ALIVE OR DEAD

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)  For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain

or

(The Message) Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm His bounty.  Life verses even more life!  I can't lose.

I sit here and stare at this verse and I am in awe.  For me to live is Christ seems like such a powerful yet unrealistic goal, but when I read the verse in The Message version I get it.  Although it's still not an easy thing to grasp yet because I am alive, because I believe in Jesus Christ, because I have received Him as my Savior and my Lord, I am His messenger here on this Earth.  As long as I am alive I have a job to do for Him.  Wherever I go, whatever I do, whoever I meet.....I am a witness for Him.  I am a living, breathing example of Jesus Christ here on this Earth.  When people see me, they should see Him.  When people hear me, they should hear Him.  To live is Christ is a difficult task, especially in these trying times, but it is something I must do, it is something I want to do.  Okay let me be honest, it is something I should do.

I say should because I really want to live is Christ, I really want to be Christ's messenger here on Earth, but if I am honest, I'm not always a good example of Jesus.  I fail, I screw up, I fall short, I sin.  It's not always comfortable to live is Christ.  It's not easy to live as Christ's messenger.  If I live that way that means I need to forgive those who have hurt me and don't deserve my forgiveness.  If I live that way I may have to step out of my comfort zone and step into someone else's mess.  If I live that way I may have to stop and give my last $5.00 to that homeless man standing on the street corner.  If I live that way I may have to learn to shut my mouth and keep my opinions to myself.  Let me be honest I don't always want to be Christ's messenger.  I want to complain and whine and moan and groan.  I want to keep that unforgiveness in my heart for hours or days or weeks or months or years.  I want to keep that $5.00 in case I need a Starbucks coffee.  I don't always want to keep my mouth shut.  I want to be me and not Christ.  Being Christ's messenger in a lost and broken world is not easy.

But oh the reward is so amazing!!!!!  To see the look in another persons eyes is so worth the minor discomfort or uneasiness.  I remember one time I was standing in line at a Verizon store, yes the line was long.  I finally got to the counter when I overheard a mother and daughter talking about getting back to the hospital ASAP.  The ladies husband had a heart attack and the daughter was trying to help her mom get their phone straightened out.  The person helping them was doing their best to hurry to help them.  As I was ready to leave, I heard a whisper from God, "Just tell them you're praying for them."  I actually argued with God, "But I don't know them?  I don't want to interrupt them in the middle of their talking?"  I clearly heard, "Just do it.  Trust me."  So I did.  It was so uncomfortable for me to do this but I did.  The look in their eyes was priceless.  Their eyes filled with tears and heard "Thank you."  from them and from God.  

It was at that very moment I realized that I had a choice.  I could have walked out of that store without saying anything or I could have let them know that someone out there cared for the, a stranger, me.  But also I understood that I was talking to them for God.  I was a messenger and I chose to step out of my comfort zone and be a messenger to a hurting pair of women.  I walked back to my car and cried.  I thanked God for giving me the wisdom and the courage to just do what He needed me to do.  

When Paul wrote those words he was in prison.  He knew he could die any day.  He was tortured and beaten but he stayed happy and committed to being a messenger for Christ in that prison cell.   Even at his lowest moments he praised God and lived as Christ.  Because of that many of the guards and fellow inmates become believers in Jesus Christ.  In the midst of the darkest moments of his life, Paul never stopped singing praises to God.  He proclaimed Jesus Christ to everyone.  He lived as Christ.  He was Christ's messenger here on Earth.  He never made any excuses and he never apologized for being a believer.  He spoke with the heart of Christ and lived his life for Christ.  

He knew that when he was alive, Jesus was with him through the power of the Holy Spirit, but he also knew that when he died, He would be in eternity with Jesus Christ.  So when he said "to die is gain" that meant that he knew no matter what that his eternity was sealed.  So whether he was alive or dead, he was going to be fine.  He couldn't lose either way.  Whether on Earth or in heaven, Paul was faithful.  His faith was in Jesus Christ.  He would do what he could on this Earth to be Christ's messenger and he looked forward to dying to be face to face with Jesus Christ.

What prison cells are keeping you from being Christ's messenger on Earth?  Fear?  Unforgiveness?  Let it go!  Begin to live as Christ on this Earth, Lord knows we need more love on this Earth.    

