What Is Love?

The following article is Lesson 3 from my book, Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual:

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Superheroes, having the correct understanding of what is good and right, are full of love, and they are compelled to act out from love. This is the only reason we can distinguish the hero from the villain. Spider-Man doesn’t save a falling person from splatting on the ground because he hates the person he saves, right? The superhero saves someone from danger/death because he/she has love for the person he/she is saving. In stark contrast, the villain performs acts of evil, not love. Again, evil is merely a privation of what is good; hatred is a privation or lack of love. It is written in James 2:8 that we are doing right by living a life of love toward others. But what is love? 

Love is not something we can have or hold like materialists would like us to believe. Not everything in life can be boiled down to materialism. Think about it: Can you describe the physical features of love or even the thought about love? How much does love weigh? Of what is the love molecule comprised? There is no infinity stone of love we can possess that can be contained in a gauntlet. In fact, of all the infinity stones Thanos (from the Avengers) had been able to collect that provided him with seemingly unlimited power and ability, it is evident that he lacked love, and that is why he had no qualms about murdering half of the created creatures in the universe—including his own daughter! In fact, Thanos had to sacrifice love in order to be able to obtain one of the infinity stones. Ultimately, Thanos traded love for power because he could not possess both. 

But what is love? And why do humans possess the capability to love? If love is not a material that can be weighed, or measured, how are humans able to possess love? How do we even know that love exists? Does love exist? We know that love exists—not because humans have defined the term—but because the Creator provided the definition of love and humans live by that defined divine design. 

Think about this: Oxygen—the air we breathe—exists whether humanity believes in it or not. In fact, oxygen exists even if humans call it something else. Humanity never created or invented oxygen; we merely discovered it. Likewise, love exists whether humanity believes love exists or not. Love exists even if humans call it something else. In fact, the definition of love is so confused by many humans because they believe it to be something it is not. Many people misuse the word love when they are actually referring to something else that love is not. And this is why it is important that the word love be clearly defined. 

(1 John 4:7–8, NLT)
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

(1 John 4:19, ESV)
“We love because he first loved us.”

Scripture makes sense. If GOD is love, then we would love because GOD first loved us because GOD created us. We are able to love because GOD is love and we are from GOD. If love is GOD, then we must know who GOD is so we can better understand what love is. So who is GOD? We will examine that in detail in Lesson 32, but for now suffice it to say that GOD is love and the absolute moral standard and therefore provides the definition of love (which we will soon examine and define). But we can also better understand love by examining what love is not. 

Love Is Not An Emotion 

Many people in the world claim that love is an emotion, but that simply isn’t true. Love affects our emotions and even causes us to produce emotions within us, but love is not an emotion in and of itself. You may claim that you can feel as if someone loves you, but love is not a feeling. 

Love Is Not Sexual Intercourse 

It is unwise to confuse sex for love and love for sex. Sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; however, love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. A person can have sex with another person simply for the pleasure all while possessing no love for that individual. Examples of this, of course, is prostitution or rape. Such acts of sexual intercourse are meaningless because there is no love in the act of sex. That kind of sex serves a selfish purpose, but has no ultimate meaning. And of course, sex isn’t necessary for love to exist, to be relevant and be meaningful (I will expound upon this later when I define love). Now sex may be found in one of the definitions of love (Eros—I’ll get to this soon), but Eros is within the definition of love; love is ultimately selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. A distorted desire is often misconstrued, mistaken as love. It is unwise to confuse lust for love. 

Even if love is not an emotion, a feeling, or even the act of sexual intercourse, does it matter if love can be clearly defined? If so, why does it matter? Consider what is written: 

(1 Corin. 13:1–3, NLT)
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

The definition of love matters because GOD is love and GOD created us in His image (Gen. 1:27). For without GOD, love would not matter because life would ultimately be meaningless and purposeless. And if we are to be loving beings, it is important that we understand the definition of love. 

What Is Love? 

(1 Corin. 13:4–8, NLT)
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”

Love Is an Action 

Though it is not specifically and solely the act of sexual intercourse, love is definitely an action; it is something we do. Read verses 4–7 again and take notice of the fourteen different active descriptions the Holy Spirit (via Paul) uses to define love (patience, kindness, etc.). It’s important to note that this is not Paul’s definition of love, but the definition of love written by Paul while he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Love Is a Choice 

The fourteen active descriptions are actions that we choose to do or not to do. There’s a nonsensical saying that states, “You can’t help who you love.” But yes—you can! We get to decide if we love and who we will love if we decide to love. And this is because we have free will (discussed in Lesson 41). 

Also, there’s a saying that states, “I fell in love.” It sounds so romantic, but this is also nonsense. Love is not a hole or trapdoor we can fall in. You don’t fall in love any more than you fall out of love. Love is a choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love. People do not fall in love; people decide to love. People do, however, fall into the trapdoor of lust. When people talk about love at first sight, what they really mean is lust at first sight. Now is it possible to possess love for someone at first sight? General love? Yes. Complete love? No. Love in the sense that you want the best for someone? Yes. Love in the sense that you desire the best for someone despite all his/her flaws and mistakes? No. It’s not possible to love someone so deeply at first sight because you wouldn’t know the flaws and mistakes associated with the person. And how is it possible to truly love someone unless you love despite the flaws and mistakes? 

