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We Are What We Eat

We Are What We Eat:

Choosing Our Spiritual Home

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The heavenly Father loves all His creation. It’s time for His all consuming love to manifest in creation. It’s time for the elements of darkness/death to be destroyed and the elements of life/love to shine forth.  2 Peter 3:10-13 It starts and ends with the transformation of our individual lives into the elements of His divine character.

For those seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the manifestation of the divine character of the Heavenly Father in our souls and in our reality, we come to the understanding of what is written in this post. We understand as we let go of the covenant of death and embrace the covenant of life.

When our spirits leave the pit, which is a perpetuating death state within our souls, and we begin to enter everlasting life, which is a perpetuating life state within our souls, our physical reality reflects that transformation. The elements of death we once fostered, feed, grew and greatly suffered for leave our lives. The elements of the Kingdom of Heaven, joy, peace, love, and power, become our reality.

Faith is Having Understanding

As we resurrect to become children of God, all we do we do with spiritual understanding. This is very different than living by the law, in which there is a lack of spiritual understanding thus room for error and an inability to walk in truth. By spiritual understanding, which is having faith as a part of us, we grow and life is manifested within us.  Romans 8:2 As spiritual understanding fills our thoughts, perceptions, decisions, we create a different external reality. We become reflections of our heavenly Father; mirrors of truth and love.

As we begin to live according to the ways of the Kingdom of Light, we forsake the kingdom of darkness and all the ways it has manifested in this earth; which are numerous. In our transformation to children of the Kingdom of God, Hades, hell and death are destroyed from our lives. As we transform into the sons and daughters of God, as members of the Kingdom of Heaven, all that isn’t of it is extricated from our lives. When there is no one left partaking of these entities of death, they cease to exist, they are destroyed. Christ is the Good Shepherd leading us all out, thus ultimately destroying death. John 14:6, Revelation 20:13-14

The “Hidden” Hell

The physical is a reflection of the spiritual. This earth, as currently governed, is a part of the kingdom of darkness as it’s ruled by evil practices. Thus, it’s a prison of bondage and torment for many souls. Souls are kept in this prison by the lies they hold. People are under the oppression of evil as it pursues them at every turn and without truth to set them free, evil consumes their reality. Proverbs 13:21 In the darkness of the pit, they can’t “see” how their choices and actions create the reality they want to escape from; for if we partake of hell, we stay in it. No one wants to be in hell, yet people continue to perpetuate its existence in their blind lusts, thus keeping their souls trapped in what they are longing to escape from. We reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7  What we do to others, we do to ourselves. Matthew 7:12 These are spiritual laws not to be ignored if we desire to be set free.

One aspect of our physical reality where the reality of hell on this earth is clearly manifested is in the meat and dairy industries. As it is today, it’s a picture of hell, a reflection of hell, and it’s a part of hell. Many souls perpetuate its existence day in and day out with delight and enjoyment.

Without thought, multiple times a day, people consume the flesh of death and cruelty. In this consumption they find satisfaction and delight. When meat and dairy products are offered at low prices, it brings a welcomed pleasure for the pennies saved. Yet, at what cost do these low prices come? Mass production of animals with low-cost demands equates to hideous realities for animals. Animals we are to be caring for.

Marketing creates and feeds lies that convince people they need meat and dairy. Through fear, it keeps people trapped in growing and expanding hellish conditions, thus their own hell. Advertising alludes to happy cows, pigs, and chickens, and masks hidden conditions of suffering, torment and pain. Images projected upon people’s minds create and entice lustful insatiable appetites for the flesh of death. Their “delights” are fulfilled in hideous realities that most people couldn’t stomach to watch; tortuous practices full of suffering. There is a gruesome reality behind these illusions, when characterized would sum up as hell on earth. No one wants to be “in hell”, yet this is the reality they create for many many animals every day.

Imprisoned, bound, tortured, trapped in fear, pain, and suffering, many animals are in a living hell … and the keepers of hell demand more.

One aspect of hell is those who receive the torturous treatment. Another aspect is those who perpetuate the treatment.

Anyone who partakes of this living hell perpetuates it. To willingly partake and perpetuate hell is to be of a spirit of death, feeding upon death.

In our culture, the word demon has many horrific images. I don’t even like to write it. But it’s a word to characterize a type of spirit, a spirit feeding on and perpetuating death. It’s one who deems itself more significant than others. It’s one who cares only for its needs. It’s a spirit seeking lustful satisfaction with no thought of the ripple effects. It’s one who turns a blind eye to truth. Those of this mindset do not enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is entered through our soul state. If our soul is feasting and creating light it’s a part of the Kingdom of Light, if our soul is feasting and perpetuating darkness it’s a part of the kingdom of darkness. We are what we eat.

