Strangers in a Strange Land

"Go Bullit Go!"

Rebecca squealed as she wildly flung her little 5 year old body back and forth on the newest member of our family. It was early Christmas morning in 1995- Bullit was a plastic Rocker Horse set up on powerful springs that when rocked hard back and forth the way my daughter was that morning- The rider could actually go airborn. It was Pure Joy- She was in heaven!

Fast forward June 2010-Julie and I were in the car- her driving- me riding and running off at the mouth. There was tension- I don't know where it came from- or at least right now I can not tell you it's source- but it was there-probably something silly- at least in my mind- but tension none the less- it was there- it was real. A far cry from pure Joy. On the radio was the Steven Curtis Chapman Song- "Heaven is the Face". What a great song- a song where he describes Heaven as he reflects on his fairly recent loss of his adopted daughter through a tragic accident. As I listen to the song- a little nonchalantly- there comes a lyric that reaches out and grabs me by the throat, reaches down deep into me and seizes my heart-

Heaven is a place with "No More Enemy"

I do not think we begin to understand or take seriously the devastation our Enemy brings to bear on us every moment of every day.

Right there- in that moment of Tension and Truth- it was like a revelation- an opening of my eyes to the reality of my own sinful nature and my wife's own sinful nature with an enemy standing there pouring gasoline on our smoldering embers.

An effort the divide our hearts-

To steal our peace with one another-

To destroy any joy we might find in one another-

And get this- he never rests.

Matthew 16:15-18 Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." .............Jesus replied,"on this Rock, I will build My Church and the Gates of Hell will not stand against it."

I so look forward to the day when the last enemy of the Life I long for has fallen- Sin- Death- The Devil himself- all gone- all put away- the onslaught over- finally able to live with Love and Joy and Peace unopposed. In the mean time, I pray-

Lord God Almighty, rise up in me for power to stand against my Enemy, my own sin nature and the corruption of this world's kingdom so that I might be a part of advancing Your Great Kingdom. Thank You for even small glimpses of the Love and Joy You bring into our lives. Amen