Love, in a nutshell, is the good you will show toward someone and/or others. It’s treating someone else with the qualities described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Take the Supreme Superhero (Jesus) as an example (after all, the Savior is the definition of love and the ultimate example of love): 

(John 15:12–13, NLT)
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

However, the Supreme Superhero goes even further by commanding us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43–48). And then the Savior did exactly that—Jesus went out and laid down His life for us by dying on the cross as our atoning sacrifice while being mocked, spat on, beaten, lacerated, and murdered by those who hated Him for no good reason. Love is caring more for others than for self because love is selfless. Love is sacrificial. Love is unconditional. 

Love Defined 

Unlike the English language, which uses the one word of love ambiguously, the ancient Greek language used different words to define the one word of love so that people wouldn’t be confused as to which definition of love should be inferred. Examine the four following words and their associated definitions: 

• Storge/stergo—This is a familial love such as the love of a parent toward offspring and vice versa. Devotion can be a key word associated with this type of love.

• Phileo—This love is companionable and relational. It means brotherly/sisterly love or friendship. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible with each other.

• Eros—This is the word for sexual or romantic love. In fact, this is where we get the word erotic. This word implies a sexual demand. And because it is unwise to confuse lust for love, it is imperative that we not confuse lust for Eros. The passion and intimacy of Eros is to be confined within the covenant bond between husband and wife, as was designed by the Designer. Lust is only about the pelvic thrust, to seek pleasure and fulfill a selfish desire. Lust is committed only to fulfilling a distorted desire whereas love (eros) is committed to fulfilling the needs of the partner within the covenant union. Therefore, be wise: pursue love and reject thoughts produced from the lustful lair of the Liar—they are lies created in the cave of the contemptible con artist and Counterfeiter, the Salesman that is Satan. Don’t buy the lies. Even a lustful look is adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:28). Money can’t buy you love. And no—that’s actually not from the Beatles—it’s from the Song of Solomon 8:7.

• Agape—This is the highest and deepest level of love. This is the ultimate love and is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. This is the love of GOD. This is the type of love all superheroes should possess. 

(1 Pet. 4:8, NLT)
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love covers a multitude of sins? Is that true? Yes! In fact, that is exactly what Jesus did for us:

(Rom. 5:6–8, NLT)
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

For love, compassion is the key and empathy is everything: 

(Luke 23:34, NLT)
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus is able to see us as His precious people, not a pervasive problem such as a plague. The Savior sees us as eternal beings, not mortal enemies. The Supreme Superhero sees us as family who belong in His heavenly home, not failures to be flung in the fiery furnace. Hell is where evil belongs and will ultimately be quarantined, but GOD doesn’t desire for us to go to that awful place. In fact, the Lord desires for everyone to be saved and doesn’t take any delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:21–23; 33:11; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). 

Jesus is our awesome, ardent advocate who absorbed for us the penalty of sin. Apostle Paul assists us by providing an important reminder that helps us put people into proper perspective: 

(Eph. 6:12, NLT)
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

It is of the utmost importance that all superheroes remember this: we are to hate evil/sin, but we are to love people. 

Conclusion 

1. Love never fails. 

(Song of Sol. 8:7, NLT)
“Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.”

2. Love perfects us. 

(1 John 4:12–18, NLT)
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

3. Love is supreme. 

(1 Corin. 13:13, NLT)
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

Reflection 

If you want to be a superhero, you must possess love and choose to love others. A superhero can only be a superhero if the hero first and foremost possesses love for others. Do you possess love for others? If not, you resemble a villain. But wait—is that a fair statement? Consider the words of the Supreme Superhero:

(Matt. 12:30, ESV)
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

The late and great Martin Luther King Jr. once posed a powerful question to the clergymen of Alabama in his renowned letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He asked, “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” 

And that’s not a fallacy of false dilemma—if we’re not loving others, then…we’re not loving people. Therefore, I implore everyone to examine the motives and intentions of each and every choice/decision you make. Are you able to recognize good from bad? Right from wrong? Are you living a life of love or hate? For if you’re not living a life of love, what are you doing and what is your life? I choose to live an extreme life of love (not lust), and I urge you to do the same. Don’t scatter. Be a gatherer. Ironically, the best way to be a gatherer of people is to scatter seeds of love. How many seeds of love can you sow today? 

So ask yourself, do you love others? From where did you get this desire to love? Do you feel compelled to act out from love? If so, why do you think that is? All superheroes possess love for people. If you love people, then you possess one of the qualities of a superhero and you just might be one someday! 

Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual

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Superhero: Superpowers

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If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…

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This is Part 23 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems. In Part 13, we saw that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors! In Part 14, we saw that true superheroes do not have identity crises – they know who they are even if others don’t! In Part 15, we saw that superheroes are always ready to fight evil with the belt of Truth. In Part 16, we saw that superheroes are always ready to resist evil by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. In Part 17, we saw that superheroes are always ready to walk with purpose. In Part 18, we saw that superheroes are always ready to deflect the enemy’s attacks by holding up the shield of faith. In Part 19, we saw that by wearing the helmet of salvation, superheroes always protect themselves from evil penetrating their minds with parasitic seeds of thought that contaminate, corrupt, and control. In Part 20, we saw that by using the Sword of the Spirit, superheroes can not only block the enemy’s attacks, but also drive the enemy away. In Part 21, we saw that it matters to whom we pray. In Part 22, we saw that prayer has a purpose; furthermore, persistent and purposeful prayer with proper priority is a powerful weapon for the Savior’s superheroes.