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

Ephesians 1:17-19 (Amplified Bible) (For I always pray) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation (of insight into mysteries and secrets) in the (deep and intimate ) knowledge of Him.  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set apart ones), and (so that you will know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength

As I sit here today I am trying to take in the fact that many of us believers do not understand what we have through Jesus Christ.  We seem to have lost sight of all He died to give us.  Or maybe we don't want to know what He has given us.  Could that be?  Is it possible that we are afraid to know the endless possibilities and the enormous abilities we have been given through Jesus Christ?  Is it easier to deny our gifts and bury them?  Is it easier to drown ourselves in pools of tears?  It is easier to hide them under a bushel basket?  I know that this may sound harsh and maybe I have offended someone, but it's time we wake up and claim all that Jesus died to give us.  It's time to claim our birthright.  It's time to claim our inheritance.  

There is power in the name of Jesus.  Yes, just saying His name gives you power.  I remember a couple years ago when gas prices were at an all time high.  I was in Kroger's gas station and there was a line up a mile long because their's was much lower.  As I sat in line there was a man backing up his truck to get into another line.  He backed up so fast I did not have time to honk my horn, or maybe I was in a state of shock. He was headed right for my door when I screamed "Jesus" (my window was shut or else he would have heard me).  He stopped within an inch of my door.  So don't tell me that it is silly to say there is power in a name.  It's just not a inspirational song, it is true.  The thing about God id that He gives us everything we need to get through this life and be a witness for Jesus Christ, but if we don't believe in those gifts, we won't receive them.

Read these verses again....there is power given to us through our belief in Jesus Christ.  We have power.  Do you understand that?  Do you believe that?  I mean do you really believe that?  Because if you do, then why are we living such weak pathetic lives?  I'm sorry that does sound harsh, but someone said that once to me and it rocked my inner being to the core.  It shook me and made me stop and think.  I probably had a "deer in the headlights" look on my face because it was the truth.  I would cry and whine and pout and complain and whine some more and cry a few more tears.  I must have looked pathetic, if I had let anyone see me like that.  I always did this behind closed doors.  I didn't want anyone to know.  I didn't want anyone to see me like that.  It would have been embarrassing.  The crazy thing is God saw me.  He saw me at my worst. 

When I went to a women's conference many years ago, I heard a speaker talk about how pitiful she would act.  Whine and cry and complain and cry some more, it sounded like me.  Then she said God whispered to her, "You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can't be both."  Ouch!!  That simple phrase rang through my ears over and over and over again.  I prayed to God that night and asked if He was speaking to me, I heard a soft whisper saying "Yes. I have so many plans for you but you can't do them weak and pitiful.  I need you to be powerful."  Okay I think I got it.  So pitiful or powerful?  Which do you choose?  I chose power that day.  Oh trust me I still have those times when I feel pitiful, then I hear a voice in my head screaming, I do mean screaming, "Those are the lies of the enemy.  Pitiful or powerful?  Your choice?"  

You see the same power, the same Spirit, that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us as believers.  It's there.  We have power but we have to believe in that power and receive it.  So often we believe the lies of the enemy instead of the promises of God, why?  Is it easier to weak and pitiful?  Is it easier to just sit back and let life pass you by?  Well honestly it may be but what will you be missing out on?  There is power available to you today.  Do you believe in that power?  Are you willing to receive that power?  Let me pray....

Lord, I pray that you grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation.  Give us insight into the mysteries and secrets of this life.  Give us a deep and intimate knowledge of you.  Flood the eyes of our heart with light so that we may know the hope to which you have called us.  May we believe and receive in the rich, glorious inheritance you have for us.  Help us to  believe and receive the immeasurable, unlimited and greatness of the power you have for us who believe in you. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY, THAN DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL

Ephesians 4:29  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Oh how I remember my mom telling me this all the time as I was growing up, "If you don't have something nice to say, than don't say anything at all."  Those words still ring through my thoughts before I dare open up mouth, well most of the time at least.  Hey I'm human as we all are.  Most of us mean well when we speak but we can lose our focus in the heat of the moment and say things we deeply regret.  We open our mouth and insert our foot.  I know I'm not the only one who does this because I have heard people talk to others and it makes me wonder if their mom talk them what my mom taught me.  Did your mom teach you this also?  I wish all of us would live by this golden rule.  This world would be a much better place.  

