Thursday, August 20, 2015

Sweet Taste of the Land of Milk & Honey ✡ "A Little Honey, Wax and Lotus"

So Israel, their father, said to them, "If so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the Land in your vessels, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, wax and lotus, pistachios and almonds."

GENESIS (43:11)

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבִיהֶם אִם כֵּן אֵפוֹא זֹאת עֲשׂוּ--קְחוּ מִזִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ בִּכְלֵיכֶם וְהוֹרִידוּ לָאִישׁ מִנְחָה  מְעַט צֳרִי וּמְעַט דְּבַשׁ נְכֹאת וָלֹט בָּטְנִים וּשְׁקֵדִים

בראשית מג:יא

va-yo-mer a-lay-hem yis-ra-ayl a-vee-hem im kayn ay-fo zot a-su k'-khu mi-zim-rat ha-a-retz bikh-lay-khem v'-ho-ree-du la-eesh min-kha m'-at tza-ree u-m'-at d'-vash n'-khot va-lot bo-t'-neem u-sh'-kay-deem

Today's Israel Inspiration

Jacob commands his sons to bring an offering to Pharoah's viceroy, some choice fruits of the land. A 'minkha', present, says R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, indicates a gift that benefits the giver more than the receiver. Obviously, this gift benefits the sons of Jacob in that it can cause the viceroy to view them favorably. However, the gift carries the added benefit of reminding the sons of their homeland and its blessings, as they again journey down to Egypt. Give yourself a delicious gift from the Land of Milk & Honey!

Beautiful Bike Ride through an Israeli Gem of a Town

Beautiful bike ride through the eyes of the biker in Zichron Yaakov, a quaint and picturesque town on the tip of the Carmel Mountain range.

Ask the Rabbi: Does Judaism Believe in Life After Death?

Rabbi Tully Brycks give a profound and deeply insightful answer in this week's "Ask the Rabbi"!

The Mountains of Israel: A Taste of Heaven

This beautiful book features breathtaking photos of the Land of Israel, its fields and mountains, its holy places both ancient and modern, paired with inspiring Biblical verses relating directly to the Land. Read about Hannah’s sacrifice in Shiloh while looking at a panoramic photo of the ancient Tel. Learn about Abraham’s purchase of land in Hebron for Sarah’s grave and see a picture of the Cave of the Patriarchs. Scattered throughout the pages are inspiring stories and parables relating to the verses. Lovers of Israel and the Bible will treasure this book for years.

Today's Israel Photo

Boruch Len's caught this beautiful image of a bee hovering over a cactus plant in the Land of Israel.

Thank You

Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!

“This is a Great Newsletter”

It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!

Rabbi Tuly, My wife and I are South African Christians, and we pray for the well-being of the Land of Israel every day.  Please remember that you and your countrymen are the apple of God’s eye, He holds you in the hollow of his hand, He watches over you day and night, and our Lord will not allow anybody to touch His people in his beloved country of Israel.  God will bless and keep you and make His face shine upon you!! SHALOM, Kind regards, LOUIS VAN DER LINDE

I'm from Plainview, Texas. This is a great newsletter... I pray peace for Israel- Doris Hartley
Shalom,
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10 Things That Are Going to Happen Within 15 Days of the End of the Shemitah

