The Time Perspective.

The average life span in the United States is 78.4 years according to World Bank, World Development Indicators.  Now for those who do not believe in an eternal existence this is all you get, could be less or slightly more, but essentially this is it.  We spend the first 16-22 years in school. During this time it is off to secure some kind of income, usually of entry level proportion.  This concludes approximately twenty-five percent of our life.

Now we are off to discover what we want to become.  We land the great career job and begin moving up the ladder. A nice lady comes into the picture and wedding bells ring. Two years later the beginning of the child years begins with two wonderful blessings. The perfect house is now in front of us and we purchase leveraging our income potential minus our current obligations (student loans, car payments, etc.). The American dream is now off and running, great.  Now the kids are now in school and we have learned to juggle our life. Finding time for Sunday morning Christian tradition that includes getting home by 1:00 to watch the Steelers win another victory.

Twenty more years have now passed and over half your life is over.  Your 401k is doing well, except for the three years of unexpected market loss which set you back six years.  Kids start college and now it time to help with tuition.  No problem we will adjust our income from them living at home just work a little harder over the next five years to off set the loss and retirement is on its way in 15 years.

Siixty-five has arrived and it is time live the golden years.  Your 401k is steady and their is a relief that you made it. A letter comes from your company you served for 27 years saying, “Your pension no longer exists due to the sale of your previous company.”  This is a bummer, but we need to finish our life strong.  Time to go to Florida for the winter, golf should take our mind off these issues.  Plus, the grandkids live in Florida now making it all worth while.

Seventy five comes quickly and the end of your life is approaching with eternal questions beginning to loom. The question becomes clear, “if eternity is real, I should do something to prepare for it.”  We evaluate our faith, make sure the policy is in order, plus you have a good honorable life up till now.  Gave to the church,went to build an orphanage in Zimbabwe and bought everything pink to save the world from cancer.  Plus, I was not like all those other people who are, you know, bad.

The pallbearers carry the coffin from the car to the site your going to be buried.  There are about 85 people at the ceremony.  Fifty-two family members, 23 colleagues and 10 acquaintances that were a part of your life.

Enter eternity.

The voices in your head.

The morning breaks with a beautiful sunrise at 6:40 a.m., but I have been up since 4:30.  First, it is not due to great the great advice of King David, “early in the morning I…” It is voices, maybe pizza, no not voices that seems creepy. How about thoughts that I did not originate.  My brain was in a full scale attack as if D-Day was a walk in the park and the nuclear explosion on Hiroshima was another 4th of July.  What is the war over, not sure specifically, but I am the target.  There seems to be a lot of commotion and as soon as the enemy is targeted and squelched . . . BAM, new enemy and even more fighting.  I get out of bed tired, but victorious.  It’s time to go to Starbucks for coffee.

It would be unfair for me to leave you hanging there, so let me expound.  In military terms it is called Psychological Warfare.  You may be unfamiliar with the term, but everyone experiences it on some level and at different times.  The process has been used for millenniums  because of the effectiveness of the process.  If an individual is convinced of the enemies propaganda, the enemy wins and gains a new soldier.  No more fighting, no more expense and the individual (loser of the mental barrage) becomes an unknowing agent of the enemy.

The best way for me to describe the scenario is to recount a famous event that has been popularized, but the main points inadvertently omitted. The story concludes with David and Goliath, but the prelude to the story is what brought about David’s great opportunity.  I Samuel 17:3 – 11, 16 tells of the events that led up to the famous young whipper snapper, a sling, and five smooth stones (much theological discussion has made about these stones, maybe will discuss later). We begin with two armies facing off opposite each other with a valley in between.  Camps are made on both sides with the Israelites on one side and the Philistines on the other. So far we have a stalemate and neither side is quick to make a move.  In comes Psychological Warfare, Goliath.

Goliath is massive and his armor is like a dismantled Sherman tank which he dressed himself in. Intimidating, to say the least.  Here is the kicker of the whole deal. Goliath comes down to the valley presents himself to the army every morning and evening for forty days.  He offers his little bargain of a one on one fight and the winner takes all.  This was not the threat, it is what he did to the Israelites over the eighty times he made the request. Military genius on Goliath’s part.  Every time he talked he addressed the Israelites as the sons of Saul.  Saul had problems and he definitely was not in the front leading the battle.  The continued identification with Saul and not the Israelites (Children of Promise) was mental decay to the warriors on the field.  By the time David comes on the scene the Israelites are now intimidated, inferior and insecure in the face of their enemy.

What are the first words that David says when he hears this man on the fortieth day. Verse 23 (NLT) says, “As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.”  Now what was David’s response which should have been the response of the Isrealites the first day they heard it, (vs. 26) “David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” Not Saul’s armies, but God’s.

This is the core objective of the Psychological Warfare going through my mind this morning.  Once I was able to see through the smoke, fragments and intimidation the question imposed by the enemy became clear, “Who do you think you are, you son of man.”  My response at the end of the fight, “The Son of the King.”

Bryan

Life on the beach . . .

Dreams, visions, passions, desires, goals and objectives are all ideas that express our inner thoughts of what we want to see come to pass in our lives.  For purposes of simplicity I will combine these ideas into one word, desire.   To elaborate further my definition of desire is when the life of others are benefited from the fulfillment.

Many have experienced desire and hope arise.  It could be for a plan, clarity, or new direction.  Plans are then made with eager excitement and anticipation to see these ideas come to pass.  You can picture the new life or  idea coming to pass, how great it will be. Then it is time to launch out into the adventure with boldness and courage.

You hit the beach like a mighty force and then natural elements hit you in the face . . .

(Please be advised, this video is not for the weak of heart. Video depicts war scenes from D-Day landing)

One thing that seemed to forgotten.  There is an enemy on the beach, that is not interested in you landing your heart’s desire onto it. All hell breaks loose on our life and it is easy to sit down, shell shocked, saying, “What happened, how do I get out of here, where do I go, what a fool I have been for bringing myself here.”  We can come up with philosophical, theological and mathematical (for the science minded) answers to ease us away from our hearts desire into a place of secure lifelessness.

Here is a simple answer that we can observe from the clip.  Get off the beach, not by retreat, but by advancing.  Stop wandering around taking council of the crazy thoughts pounding your mind like the surf on the beach. If you see others fall, help them up, but don’t measure your advance by their experience.  Watch those who are moving forward, the kingdom needs you to make it off the beach. This advance is not just about you, but about the lives of others that need you to remove the enemies stronghold.

Here is what we do know about our enemy: hell has a fury, Satan has a vengeance and he is not interested in you taking his territory from him. His master weapon is by making you see your weakness, vulnerability and smallness.

Our reality should be, we are led by the Commander of the warring angelic hosts of heaven.  Our identity is wrapped up in His greatness.  So, get off the beach and take the ground that is in front of you.  Know this . . . your situation is not unique and you are not alone.