I freely confess that I'm a former zombie.
Let me explain...
| "Freddy Krueger's the best!" |
The strange thing was that I didn't know I was dead. Nobody ever told me I was dead. Even when I went to the doctor, they said nothing about me being dead. They didn't even look at me funny. They just stared into my ears, then gave me some drugs and a bill. But now that I think about it, I do remember every once in a while the bully in school would yell at me, "You're dead!" But I thought he just wanted to kill me. Maybe he was a prophet, and I should've paid more attention to him.
But, in my defense, I had no basis for comparison. Everyone around me was also dead. Even my friend Rob was a zombie.
Zombieism is like a disease, but it can't be detected with heart monitors and stethoscopes. It's a spiritual thing. So basically, zombies don't know they're zombies, and they don't care that they're zombies...initially.
The dead live and breed
All people are born spiritual zombies (yes, zombies reproduce). Mankind is literally the walking dead. Now I say "literally" because it's true, even though we don't perceive the living's deadness with our eyes or nose.
But Jesus has spiritual eyes, and He knows the deep inner workings of man. He sees that we are all dead. He can probably smell us too. Here's a few examples from the Bible of Jesus talking to and about zombies.
A zombie who wanted to follow Jesus said to Him,
“Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:21-22)
Dead gravediggers? That's interesting.
Jesus said to zombie religious leaders who tried to teach other zombies about God,
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." (Matthew 23:27)
The blind leading the blind is not good. The same with the dead teaching the dead. Jesus saw the deadness of man, but it was pretty clear no one else did.
The only cure for zombieism
The walking dead cover the earth. But there is a cure...one cure.
Paul, a high-ranking former zombie who became one of Jesus' closest followers, was given the ability to see the zombie condition. He wrote to a bunch of former zombies,
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:1-6)
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| "I got this!" |
You may need to slowly read that again. There's a lot of good stuff in there.
It reveals the cause of our zombie condition - sin (which we are all born into), and disobedience toward God. We follow the ways of the world, not God's ways. We follow the spirit that leads us into disobedience, not God's Spirit.
We also read here that all of us have been zombies at one time. And this condition of sin and disobedience deserves God's judgment.
But some have been cured and made spiritually alive. And we see the only cure for it - God. His great love, His abundant mercy, and His power to give zombies real life through them coming to know Jesus. We are made truly alive when we are with Christ.
The Bible says,
"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:12)
Pretty clear, huh? Got Jesus? Not a zombie. Don't got Jesus? Zombie.
Some people don't like the fact that Jesus is the only cure for spiritual zombieism. But man will never make a pill or concoction that is able to do what God can do for the walking dead. Man can't make physical life in a test tube, and he also can't make spiritual life in a test tube.
Seriously, Jesus is the only cure
Here are some verses from the Bible that show us that this power is only found in Jesus. He doesn't need a patent for this cure. Amazingly, it's totally FREE to all who will believe. And it really works.
"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself." (John 5:26)
Jesus and His Father have life, and They are not dependent on others for this life. Humans are dependent on God for physical and spiritual life.
Jesus said to the zombie Jewish leaders who were persecuting Him,
"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life." (John 5:39-40)
Some try to find life apart from Jesus - even through good things like the Bible. Sometimes they are so focused on this, that they don't come to Jesus. They're still zombies.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
He came to give spiritual life to zombies. Let Him give you life RIGHT NOW!
"[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, Who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the good news." (2 Tim 1:9-10)
God has saved all of us. Jesus has already destroyed death and revealed life and immortality. But we don't yet see the full effect of His work. Some zombies have entered into salvation and are now enjoying some of the limited aspects of Jesus' work. But not all zombies have entered into this salvation by connecting with Jesus.
Jesus truly is the only way. The Bible says of Him in Acts 4:12,
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
This fact should save you a lot of time as you search for spiritual wisdom in life. Why waste your time looking to anyone but Jesus for answers?
How to become a former zombie
Jesus said,
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)
If our ears are open to really hear Jesus, and if we believe in Him, we will be rescued from the deathly zombie disease. And Jesus will give us true life. He transports us from zombieland to abundant-life land. It may be hard to understand. That's why you should experience it for yourself by hearing Jesus and believing Him and His Father.
When you come to Jesus with a repentant attitude, ask Him to give you His Spirit.
9 “So I (Jesus) say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11)
The Holy Spirit that God gives to zombies is the power source that transforms them. It is the Spirit of Jesus living in you giving you spiritual life. Without His Spirit living in you, you're a zombie. Paul (former zombie) wrote in the Bible,
"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:9)
Ask and the Spirit will be given to you. And you will truly live.
Former zombie spills his guts
When God opened my mind to understand Jesus through the Bible, He became my standard of comparison. I then knew I was super dead and that He was super alive.
He brought me to Himself and rescued me from zombieland. I experienced what it really meant to be alive.
My zombieism would reveal its ugly head in many different ways, and people around me were suffering because of my zombie actions and attitudes. Those same people were blessed when I was cured by Jesus. This isn't just about us as individuals. This involves all of our loved ones who are affected positively or negatively by our lives.
Be a blessing to others by getting cured today.
No appointment necessary
I've said Jesus was super alive. He was so alive that, when He died, He came back to life again. And this was by His own power. He said,
"The reason my Father loves Me is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18)
Now that's power you can't get in a bottle. Did I mention this power is available to all who come to Jesus? And it's FREE. And you don't need an appointment. Jesus is available around the clock and throughout the calendar. But most importantly, He wants you to come to Him. He said,
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11)
What do you want? An engraved invitation? Jesus didn't say, "Come to church." He didn't say, "Give me your money." He did say so clearly, "Come to ME...ALL..."! Whatever reason you can think of to not come to Jesus is a weak excuse. He is the cure!
Untold millions have come to Jesus and been cured by Him. Maybe you're a former zombie. Maybe you're still a zombie, but you know someone who has been cured. Ask them to tell you their story. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to do so - it's encouraging great news.
The zombie resurrection
The Bible foretells a time when zombies who have died will be resurrected, but still in their zombie condition.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:11-13)
Not all zombies will be cured in this life. But after this resurrection, God, Jesus and His followers will continue to work until all zombies are cured. This is God's will.
"[God our Savior] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4)
Here is a picture of our heavenly Father's heart toward all zombies. Jesus said,
20 "And he (a zombie) arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.'
22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring here the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to be merry." (Luke 15)
The walking dead become the walking living when they come to their Father.
At some point God opens the eyes of the zombie. And for the very first time, when he looks at himself he knows that he's a zombie. Then he is brought by God to the knowledge that he cannot fix his own deadness. Then God reveals to him the cure - Jesus. The zombie, now wanting to truly be alive, comes to Jesus and is made alive by the powerful Spirit of God.
There will come a time when zombies are no more.
Sincerely,
Wes
P.S.
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