INFINITY WAR MEET ENDGAME!

(Spoilers, but hey you should have seen these already) I love the Avengers saga! The movies have kept me in theaters consistently during its run. Each movie has caused tears, laughter, anger, and jaw-dropping OMGs!

I remember sitting in the movie theater twice in April 2018 watching Infinity War. As the movie came down to its last few minutes and I saw Thanos snap his fingers I felt my stomach drop. It felt like failure was realized and love had evaporated on the screen. As Spiderman drifted off into dust, tears dropped from my face. All I could think was this big purple being that came out of nowhere, that nobody knew anything about, had taken the world and the promise of greatness. That moment feels a lot like this moment in history. For many, entering into 2020 has been the promise of greatness. It was the year and the new decade where things would get better, where you could start anew. You ended 2019 with declarations to be better, to be disciplined, and to achieve and the honest truth is you have been sticking with your commitments. You have been doing what you declared, eating right, working out, showing up on time, reading books and the list can go on. YEAH, YOU ARE DOING IT! But here comes ‘Rona - Like a big burly Thanos.

But just like when Thanos arrived on the scene, the Avengers did too. Our Avengers, Our leaders have stood and are standing on the front line fighting so that we can achieve. Religious leaders - praying and creating space for us to still encounter God. Our educators are creating virtual space so that we can still obtain and grow our minds. Our doctors and nurses are working extra hours to face an illness that is simply just different. Our Government, Businesses, and Community Organizations have mobilized to create ways for us to maintain, while also eliminating dangers. Our parents, taking on a task that many are not equipped to handle, while still looking to provide comforting spaces to cope in the midst of trauma. You - yes you are an avenger, you are pushing through each day trying to make sense amidst all the emotions you are facing, and trying to believe and hope for a greater day! As we stand in the fight of our lives, ‘Rona has snapped its finger and just like that birthday parties, graduations, weddings are canceled. Businesses are closed. The common hug disappears. And tons of “essential staff” are still asked to carry on! Life has changed, we the world sit in our seats, watching life - our movie screen - fade to black and the feeling is real, and the question is asked - is this the end, is this what I paid for when I came into 2020? BUT THIS IS NOT THE ENDING!

Just like the quiet faith and hope I felt in the theater knowing there was another movie that was to come, is the quiet faith and hope I have now knowing that God promises to prosper us, give us hope, and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)! As I sit in my own faded black space, I remind myself that even though we suffer for a while, we must remember that God promised to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us(1 Peter 5:10 ESV). Like the Avengers this SAGA of life calls for us to continue! ‘Rona will be defeated and restoration will occur! Endgame is a reminder of all the newness that can come! The Word of God declares it! 2 Corinthians 4:18 declares, “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” There is something greater! Restoration is possible! Maybe you are saying hey this bible is cool but the visual is real. Though Infinity War shows devastation, Endgame gives us a visual to believe restoration is possible!

If so, let me share with you the lessons I learned from the ending fight scene in ENDGAME.

The first lesson is WORK TOGETHER! Thanos returns and strikes the Avengers with a blow that should knock them out. Even though they are stuck under rubble and some are even on the verge of drowning, they fight through it. They gather themselves, THEY WORK TOGETHER! This is the time for us to remember to work together. Working together doesn’t mean we need to be near each other, but it does mean we need to be in agreement on things. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, unless they agreed?” Let us agree that we need to keep everyone safe and healthy! But also let us agree on the importance of God at this time and the need to seek God's face!

See as the scene progresses you see solo agreements, morph into small group agreements, but then you see Cap scream AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, my heart nearly lost it!

This is the ultimate WORK TOGETHER!

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

WHERE ARE THE AVENGERS?!? AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!

If 1 DJ can have a national party via Instagram, we the believers of God can assemble and pray across social media and cause transformation! We can gather together corporately across this nation, across this world and cry out to GOD!

The second lesson is to PROTECT THE STONES! When the scene cuts to Ironman, Cap, and Thor they realize they need to keep the STONES from THANOS.

WE MUST PROTECT OUR STONES!

These stones are Mind, Space, Reality, Power, Time, and Soul.

Much like in the movie these things are important to our walk and journey in life and must be protected!

MIND - This stone allows us to manipulate thought. Our minds are the places we create and where directions flow from. We must remember “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” -Philippians 2:5. Turn your mind over to God so that God can show you how to create and how to move in this season.

SPACE - This stone allows us to manipulate space. The space we inhabit is important we are supposed to care for it, the word declares in Genesis 1:28, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” So now is the time to subdue and take dominion of our space and be fruitful and multiply your space to honor God!

REALITY - This is the stone can alter our reality. We have to hold on to truths, the truth of love, the truth of family, the truth of God’s promises because to divert from that is to slip into a dark space. Ephesians 6:14 reminds us, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth”

POWER - This is the stone that gives power and strength. Though this situation leaves us feeling powerless, welp, you are going to need to pray, fast, worship, read God's word and watch your mouth. These are the things that will increase your power. (Matthew 17:21, Psalm 22:3, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Proverbs 18:21)

TIME - This is the stone that controls time. Use your time wisely! Though we are going through, we can’t get this time back. Call loved ones, play games, read books, write stories, or do a silly dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, "To everything, there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven and verse 11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." Find ways to enjoy this time and let God make things beautiful.

SOUL - This is the life or death stone. Take care of your soul during this time. Make the choice of life at this time and choose to focus on the life-giving God. No matter what it seems like, God does care for us and Christ died for our Souls. Romans 5:8-10 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

The last lesson is to REMEMBER THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. Tony Stark/Ironman, makes an ultimate sacrifice so that the World can move forward free of Thanos. Though this is dope, Christ made the TRUE and ULTIMATE SACRIFICE! Christ was without sin and gave himself so that we might have life and have it more abundantly(John 10:10).

Isaiah 53:4-5 says:

He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the pain that should have been ours. But we thought God was punishing him. We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer. 5 But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us.

Christ did these things for us!

Not only did he die, but he did something Tony could not do, he rose from the Dead with all power in his hands(Matthew 28:18)! Not only did he rise, but Christ also left us the Holy Spirit(John 14:16, 26), which is much more powerful than the artificial intelligence called E.D.I.T.H. Tony left Spiderman in Spiderman: Far from Home.

The HOLY SPIRIT is our comforter and it isn’t limited to the use of one, but available to every believer! The Holy Spirit leaves us love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

It may seem like we are in an INFINITY WAR, but there is an ENDGAME!

So AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, REMEMBER TO GUARD YOUR STONES and know the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE has been made so that we can move forward!