10 Things That Are Going to Happen Within 15 Days of the End of the Shemitah




The Shemitah is rapidly approaching.
The Shemitah is rapidly approaching. (Carolina Ödman/Flickr/Creative Commons)
Is a great shaking coming to America? An amazing convergence of events is going to take place during the last several weeks of September 2015.
Many are suggesting that this could indicate that something really big is about to happen. In fact, some vendors of emergency food are reporting shortages because so many people are stocking up on food and supplies in anticipation of what is coming.
And of course the list I am about to share with you is not necessarily exhaustive. There are events that are currently unknown or unanticipated that could also fall during this time frame. But without a doubt, the incredible confluence of events that we already know will happen appears to be unlike anything that we have ever experienced before.
It all starts with the end of the Shemitah year on Sept. 13. During the last two cycles, we witnessed historic stock market crashes on the very last day of the Shemitah year (Elul 29 on the Biblical calendar). For example, if you go back to Sept. 17, 2001 (which was Elul 29 on the biblical calendar), we witnessed the greatest one-day stock market crash in all of U.S. history up until that time. The Dow plunged 684 points, and it was a record that held for exactly seven years until the end of the next Shemitah cycle.
On Sept. 29, 2008 (which was also Elul 29 on the biblical calendar), the Dow plummeted 777 points, which still today remains the greatest one-day stock market crash of all time in the United States.
Now we are in another Shemitah year. It began in the fall 2014, and it ends on Sept. 13, 2015.
So will we see a stock market crash in the United States on Sept. 13, 2015?
No we will not, because that day is a Sunday. So I can guarantee there will not be a stock market crash in the U.S. on that day. But as author Jonathan Cahn has pointed out in his book on the Shemitah, we have witnessed major stock market crashes happen just before the end of the Shemitah year and we have also witnessed major stock market crashes happen within just a few weeks after the end of the Shemitah year. So we are not necessarily looking at one particular date.
And this time around, a whole bunch of critical events just happen to fall in the period of time immediately following the end of the Shemitah year.
The following are 10 things that are going to happen within 15 days of the end of the Shemitah:
Sept. 14: Rosh Hashanah
Sept. 15: The Jade Helm military exercises are scheduled to end.
Sept. 15: The 70th session of the U.N. General Assembly begins on this date. It has been widely reported that France plans to introduce a resolution that will give formal U.N. Security Council recognition to a Palestinian state shortly after the new session begins. Up until now, the U.S. has always been the one blocking such a resolution, but Barack Obama has already indicated that things may be different this time around. If alarm bells are going off in your head as you read this, then you probably already understand how significant this event could potentially be.
Sept. 20 to Sept. 26: The "World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel" sponsored by the World Council of Churches.
Sept. 21: The U.N. International Day Of Peace. Could this be the day when the U.N. Security Council resolution establishing a Palestinian state is actually adopted?
Sept. 23: Yom Kippur
Sept. 23: Pope Francis arrives at the White House to meet with Barack Obama. Some have suggested that the timing of this event is highly unusual.
Francis is the 266th pope, and he will be meeting with President Obama on the 266th day of the year, leading one Internet preacher to wonder if "something is being birthed" on that day, since 266 days is the typical human gestation period from conception to birth.
Sept. 24: The Pope addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
Sept. 25 to Sept. 27: The United Nations is going to launch a brand-new sustainable development agenda called "The 2030 Agenda." The following is an excerpt from an article that I just wrote about this insidious new plan:
"If you didn't like 'Agenda 21,' then you really are not going to like 'The 2030 Agenda.'
"Next month, the United Nations is going to launch 'The 2030 Agenda' at a major conference that will be held from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27 in New York City. The pope is actually traveling to New York to deliver an address that will kick off this conference.
"Unlike Agenda 21, which primarily focused on the environment, the 2030 Agenda is truly a template for governing the entire planet. In addition to addressing climate change, it also sets ambitious goals for areas such as economics, health, energy, education, agriculture, gender equality and a whole host of other issues. As you will see below, this global initiative is being billed as a 'new universal Agenda' for humanity. If you are anything like me, alarm bells are going off in your head right about now."
Sept. 28: This is the date when the Feast of Tabernacles begins. It is also the date for the last of the four blood moons that fall on biblical festival dates during 2014 and 2015. This blood moon falls on the very first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, it will be a "supermoon," and it will be clearly visible from the city of Jerusalem. There are many that dismiss the blood moon phenomenon, but we have seen similar patterns before. For example, a similar pattern of eclipses happened just before and just after the destruction of the Jewish temple by the Romans in A.D. 70.
Many have also suggested that the Large Hadron Collider "is scheduled to perform a controversial experiment in September," but so far I have been unable to find any solid confirmation of this.
Just recently, author Jonathan Cahn released a new video in which he expressed his belief that a "great shaking is coming to America and the world." He points to the biblical pattern of desecration preceding judgment, and he is convinced that we recently witnessed a historic act of desecration here in the United States.
Many have asked Cahn whether America is headed for revival or shaking. He is convinced that revival can come out of shaking.
Personally, I believe that we will not have revival unless there is shaking.
As a nation, we have unapologetically embraced evil. We are extremely proud, arrogant, greedy and cold-hearted. I do not believe that there is any hope for our nation unless we are shaken to our core.
I am fully convinced that the months ahead are going to dramatically change life in America, but whether it happens right now or not, I am 100-percent convinced that a great shaking is coming to this nation at some point.
Michael T. Snyder is the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog and author of The Beginning of the End.
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Huckabee in Israel: Iranian Deal 'Clear and Present Danger to America'