In this message (Part 23), we will see that the Savior’s superheroes do possess superpowers even though they are often taken for granted.

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As I have shown thus far, superheroes share many of the same qualities that average humans possess. But how do superheroes relate to us in reality if they have superpowers and real human beings do not? Many people love superheroes (myself included) because they possess special superpowers and they end up helping people or even saving people. Perhaps some people like superheroes because they envy the superheroes’ superpowers. In my younger years, the topic of superpowers had often sparked debates between my friends and I. We would often ask each other, “If you could have any one superpower, what would it be and why?” At that time in my youth, I had always desired to have the superpower of teleportation so that I could go anywhere at any time. And if I’m being honest, I still want to have that power today. (After all, who wants to sit in traffic behind a long line of cars? Not me!) And as long as I’m being honest, I can openly admit that my childhood fascination of superheroes and their superpowers made me feel less than adequate, unimpressive, ordinary, dull, and incapable of being someone of significance. Have you ever felt that way?

Marvel has created many movies in recent years that have topped the box-office sales, including Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. I never even knew that Ant-Man was a superhero until Marvel came out with the movie in 2015. And I was fairly certain that I wasn’t going to like the movie, but I decided to go see it anyway. To my surprise, I enjoyed the movie; in fact, I enjoyed the movie a lot. Why? Because the Holy Spirit spoke to me during that movie and gave me a message to share with everyone else: superheroes have superpowers. (Enlightening, huh?) Obviously, superheroes in the comic books and movies have superpowers. But that’s just the top layer of that truth, the scratch on the surface. We need to dig deeper. There is a greater depth to this truth that we can apply to our lives.

The superhero, Ant-Man, has a very interesting origin and storyline that parallels many of our own lives. Prior to becoming Ant-Man, he was a burglar named Scott Lang. Scott had been a misguided guy who ended up in prison. And once he got out of prison, he promised himself he wouldn’t go back to a life of crime so that he could be a good father to his daughter; however, his love for his daughter and his desire to have visitation rights with her eventually led him back into crime in hopes of gaining a lot of money in a short amount of time. But Scott soon realized the truth that there are no shortcuts to success and he ended up getting arrested yet again and sent back to prison. However, a scientist, Dr. Hank Pym, became Scott’s mentor, guided Scott and brought the good out of him. In order to radically change Scott’s life, Dr. Pym met Scott where he was currently at in life and then raised him up to use his gifts for good. Dr. Pym encouraged Scott to take what he already knew and to use it for good – to do what he hadn’t previously been able to do on his own. 

Christ Jesus is our ‘doctor’ and ‘mentor.’ Dr. Pym gave Scott the ability to shrink. Jesus doesn’t give us the ability to shrink; instead, Jesus enables us with supernatural and spiritual tools in order to grow. And Jesus meets us wherever we are currently at in life. Jesus can meet someone in a prison cell, on the streets, on top of a bridge, in a car, in a shack, or even in a mansion – Jesus can save at any place and at any time! Physically, Jesus already came to us and died on the cross for us – He met us where we were! But Jesus can still meet us where we are today with the Holy Spirit. And when we accept Jesus as our Teacher, we will be able to do things that we had not previously ever been able to do on our own. Anyone can become a hero, but with Jesus, anyone can become a superhero!

“For though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth.”
(2Corinthians 10:3-4) -Voice

We Are All Equipped With Spiritual Gifts:

“God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking what God has revealed, make sure what you say agrees with the Christian faith. If your gift is serving, then devote yourself to serving. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If it is encouraging others, devote yourself to giving encouragement. If it is sharing, be generous. If it is leadership, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping people in need, help them cheerfully.”
(Romans 12:6-8) -GW [See also: 1Peter 4:10-11; 1Corinthians 12:4-11,28]

We All Possess The Ability To Tap Into Supernatural Power:

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
(1Corinthians 3:16) -NKJV

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
(Romans 8:11) -NLT

“I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you so that the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.”
(John 14:12-14) -NCV

Superman got his superpowers because he was not of this world, but he also received his powers due to the sun, which is for our world. We get our supernatural spiritual gifts due to the Son, who is for us (Romans 8:31); moreover, we are not of this world (John 17:14-18)! Jesus told us that we will do even greater things than He did because He was going to empower us to do so!

Hero Or Villain?

David understood and proclaimed his superpower! When evil threatened to conquer GOD’s people, David used his supernatural gifts of courage and faith and he said to Goliath, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
(1Samuel 17:45) -NLT

Mordecai used his supernatural gift of wisdom to speak into the life of Esther (Esther 4:13-14). And then Esther used her supernatural gifts of courage and faith to speak up for what was right and address the truth to the king even though she knew she could be killed for doing such a thing. However, she ended up saving an entire population of Jews (Esther 8:11-17) because she decided to speak Truth out from love (Ephesians 4:15).

We need to start realizing that we (Christians) are all superheroes who possess different powers – given to us by GOD-Almighty! Too many Christians tuck their tails between their legs and then go bury their heads in the sand. We are a new creation in Christ (2Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:1-17)! I want to reveal to you just how super you could be if only you possessed the faith necessary to allow yourself to be super. 