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is another old saying but this one is bull.  Oh words may not physically hurt us but words can hurt us in ways that no one ever sees.  Bullies take pride in their words, as well as their fists sometimes.  Well meaning people often speak without thinking.  Family and friends offer us their free advice and their opinion without asking us if we want it.  Then there are the people who are only trying to help us.  They seem to know it all and no problem telling you how wrong you are.  Sound familiar?  

Oh listen I understand that we are all human beings and we screw up and sin every single day.  We cannot always control what happens in our lives, but we can control our mouth.  "I just have to give you a piece of my mind"  Have you heard that one before?  Well let me tell you if some of us would actually listen to the way we speak we would sadly realize that many of us can't afford to give anyone a piece of our mind because quite frankly many of us have little mind left to give.  We've given so many people a "piece of my mind" that there isn't much left.  OUCH!

Yea I know that hurt some of you and in fact some may stop reading right now after that one.  Am I using my words to build you up?  I'm sorry I got carried away.  But listen this is the truth sad with love....we need to choose our words wisely.  If we wouldn't want it said to us, why would we say it to someone else?  There is so much judgement and pride and selfishness in our words that it is sickening.  Oh trust me I am speaking to myself with blog also.  Our words can be a weapon or a blessing.  They can bring life or death.  How many suicides could have been prevented in this world if we would take time to think about what we are saying?  How many marriages could have been saved if we chose our words more carefully?  How many of us would have our lives radically changed by a few encouraging words?  How many of us are willing to change our own words in order to encourage someone else?  

"Let NO unwholesome talk come out of your mouth"  To me that means that our words matter to God.  When we talk to ourselves, when we talk to others, basically any time we open our mouth we should speak with words that build others up.  Oh it's so easy to point out others faults and tell them everything they're doing wrong.  We need to help point people in the right direction if their doing something wrong or dangerous, but there is way we can use our words to uplift people while pointing them in the right direction, but it takes work.  That's the clincher.  Many of us don't want to take time to think about what we're gonna say before we say it.  We'd rather speak our mind.

Listen I want to encourage all of us right now to stop and think before we speak.  In our own power, we can't do this.  With our own patience, it's hard to do this.  It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ that I have learned how important words are.  Words carry meaning and your words say a lot about the condition of your heart.  So please let's become beacons of light in a dark world.  Let's use our words to bring healing to the broken.  Let's use our words to encourage others the way Jesus did.  

Jesus Christ gives me the perfect example of how to speak.  He (for the most part) spoke softly, calmly and with love.  He used words to build people up, not tear them down.  The only time He used words to get people's attention was when He spoke to those "religious" people who thought so much of themselves. Listen I'm not perfect, never will be, but I am a work in progress.  I am doing my best to keep my words in check.  "If I don't have something nice to say, I won't say anything at all."  Will you join me?  

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

1 John 4:7-8  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.

Love...so many people try to define it but the love John is talking about in these verses is not a love we're used to giving.  Agape love. It is a selfless love, a sacrificial love, an unconditional love.  It is the highest kind of love.  It's immeasurable and incomparable.  It's concern for others before there is any thought of concern for ourselves.  This kind of love is breathtaking and overwhelming.  It makes our heart stop and brings tears to our eyes. To experience this kind of love is a dream come true.  This kind of love makes people lay down their lives for others, others who may not deserve it or earned it or asked for it. This love is unbelievable.  It's a love like no other love.  It's a love we all dream of experiencing.  It's a love we'd like to all believe in, but is this kind of love real?  

Are we humans able to love like this?  Some are, but unfortunately many can't.  Many find it hard to let go of past hurts and hangups.  Many find it difficult to love those who hurt us.  Many of us relive past events and keep a list of wrongs certain people have done to us.  Many of us go through this life thinking we know what real love looks like and hows its supposed to feel.  But we have a very wrong version of the love God expects us to have towards others.  Agape love is not sentimental and sappy.  It's not even a brotherly love feeling.  It can be difficult and hard and messy.  It's the type of love that is not shown in what you say, but rather in what you do.    

Well, let's look a what happened 15 years ago yesterday.  Firefighters, police officers, and everyday human beings stepped up and risked their lives to rescue people after the attacks.  They had a job to do yes, but instead of focusing on their own lives, instead of saving their own lives, they climbed stairwells, walked in flames and hot coals, they risked their lives and many gave up their life to save others. They didn't stop to consider whether that person deserved to be helped or loved, they just did it.  They didn't stop to look at someone's past mistakes, they just loved them by saving them.  Mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, along with many other family members and friends cry every September 11th while remembering how much they miss that loved one.  They gave their life so others could live.  That is the love Jesus commanded us to have.

