Zombified

Things are Not What They Seem What do all the great stories and myths tell us? What do they have in common? What are they trying to get across? Wherever they may come from, whatever their shape might be, they nearly always speak to us Three Eternal Truths. First, these stories are trying to remind us that things are not what they seem. There is a whole lot more going on here than meets the eye. Much more. After the tornado sets her down, Dorothy wakes and steps out of her old farmhouse to find herself in a strange new world, a land of Munchkins and fairies and wicked witches. The Land of Oz. How brilliant for the filmmakers to have waited for this moment to introduce color in the movie. Up till now the story has been told in black and white; when Dorothy steps out of the house, the screen explodes in color, and she whispers to her little friend, "Toto...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Isn't this the very lesson of the Emmaus Road? You recall the story—two followers of Christ are headed out of town after the Crucifixion, as dejected as two people can be, with every reason in their minds to be so and more. Their hopes have been shattered. They staked it all on the Nazarene, and now he's dead. As they slump back toward their homes, Jesus sort of sneaks up alongside, very much alive but incognito, and joins their conversation, feigning ignorance—and they not seeing it is him. We live in two worlds—or better, in one world with two parts, one part that we can see and one part that we cannot. We are urged, for our own welfare, to act as though the unseen world (the rest of reality) is, in fact, more weighty and more real and more dangerous than the part of reality we can see. The lesson from the story of the Emmaus Road—the lesson the whole Bible is trying to get across—begins with this simple truth: There is more going on here than meets the eye. Far more. (John Eldredge, Daily Readings: Wild at Heart)

See Also: Ignorance is not Bliss

Note: In total, the number of people that own a smart and feature phone is 7.26 Billion, making up 91.16% of the world's population. Younger people get the first smart phone when they are 11 or 12 years old and soon discover the vast, explicit pornography libraries on line. These files are deadly even for seasoned veterans of spiritual warfare. Few parents can handle the everyday dynamics of today's porn epidemic .See Stages of Manhood.

Disclaimer: A good Christian friend of mine, high up at Apple, assures me that our famous Silicon Valley Corporation is permeated with followers of our Lord Jesus at every level from top to bottom.

In our society we have all met people who seem unaware of other persons. On the other hand, no one wants to be exposed by a rival who is possessed with piercing insight or keen intuition. But many people today seem to be running on autopilot or cruise control. They’re not a lot of fun to hang out with. Actually, the term used in the Bible is "spiritually dead." The solution is our free will choice-- to be liberated by Jesus, the Son of God.

“And you God made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  (Ephesians 2:1-9)

Some of us are extroverted “in your face.” Others are shy and introverted. There are wide differences in body type, skin color, temperaments around the world. Everyone one of us is made in the image and likeness of our Creator and we share one common genome. God has built enormous diversity into our race. But we all are descended from just one man! And, we come in two sexes only. 

But we are, by birth and by nature disconnected from God. God is the Source of all life whether that life is the natural life we were born with or the imparted life which we need to ask for.

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.“ (1 Corinthians 2:11-16)

The accumulated knowledge of mankind has been passed on to the next generation since the beginning. But the Internet Explosion in our day is way bigger than many suppose.

The younger generation assumes life has alway been like it it is now, which is completely untrue.

The vast volume of information now extant has largely supplanted knowledge of God by revelation. This subject will be addressed later, God willing. Everyone I know seems Disconnected!

A very large part of that accumulated knowledge is now instantly available on smart phones--the good and the bad. My cyberspace history goes back fifty years.

Knowledge about God, and knowledge from God are in short supply now. Proverbs says,

Jesus is the image (eikōn) of the invisible God, the firstborn (prōtotokos) over all creation (ktisis). For by (ἐν) Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones (thronos) or dominions (kyriotēs) or principalities (archē) or powers (exousia). All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist (synistēmi).  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning (archē), the firstborn (prōtotokos) from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence (prōteuō). For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile (apokatallassō) all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:19-23)

Zombie Apocalypse

The Dark Side of Life

Since human beings are spiritual beings and mostly software, it is very easy for any of us to be deceived by fallen entities. These are the demons and evil spirits described in detail in the Bible.

Jesus is very willing and able to rescue anyone held captive by the Dark Side. But the rescue process can be like major open-heart surgery or painful corrective discipline. If the devil walked around breathing fire and carrying a pitchfork, no one would buy his deception. Often there is great loss when a person realizes he has been lied to or deceived, for example in a cult. But God's mercy and grace are lavish. He often gives us back our wasted years!

But beware of Counterfeit Christians and all claims that exclude the real Jesus.

True followers of Jesus Christ are few and far between in America today! probably no more than 10% of Americans actually know Jesus are are walking with Him daily. I put together my own list of not-so public servants of Jesus awhile back. My categories are:

Several friends of mine keep track of Counterfeit Christians--they are everywhere today. To identify them, simply ask them if they know Jesus Christ personally. That's the best litmus test.

"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Life-styles inconsistent with following Jesus should be a dead giveaway to seekers after truth. Consider the following sobering words from Jesus:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.