Huckabee in Israel: Iranian Deal 'Clear and Present Danger to America'

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says the Iranian nuclear deal represents a "clear and present danger" to the U.S.A.
Huckabee, who is a long-time friend of Israel, was here fund-raising among American voters who live in Israel and can vote in presidential elections.
"The Iranians have made it very clear for 36 years that their intention is not only to wipe Israel off the face of the map, their words, but also to bring death to America. And they have chanted that repeatedly. They have threatened it," Huckabee told journalists in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
"Unleashing $150 billion of new capital into their hands of unfrozen assets would be the equivalent in U.S. dollars of about $5 trillion of resources and assets given the scale of our economies," Huckabee said.
Huckabee said $5 trillion is an "extraordinary amount of money" especially for a government without "honorable intentions" of helping the poor, sick or hungry.
"Rather  [Iran's]  first major action was to purchase new weapons systems and delivery systems from the Russian government," he said.
Huckabee said the Iranian regime has no intention of being a force for peace but has already been a force of terror for decades.
"They've kidnapped Americans, they've killed Americans, they currently hold Americans hostage in their prisons," he added.
After reading the deal himself, Huckabee said he was more "alarmed."
He said the Iranian deal is not a partisan issue.
Listen to what Huckabee said he would do if the Iran deal were in force "when" (as he said) he becomes president.

NEW VIDEO: Planned Parenthood Auctions "Fetus" With Still-Beating Heart


NEW VIDEO: Planned Parenthood Auctions "Fetus" With Still-Beating Heart




Join us on our new podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

The third episode in a new documentary web series and seventh video on Planned Parenthood's supply of aborted fetal tissue tells a former procurement technician's harrowing story of harvesting an intact brain from a late-term male fetus whose heart was still beating after the abortion.
The "Human Capital" documentary web series, produced by The Center for Medical Progress, integrates expert interviews, eyewitness accounts, and real-life undercover interactions to explore different themes within Planned Parenthood's sale of aborted fetal tissue. Episode 3, "Planned Parenthood's Custom Abortions for Superior Product," has launched.
The series focuses on the personal narrative of Holly O'Donnell, a former Blood and Tissue Procurement Technician for StemExpress, a biotech start-up that until last week was partnered with two large northern California Planned Parenthood affiliates to purchase their aborted fetus parts and resell them for scientific experimentation.
O'Donnell describes the harvesting, or "procurement," of organs from a nearly intact late-term fetus aborted at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte's Alameda clinic in San Jose, California. "'Want to see something kind of cool?'" O'Donnell says her supervisor asked her. "And she just taps the heart, and it starts beating. And I'm sitting here and I'm looking at this fetus, and its heart is beating, and I don't know what to think."
The San Jose Planned Parenthood does abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Referring to the beating heart of the aborted fetus, O'Donnell remarks, "I don't know if that constitutes it's technically dead, or it's alive."
State and federal law require that the same treatment be given to an infant born alive after an abortion as to a normally delivered baby (1 U.S.C. 8, CA Health and Safety Code 123435). California law also prohibits any kind of experimentation on a fetus with a discernible heartbeat (CA Health and Safety Code 123440). StemExpress has been cited in published scientific literature as a source of fetal hearts used for Langendorff perfusion, which keeps a heart beating after it is excised from the body.
O'Donnell also tells how her StemExpress supervisor instructed her to cut through the face of the fetus in order to get the brain. "She gave me the scissors and told me that I had to cut down the middle of the face. I can't even describe what that feels like," she says.
The video also features recordings of Dr. Ben Van Handel, the Executive Director of Novogenix Laboratories, LLC, and also of Perrin Larton, Procurement Manager of Advanced Bioscience Resources Inc. (ABR). Novogenix is the company that has harvested fetal organs from abortions done by Planned Parenthood Federation of America's senior director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, in Los Angeles, while ABR is the oldest fetal tissue procurement company and works with Planned Parenthood in San Diego and other clinics around the country. Van Handel admits, "There are times when after the procedure is done that the heart actually is still beating," and Larton describes abortions she has seen where "the fetus was already in the vaginal canal whenever we put her in the stirrups, it just fell out."
CMP's Project Lead David Daleiden notes, "Today's video contains heartrending admissions about the absolute barbarism of Planned Parenthood's abortion practice and baby parts sales in which fetuses are sometimes delivered intact and alive. Planned Parenthood is a criminal organization from the top down and should be immediately stripped of taxpayer funding and prosecuted for their atrocities against humanity."
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Anne Graham Lotz's Husband Passes Away

