Standing Up

I am Shadow Princess Ninja Warrior. I am now telling you that my fighting skills are very good. I am a sensei that is entrusted by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to master the 36 fighting Bible skills. These techniques can help you fight any battle that might cross your path. I use the Eagle Claw technique to demolish strongholds. I use Fire Dragon to demolish arguments. I use Praying Mantis to demolish every pretense that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. I am also trained in the Shaolin style of White Crane to punish every act of disobedience.

I can use my secret ninja stealth to sneak up on the forces of evil, putting them in their place, thereby bringing order and harmony back into the realm. So join the God Still Speaks Today dojo of Kung Fu Bible skills and let Shadow Princess Ninja Warrior train you in 36 fighting styles and become a warrior too. (Fighting styles based on 2 Cor. 10:3-6 [NIV & MSG])

Why do you want to be a warrior?

Because what Billy Graham wrote in his devotional Day by Day in 1976 still seems to speak to what we are going through right now.

“A great problem in America is that we have an anemic and watered-down Christianity that has produced an anemic, watered-down, and spineless Christian who is not willing to stand up and be counted on every issue. We must have a virile, dynamic, aggressive Christian who lives Christ seven days a week, who is ready to die, if necessary, for his faith. We need Christians who are ethical, honest, gracious, bold, strong, and devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (June 8^th)

I was inspired by my friend and fellow blogger Ryan. He showed me how he is a warrior for Jesus by his daily example of standing up by posting things that are what is right and good America. I am currently reading a book called When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas. In it he states that doing civic work is seeking first the kingdom of God. “If God is behind your effort and, God is your motivating influence, and God is the one you are seeking to please, you are indeed seeking first his kingdom, even if it’s not church related. Civic change can actually be more threatening to some toxic opponents that religious reformation. As long as you keep it within the walls of the church, they’re fine. Act like God wants to influence society? You’d better stay alert.”

Ryan said he is finding this on the front lines of the battle he is waging. We need to do our part standing besides spiritual warriors like him. Do not mistake my words. I am in no way telling you to go out and physically start a fight, burn a building, loot a store, or anything along those lines. I’m asking you to do the harder work of being a spiritual warrior. Pray, tell others about the restoring power of Jesus, and set an example in how you live.

By letting Jesus shine through you, others can and will see it, and know there is a better way to live and behave. And I say harder, because as Ryan is finding out, the haters do not like their hate exposed to the light of Jesus, and so they will lash out at every opportunity.

We need to own that and be grateful for that because it means we are doing it right, fighting the darkness, just like Jesus did. So that puts us in good company because He told us this in John 15:20 [NIV], “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

Ignore the hate. It is just noise and a big fat distraction to stop you from seeking first the Kingdom of God. It also stops you from fulfilling your purpose. Because right now haters are just a WOE. Waste Of Energy. In that same book, Mr. Thomas also wrote, “I clearly sense God telling me to spend my time and energy writing one helpful sentence for a book or blog post, rather than waste ten more seconds trying to counter or fend off attacks.” So pause right now and count to 10. How would you rather spend it? On defending yourself to haters, or something encouraging to the Kingdom of God?

We are the light exposing the darkness. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.: (2 Cor. 2:14-16 [NIV])

I think Jenna Lucado Bishop sums this up beautifully regarding Jesus, in her book From Blah to Awe. “Who He was, what He said, the life He lived went beyond the head and into hearts. These people heard a message and saw a man who had set off an alarm in the deepest parts of themselves. Something was different about Him. He had something their hearts wanted.”

And He still does today.

So join me, Shadow Princess Ninja Warrior, and stand up for Jesus. So we can be like Him, ultimate, fragrant, alarm clock warriors. Because we know He has already done battle with the powers of darkness and won. Amen!

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