“Abstain from every form of evil.”
1 Thessalonians 5:22
”Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4: 8
In today’s culture there’s a fascination for the occult, death and horror. Books, movies, television series and even video games depict the dead threatening the living. In the fictional modern series, “Twilight” and “The Walking Dead”, Zombies and Vampires die, become immortal beings feeding off the living.
Satan offers delectable counterfeits for our hunger and thirst. But his food brings death and darkness to our mind and soul while God’s sustenance brings light and truth.
Just like the “Walking Dead” we can destroy and live off the misfortunes of others by our words and actions.
In contrast, Jesus said;
“Do to others as you would have them do to you” And He taught us to pray for our sins to be forgiven as we forgive others.(Luke 6:31,Matthew 6:12).
Jesus forgave us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) as He cried out; “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
We are of Mind – Body and Spirit
We are of mind, body and spirit. We have the desire to feed our beings with things that satisfy. Since God is spirit, we have an innate desire to experience spiritual things. There is an intuitive understanding that we’ve been created for immortality. I believe that is why many are attracted to the themes of life after death, even in their evil forms.
1 Corinthians 15: 50-55
We are drawn to life outside the body like a magnet. That is the reason for the increase in media addictions and mind-altering drugs. These substances give a false impression of being in-touch with our spiritual being.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12
God came in the flesh, in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ
(John 1).
That is why God has provided us with His Word (Jesus Christ) Who satisfies our spiritual hunger. God is Holy and righteous, and when we believe on His Son and surrender our life to Him, we are “born again”. We then have a thirst for His righteousness. For we’ve been created in His image and when we are spiritually reborn, we seek His Truth with hunger and fervor. (John 3: 8-16, Psalm 42:1)
Just as a newborn babe thirsts for milk at her mother’s breast, the one “born again “ in the spirit seeks the sincere spiritual milk abundantly flowing from God’s (heart).
God wants to show us His Heart, so He sent His Son, His Living Word.
Anyone who believes in His Son, Jesus Christ sees His Heart and will taste and see that the Lord is Good. (John 3: 1-21, 1 Peter 2:1-2)
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:1-2
But the more we fill our minds and spirits with darkness, the less we are able to spiritually discern the things of God. We become spiritually blind and deaf. That is why Jesus said, unless we are “born again”, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God; For no one who is unrighteous can live in His eternal Kingdom (Galatians 5: 19-21). When we repent, accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our sins are washed away. We become new creatures in Christ Jesus, taking on His Righteousness, with new eyes to see, new ears to hear, with knowledge of our God. (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 9: 39-41, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus is the Living Water and Bread- Thirst and Hunger After Him
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14
He Cleanses and Nourishes our Mind-Body-Spirit
“Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day; For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 6: 53-58
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Matthew 26: 26-29
When we accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, we become alive spiritually and have the promise of eternal life and abundant living. Luke 23: 39-43
The Bread from Heaven
“So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven; For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6: 27-35
The Living Among the Dead
“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” Psalm 16:9-10
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins”. Colossians 2:13
“So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.
Do you believe this? ” John 11:25-26
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24
Satan offers to fill our spiritual hunger and thirst by entertaining our minds with fictional Zombies and Vampires who promise immortality through feeding off the life of mortal man. Filling our minds with these things leads to the realm of hopelessness.
But we are admonished to depart from all presence of evil and to fill our minds on the things of God. And in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ’s “Death and Resurrection”, we are forgiven and saved.
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1: 7-10
”Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4: 8