First, we are all merely humans. All humans possess the potential of either becoming an evil villain, a citizen that merely exists in the background but is never noticed, or a hero. Just as Scott Lang was a villain (a burglar) and then transformed into a superhero known as Ant-Man, we are all quite capable of transforming and becoming greater versions of ourselves. In the Bible, Jesus transformed the evil villain Saul into the superhero of Paul (Acts 9:1-22; 13:9)! Prior to becoming the apostle Paul, he was known as Saul and he persecuted Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1-3; 9:1,4)! But when Jesus transformed Saul’s life, he became a superhero and new creation in Christ known as Paul. You have a choice. You could be:

Ant-Man: A.N.T. (Automatic Negative Thoughts):
Don’t sabotage yourself! Negative thoughts eat away at life! When one ant finds its way inside to the spiritual fruits, many ants will follow and they will devour your spiritual fruits. Once you allow negative thoughts to infiltrate your mind, you then transform from Ant-Man into Can’t-Man.

Can’t-Man: C.A.N.T. (Convinced About Negative Thoughts):
Once you accept the negative thoughts as truth, you speak lies and become an evil villain named Liar Man. 

Liar Man:  L.I.A.R. (Living Inside Adversary’s Realm):
While living inside the Adversary’s realm, the Adversary introduces you to another evil villain named Doubt Man and convinces you to team up with him.

Doubt Man: D.O.U.B.T. (Destroying Our Unresolved Beliefs Tactfully):
Or as my mom told me, Don’t Overthink Upon Basic Truth. While inside the Adversary’s realm, Doubt Man convinces you that you never actually knew the Truth and that you have nowhere else to go. If you have seen the 2019 movie, Dark Phoenix, you will realize that this happened to Jean Grey when the villain, Vuk, invited Jean into a house with the other aliens. While in there, Vuk tried to convince Jean that she didn’t belong anywhere else and that Vuk was her only chance because Jean had nowhere else to go. And so, Doubt Man then introduces you to another evil villain: Fear Man.

Fear Man: F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real):
Doubt Man and Fear Man both convince you that happiness is the only truth and that the only way to be happy is to serve yourself. Again, an example can be seen in Dark Phoenix when Vuk said to Jean, “You’re special, Jean. And if you stop fighting that force inside you, if you embrace it, you will possess the very power of a god.” Once Doubt Man and Fear Man have convinced you that you need to seek pleasure for self to find happiness, the Adversary returns and gives you a superpower called Pride. Once you accept Pride and integrate it into your life, you become callous, live in complacency, and then become a super villain known as Chaos Man.

Chaos Man: C.H.A.O.S. (Creating Hell Amongst Others’ Souls):
Once you get to the point where you have teamed up with the Adversary, you then become a super villain who destroys the loving and beautiful work of GOD and you start to create Hell for not only yourself, but also for everyone else around you.  

Examine The Origin:

“You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today.”
(Genesis 50:20) -CEB

Understand this: GOD can take what was meant to destroy us and then transform it for our good! The Adversary had convinced Joseph’s brothers to get rid of Joseph and sell him into slavery. Joseph found himself in a horrible place in life only for GOD to transform that bad into something good – Joseph went from being in a prison to being in a palace and saving everyone from famine.

Also, consider Moses and Rahab. Moses was a murderer, but GOD used him and transformed his bad into something good and the Israelites were freed from slavery and the terrible reign of Pharaoh. Rahab lived a life of prostitution, but GOD used her and transformed her bad into something good and her life was spared because of her decision to use her supernatural gift of faith in GOD.

Superheroes always have origins, but evil villains also have origins. Examine the origin! Both superheroes and super villains have something in common: they were both average and not super in their origins. What they both have in common is the crossroad at which they stood where they had to choose good or evil. At the crossroad is where average people either become super villains or superheroes, either traveling down the path of evil or the path of righteousness. In Dark Phoenix, Charles Xavier told a young Jean Grey that she had a gift, but it was up to her whether she would use her gift for good or evil. Adam and Eve found themselves at the crossroad and they chose to act in disobedience. Adam and Eve’s sons found themselves at the crossroad; sadly, Cain chose to do evil and murder his brother despite GOD’s warning to master his anger:

“If you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
(Genesis 4:7) –NLT

“Today I’m giving you the choice of a blessing or a curse. You’ll be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I’m giving you today. You’ll be cursed if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God, if you turn from the way I’m commanding you to live today, and if you worship other gods you never knew.”
(Deuteronomy 11: 26-28) –GW

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”
(Deuteronomy 30:19) –NLT

“Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. Be careful what you do, and always do what is right. Don’t turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths.”
(Proverbs 4:25-27) –NCV

“There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell.”
(Proverbs 14:12) –MSG

Every single person has the Fantastic Four:

1. Origin
2. Opposition
3. Opportunity
4. Outcome

Today, I am a preacher and teacher of GOD’s Word, but I didn’t start out that way. I was an atheist actor in the entertainment industry who was seeking fame and fortune. I have the same body, but I have a renewed mind and transformed spirit – I am a new creation in Christ! Batman had an origin – he witnessed his parents get murdered. This is where he met his opposition and came to a crossroad. But from the bad, Bruce Wayne discovered opportunity and out came the good. Batman is still Bruce Wayne, but he becomes a new creation when he puts on his suit and uses his utility belt. As Christians, we also have a suit (the whole armor of GOD) and a ‘utility belt’ of spiritual gifts we can use. At any given time, we can choose to use our ‘utility belt’ and pull out and use our spiritual gifts! The following is not an exhaustive list; rather, it is only a small sample of possible ‘tools’ we can choose to use for good:

• Service (serving)
• Instruction (teaching)
• Encouragement
• Compassion
• Generosity
• Words of life (affirmation)
• Truth
• Wisdom
• Discernment
• Joy
• Peace
• Forgiveness
• Gentleness
• Hospitality
• Loyalty
• Patience
• Love

By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, Jesus takes you out of the Adversary’s realm and transforms all the bad into something good. Jesus was sent here on a mission of relentless rescue. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we would not be held captive in the depths of Hell. Even if you were Chaos Man prior to hearing this message, Jesus can transform you into the true person GOD has called you to be. By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will become Can Man!

