Marty —The Contender Has Met Darkness Head-On.  The soaking-worship at Grace Church Willis began at 6:30p.m. on a Wednesday night. Melissa stepped up to the mic as the instruments began playing and she began to spontaneously worship Jesus. Pastor Bill, who was scheduled to teach on healing that night just laid down on the floor. About 6:55p.m. Kathy and I walked into the auditorium. We walked down to the third row under a heavy presence of the Holy Spirit.
     I began walking, worshipping and interceding along the right wall. After a while I was leaning on the wall. A few minutes later, I was holding myself up with one hand on the wall and the other hand on a chair back. That wasn’t working so I knelt at the chair.
     About half-way through the evening I and several others began intermittently releasing a yell as we were stirred and touched by the Holy Spirit in the midst of holy worship. It was at this point that Melissa stepped back from the mic and the instruments began to play a new song. The music began to gently swell and recede in a most beautiful way. (As we compared notes after the meeting, we discovered that several of us had heard a keyboard though no one was at the keyboard.)
     As the music began to swell I had a vision like I have never had. I saw gently-rolling hills that seemed to be alive. Over the closest hill came a great hoard of powerful horses with flaring nostrils and great flowing manes. On their backs were fierce warriors who stood in the stirrups with hands fast upon their reins and leaning forward, alongside the horses necks. They seemed to be speaking to the horses. The warriors’ long hair flowed in the wind as did the horses’ manes. While they listened, the horses eyes were focused intently upon what was ahead.
     The view was panoramic. On the far right were the horses and riders. There didn’t seem to be any ground that was not being covered with horses hooves. There didn’t seem to be any spaces between the horses. Their great strides were covering an amazing amount of ground with each gallop.
     Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the left side of the panorama. Up from behind a rock a dark, startled creature popped up and began staring at the flowing tide coming down upon him. A ways over from this creature, another popped up from behind a bush and yet another popped up from behind a small knoll, all terrified at what was soon and inevitably going to happen. At this point, 2K 6:16 “more are those who are with us than those who are with them” came to mind. Then, the advancing tide of horses and warriors rolled over the creatures as though they were nothing before their fierce and focused momentum.
     Just moments after I had seen the vision Melissa, without knowing what I had seen, stepped back to the mic and began to sing, “He is The Great Contender and He has met darkness head-on tonight.” Jehovah-Sabaoth, Lord of Hosts, is contending with those who oppose His purposes.
     Psa 2:1  “Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? 2  Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: 3  “Let’s get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!” 4  Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he’s amused at their presumption; 5  Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up: 6  “Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? A coronation banquet Is spread for him on the holy summit.” 7  Let me tell you what GOD said next. He said, “You’re my son, And today is your birthday. 8  What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize? 9  You can command them all to dance for you, Or throw them out with tomorrow’s trash.” 10  So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: 11  Worship GOD in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. 12  Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God–you won’t regret it!” (Msg)
     We are not helpless and ineffective before the opposition of darkness. Darkness is not the insurmountable, indefatigable force its propaganda is meant to conjure up.