The Living Word.3

"Listen: the hour is coming, and has already come, when even the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and whoever hears his voice shall live."

--Jesus

I have a great idea for a movie: A dead person who hears the living!

Oh wait, its already been done. The movie The Sixth Sense focused on a little boy's "ability" to "see dead people." But the tragic twist in the story was the startling moment when a dead person realized he could hear the living!

Creepy dead people aside, the movie offers some interesting insight into spiritual transformation: for it wasn't until psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crow realized he was indeed dead that the recent events in his life, including his adoring wife's unusual emotional coldness to him, began to make sense. His good intentions to help his "patient" Cole with his struggles to understand the unusual "gift" of helping the dead accept their condition and move on to the next life did little to prepare him for the shocking reality that he was one of the dead people Cole could see!

Here's another shocking reality: spiritual death is just as debilitating as physical death! The church of Sardis (see Revelation 3:1-3) received a jolt when Jesus identified their true condition:

"I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you."

Signs That I Might Be Spiritually Dead

• When there is a growing distance between me and my Friend(s)
• When there is a lack of meaningful conversation in my life
• When I fail to realize my true condition
• (or worse) When I deny my true condition
• When I truly can't remember the last time I did or did not do something Jesus wanted.
• When I'm more concerned about being right than being true
• When I'd rather feel good than be good
• When I'm more concerned with right reputation with people than right standing with God
• When I allow Impurity to poison principled passion and Complacency to kill Spirit-empowered compassion

With all the popular attention given to the relationship between the living and dead in movies and novels, no one has solved the question of "how does one become 'undead?'

Except Jesus, of course! Spiritual rejuvenation begins with Hearing His Voice!

"With vivid flashes of life and truth his words invade our darkness, rousing us with sharp stings of light to will our awaking, to arise from the dead and cry for the light which he can give, not in the lightning of words only, but in indwelling presence and power."

George MacDonald, It Shall Not Be Forgiven

How To Hear His Voice

• Read His words
• Practice what they say
• Learn from your attempts at obedience and His corrective actions to fortify your faltering steps
• Grow in your ability to distinguish between your doubtful thoughts and His Spirit-empowered directives
• Repeat

Soon you too will be able to see dead people...and give them words of Life!