I just finished the book Dracula, by Bram Stoker recently. My mom and several others suggested I not read it because it was very Satanic. Actually, there are a few lessons that I learned from reading this literary classic. First of all, yes, it is Satanic, but in reading this book , I saw a few parallels to real life. Of course, vampires do not exist (as far as I know), but the evil behind the monster is very real.As to what these fictional characters can and cannot do, Bram Stoker had quite a set of rules for them.
First of all, they do not cast a shadow or a reflection. This is true of things in the spiritual sense anyway. Do we see the angels and demons constantly at war around us? Of course not! I’m sure we would be scared out of our skins if we saw half of what the Bible describes as the “spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places.” - Ephesians 6:12
Secondly, they can manifest themselves into any form, from the hideous and gruesome Dracula himself to his beautiful and voluptuous brides who can mesmerize a person just by their looks. Dracula himself made up for his gruesome looks with his charm, which flattered and impressed himself into people’s good graces. In the Bible, Satan is described not as a red skinny horned creature with a pitchfork, but rather as an angel of light. (2 Cor 11:14) He entices us with the things of this world, urging us to fill a desperate need with fleeting pleasures.(James 1:14-16) In the end, we are no more fulfilled than we started.(Proverbs 11:19)
Vampires also cannot enter a dwelling unless they are invited, but as soon as they are let in, they can come and go at their leisure. This opened my eyes to what happens all too often with us in this life. Things knock on the door of our mind, our heart, our life, imploring us to be let in, promising us that they will be a wonderful guest and that both you and it will benefit from each other. Just like Count Dracula charmed himself into the personal bubbles of his victims before taking advantage of the situation. Greed, lust, and other dangerous things sit outside the door of our lives, asking ever so nicely for us to let them in, showing us their wares and how we too could benefit if we just opened the door to them. It is in the entertaining of these thoughts, the slow descent down the stairs to the door, the key turning in the lock, that we lose ourselves. Self-control will fly out the window once the door is opened and these abominations so cleverly disguised as:* bewitching pictures of the opposite sex,
* a visit to a nightclub you’ve always driven past,
* even down to that all-you-can-eat buffet that would be great to frequent (never mind that you never eat more than a portion of what you’ve got in your fridge already).
We all too often put ourselves in compromising positions that push our will to resist past its breaking point. The end result?
* Those bewitching pictures get you slammed into a pornographic prison.
* The night club visit can tempt you to drink more than you can handle, putting you in danger from those who would take advantage of your weakened state.
* That deal under the table could be brought to light and ruin your professional reputation, even get you jail time.
* That “extra time” with your man could end up in more intimacy than you were originally willing to experience, pregnancy, or even a disease from which there is NO recovery.
* And eating out at that buffet all the time could not only break your budget, but encourage you to eat way more than you actually need, making you gain weight and not be able to enjoy activities you use to. Unfortunately, it can also make you prone to weight-related diseases that could shorten your life.
I know I may have carried this just a tiny bit too far, but I’m trying to stress a point. Once you let things into your life you had the power to dismiss at the door, they are there to stay, coming and going as they please.
Greed and lust, which are very closely related, will ruin your life. When they are allowed into your domain, they will affect everything you do and will plague you everywhere you go. Your dating relationships will have to keep going farther and farther physically as you only look to fulfilling your desires until there is nothing left to explore together, no mystery to unearth, and your boredom only increases as time trudges on. Sooner or later, these actions will reap a heavy toll on your marriage (if any) as the search for pleasure reaches outside the home. Those involved, possibly even your children, will pay the price as well as you.I just love listening to Ask the Pastor. It’s this really great radio show hosted by Gregory Dickow. Just the other day, I heard him say something that so totally relates to this issue. He said, “A seed of compromise today will become a harvest of brokenness down the road.” So very VERY true.
Just like the fictional vampire sucks the life out of his victims, so the very real temptations of the Evil One can suck the life out of us. More and more time must be devoted to them, but that time has to come from somewhere. It robs our families and friends of the time to grow closer to each other, and even ourselves of the time we could be spending serving others or taking good care of this body God gave us.God instead calls us to have moderation in all things and starvation from other things.
“And be not drunk with wine, in which is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” - (Eph 5:18)
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” –( Luke 21:34)
He also tells us that there is a way out whether we are simply battling not to do something or battling not doing it again.
Something I thought was pretty cool in this story. One of the things Dracula was most afraid of was the Cross. Dracula was literally the embodiment of evil and the things of the church were used to battle him. Now I know in the story it was mainly those things of the Catholic Church, but the story isn’t that far off from the truth. The only difference is rather than using tangible things that rot and rust away, things that are supposed to be holy and have a power of their own, we have a Saviour Who is alive, One Whom we can call on in our hour of need, of fear, whenever. He is there for us, to protect us and guide our uncertain steps on the path of His perfect plan. He is all-powerful and is our “ever present help in time of need.” Cry out to Him and the forces of evil will scatter like so many wolves when a shot’s been fired above their heads. His very name, according to Scripture, is enough to make the Evil One and all his cohorts tremble in fear. Now if I could see anything, that I would like to see!!!
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” - (Luke 10:18-19)
Keep in mind…it’s not just you who falls into these things, but those who look up to you, who are watching you, see what you do, and use you as their role model. How would you want them to react to the things you are faced with? Would you want them to fall and not be able to get up again without Divine help, or would you rather they steer clear by your example and be able to stand that much longer as they walk their life’s road?
“So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, and mark out straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not stumble and fall, but will become strong.” - (Heb 12:12)
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.”-2 Peter 1:3-10I think I just heard a knock at your door. Are you gonna get that?
Extremely Friendly, Yet Wary,
quote Jesus on that, not because they really agree with His teaching, but they want to twist it into what they want it to mean - that we should stop fighting and live in peace with each other, which is all well and good for us, but how about those who we had started fighting for who cannot defend themselves? I'm sure they want peace and no more war, but it is not within their power to bring peace to their land. They need an outside rescuer to come in and 
defend them against the enemy, allowing those who'd been lying on the ground in sheer terror to once again arise and regain the strength they'd lost. 
heart toward them. There's a worship song that says "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." I keep having to make that my prayer to God, for it is far too easy for my heart to be calloused to the things going on around me in such a fallen society. 
behind the scenes warning you of impending danger, telling you that it's not too late...it's NEVER too late to turn back toward the light and surrender to the One Who can restore your mind. Yes, it's a long and painful journey, but in the words of a respected author, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one solitary step." You'll never get there if you don't start, and when you lack the strength to begin, call on Him to be your strength. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble." - 
protection. He gazes into my eyes, giving me the choice between looking for what lie just beyond Him, or to fix my eyes on His, focusing on Him, choosing Him over anything else that tries to come between us, that fights for my attention. 
you would celebrate what Easter is all about - how Jesus conquered the enemy's power by breaking through the barrier of death - not only of the body, but also of the spirit - that we may, through Him, have everlasting life and not fear the rusting and decay of this mortal cage that keeps us here.