You were built for battle; you were made for war!

As I sit here and eat my Captain America fruit snacks (holla'), I think back to last night.  My mind has been blown.

Last night was our annual youth rally that my husband and I started a couple years ago.  It began by seeing a need.  We would take our youth to annual conventions but it began to get more expensive with hotel, meals, transportation and not to mention the registration fee.  We would scramble to try to find ways to raise money and many of the kids just couldn't afford it.  So, we stopped going.

In 2010, Matt said - "Why can't we just hold something here?"

Well, why couldn't we?!

So we planned and scrambled and on very little funds we created an overnight event.  Those that wanted to stay overnight we offered the floor.  We found that overnight is pointless.  While it is good for the fellowship, it does nothing for the spirit.  The youth would stay up so late (as well as the leaders) that when morning came no one could focus and, quite frankly, I just wanted to go to bed.

So we decided to limit it to an all day event the following year in 2011.  That worked amazingly well.

Therefore, we have live music, guest speakers, drama performances, give-aways, a door prize and dinner.  All....for....FREE.  When this began, we knew we wanted it to be free.  If we had to fund raise, borrow, ask for donations, pull money out of our pocket...whatever the case may be, we knew we did not want to charge an admission fee.

And we haven't....and won't.

I never like to speak at these because I do 99% of the planning, the promotions, the booking, the organization, the shopping, etc.  So I feel like speaking just makes the event look like it is a self-promotion of "me".  However, God told me that he wanted me to speak this year and I was like - "God, are you sure?"  Aren't we usually like that when God tells us to do something?  God, the maker of the universe, the creator of all things, the omnipotent, the omnipresent, the lover of my soul - "are you sure?"  I am betting he chuckles when we all to often ask that question.

He said that He was sure and when I whined about it and said that I couldn't give a message like the others.  God just said - "Talk to them" (meaning the audience).

So I planned my message and said "Ok, God.  I am ready." 

Matt, my husband, is a pastor through and through.  He can look at a piece of cardboard and deliver a sermon using it as a message illustration.  Me, I just see a piece of cardboard.  So last night I was good.  I rarely get nervous but once it drew closer to my time to speak, I had to go off alone with God for a minute and whine a bit more.   It went something like this -

Me: "God, I am about to freak out here.  Matt gave a message that was phenomenal.  Shannon delivered such a unique message.  God, I am not sure what I say will hold any value.  I am not sure that what I have to see will hold their interest.  I mean, who wants to hear me?  I am not like Matt or even Shannon, God."

*silence*

Me: "God, you gotta give me something here.  I want you to have the glory and I want to reach this entire sanctuary from the youngest to the oldest but I can't do it without your help.  I am not like Matt who can get up there and preach it like nobodies business."

God: "I never asked you to be them.  I asked you to be you.  That is all I ever wanted."

I like to call that a God Smack.  I was like - whoa.  Ok God, I got this.

So I did my thing, shared my testimony and the altar call was fantastic.

Overall we had 5 youth groups represented there last night and about 130 people in attendance, almost doubled in attendance from last year.

God is good.

A few moments that touched my heart....when we had worship (which was amazingly done by Shannon Callaway and Caleb Coley) I just wanted them to get what it means to worship the King.  We are lifting up praise to Him, giving Him everything we have.  And, boy did they.  There were young girls on their knees during worship, just pouring their hearts out to God.  They were laying it all out there as the crowd around them danced and sang.  They were meeting God, then and there.  They didn't care that there was a room full of people or that no one else was down on the floor.  On their knees, right where they were, they gave it all to God.  Wow.

The second moment was at the end of my message, I delivered an altar call.  I asked who wanted to accept Jesus and many people lifted a hand in the air (praise Jesus) but then I just spoke from my heart to theirs and told them if they wanted stuff to change.  If they wanted to storm the gates and take back what the enemy took from them - their joy, peace, happiness - then when I say "amen" to run forward.  I was getting ready to pray and saw many already making their way to the aisles, unable to contain the need to race to the front and bear their hearts to God.  At the moment I said "amen", it was a rush of young people as they ran down the aisles and fell to their knees to meet God.  There were broken hearts, discouragement and loneliness; all crying out to God.

I merely stood there, almost in tears as I see 90% of the room bowed down.  The altar area was full and so was my heart.  I began to see young people turn to those next to them and wrap their arms around each other and weep.  I saw young men reach out and hold the hand of the young man next to them and pray.  The area was so thick that the prayer warriors had a hard time walking and not stepping on anyone.  And this wasn't for 5 or 10 minutes and then they got up and went back to their seats. Oh no.  This was for an hour.  There was weeping, crying out to God, bowing down to the King of Kings and laying it all out for him to carry.

THAT is why we do this.  We do not do it for personal gain.  There is no personal gain to be had!  We do it to make a difference.  Built for Battle was created to equip this generation with the necessary tools to go out onto the battlefield for friends and family.  This generation is seeking.  There, for a time, people thought young people were lost, hopeless.  However, God has other plans.  He is telling us that if we will just 'talk to them' and let them know that we know what they are going through, they will listen.  If we don't undermine their emotions or say how they are just 'unruly' teenagers, that they will respect us and listen to what we are trying to convey.  They want what everyone wants - love and acceptance.  And if they get it nowhere else, they will get it at B4B......

So, I promised I would post a blog and said I would say next year's theme.  This year's was STORM THE GATES.  So, drum roll please.....

Built for Battle '13

SOUND THE ALARM

Numbers 10:9

"When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies."

So, get ready......you think this year blew your mind?  God has already flooded me with ideas for next year.  You are going to FREAK.  Too bad you have to wait a year to find out ;-)

God is good.

Remember - you were built for battle; you were made for war!