Can Man: C.A.N. (Conquering Adversary’s Necrosis):
It’s time to squash your automatic negative thoughts! Speak life! Yes – you can! With GOD, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37)! Know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace. Stop creating hell within yourself and for others around you. GOD transforms nothing into something! GOD transforms mistakes into miracles! Your trial can be your triumph! Your test can be your testimony! Once you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you repent from all the bad in your life, Jesus gives you forgiveness and then also heals your soul – this is called a fresh start (or clean slate)! Once you accept His forgiveness and fresh start, you become Ant-Man once again; however, you are now a new creation!

Ant Man: A.N.T. (A New Testimony):
You can transform from the Ant-Man who was the negative person full of bitterness, resentment, anger, hatred, doubt, fear, etc. and become the new Ant-Man superhero simply because you have a new testimony! Once you have a personal testimony, the Adversary and his demons no longer posses power in your life! Once you accept that GOD possesses all power and authority (leaving Satan with none!), you transform from the new Ant-Man into a Christian. And a Christian is a true superhero for the Savior! Or, to say it another way, a Christian is a sidekick for the real superhero, Jesus.

Christian: I didn’t create an acronym for a Christian because it would only water down the true definition. If you are a Christian, then you are a follower of Christ Jesus. That means that you follow all that Jesus taught and commanded. And Jesus told us that we will do the great things that He did and even greater because we will be empowered by Him! 

GOD equips, enables, empowers, enhances and emboldens us! We have the whole armor of GOD and we have weapons of love and Truth to combat evil. Our deeds are our seeds and the evidence of supernatural power is found in the fruit that blossoms from our seeds of deeds (Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43-44; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9).

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.”
(Galatians 5:22-23) -NLV

So, are you being the superhero GOD has called you to be? You have a direct connection with the Source of Power and you have been given certain spiritual gifts of supernatural power! So, what good are you doing? Are you making others’ lives better? Are you creating joy in others’ lives? You may not be able to produce webs like Spiderman and use those webs to catch someone falling; however, you most certainly can catch someone when they fall or even pick that person back up after a fall. You may not have X-ray vision like Superman; however, you can still use the supernatural gift of discernment to see through the enemy’s schemes. You may not have super strength and the ability to lift up vehicles; however, you most certainly do possess the strength necessary to lift people up with your prayers and emotional support. You may not be able to crash through buildings due to your super-strength, but you most certainly do possess the strength necessary to be able to destroy strongholds of the enemy! Where is your fruit? If you don’t have any fruit, it’s time to start planting seeds.

If you are currently standing at the crossroad of good and evil, I invite you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and become the superhero GOD created you to be. You can change others’ lives for the better!

If you have already started traveling down the path of evil, it’s not too late to repent and turn around! Allow Jesus to transform your mistake into a miracle! Allow Jesus to transform you from a Saul to a Paul! Simply call upon Christ and ask Him to forever change your life and redirect your steps. Simply repent, accept forgiveness, accept your fresh start, begin your journey and use your spiritual gifts.

In the 2015 movie, Ant-Man, Dr. Pym said to Scott Lang, “Everyone deserves a chance for redemption.”

You deserve a chance for redemption and restoration! In fact, GOD is so loving that He is patient enough to provide everyone with an opportunity to accept Him (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9). GOD is the GOD of second chances! GOD is the GOD of miracles! If you desire a second chance (or 3rd, 4th, or 100th), I pray right now that GOD would cleanse you of all evil, purify your heart, fill you with the Holy Spirit, anoint you, and make you fit to be who you were created and called to be!

I pray that GOD would equip you with godly ideas and empower you, enable you, and enhance your abilities! May you become the superhero GOD has created you to be! May you decide to use the spiritual gifts of supernatural power to love people into the Truth.

If you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are and desire to discover them, there are spiritual gifting tests you can use as a guide (most churches nowadays have them). However, A common problem for Christians is the temptation to get so caught up in identifying our specific spiritual gift that we only seek to serve GOD in the limited area in which we feel we have been gifted. That is not how the spiritual gifts work. GOD calls us to obediently serve Him in all things (1Samuel 10:7; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:23). He will equip us with whatever gift(s) we need to accomplish the task He calls us to do. All throughout the Bible, it is evident that GOD qualifies whom He calls, He doesn’t call the already-qualified.