John 15:17  This is my command:  Love each other.

Notice this is not a suggestion.  It is a command from Jesus Christ!  Love each other. Agape love each other.  IF we are true believers in Jesus Christ, IF we truly believe the Bible 100%, than we are commanded to agape love everyone (Period).  No exceptions are given, no excuses are allowed.  Agape Love Each Other.  As believers we are to love others as God loves us.  As believers we are to love everyone.  Not just love the way we are used to loving, but we are commanded to love others the way God loves us and IF we are true believers we totally understand that this kind of love can cost us.  It can cost us our pride and selfishness.  Yes when we Agape love others, we may have to swallow our pride and bury our selfish ways so we can love those who are unlovable and undeserving in our eyes. 

Let me be really honest here, this agape love stuff is painful and difficult.  It isn't always easy to love someone who has hurt us.  It isn't always a good, sappy feeling to love someone who doesn't deserve it.  I don't want to agape love people who hurt me, but Jesus commanded me too.  It's not easy for me to erase the list of wrongs I have kept for years and sacrifice my pride and myself to agape love others.  It has been painful to deal with the truth of how I love others, but I'm so glad I swallowed my pride and burned up my list I had of every wrong in my past.  It has been very freeing to release that burden and just agape love others the way I have been commanded to.

The way I figure it is that if God can agape love me with all my list of sins, with all the distractions that keep me from Him, if God can agape love me when I definitely don't deserve it, who am I to not learn to love like He loves me.  After all God is love, not a brotherly love but God is agape love in it's highest form.  He came down to Earth in human form as Jesus.  He was tortured and beaten beyond belief.  Then He was crucified on a cross for me and for you.  He agape loves us so much that He laid down His life so that we could be saved from the punishment we deserve.  

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of agape love and that is how we are commanded to love.  Jesus doesn't have a list of wrongs we have done, so why do we?  If we are to truly agape love others like God loves us we need to throw away that list of wrongs and just allow the Holy Spirit to teach us to love like God.  Are you willing to swallow your pride?  Are you willing to put others before yourself?  Are you willing to throw away that list of wrongs you've been keeping for years?  Are you willing to agape love others?  Please join me in starting an agape love revolution.  

THE CHOICE IS OURS TO MAKE

Deuteronomy 30:16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commandments, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Love God, did we really need to be reminded to love God?  Obviously we had to be reminded otherwise God wouldn't have commanded it.  Why did He feel the need to remind us to love Him?   Could it be because we get so distracted and caught up in ourselves that we lose sight of His love for us?  Could it be because we don't realize how important it is to God that we love Him?  You see love is not a feeling, it is a decision.  Every morning you wake up and decide whether or not you're going to love your spouse or you children.  So what God is saying to me is, I need to decide whether I will truly love God with all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength. The choice is mine to make, but so are the consequences if I chose not to. You see unless we're able to fully love God, we won't fully be able to obey Him.     

  Obedience...why is that word so hard for us to hear?  As children we are taught to obey our parents and if we don't there will be consequences.  As employees we are coached to obey our boss or else there will be consequences.  As law abiding citizens we are obligated to obey the law or there will be consequences.  We humans don't always like to obey the law but the consequences are much worse.  Yes sometimes obedience can be painful.  We may have to do without some things that make us feel good temporarily, but sometimes, heck most times, its for our own good and safety.  We need boundaries, we need structure, we need laws.  Without laws, this world would be worse than it is now.  Personally I would rather obey and do without some things than deal with the consequences of living without laws.

Deuteronomy 30:17-18 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.  You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Want to feel good?  Want to live without restrictions, boundaries or laws?  Go ahead and try it.  You may feel good for a little while but trust me it will always come back to bite you.  I have lived long enough to know that the hangover in the morning isn't worth it.   A jail cell is not a home I want to live in, do you?  Regrets can fill a person and make them bitter, that is not a life I want to live so I choose to obey.  For me there is no other way to live.  I choose to live my life loving God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind.  I choose to obey God's law and listen to His still small voice.   I choose to believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  I choose life. 