What we do to others, we bring upon ourselves. If we want mercy, we give mercy. Psalm 18:25 If we want forgiveness, we forgive. Matthew 6:14-15 If we want life, we feed and perpetuate life. We reap what we sow, because we are creative beings. What if God treated us as we treat others of His creation? In this reflection, we see our deep need for His mercy, and once we have this deep understanding we give mercy and change our ways.

At one point, we have all been under the sway of evil. Ephesians 2:2 We have partaken of and perpetuated cruelty and death. This is why we need to be saved; this attitude of the heart that feasts on violence and death. The Israelites lusted for meat in the wilderness. They chose the covenant of death, and we have walked in their footsteps. When will it end? When we choose the covenant of life in the reality of our lives and stop calling evil good and good evil.

If we continue to live our lives feeding cruelty, suffering, and pain, we continue to hold onto death, this pit, hell, and our lives will reflect this reality. If we want the kingdom of darkness to be destroyed, we have to stop perpetuating it. If we seek the living waters of truth to fill our minds and hearts thus transform our lives, the Kingdom of God will bloom in us and around us.

When we are ready to embrace the covenant of life, we will stop eating flesh of death and cruelty, and embrace the harmony God intended to exist in creation. This is one area of many in which we are transformed as we enter into the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.


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Connecting to Others’ Souls

Pets seem to be very in tune with us – more than most people.

It fascinates me how my two cats respond to my real thoughts or emotions. Despite my outward persona, it is my inner rhythm that they are connected to. What I truly think and feel impacts their actions. It is incredible.

Malcolm, my male Ragdoll kitten, was keeping his distance from me, and I thought that he just didn’t want my affection like his sister, Sophie. No big deal, they are just different. However, after a conversation with my brother, an animal lover, I realized that thought was causing him to keep his distance. At that moment I changed. Instead I thought – he wants my affection just as much as Sophie. Almost immediately he acted differently; hanging around me, wanting to be picked up, and cuddling with me. Since then our relationship has been totally different – and needless to say much more satisfying for both of us. And all I did was change my thinking.

Our thinking affects our attitude, emotions, temperament, and actions. It is the sum of these that others pick up on. In speaking to others, 70% of our communication is non-verbal, so most of what we say is what we don’t. Others obviously don’t know what we think, but what we think affects what they receive from us. Our thoughts are very important. If we change them then it affects everything else. I think this is why Paul told us to meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Philippians 4:8, 1 Timothy 4:15

Our thinking impacts how people respond to us because it is the source to what we put out. To connect with others on a deeper level we need to be aware of our thoughts toward them and if they are hindering or helping, and second we need to be willing to look past their exterior to what is really going on.

The other day I was feeling a bit down. Malcolm tuned into how I was feeling and followed me around and sat down with me on the sofa. His affection was a bit different than normal – he knew I was upset even if it was subtle. Pets are amazing animals. For those who have a good relationship with them you know what a comfort they can be. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but when I talk to other pet owners they experience similar interactions. They seem to pick up what’s beneath the exterior.

If we do these two things, attend to our thoughts and look beyond the exterior, a more meaningful connection can be established with others.

However, there are things that can interfere with looking beyond the exterior.

Often we have so much of our own stuff in the way preventing us from truly focusing on someone else. Fear, self-focus, pride, unforgiveness, living in the past, and worried about the future all affect our ability to be fully engaged in the moment and love others in such a compassionate and real way. And often when we do pick up on what is going on underneath we don’t respond to it for various reasons – at least I don’t.

Imagine if we were in tune and responsive to one another like our pets. . . how different our relationships would be? We wouldn’t respond to each others masks or defense mechanisms; we would look into the soul and respond accordingly. Several years ago, Larry Crabb wrote a book, Soul Talk. It was about connecting and talking to others at this deeper level. It is a great concept, but I have found it is easier said than done. Focusing on my self, how I am perceived, trying to please others, fear of rejection, reacting to the surface level of defense mechanisms that anger and hurt me, and pride all get in the way. But interestingly, as I abide in God’s truth and He frees me from my own issues and fills me with His love, I am finding that looking past the exterior is coming naturally.

We are here to love God and love others Luke 10:27 – if we aren’t clued into each other’s deeper needs then we can’t love and have compassion like we could otherwise.

Malcolm & Sophie

Malcolm & Sophie