Identifying our spiritual gift(s) can be accomplished in a few different ways. Spiritual gift tests or inventories, while not to be fully relied upon, can definitely help us understand where our gifting might be strongest. Confirmation from others also provides insight as to what our spiritual gift(s) might be. Other people who see us serving the Lord can often identify a spiritual gift in us that we might take for granted or not recognize. Prayer is also important. The one person who knows exactly how we are spiritually gifted is the gift-giver Himself — the Holy Spirit. We can ask GOD to show us how we are gifted in order to better use our spiritual gifts for His glory. But better yet, let us ask GOD to reveal to us what He wants us to do and then let us pray for Him to equip and enable us to do what He has called us to do. This very book is an example. When I first knew I had been called to write this book, I felt incapable of doing so. But I acted in obedience. And in the process of being obedient, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind specific ideas I hadn’t before thought about. This book was compiled piece by piece. And then all the pieces were arranged. This book took me a little over a year to write and arrange. 

Obviously, some people are called to specific areas of life. GOD calls some to be teachers and gives them the gift of teaching. GOD blesses some people with awesome artistic abilities. However, specifically knowing our spiritual gift(s) does not excuse us from serving GOD in areas outside our strongest areas of gifting. Is it beneficial to know what spiritual gift(s) GOD has given us? Of course it is. Is it wrong to focus so much on specific spiritual gifts that we miss other opportunities to serve GOD? Yes. If we are dedicated to being used by GOD, He will equip us with the spiritual gifts we need and empower us to use them according to His will. Don’t refuse to serve coffee and donuts because you’re a teacher. Don’t refuse to help someone move because you’re an artist. Instead, seek to serve because you are the greatest sidekick to the greatest Superhero! Remember: the greatest superhero is the greatest servant (Matthew 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48; 22:24-26)!

The sad reality is that evil exists in this world. The evil villains possess powers to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). However, we have supernatural power through our spiritual gifts to repair, restore, heal, fulfill, and lead people to the Light. Are you using the spiritual gifts you have been given? Where is your fruit? If you don’t have fruit, it’s time to start planting seeds. There’s a real infinity war waging all around us. At the end of days, there will be a real End Game. But there’s only One way to salvation and that is through Jesus. 

“ ‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ ”
(John 14:1-7) -ESV

Superhero: More Than Conquerors

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If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…

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This is Part 13 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems.

In this message (Part 13), we will see that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors!

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Superheroes have problems. Sometimes, they even have giant problems. But any good fighter will agree with me when I say that size doesn’t matter. The old adage is true: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Take for example the mighty giant Galactus from Marvel comics. As big as he was, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers had been able to bring him down. How? By simply being superheroes. That means they were loving enough to resist evil, seek solutions, sacrifice themselves if necessary by offering their services, going above and beyond the call of duty, never giving up, and uniting as a team.

Giants being defeated isn’t mere fantasy imagined in comic books; in fact, real life examples from boxing and MMA or UFC fighting proves that size doesn’t matter:

In the Bible, David also had to face a giant problem: Goliath. In 1Samuel 17:11, Goliath challenged the Israelites. Saul and the entire army recoiled in fear. They had a defeatist attitude. We all tend to believe that our problems are bigger than they actually are. (How many times have you worried about a problem that ended up not being a problem?) Goliath’s strengths and size were so obvious that others failed to see his vulnerability. By failing to see Goliath’s vulnerability, they failed to recognize their opportunity. Don’t look at the ‘can’ts’ of life; rather, look at the ‘cans’! We are called to look past the problems, through the potential, and to the possibility!

David tried to encourage the men (17:26,30), but they allowed fear to overcome them. Unable to motivate others to step up, David chose to rise up to the challenge (17:32).

At first, Saul rejected David’s offer to fight Goliath because Saul didn’t believe in David (17:33). Understand this: there will always be people who will tell you that you’re too young, too inexperienced, too fragile, too weak, too small, you don’t have the right appearance, you’re not ready, or there’s nothing special about you. A comedian, Fred Allen, said one of my all-time favorite quotes: “If criticism had any real power to harm, then the skunk would be extinct by now.” But more important than the words of a comedian, the Word of our Creator says you’re not too young to be a righteous example:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”
(1Timothy 4:12-16) -NLT

What goes into your mind is determined by your decision of whom you allow to speak into your life. When you allow negativity within your mind, you allow those negative thoughts to move you into action. Action is inevitable and unavoidable; if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. If you choose to do nothing, you chose to do something. The Israelites allowed the words of Goliath within them; those words became negative thoughts; those negative thoughts moved them into action: to sit. Goliath basically told them they are worthless dogs and they need to sit. And sadly, they did. Like obedient dogs, they sat.

David’s response to the problem of Goliath was to rise up and say to Saul, “I can do this” (Romans 8:31,37)! Saul saw David’s faith and heard his response to Goliath as something like this: “You may be a big lion bro, but you’re not the alpha male — I serve the Lion of Judah! Come at me bro! Bring it on! Feelin’ froggy? Leap! Boy, I’ve killed lions and bears — you ain’t nothing but a punk!” — And Saul, taken aback by David’s confidence, was pleasantly surprised!

We need to be bold, confident, and fearless in the name of GOD! Why do you think I’m so fearless and bold in the name of Christ? I know the GOD who rescued me in the past and I know that GOD is with me and for me! And because GOD is with me and for me, who could ever be against me?! Physically, in this life on Earth, yes – many people can come against me, harm me, and even kill me. But they can do absolutely nothing to my soul and they possess no power to change my eternal destination because nothing can separate us from the love of GOD (Romans 8:39).

