Roger Shares: What Is A Modern-Day Warrior?

It’s such an honor to have my hubby share his new quest, 127 Warrior with my readers! I have watched God do mighty miracles in his life and can’t wait to see what adventures He has planned for our family. If you enjoy this post or learn something crazy, please go grab your hubby and encourage him join the 127 Warrior movement. We have Man Up mission trips planned this summer (open spots!!) with several wonderful organizations, as well as the Man Up and Go movie, and conference coming soon!! It’s time to Man Up – protect and love the fatherless … living James 1:27 in a radical way. What does a modern-day warrior look like? I recently saw the movie Acts of Valor. It was a total dude flick. No Hollywood actors. The actors were real life Navy Seal action heroes. It was the kind of movie where 40 year olds get to live out their warrior fantasies by watching these bad asses pulverize the enemy on the big screen. Hooyah!

Acts of Valor is about a Navy Seal Seven unit that is deployed to rescue a captured CIA agent behind enemy lines and defend the borders of the United States by keeping suicide bombers from entering. For me, a modern-day warrior operates very much like a Navy Seal, but in James 1:27 style. What does a 127 Warrior look like? As men, we are naturally wired to protect! In the book, The Male Brain the author called this hormone “Vasopressin the White Knight.” Vasopressin is the reason for our gallantry and monogamy. It makes us aggressively protect and defend our turf, mate, and children. Along with testosterone, vasopressin runs the male brain circuit.  A 127 Warrior is a man who is able to look beyond his own wall to Man Up for the fatherless. I know as men we instinctively know that we are supposed to protect our home, spouse, and kids but outside of our own very “wall” what does that look like? Unfortunately, four years ago I didn’t have a clue.

When Kari and I, along with our children, went to Ethiopia to get Zoie I came face to face with a (spiritual) battle that I was not ready for. The air-raid began around midnight. At first I really didn’t think much about it. I’ve been through this before and I was warned before I left to make sure I pack my battle gear and weapon because there was good chance I would be involved in a fire fight.  So, this wasn’t anything I’ve not seen or been involved in before. I was confident I would defeat the enemy if an attack did take place. However, at 2:00 AM the enemy dropped a bomb I’ve never seen before. It absolutely blasted me out of my fox hole. I was defeated. I was done. I lost the battle.

Amazingly, as soon as I started thinking about ministering to orphans and the need to have more men in the lives of orphans it was almost simultaneous the attack began … I didn’t know “orphans” were in enemy territory. I forgot that Satan was just as interested in stealing, killing, and destroying. (John 10:10a) These precious little lives mean just much as the souls of my very own children.  I take the spiritual stewardship of my kids heart’s very seriously.  As parents, it is our responsibility to guard and protect the hearts of our children. So, who is guarding the hearts of orphans?

A 127 Warrior is a man who is willing to look beyond his own rooftop. He stands in the gap and prays for the fatherless. He goes fearlessly into battle just as a father does for his very own child to fight for their eternal livelihood. He seeks to make sure that their walls are secure from threats. I’ve been incredibly encouraged by other men who have Manned Up to be 127 Warriors such as my ministry partners Rob Neal, Mitch Hauschildt, Randy Bacon, Jason Clement, Brady Stark, and Cory Cotton. Also, Sammy Liben and the guys of Great Hope, Caleb David of One Child Campaign, Tymm Hoffman, Frank Pass of Visiting Orphans, Jerry Shannon of Embracing Hope Ethiopia, Levi Benkert of Bring Love In, and many more.

I want to encourage you to GO and be a 127 Warrior this summer here! Man Up … Love and protect the fatherless. Come and join us on the front line. This battle cannot be fought alone. 127 Warrior is a band of brothers united in Christ to love BIG for Him so that they may know Him and have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10b).  My prayer is for a men’s movement to be 127 Warriors. To get more men involved in the battle. To pray, go, be actively involved, and invest back into local 127 Warriors. Join the movement  – website here!!! Share this post like crazy ….

Man Up Mission Trips (spots still available) Men & Women invited to Man Up:

• Visiting Orphans July 13 – 27 – Click here to sign up today!
• One Child Campaign August 14 – 25 – Click here to sign up today!