Dead Man Walking

One of my favorite movies is "The Green Mile". A memorable scene was when the presumably guilty murderer was being brought into the jail and they announced his arrival as "the dead man walking." His sentence was already passed on him even before he was properly accused. As humans, we tend to judge others just by the way they look. Our carnal eyes can only see from the inside out, and are blind to seeing what's on the inside of us! In our own mind's eye, we are blameless, but woe to the other person who doesn't meet our perfect standards.

This was true of this prisoner who was accused of rape and murder of two young girls. The prison guard who was making the announcement was himself a deadman walking because he was blind to his own faults. All he could see was someone who he assumed to be guilty because this prisoner wasn't what he thought to be "normal".

The truth is, no one is normal by sight, everyone falls short of perfection and God doesn't look at the outward appearance. God looks at the condition of our heart, this is what determines if we are dead or alive in this life or the next.

Until we have been redeemed, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, we are all dead men walking. Before salvation, we are guilty of sin, there is no presuming our innocence or guilt!

"You foolish man! Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life, unless it dies first." 1 Cor. 15:36 (Amplified)

As Paul the apostle points out, we are all being foolish if we believe that until we first die to self, our flesh, our carnal desires that we could be living at all.

God gives us perfect examples of this theory. There is nothing that hasn't already been made perfect by God and when we stop and listen, we will learn valuable lessons to His Word. One lesson I learned from the perfect balance of nature was through the planting of seeds to grow some pepper plants for my garden. I had saved some seeds from a pepper and let them dry out before I planted them. I put a group of seeds in seperate containers and watered them daily. After a few weeks, some of the containers started producing new life, but some of them remained unproductive.

I kept hoping that the next day would show signs of life, until finally it hit me...the seeds that had been planted were not fully dead in the first place, and therefore would not live again. In this simple lesson I started to think how profound it really was.

How much we are like those seeds! Unless we die first to ourselves we will never be brought back to life, an eternal life with Christ. What exactly does it mean to die to self? How is this done? It takes sacrifice and obedience to God. It's doing His will and not our own. In order to accomplish this, we must first learn to do three things. These three things must become our whole meaning for living.

First, we must earnestly seek God. It's going to Him first in all situations and in everything we do. Matt. 6:33 tells us to seek first the kingdom of God in all it's righteousness and all else will be added unto us. When you make this a focus point in your life, you will soon discover that God will supply you with everything you need, which are His attributes that will give Him glory when others see you going through trials with Grace. To seek Him first is to run to the throne and not the phone for opinions of others. God is jealous. Yes, He gives us other people for their wisdom and advice, but it's also waiting on Him for His advice and not acting out on our own.

Secondly, we must ask Him to show us a true heart. If we have to, ask Him to forgive you and show you whatever may be blocking your blessings. God, through the Holy Spirit will convict us of things that we perhaps never even knew was there. His convictions should not be confused with condemnation. God doesn't condemn the sinner, only the sin. His convictions are to enlighten us and bring us closer to Him. His convictions are to lift us up to another level. Condemnation however is what the enemy uses to bring us down in guilt. God gives us peace about our sinful situations by forgiving us, not to make us feel as though we aren't worthy, because we aren't worthy on our own. The devil is a liar and wants to keep us in the dark about our sins.

Thirdly, we must submit to God. This calls for dropping to our knees and letting Him have His own way in us. We belong to Him anyway and to act as though we are the boss of us, is only foolishness in the first place. This submission is the start of a new life and things will start to change surpernaturally. He will make our paths straight and clear when we approach Him in humbleness.

"The body that is sown is perishable and decays, but the body that is resurrected is immortal. The natural body is sown and the spiritual body is raised." 1 Cor. 15:42-43 (Amplified)

"When the perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, 'Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory." Isaiah 25:8 (Amplified)

"Death, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?" Hos. 13:14 (Amplified)

These scriptures tell us that in order to be resurrected into new life, we must first die to ourselves. Christ took the death of our sins away, when He said these three small words on the cross, "It is finished." He defeated the enemy and when we are saved by the blood, we will no longer know the sting of death, it will be our victory!

To remain in sin will be to experience the sting of death. It will be inevitable unless we become children of God through His Son Jesus. Hell is a very real place. It's eternal torment, darkness, lonliness and a place where one's sins are lived over and over for eternity. The pain is immense and there is no turning back at this point, the sentence has been handed down by the Judge who sits on the throne in heaven.

