Real Life

You know what Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture sounds like? Ever been to the Grand Canyon and looked around? Ever looked at all the stars on a clear night while in the wilderness? Such is the life of the ordinary Christian - no not me necessarily - just every Christian, what he or she has readily available because of being "in Christ," and all the happenings in this realm and in the next, for now and for eternity's sake.

Did you know (rhetorical question) that when Ephesians chapter 6 discusses the full armor of God, that it really doesn't pertain to an actual belt, actual shoes with a little peace symbols upon them? There isn't an actual breastplate that literally stands for righteousness. Did you know that when Paul says "you can take your stand against the devil's schemes," that He is not speaking figuratively. No, that is real.

I rode the stationary bike at the club for 78 minutes. I stretched. I prayed and meditated upon these things.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorites, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." That is real. Bombs bursting in mid-air (as Tchaikovsky's song goes), magnificence of rock structure all around (as in the Grand Canyon). Stars as far as the eye can see, as numerous as the sand of the sea and as numerous as Abraham's descendants.

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

"watching thereunto with all perseverance"
"watching thereunto with all perseverance"
"watching thereunto with all perseverance"
"watching thereunto with all perseverance"
"watching thereunto with all perseverance"

See the color, shape and structure of the Grand Canyon, listen to the bombs burst in mid-air, see the stars - the multitude millions of Abraham's descendants.

"But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliever us;" (2 Corinth 1:10). Did you know God is a deliverer? He has delivered in the past, is delivering in the present and will continue to deliver.

I thought to myself as I spun around in theoretical circles (well, the circles were real, but they didn't take me anywhere), how does God want me to pray, now that I have meditated upon these truths? I was desiring to be lead by His Holy Spirit. Does the Lord not want us to go alongside and pray specifically for those that He has called us to? If we don't do it, aren't we neglecting so great a faith (Hebrews)? When we hear the music, see the magesty, gaze into the stars, understand the truth of righteousness, of peace, of truth, of faith, and He says, "Stand." "Stand." "Stand." "Stand." Are we not to stand? Are we to throw away our faith? Is our faith perfect? (No.) Therefore, does that mean we throw down the bike and walk home? Is He not teaching us? Is He not perfect in patience towards us? Does He not tell us that if anyone trusts in Him, he will not be put to shame? Is God perfect in all His ways? (Yes.) Is He in control? Do not trials prepare for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison? Do you want that - or do you want only what you can see? Do you want to be the good Samaritan and walk with the wounded one for awhile? Do you want to give the thirsty a cold glass of water in Jesus' name? Is it hard? (Yes.) So watch, watch, watch. Watch like in a battle. In a battle, you watch your opponent and you stand. Take your stand therefore. It's real. Life is now and it's real.

So I prayed something like this:

"My Lord Jesus, deliver Matt from the abuse of the enemy, from the enemy's camp, from the perspective that the enemy wants him to have about himeslf, about the world, about people. Deliver him and heal him and build him up to stand upon Your shoulders, to see all the things that You might show him. To go where You say, to love with Your heart, to do what You do, so that all may know, on earth, above the earth and below the earth that it is the Lord Jesus who reigns and delievers, Who is and was and always will be, Who does what He wants upon the earth, Who hears the hearts of men and women and babes. By Your strips we are healed and are renewed. All that we see isn't the way that it is." There is only 1% that we see. Will you pray for Matt also, no matter where he ends up living, whether with us or not.

"I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother..." (2 Corinth 2:13).

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us:for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinth 2:11).

About five minutes before I left the club, my daughter came into the fitness area, walking alongside her nine year old brother. I said, "he's not allowed in here."

She assured me (convincingly), "they said it was okay, as long as he only went on the treadmill (and not the other equipment). I said that is was all right then. Three minutes later (you know what happened), the big commotion in the whole place was the hollering of my nine year old who went flying off the treadmill (told me later that he couldn't keep up with the eight mile per hour speed that he plugged in to the contraption). Next second, my daughter when flying off her treadmill and tumbled into her brother.

No, she didn't have permission that she said that she did. The nine year old was not allowed on the treadmill. Seems she made that up. I told her about David and his sin, and how she just has to admit it and face it and confess and go on. She, however, wanted him to wear a hat to cover up the nodule on his noggin. I said that she is just trying to cover up her shame. Turns out she sustained an injury also. She cried and said that she was sorry. Once home, she got him ice, a blanket, a band-aid and movie of his choice into the DVD player.