by Allen B. Clark
allenbclark@aol.com
www.combatfaith.com
www.combatfaith.blogspot.com
Last night my dream related to a football game at the end of the third quarter in which my team (be it Army or whatever) was winning by a wide margin, but, abnormally, the teams were in the locker room before coming out for the final quarter. There was a long break. I thought perhaps the losing team might just not come out to finish the game since they were so far behind. Then the contest began anew. Upon my awakening I pondered over the significance, if any, of the dream. The vision of its meaning was twofold, one strategic, and secondly, tactical, in keeping with my military background.
Strategically, it relates to the the message of Jesus, which He brought in to the world to unshackle humanity from the chains of human history for the years to come. Linda and I have been viewing a movie series titled Empires such as Roman, Grecian, Egyptian, Hebraic, Medici of Florence, and the Protestant Reformation under Martin Luther. We have been educated and informed relative to the downtrodden masses in history, the serfs, slaves, and the lower classes, dominated secularly by the rich and elites in constant warfare. It relates in the spiritual realm to the exploited and tyrannized individuals overcome and obsessed by the demonic world of Satan, the protagonist of our Lord. The fourth and final quarter will see the opposing team, led by the devil, back on the field in their effort, loyal forever to their evil game plan. The fourth quarter may be the final opportunity for Christianity with its precepts of love, caring, hope, and unmerited favor for all, to blossom forth and make a final effort (which will ultimately be totally successful) to vanquish the opponent's evil and to prosper the souls of mankind with a new dimension of strength of the spirit, which pours over to a strengthening of the soul (our mind, emotions, and will) just as do iron rods embedded in concrete strengthen the substance.
In tactical terms in my seventy fifth year I look at the dream personally as relating to my responsibility and privilege in my twilight years (my fourth quarter) to continue my personal efforts to finish strong in the most important endeavor of my life, which is to extend whatever wisdom, insight, and discernment, with which I have been imbued, to others boldly, but, not bombastically, so they may be introduced at the end game of life, when the scoreboard flashes "Victory," that we have held on to our lead with our victory reflected in the exultation of the joy and expectation of our eternity in Heaven, our final residence.
