standing up, answering roll call

Boy, Tuesday 9/6 was interesting. The day was going alright, then in the afternoon there was a one-two-three punch from the devil.

I guess either he wanted to, or God allowed him to (Job 1:9-12) try and discourage/tempt me in three key areas of my life.

One of the three areas I had spent the majority of the afternoon praying and pondering about. More pondering than praying, but on my mind, measuring it with the Word, asking the Holy Spirit to speak, asking that my own mind and thoughts be dead and that I have the mind of Jesus about it:

• "But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart" 1 Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified Bible);

• "...lest even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ" 2 Corinthians 11:3 (Amplified)

• "And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7, Amplified)

It was admittedly a struggle: I was surrendering to the Lord, but sensed I was going back to-and-fro between having the mind of Jesus and having my own fleshly thoughts about this area of my life. This went on during the majority of the afternoon.

So as I'm still wrestling with this in the early evening, here comes a double whammy from the devil to try and discourage me in two other areas.

With the Lord's strength and wisdom I have had no problem for a good while now putting down one of the two areas. The other area is one I've had overall victory in the Lord in this year--not perfect, but through the power of the Lord overall victory as never before in life.

Tuesday evening brought vulnerability. Wrestling with one thing all afternoon, then boom--two other areas that if I am not strong in the Lord are potential areas of susceptibility.

For a few minutes I was taken aback. In the midst of a trifold attack this was definitely "wind and rain" ("Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock", Matthew 7:24-25, Amplified Bible).

During the heaviest part of the attack I had the thought (knowing myself) there was potential for losing one or more of the battles.

At that point in the onslaught, I had the thought to call any of several people from the fellowship I attend to ask them to pray together. I was intent to do so, when suddenly a boldness from the Lord came upon me. It was not an arrogance based in pride, it was a supreme confidence in the delivering power of Almight God, my Creator, my Redeemer, my Deliverer, my Lord and my King.

As my mind was on calling a brother or sister in the Lord for their joint prayers, all of a sudden I felt an empowering rise within--and without any pre-thought in my head the words "Go ahead" came out of my mouth.

It wasn't elegant. It was just Powerful and firm. Suddenly, I went from weakness...to strength. Suddenly, I went from mental and emotional to-and-fro...to rock solid focus and confidence in the Lord. Suddenly, I went from thinking I might lose one or more of three battles to knowing I would win all three via the Lord's strength that came upon me.

Within a few seconds of saying "Go ahead", I realized who those words were directed to.

When this all happened, I wasn't in the midst of a fervent prayer. I was not meditating on/in the Lord. I was walking across a hot grocery store parking lot, thinking more than likely I wouldn't come unscathed through the barrage. That was my honest thought.

Didn't think about it at the time, but now thinking about this reminds me of the 6th Chapter of John:

"When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, And they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them. Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing. [However] when they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. And they were afraid (terrified). But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I AM; stop being frightened!] Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.] The next day the crowd [that still remained] standing on the other side of the sea realized that there had been only one small boat there, and that Jesus had not gone into it with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away by themselves." (John 6: 16-22, Amplified Bible)

This is a phenomenal account on several fronts, but in the vein we're talking about here the key verse is: "And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]"

That's pretty much what happened with me. I was getting barraged, I was struggling, and then suddenly--His strength! As mentioned, I wasn't praying, sweating blood, etc when it happened. Mentally I was getting slammed. Then God delivered, immediately, just as the boat Jesus and the disciples were in immediately reached the shore they were headed to when Jesus got in the boat.

The verses about the boat mention the disciples had rowed 3-4 miles when the storm came, Jesus appeared, got in the boat and they were instantly at the shore to which they were headed. A friend of mine has visited this area of the world. The path the disciples were traveling by boat is 9 miles from shore to shore (from where they left to Capernaum).

This miracle is fascinating in its own right, and perhaps to be expounded another time, but the point here is the immediacy, the suddenness with which a situation was radically changed by the presence of Jesus: "that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7)

There are several things which happened in this situation:

• my heart and mind were garrisoned and 'mounted guard over'. In my own mind I was beginning to teeter, to let the attack start to loom. Before the attack could take effect to its intended end, my soul stood up. My soul answered God's roll call: "Here!!!!" my soul shouted with a Power that shattered the mental and emotional blitzkrieg.

Even as my own heart and mind were in a moment of weakness, my soul, as a joint heir with Jesus, proclaimed me a child of the King and a son of God.

• As my flesh waned, my soul suddenly took me to the Rock amidst the storm, covering (instantly) the distance between where I was and where His Peace is:

"26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

27 Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (John 14:26-27, Amplified Bible)

• all the glory for this happening certainly goes to the Lord for His deliverance. It seemed like a tag-team effort: the Holy Spirit bringing my sonship to remembrance prompted my soul to stand up and say "I am the Lord's!", even as I was beginning to be tossed about by the storm.

Glory be to God. He is truly Awesome...