But thank God, He loves us all so much to give us a way out of this dark and bleak situation. To confess our sins and give them to Christ will insure us of our place with Him in His kingdom of heaven. This is the victory of our death. Heaven is also a very real place. Revelation chapter 4 talks about the church after the rapture when God's children are taken up together at Christ's return. This is where we will all be joined at the banquet table as Christ's Bride and oh what a ceremony it will be!

Ask yourself today, are you a dead man walking or will you be resurrected into eternal life? If you're not sure, ask God to forgive you and confess Jesus as your Savior. Since no one knows the hour or time of His return, there won't be a second chance to reconsider where you will be. Those who are left behind will have to survive the most horrendous 7 years in life's history called the great Tribulation. Do you trust your life to be left in the hands of the Anit-Christ? It's not "If" it will happen, it's "When" it will happen. God's Word doesn't lie, know what the truth is!

Vivian Gordon, an inspired writer. She is called to reach out to those who are hurt and have fallen away. She has been called into the ministry of teaching God's Word and is an intercessory prayer warrior to pray for those who need healing and wholeness. She is also persuing a dream of writing and publishing Christian children's books; currently working on her first one.

---

Why Isnt God Helping Me?

Have you ever felt like throwing up your arms and... Read More

When We See Jesus As He Is

You know that the Bible tells us a lot about... Read More

Hold On!

Job was a spiritual man who loved and obeyed God... Read More

Change Your Beliefs -- Change Your Health

To many people in the Western world Metaphysical Healing is... Read More

From Spiritual Cry Baby to Bold Seeker of Truth

Ever notice how people dread discussing... Read More

African American Spiritual Health and Healing

African-American people are natural caretakers. We do a great job... Read More

Looking Back With A Pained Expression

Anyone who tells you that the path to self-actualization is... Read More

Keeping The Faith

Well I had a website that I was posting on... Read More

The Mirror of Truth

James 1:23-24Anyone who listens to the word but does not... Read More

Eliminating the Past

Most forms of psychotherapy I know either tries to help... Read More

By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

Military personnel at a U.S. prison in Guantanamo, Bay, Cuba... Read More

Acknowledging Emotions and Feelings

We'll begin with a question:What is a moral?I'd say it's... Read More

Chakras 101

The chakras are different coloured energy centres that originate from... Read More

Where is Your Focus?

I have a long-term goal--a life-long goal really--to develop the... Read More

Will Science Get Closer To God Than Religion Has?

A subject of debate for thousands of years, spirituality will... Read More

The Foundational Laws of Spiritual Physics

Over the past years, I have undergone a life-altering transition... Read More

Christian Ethics & Servant Leadership in Todays Workplace & Society

Sundered Knight:Although the world, Denies the weak aid and justice,... Read More

Why Good Things Happen to Bad People

One cannot ask why bad things happen to good people... Read More

Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 3

The Birth of Jesus Christ18 Now the birth of Jesus... Read More

God?s Eyes- If These Four Walls Could Talk?

Can you imagine being sent out into the wilderness for... Read More

Servants of the Antichrist

The "Left Behind" series is inspiring, in that it makes... Read More

Confessions of a Limousine Mystic!

Observations from the Town Car... "Home James!"The bulk of driving... Read More

100 Steps To Eternity

There is a chronology of events from creation to the... Read More

Unconditional Love Really Means Unconditional Radiance

The fastest way to raise your frequency is to do... Read More

Two Halves Dont Always Make A Whole

... Read More

Watch Your Language!

I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More

Selfishness is a True Declaration of Lifes Purpose

In your quest for enlightenment, always ask what's in it... Read More

Home Improvement or New Construction?

Jesus said, "No one can see the Kingdom of Heaven... Read More

Fool for God

The following article is an exploration of the Spring holiday... Read More

God?s Message to You

As I sat down today to write this article, I... Read More

Is The Person You Think About The Most Missing Gods Point?

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the... Read More

Tsunami Animals Hint At Our True Nature

We as human beings consider ourselves the most intelligent species... Read More

Connect With the Moon Phases to Manifest Your Desires

Connecting with the Moon phases, the Full and New Moon... Read More