and producers and directors–will have to stand before the Lord one day, just as we will and give an account of their actions. The only way we will ever see a change in what we see on the news is to “unplug” from the decadent godlessness we see on television and in the movies, and “plug” into The Word and allow Holy Spirit to lead us back to a path of righteousness. If we, as Believers, won’t stand up for what is right, we will all reap from the harvest of decay that Hollywood has planted!

Father, create us in a renewed spirit and mind to want to serve You in all Godliness, setting aside any desire to promote Satan’s agenda. Lead us in tearing down the harvest of decay and planting the seeds of righteousness so the world will indeed become a better place. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!