Today’s Devotional – September 18th (Dawn of the Dead! Part 3: The Flesh-Eating ‘Old Man’)

By admin On August 23rd, 2014

.

.

Today’s Devotional – September 18th

.

.

.

.

Dawn of the Dead!

.

Part 3:

“The Flesh-Eating Old Man”

To read Part 1, click here…September 16th (Dawn of the Dead! Part 1: Music)

.

.

.

.

.

Are you old enough to remember that startling movie, “Dawn of the Dead”?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dawn_of_the_dead.jpg.

Being one of the first of its kind, it had a stunning effect on movie-goers. That is, to see half-dead people slowly sleep-walking through a giant shopping mall, surrealistically going through the motions of shopping, while silky violin strains of “elevator music” echoed through that post-apocalyptic mall, was a giant shock to movie audiences back in those days!

.

Dawn of the Dead – Wikipedia – Copyrighted – Fair-Use Rationale

.

.

.

.

.

“for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.”

Jeremiah 7:32

.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dawn_of_the_dead.jpg

Now the premise of that movie was that some horrific holocaust had killed off the bulk of Mankind, leaving no more room in Hell. And this is loosely based on Jeremiah’s prophecy… “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.” Jeremiah 7:32

.

Thus, the world was now mostly populated by these half-dead “zombies”, who continually sought to cannibalize the few surviving humans left on earth! And that infamous shopping mall became the macabre backdrop for this end-time scenario!

.

Dawn of the Dead – Wikipedia – Copyrighted – Fair-Use Rationale

.

.

.

.

.

THE LIVING, ‘DEAD-MEN WALKING’ TRULY EXIST!

.

Now this devotional is not promoting the idea that we should be watching movies. No, but rather, the intent is merely to provide an earthly analogy for biblical ideas! After all, Paul quoted a line from a secular poem, when trying to make sense with a group of potential converts. (see Acts 17:28)

.

And of course, the Bible declares our pre-Salvation condition in the following manner… “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Ephesians 2:11, 12

.

Yes, the Bible repeatedly pronounces our condition as being walking-dead souls, prior to Salvation! That is, without the life-giving Holy Spirit indwelling our hearts, we are merely enjoying the selfish pleasures of this world, which actually is Satan’s Dark Kingdom of the Living-Dead (spiritually dead)!

.

Zombies Night of the Living Dead-Wikipedia-Public-Dom.

.

.

.

.

. 

“The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead

Proverbs 21:16   

.

And in the last two devotionals, that 1970’s movie, Dawn of the Dead, was the backdrop for the areas of music but also, for our tattooing Jesus upon our heart.  (Click here to read).

.

But this third part, today, concerns a very remarkable analogy which can be made about flesh-eating zombies, and the unregenerate church-goer!

.

Yes, when we become a Believer, God plants a spiritual seed within our heart. And then, God gives us a commission to care for that Gospel-seed, and to nurture and see that it grows up into a spiritual fruit-bearing tree.

.

Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain

.

.

.

.

.

THE FLESH-EATING “OLD MAN”

.

Now the Bible speaks of two natures which can exist within the hearts of Mankind. The first being our unregenerate and sinful nature, which the Bible calls “The Old Man”. But when a person becomes a true Christian, God implants what is called, “The New Man”!

.

Listen to Paul… “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

.

So here are the two men: “The Old Man” of sin, and “The New Man”, which like God, is “created in righteousness and true holiness”

.

Asbury Park Zombie Walk – Wikimedia – Share-alike license

.

.

.

.

.

FLESH-EATERS

.

Now of course, in this Dawn of the Dead movie, the Zombies had an inordinate taste for flesh: human flesh! And this too has biblical similarities!

.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Girl_zombie_eating_her_victim_Night_of_the_Living_Dead_bw_-_cropped.jpg

Listen… “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.” Psalm 27:1, 2

.

Yes, the enemies of God are much like those Zombies. As this above passage reveals, the enemies of God come against God’s people to eat our flesh (in a spiritual sense).

.

But having a taste for flesh has an even greater significance… “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1st John 2:16

.

Yes, this above passage reveals the three great sins of Mankind. And the first mentioned is “the lusts of the flesh”. And so, fallen Mankind lusts for the things which please the flesh.

.

Girl zombie eating her victim Night of the Living Dead -Wikimedia – Public Domain

.

.

.

.

.

THE OLD MAN MUST BE CRUCIFIED

.

Now when a person comes to Christ, the Lord puts His spiritual seed within us. Yes, God gives us a measure of His Holy Spirit. This is what is called “The New Man”. And so, in essence, there are two opposing factions at work, the “Old Man” of the flesh, and the “New Man” of the Spirit! And This massive constellation is comprised of the various constellations on this websiteone has to go! And so there begins to be a struggle between these two natures.

.

Listen… “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17

.

And so, the Christian begins to engage in a battle: a war in which that Believer strives to crucify the flesh, with all its affections and lusts!

.

Listen again to Galatians… “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24

.

And so, the Believer knows that it is his (or her) commission from God to engage in this battle, to crucify that Old Man of the flesh.

.

Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – made of the various constellations on this website

.

.

.

.

.

THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE

Jeremiah 30:7

.

“Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:6, 7

.

Upon studying the story of Jacob, and applying the principle, that the Word of God is prophetic in nature, it can begin to be seen what this story is all about: Jacob represents all Christians. Esau, a hunter, represents “the man of flesh” within us. And just as Jacob and Esau were born as twins, so too, the Christian has a dual personality, so to speak.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_The_Mess_of_Pottage.jpg

.