Saul liked David’s passion and courage yet essentially told David, “Yes! But… put on my armor” (1Samuel 17:38). That was Saul’s problem — his big BUT! Saul needed to get his big ‘BUT’ out of the way! The armor that Saul wanted to put on David was his own deadweight of doubt, fear, confusion, worry, insecurity, anxiety, and stress. David needed to ‘Taylor Swift’: [“I’m too young to lead, that’s what people say”] Shake it off! Actually, David needed to take it off. It was never his burden to carry. David took Saul’s armor off and essentially told Saul, “Listen to me! You were moved by my faith, but then you tried to make me immovable under the deadweight of your own doubt. Allow me to move freely in faith.”

Understand this: Goliath’s strengths were David’s handicaps. If David tried to do what Goliath did, he would have lost. When it comes time for action in the spiritual war of life, you can only use what you’ve been trained to use. David used what he had practiced and mastered, what he knew he could rely upon: his trust in GOD, his staff, and his sling. As a shepherd, David had been trained to protect the flock. Essentially, he told Saul, “Let me protect the flock — I can do this! It’s what I do! When others look at Goliath, they see a problem too big to defeat; however, when I look at Goliath, I see a target too big to miss! Dude, I can’t miss that fool — he’s huge!”

In 17:43, Goliath mocked David because of his shepherd staff. Goliath essentially said, “Am I the dog? Do you plan on using your stick to play fetch with me? No! You’re the dog! Now sit — just like the others!” Goliath tried to act like the Rock from WWE: “Know your role, Jabroni and shut your mouth!”

But David courageously responded to Goliath by essentially saying, “You’re a fool if you believe this stick is my weapon — I have GOD and that’s truly all I need to defeat evil; GOD is going to hand you over to me” (17:45). 

Goliath had a ‘staff infection’ – he was so focused on David’s staff that he didn’t even see the sling, let alone the stone that would be coming his way. We need to realize that the battle ultimately belongs to GOD. In Exodus 14:26-31, GOD used the sea to cover the Egyptians and claim victory. In Joshua 6:15-21, GOD caused the walls of Jericho to fall to achieve victory. In 2Kings 6:17-23, GOD used the sight of many angels to secure a peaceful victory. Jesus won the war for us when He willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross and resurrected three days later. And the ultimate victory will come in the second coming of Christ. The battle belongs to GOD. Until then, it is our duty to walk by faith, live righteously, and do what’s right. 

David’s motive to defeat Goliath was not for fame or fortune, prizes or praise; rather, it was so “that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear” (1Samuel 17:47). The credit belongs to GOD, not our weapons; our praise should be to GOD alone. The Lord doesn’t save by force with a sword; in stark contrast, the Lord saves by willingly sacrificing Himself for us on our behalf (John 3:16-18). That is the main message of the Bible! And that’s what David wanted everyone to know — all glory goes to GOD!

David picked up five smooth stones from the brook (1Samuel 17:40). Why such a small weapon for such a big opponent? Isn’t a small weapon against a great opponent a great risk? Not with complete trust in GOD! Okay, but why five stones? Why not just one or double the efforts and collect ten stones? Let’s first look at it from a logical and practical approach. What if David missed? He would have four more chances. What if it took more than one stone to bring Goliath down? He would have the ammunition ready. What if after bringing Goliath down, some other froggy fellow stepped up and felt courageous enough to challenge David? He would have more stones ready. So, why not carry more than five stones? Well, just as David knew Saul’s armor would weigh him down, he also knew that carrying more than what was necessary would also weigh him down. In fact, some scholars theorize that the other four stones were for the other four giants. In 2Samuel 21:15-22, four other giants are listed as descendants from the giants in Gath (see also 1Chronicles 20:5). David wasn’t even worried about Goliath — he planned on taking them all down! David came prepared because he had trained for that moment his entire life (1Samuel 17:34-37). 

Ponder on the small stone. A small smooth stone. GOD cares about the great things and the tiny things equally. Think about this: If you were to go back in time to figure out how those very stones ended up there, it was GOD’s design! After all, how long does it take for a stone to actually become a stone? How is a stone formed? And how does a stone become smooth over time? It’s a long explanation, but it takes many years. And how long did those stones sit there until David picked them up? So, GOD formed the victorious stones many years before that battle even took place; many years before Goliath was ever born. And GOD has in mind every person years before they are ever born (Jeremiah 1:5). GOD is able! Humans simply never take the time to notice. May the words of this message be your victorious stones that you will use to prevail against your giant problem(s). Ponder on this: how long has this message of David and Goliath been sitting and waiting for you to pick it up? How long has the Word of GOD been sitting there, waiting for the next conqueror in Christ to pick it up and use it?

David defeated Goliath with a single stone. And that’s quite fitting – we see in the New Testament that sinners were supposed to be stoned. Goliath got stoned. And when the Philistines saw that Goliath died, they fled (1Samuel 17:51). And what did David do? Did he start singing, “I started from the bottom now I’m here”? No! Understand this: there’s a big difference between being confident and being cocky. Confidence is rooted in GOD; cockiness is rooted in pride. David was confident; Goliath was cocky. The major problem with being cocky is that pride precedes destruction and an arrogant spirit gives way to the fall (Proverbs 16:18).

