VAMPIRES

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

VAMPIRES

(Lev 17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood...

Vampires. It's the perennial craze. Legends of blood-drinking dead or demons have been around for ages. Bram Stoker in his book Dracula brought it up to the modern era when his novel was published in 1897. Then in 1931 the Dracula movie came out starring Bela Lugosi. Fascination with vampires have recently grown with the Goth movement and the very popular Twilight book series by Stephanie Meyer (and the follow up movies.) And don't forget Halloween will bring the ever so popular vampire right to your door as well as the adult parties.

Why all this fascination with these bloodthirsty creatures? For some it's just titillating. Biting a person's neck can be thrilling and chilling all at the same time. It's that scary stuff that makes up the essence of horror movies and gives you both a physical and an emotional rush. For others it's sensual. (Is that where the term "necking" came from?) And for some it's the gothic darkness of it that they enjoy. You know...dark sensuality, sweeping sadness, morbid fascination, forbidden love, the beauty of enduring pain. Many people lead unhappy, unachieved lives. And that's sad. Goth makes depression and angst a lifestyle choice, and that's art...all according to the goth way of looking at things.

The Bible talks a lot about blood. In fact I had an elderly man tell me one day, "Louie...the Bible is the bloodiest book there ever was." I thought his message was extreme until I looked into the Bible and found out it really is a bloody book. Think about it...Cain killed Abel and his blood cried from the ground (Gen 4:10). When Noah opens the ark door God laid down the requirement of blood for blood in capital punishment (Gen 9:6). The sacrificial offerings mentioned in the book of Leviticus are quite detailed (Lev 1-7). God told the Israelites to put the blood of the lamb over the doorposts of their dwellings so he would pass over them as he strikes the Egyptians (Exo 12:23). Many bloody wars were fought in the conquest of Canaan (book of Joshua). David fought as a man of war and was forbidden to build the Temple because he shed much blood (2 Chr 22:8). Well you can trace it pretty much all the way through the Old Testament.

In the New Testament we see John the Baptist crying out when he saw Jesus..."Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) Jesus spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood for eternal life (John 6:53-56). Jesus also made a new covenant in His blood at the last supper with his disciples as He instituted communion (Mat 26:26-28). Then the next day he was crucified and when the soldier poked His side water and blood came out (John 19:34). Paul wrote that we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins...(Eph 1:7). Peter also speaks about not being redeemed with silver or gold but by the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:18-19). And of course the book of Hebrews speaks much about the blood of sacrifices...emphasizing that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22). The apostle John says the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Up in heaven the Church is singing a new song saying...You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev 5:9). All the while blood is flowing down on the earth with the Tribulational judgments falling on the ungodly. But at the end Jesus is seen as the victor on the white horse...He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (Rev 19:13).

A message to all vampire lovers...the life of the flesh is in the blood...the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior!

Louie