Deuteronomy 30:19  "I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live."

The choice is ours to make.  It's up to you whether you choose life or death, blessings or curses.  I don't know about you but I want to be blessed by God.  I want to celebrate life. I really can't imagine choosing death or curses but many do everyday.  I hear you now, "I love God, I don't worship or bow down to any idols."  Really?  Do you spend more time with God or watching TV?  Do you know more about the Kardashians or God?  Who is your hero?  Michael Jordan or Jesus Christ?  Do you spend more time listening to music that makes you dance or music that makes you think about God? 

Listen I fail this every day.  I choose to love God, I choose to obey Him, but then the enemy entices me with distractions and meaningless junk that draws my attention away from Him.  I do my best to listen to christian music, to read books that motivate me to become a better follower of Jesus Christ and I try to watch TV programs that connect me to God through good clean story lines.  Sometimes my best isn't good enough but than God reminds me that He loves me and forgives me.  For me, life spent with God is a blessing I can't deny.  The blessings I have in my life cannot be bought with money.  I have health, I have peace and I have joy.  That's why I choose Jesus Christ.  I choose life.  I choose blessings.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS FOR SOME OF US.

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John 8:31-33 To the Jews who believed in Him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.  How can you say that we shall be set free?"

Oh my gosh!   These verses are so powerful yet so filled with arrogance, denial and pride.    Read these verses again.  As believers we truly know or at least we should know that Jesus is the truth.   As the truth of who He is revealed is to us through the Holy Spirit, we are set free from the burdens of our sins.   We are free from the chains that bind us and weigh us down.   As believers we should be on a mission to face the truth of who we were and what we did in our past.   As believers we should be able to face our past with the knowledge that we have been forgiven and that we should forgive others.  As believers we should be able to rid ourselves from the lies of guilt and shame.  As believers we should be able to admit our sins and deal with them.  As believers we should be able to allow God to change us through the conviction, not condemnation, that comes through the Holy Spirit.   We should do these things, we should allow these truths, but do we?

Sadly many of us prefer to live in a state of denial.  We walk around with blinders on never willing to admit that we are bound by the chains of the past.   We are burdened by the reality of who we really are.  We never want to admit the truth that we are truly slaves.  We prefer to live our lives depressed and overwhelmed by grief because we get much more attention that way.   We don't want to admit that we cling to our past as a crutch, as an easy excuse for our miserable life.   Sound harsh?  Well I'm just getting started.    This is for me too, so don't think I'm picking on you.  Slavery is a way of life that is much easier for some of us to live.  That way we aren't responsible for our attitude or behavior.   People pity us and feel sorry for us and that makes us feel better but it's only temporary.  Denial is our weapon of choice.  Sound familiar?

Then there is those who prefer to live life in a state of arrogance.   We think we know better than anyone else.   We are know it alls, or so we think.   We feel superior and how dare anyone question us.   We're always right and everyone else is wrong.   We put ourselves on a pedestal and if anyone questions our beliefs, our words, our actions or our thoughts, we are deeply offended and erupt like a volcano.   Sound familiar?  I know people like this.  They don't like to be questioned, they don't want anyone to even hint they may be wrong, and they dare not ever admit they're wrong.  For these people, saying "I'm sorry" is close to an impossibility.  When we hint to something they did or said wrong, their defenses fly and the accusations fly.  They rarely want to face the truth that they are not perfect and hardly ever want to look in the mirror.  

Recently God has pointed out to me the number of people who are believers but slaves to social media.   Selfies and hashtags have been used to draw attention to ourselves.  To get more likes than others, to be noticed by others.  Maybe we think our action is for others good, to,help them, to motivate others or to encourage others but actually more often than not, it's to get other's attention and approval.   I had to face this reality about myself.   Posting about myself, where I was, what I was doing, using hashtags was not doing anything for God's Kingdom here on earth.   In fact my posts had nothing to further His Kingdom, it was all about me.   This too was a truth I didn't want to face.   

It's so much easier to live life without facing the truth about who you are.  It's much easier to point a finger back at your accuser than to face the truth and deal with it.  To admit we need to change is painful but necessary if we are true believers.  To admit we have become slaves to enemy is not easy, it's hard.   I have had to face that truth and it is only when I did that I was set free.    Being set free from the chains that held me down was more than just a feeling a release, it was life changing.   I don't feel the need for anyone's approval but Gods.   I was a slave, I didn't want to admit at first but I was.   Books, music, TV, IPad, games on my iPad bound me and keep me from a truth that was freeing.    Oh don't get me wrong, I still read books, but choose wisely.  I still play games on my iPad, but they don't captivate my time anymore.  I still watch TV, but I choose to watch uplifting TV.    