If we take away the strong point of the problem, everything else will fall apart and then fall into place. And this is why it is written in James 4:7-8 (NLT), “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” 

The strong point of the problem was not Goliath! Take your eyes off your perceived problem! The strong point of the problem has been and will always be Satan and other demons. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Without the devil there, all the demons are going to run! Without the leader, the followers will flee. And this is why it is written in Ephesians 6:11-18 to put on the full armor of GOD. Why? Because “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

The full armor of GOD was the armor David was already wearing and the reason he took off the deadweight of Saul’s worldly armor. David essentially said, “I’ve already got armor on!” But what if David didn’t have his awesome faith in GOD? What if he allowed doubt and fear into his thoughts like the others did? What if he tried to be just like everyone else and wear that worldly armor? What would have happened if he carried what he was never meant to carry? The smallest things are actually the biggest things. So, even though many people think the story of David and Goliath is about a giant and big problems to overcome (which it is), I believe the story is more about the little things of life. The story of David and Goliath is not about a big problem; rather, it’s about seeking the solution, regardless of how insignificant that solution may appear to be. In this case, the solution was a small stone.

The little things will add up and weigh you down. But the little things will also come together to create your victory. Every single tiny thing that you do – even if it appears insignificant – links together to create a long and large chain of connected events that make a huge difference – not only for your life, but everything you do changes people around you. Where you are at right now is training you for where GOD will take you in the future. But if you’re not in the right places, listening to the right people, practicing the right habits, it may take you a lot longer to get to where GOD wants you to go. David happened to be at the right place at the right time because he had been doing the right things with the right motives (1Samuel 13:14; 16:11,19,22-23; 17:15; Acts 13:22). Where are you in life? What are you learning? Whom are you allowing to speak into your life? How are you training? For what are you training?

Everything you choose to do or not do propels you into action. But which direction are you going? Are you going to sit on the sidelines and actively watch or are you going to rise up and actively fight against evil by choosing to live a righteous life? The Israelites had only two choices: (1) sit and watch and then become slaves to the Philistines, or (2) rise up and resist evil and live in the freedom GOD desired them to experience. 

We must intentionally place our focus on all the small things. All the small ways that GOD has blessed us and is setting us up for later success. What are your stones of victory that GOD has provided for you? They’re already here/there! You just have to look for them. But then, after recognizing them, you must also pick them up and use them.

The battle belongs to GOD. What are you carrying that you were never meant to be carrying? Doubt? Fear? Depression? Suicidal thoughts? The burden of sin or that you’re not good enough? The burden of excessive demand for you to be perfect? It’s time you give your heavy burdens to GOD. Take that off! Don’t carry what you were never meant to carry. Like David taking off Saul’s armor of deadweight, it’s time for you to take your deadweight off. 

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ”
(Matthew 11:28-30) -NLT

The “rest” that Jesus promises is love, healing, restoration, and peace with GOD, but it’s not the end of all work/labor. We do have to carry something — we are all called to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). But that’s easy to bear and is light in comparison. A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that people put on an ox or oxen so they can be teamed up to do work. If we’re yoked to the world and its ways, we are a slave to our society and culture and must do what the world tells us to do: pull others down to get ahead, get revenge, sleep around, etc. Here’s the thing: if you’re teamed up with the world, you’re going to be yoked to a lot of lazy people and you’re going to pulling a lot of deadweight. You’re going to be carrying some burdens you were never meant to carry. But if we’re yoked with Jesus, [“Jesus take the wheel”] then we’re not of this world, Jesus does most of the hard work, takes lead and makes our journey lighter and easier, and all we’re called to do is love GOD and love others (Matthew 22:36-40) while sharing the Gospel. How difficult is that?

Understand this: our problems don’t define us; exterior circumstances should never alter our inner dispositions. Everyone has problems; however, our problems don’t prevent us from succeeding. Like hurdles in a race, success comes from overcoming the problems. We must not believe we are unable to jump simply because a hurdle exists. [“When a hurdle comes along, you must jump it!]

1. What are your hurdles that you need to jump over?
2. What deadweight are you carrying that you need to take off?
3. What are your stones of victory that you need to pick up?

Superheroes don’t place their focus on how big the problem appears to be; instead, they narrow their focus onto the solution, regardless of how small it may seem to be. In the 2019 movie, Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man didn’t place his focus on the big problem (Thanos); instead, he narrowed his focus onto the small solution (the infinity stones). Because of this, Iron Man collected defeated Thanos by with stones — just like like when David defeated Goliath! Regardless of how big your problem appears to be, GOD is bigger. Therefore, when your giant problem approaches you, pick up your stones of victory and shout, “Come at me bro! Bring it on!” Understand this: I AM is inevitable. In the end, the Lord wins and the children of GOD are redeemed and restored (Revelation 21-22).

“Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!”
(Romans 8:37) -TPT

Just as David picked up five stones of victory, we also have five ‘stones’ of victory. Five Scriptures are key in understanding that we are more than conquerors. It is written in John 1:5 that darkness cannot overcome the light. John 8:12 tells us that the Lord is the Light. Ephesians 5:8 tells us that we are light in the Lord and we walk as children of Light. John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world. And 1John 5:4 tells us that everyone who has been born of GOD overcomes the world and that our faith enables us to be victorious. In 1John 5:4, the word for overcoming is the Greek word nikos. It means to conquer. It was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of the competition and ultimately reigned supreme as champions over the games. This means that we are the ultimate champions and this describes our superior position as children of GOD over the world. We are fully armed with everything we need to be super-conquerors in this life! It’s time to understand who you are in Christ!