Todd,
This is the Kendrick brothers 5th movie and every single one of them have a special anointing that for me, is undeniable. I agree and am thankful with Tolu's assessment of the film. I do not know how to explain it but the atmosphere in the theatre before the movie began was different. We got there about 45 minutes early and only had about 25% of the seats left to pick from.
I need to share this because it is a subject very near and dear to my heart and I have a GREAT burden in my spirit and that is on the topic of race. I was born in a suburb of Detroit, I am white from a family on both parents sides of Italian immigrants. Both my grandparents lived in Detroit so I spent much of my young life in the city.
I was not raised to be prejudice in any way since a young child and even before both my parents were saved we were taught that ALL people are Gods people. My parents had some friends Tony and Viola Liuzzo and Viola got heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the 60's and was eventually murdered after a civil rights march in Alabama.
This affected our family greatly as did the riots here in 1967. So as for this movie, it has sparked a great sense and deep abiding hope for revival and healing between the races.
When I went to the movie I did not realize that all the main characters were black. I saw the trailer of the movie long before, but it just did not stand out to me because I just do not see people as black or white I just see people.
As we sat in the theatre, a black couple approached to sit next to us and I greeted the man extending my hand and told him my name and we shook hands and he introduced me to his wife and I did the same and he then sat next to me.
We had a wonderful time of sweet fellowship and conversation and it was as if we knew one another. There was a kindred and unity in the spirit as we spoke of Christ and our love for Him.
Throughout the whole packed theatre there were many conversations going on because people were arriving early. So again there was something very different in this place. I know for myself I went to this movie with great anticipation knowing I was going to be amongst other believers as well as some who might be on the fence and others who may not even know Christ but were brought there by someone who cares for and loves them and was using the movie to somehow sow/water seeds of truth in their lives.
After seeing the previous 4 movies and knowing that Gods hand has been upon every one of them I knew something great has, was, and is going to happen from this production.
For me, the movie was everything I had prayed and hoped for. Not because I need any convincing or to be motivated through such a venue but because I am praying that God will use it to reach others. My wife for example is not yet saved. We've been together for 36 years, married in 84, divorced in 99, and remarried in 2006.
My wife and I cried through the whole movie because we went through so much of what the movie portrayed. In the movie the husbands heart was straying from the marriage, in our lives my wife's heart was the one that strayed. In the movie it was the wife who was taught to war for her marriage and home. In our marriage it was me who was taught to war and pray. In the movie an elder woman taught the younger woman how to war and pray. In our situation it was the Holy Spirit who taught me how to war and pray. In the movie it was the husband who could not understand his wife's unconditional love for him. In our situation it was my wife who could not understand how I could still love her after what she had done.
So while I was greatly blessed I think about my wife and others whom God still needs to continue to draw and open their hearts that they might receive Him.
After the movie, Al, the man sitting next to me, and I were just sitting there, no one was moving. Nobody wanted to leave this theatre. People were talking and Al and I began to reflect on this movie. Al said that this movie really hit home for he and his wife as they almost ended in divorce. He said that God was faithful and saved their marriage. I then shared our testimony of how we were divorced and God brought us back together, we were all in tears.
When we finally rose to leave we hugged one another and I said, Al, if we don't see one another on this side of glory, he said, Dave we will definitely see you on the other side.
My wife and I, her brother and a friend of ours walked out to the lobby and stood out there for a while and we all still had tears in our eyes and talked about the movie, it was like we were floating on a cloud.
We then slowly walked out talking about various highlights and a black man approached me and my brother in law. He just had this look on his face like he had just seen something really amazing and he asked us if we just seen War Room, we said yes. We stood out in the parking lot and fellowshipped with he and his wife and again it was as if we had know these people our whole lives.
So guess what we did when we were all done? Yep, we hugged one another out there in the middle of the parking lot.
I meet with two men for prayer in one of two prayer meetings I participate in every week. We prayed that God would use this movie to spark revival and bring healing to America, families, and the body of Christ. We also prayed that this movie which came in second at the box office the first week would not lose momentum but gain momentum and it moved into the number one spot last weekend.
Like Tolu said, EVERYONE should go and see this movie but more importantly take someone, tell others and encourage others. We need people to have a prayer strategy in their lives, our country is in dire straits and needs people to intercede for America. I think about Ferguson, Missouri and how that city has been decimated because of the hatred and violence, we need revival.
I will close with this. After the Kendrick brothers 4th movie Courageous which came out in October of 2011 I wrote Alex a letter. I asked him if they would pray about doing a movie based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, a movie based on National repentance. At the very end of this movie they plastered this very verse on the screen.
I am praying that everyone will go, I am planning on going back and taking others. If the same Spirit that dwells in me, dwells in you, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Keep in mind, this movie is not from Hollywood, Hollywood has absolutely NOTHING to do with this movie. And for those who do have an understanding of the humanistic spirit that accompanies most of Hollywood's productions, there is NO humanism in this film, zero.
FYI, their first movie was called Fly Wheel, then Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, and finally War Room.
God Bless
_________________ David Fella
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