The Bible tells us, that there still exists in every Christian, a struggle between the spirit and the flesh. Like Jacob, the Christian desires to gain the spiritual blessing of a fully sanctified life. But like Esau, the Christian still longs for the earthy and sensual cares and pleasures of the world. And so, the Christian constantly battles against the flesh.

.

Listen once again to Galatians 5:17… “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17. So it now is evident that there exists a struggle in the life of each and every Christian.

.

James Tissot – Jacob & Esau – The Mess of Pottage – wikipedia – US public domain

.

.

.

.

.

NIGHT OF WRESTLING BEFORE US

.

And so, just like Paul, I too, need to do the very same work in my own life. I need to crucify the “old man” so that the “New Man” can freely live out His life through me. I need to escape from our Esau within. The “old man” still wants to “run the show”, so to speak.

.

What I need, is to wrestle with God, just as surely as Jacob wrestled with the angel. And I need to wrestle until the “Day Dawns, and the Sun of Righteousness arises” in our hearts. I have my own work cut out for me, and the time is growing short!

.

Nevertheless, though it often seems as if we are alone in this struggle, the Bible assures us, that we are not alone!

.

Listen… “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. Yes, it is God who is working in us, and it is God who allows the trials which purify us!

.

Jacob_Wrestling_with_the_Angel – wikipedia – public domain

.

.

.

.

.

THE DAWNING OF THE DAYhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunrise_from_Burrow_Mump,_Burrowbridge,_Somerset_(2931443808).jpg

.

There is coming a day, which the Bible speaks of as, “The Dawning of the Day”, in which Christ, The Sun of Righteousness shall arise in the hearts of all genuine Believers! Our night of wrestling will be over!

.

On that morning, the light of Christ will begin to shine out through us. No more will that flesh-eating Old Man be around to plague us, and make a mockery of our Christian faith! We will then be filled with all the fullness of God! You could possibly say that it will be “The Dawn of the Living!”

.

James Tissot – Jacob & Esau – The Mess of Pottage – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

.

.

.

.

.

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Cannibalism_1571.PNGEDITOR’S NOTE–Now, even though this article speaks of this spiritual analogy of flesh-eating, the Bible prophesy’s that the day is coming when cannibalism may become a reality!

.

And even now, there is a movement afoot, both in America and Europe, for embracing the practice of cannibalism.

.

Cannibalism in Russia and Lithuania 1571. – Wikimedia – Public Domain

.

.

.

.

.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mall_culture_jakarta75.jpgTO READ PART 4, CLICK HERE…

September 19th (Dawn of the Dead, Part 4: Earthly Mammon!)

Mall Market culture – Jakarta – Wikimedia – share-alike-lic.

 

.

.

.

.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rezando.jpg

TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to crucify the “Old man” with its affections and lusts. Help me to put on the “New man”, which is renewed in wisdom and knowledge…

Woman Praying – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

.

.

.

.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book_magnify2.svg

READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Crown of Revelation 12: What Is “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”?” or you can also read… “Castor and Pollux (Part 2: The Return of Christ & The Dawning of the Day)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

.

.

.

.

.

THE END

.picture - soldiers of the cross - armor up!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

 

 

.

.

GLORIOUS CROWN CONSTELLATION…

.

THE REVELATION 12 WOMAN

(Click here to read more!)

Corona Borealis Wikipedia Taken from software Perseus

.

This Glorious Crown Constellation looks like a wreath at first glance. It has 7 stars, plus another star in the middle. This Glorious Crown Constellation is commonly referred to as the Corona Borealis Constellation. This wreath reminds us of the victory wreath given to athletes who won races in the ancient http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lorbeerkranz_Zypern_rem.jpgcultures. This was spoken of by Paul as he compared those ancient races to the race that Christians must run… “Know you all not, that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you all may obtain.” 1st Corinthians 9:24 (see also Hebrews 12:1)

.

Photo: Corona Borealis – seen in warmer months – cropped photo with crown drawn in by this website – Wikipedia – Taken from software called Perseus – All rights by Roberto Mura 

Laurel Wreath – Lorbeerkranz_Zypern – cropped photo – Wikipedia – public domain

.

.

.

.

.

“A CROWN OF 12 STARS UPON HER HEAD” …

.

.

But upon a closer examination if you have access to a very dark sky out in the country; if you watch this wreath, you will eventually see 5 more very faint stars, making a total of 12 stars, plus that single star in the middle. This wreath now becomes a crown of 12 stars. This goes along with Revelation 12, which tells of a crown of 12 stars upon the head of the Virtuous Woman of Revelation 12.

.

… “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman…and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:” Revelation 12:1.

.

But this crown is not yet upon the head of the Virtuous Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation (also known as Ursa Major). It is just above her head, as if she has yet to attain it. Of course, the 13th star in the middle would represent Christ (Who is our true Crown of our rejoicing). Ok, so we have a picture of Christ and His twelve tribes of Israel. But also we have a picture of Christ and His twelve apostles, which is a picture of His Church. So this heavenly crown is a multi-faceted concept.

.

.

.

.

.

.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book_magnify2.svg

READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The 12-Star Crown Constellation of Revelation 12” 

.

.

.

.

.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mall_culture_jakarta75.jpg

TOMORROW:

September 19th (Dawn of the Dead, Part 4: Earthly Mammon!)

Mall Market culture – Jakarta – Wikimedia – share-alike-lic.

.

.

.

.

.

20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY

.

ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. 

.

THIS IS STUDY #259 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

.

.

Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain

.

Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on the provided image credit link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing names, details, and tags, and all other necessary info on any particular photo. 

Leave a Reply