The Israelites didn't want to admit they were slaves when Jesus made this comment, but at the time they were slaves to the Roman Empire.   They were in a state of denial and in an arrogant way they couldn't face the reality of their current circumstances.   They had blinders on because they didn't want to face the truth.   They didn't want to deal with their pride or admit they were wrong.   They missed the truth because of this.   Please don't deny the truth about your slavery.  Take an honest look at your life and really see the chains that,have weighed you down.   Admit that you are a slave.  Admit you are a sinner.   Admit you are wrong.   No more blame!   No more denial!  Deal with the truth and allow the blood of Jesus to set you free.

I SEE IN YOU A WARRIOR THAT NEEDS TO BE AWAKENED

Judges 6:12b  "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior"

When the angel of the Lord said this to Gideon, Gideon didn't feel like a warrior.  He was quite possibly at one of the lowest points in his life.  He was broken and feeling hopeless.  With thoughts that God had abandoned them, he was in a state of despair.  Yet at his lowest, God called him a "Mighty Warrior".  Not a simple warrior,  but a  one!  Okay some versions may say man of valor.  Look up the definition of valor--great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.   Synonyms for valor are fearless, brave, courage, boldness,  stout-heartedness, heroism, backbone, and daring.  So frankly which ever word you use, God referred to Gideon as someone to be reckoned with.  It didn't matter what his circumstances were at that point, it didn't matter what Gideon saw when he looked in the mirror, it didn't matter whether he felt like a warrior or not, God called him a "Mighty Warrior"!

Listen God doesn't call the qualified to serve Him, He qualifies those He calls.  We don't need theological degrees, we don't need a masters degree in the Bible.  We aren't even qualified to stand in His presence, yet when God calls you a "Mighty Warrior" He gives you all you need to become a mighty warrior.  I'm sure many of you, including me, don't feel even one tiny bit close to being able to be called a warrior, let alone a mighty warrior, but neither did Gideon.  God saw something in Gideon that would light a spark deep down in his soul, something not visible to the naked eye.  He saw him as a "Mighty Warrior."

I know I don't always get it either but God gets it.  He sees in you and I something we can't see in ourselves.  He knows the plans He has for us, He knows what is rooted deep down in our hearts that we don't even grasp yet.  He knows what we're capable of doing, not in our own strength, but through His strength.  You see we cannot be a mighty warrior all on our own.  We need help, we need the power of the living God inside of us.  That's what God saw in Gideon.  God knew that Gideon could do mighty things with His help.  

Do you feel like a warrior?  "I see in you a warrior that needs to be awakened." As I heard Miss Clara say those words to Elizabeth in War Room, I felt as though God was speaking to me directly.  I tried to ignore it, I tried to downplay it, but it didn't work.  I kept hearing it over and over and over again.  I couldn't turn the volume down on the words that kept ringing in my ears.  Heck even earplugs didn't drown out the sound of this sentence. Me?  A warrior?  I can't stand arguments, let alone fighting.  A warrior just sounds so violent and angry, at least that is what I thought until I read the definition of warrior and valor.  

You see God has called me and you to a different battle, a spiritual battle, a prayer battle.  I am learning to become a prayer warrior, a Mighty Prayer Warrior.  I have always felt different than others.  I don't like competition, I despise setting goals. I love peace.  I love quiet.  I love times of solitude.  I have always felt drawn to prayer.  I wish I could explain it but I don't think I can.  Prayer has always been more to me than a few prayers recited over and over.  When I prayed the rosary, I felt sort of empty.  That's just me.  I have discovered that God has wired me differently than others.  Maybe He has wired you differently too.  

The movie "War Room" awakened in me a warrior I didn't fully understand or embrace.  Then reading this verse about Gideon really sent me into a spiritual realm of prayer I never knew about before.   Listen I know this may sound strange and hard for you to understand, but this movie and this verse has become my inspiration.  God may be calling you to become a warrior along with me.  God may be saying to you right now;

"I see in you a Mighty Warrior that needs to be awakened."