Twilight

Yep, I'm going there. I'm only going there because I was there...

I am a person who has a pull towards all things paranormal. Even as a youngster I was captivated by all things supernatural. You name it, I liked it. But vampires, yep they topped it all. So when Twilight came out I jumped on that bandwagon. I have read the series all the way through 4 times. I have seen all the movies (even the newest one).

From the beginning I felt a little off about it. I didn't tell people or make comments, in fact I was pretty mum. There was a little something inside my heart that tugged and told me "maybe you shouldn't." Obviously I completely ignored that tug. However, there came a time when I was convicted of the truth and that truth was that I really shouldn't be indulging in this Twilight fantasy land, or the paranormal at all.

I was very much one who chalked up my love for the books because of the "love story". Umm yeah, maybe I need a little more therapy if I think it's a love story. But that's another thing. There obviously is an element of "love" in the books/movies but what kind of love are we talking about?

I recently heard a message about the impact secular books, movies, music, indulgences do to believers. The fact that these things dull our senses and our resolve should have been enough but it wasn't. I knew that I was being desensitized. It wasn't enough. What was enough to provoke me to completely surrender was this, my reading and watching Twilight (and other paranormal things) was costing me intimacy with Jesus.

Did you get that? Costing me intimacy with Jesus! Indulging my flesh with these things was taking away my focus, separating me from the Lord, filling my mind with lies, and betraying my heart. Twilight was one of the ways Satan distracted me from Jesus and subsequently kept me from loving Jesus the way I am called to.

This is what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. The WHY behind reason we as believers should not indulge ourselves in anything paranormal or of secular influence.

I was made in the image of God. I am created to be like Jesus, to imitate Jesus. I am to be like Him and as a disciple of Jesus I must:

1) Love everything less than I love Jesus
2) Suffer/bear the cross/ follow Him
3) Relinquish everything

There is a song by the musician Laura Hackett that says in the chorus, "We wash our robes in the blood of the lamb because we want to be like Him." That chorus began to play over and over in my head. I sat thinking, what?! What does that mean? Why would you ever wash your robe (which is probably white) in red blood? It would for sure stain it!

No, the blood of the lamb doesn't stain, it cleanses. At the end of 1 John 1:7 it says, "and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sins." Jesus' blood is a cleansing agent. It is powerful. It is perfect, perfect for washing.


2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." When we become one with Christ we become new creations - new people. We pass from Death to LIFE, all because of the blood of Jesus. Right now Jesus is a real man who has the life blood pulsating within Him. He is alive!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also he has put eternity into man's heart." We have a God given desire for eternity, for eternal life, to life forever. And God desires that we live forever WITH Him.

Jesus is not like Lazarus. Lazarus died and was raised from the dead, but he died again. Jesus was resurrected, brought back to life, but He will never die. Jesus is alive forever, the blood will never leave His body.

Right now there is a strong draw/fascination with vampires. Vampires are all about 2 things - blood and living forever. This vampire movement is dangerous because it is perversion of God's given desire for eternity and a defilement of the blood of Jesus! Satan knows the longing that God put in each of our hearts for eternity, so he twists and perverts it so we long for eternity but in the case of vampires, eternity DEAD! God desires us to be alive with Him and Satan desire us to be dead with him. Satan also knows the power of the blood of Jesus, he knows that the blood brings life, so he defiles it. Vampires drink human blood to "live". Humans are made in the image/likeness of Jesus. But our blood is not the perfect and powerful and cleansing blood of Jesus.

Satan is using this move of the paranormal to dull the senses and distract an entire generation and lead them away from TRUE eternal life and the power of the blood of Jesus.

I have heard it said and have said it countless times... Oh it's not that bad - there are worse things - Come on, I know the difference, I know it's not real. Any time you hear "It's not that bad" or anything like that, know that Satan is whispering in your ear. He is flat out lying to you. Because it is really that bad. And Satan knows that.

If you, like me have struggled in this area, I urge you to seek the Lord. Ask Him for wisdom and revelation. Ask Him to tell you what HE thinks about it. And if you would like prayer let me know ~ I would gladly pray with you!

Setting my gaze on Him,
Nicole