Anne Graham Lotz's Husband Passes Away

Anne Graham Lotz has posted on her website that her husband passed away, Wednesday, after being found unresponsive in their homes swimming pool Monday afternoon.
It's not yet clear what caused Danny Lotz's pool accident, but a family friend confirms he's been battling diabetic seizures for the past few years.
A statement on her website says, "He moved to our Father's House on August 19, 2015 and received the accolade of his Savior, Lord, and King who presented him with the Crown of Righteousness. We salute you, Danny Lotz. And we will never forget you."
The statement also describes his battle with diabetes saying, "At the age of fifty Danny developed a severe case of Adult 1 diabetes. For over ten years following his retirement from dentistry he fought the ravages of the disease, earning him the beloved nickname, God's Gladiator. He lost the sight in one eye and the hearing in one ear. His heart disease required five stents in his arteries. His renal failure dictated three days of dialysis each week, five hours each time. And yet he never complained, never slowed down, never gave up, never stopped investing in the lives of others.
As a New Yorker he was plain spoken. As a German he was stubborn. As a Christian he was a compassionate servant leader. He was more than a man's man. He was God's man who triumphantly finished his race having fought the good fight, and having kept his faith firmly focused on the kingdom of God first."
Danny and Anne were married for 49 years.
CBN News will update this story as more information becomes available.
Use the comment section below to post your condolences and prayers for Anne Graham Lotz and her family.

How 18 Years at 'Charisma' Shaped My Life - J. Lee Grady

How 18 Years at 'Charisma' Shaped My Life


Former Charisma editor Lee Grady (l) with presidential candidate George W. Bush in August 2000.
Former Charisma editor Lee Grady (l) with presidential candidate George W. Bush in August 2000. (Photo courtesy of J. Lee Grady)
When I joined the Charisma team in 1992, cell phones looked like bricks and the Internet didn't exist. No texting, no Google and no email. If I needed to research a topic for a story, I had to call a library on a landline phone, or—can you imagine?—actually go to the library and look up stuff.
The digital revolution hadn't started yet, so I was oblivious to what I was missing. All I knew was that I was happy to serve on the staff of the largest charismatic Christian magazine in the world. I stayed there for 18 years until I stepped into full-time ministry in 2010. Since Charisma is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, I thought I would chime in with my own cherished memories.
1. Most spiritual moment. It's one thing for a smart-aleck journalist to report on a spiritual revival; it's another thing for that journalist to be spiritually wrecked by the experience. I went to Pensacola, Florida, in 1995 to write about the Brownsville Revival. I ended up on the floor of that church at least three times. I was overcome by the Holy Spirit's presence in those historic meetings, which were led by evangelist Steve Hill. (He became a friend until he died last year.) On that carpet inside Brownsville Assembly of God, the Lord dealt with a deep cynicism I was holding in my heart. Something holy was imparted to me in those meetings that prepared me for ministry.
2. Favorite interview. In August 2000 I received an urgent call informing me that Charisma could have an interview with Texas governor George W. Bush. I flew to Austin, boarded Bush's campaign plane and flew to Maine. About mid-flight, I was invited to the front of the plane to interview our future president for 30 minutes. I wasn't nervous because Bush was his down-to-earth, folksy self—and our conversation about his faith made me feel I was with a brother in Christ. Before the interview ended I gave him a Scripture from Psalms and he wrote it down. I hope it gave him some comfort after the media and a majority of Americans turned against him years later.
3. Most sobering interview. When I traveled to North Carolina in 1996 to do a cover story on fallen TV evangelist Jim Bakker, I didn't go to rub his nose in the mess he'd made of his PTL empire. I could tell the guy was repentant the moment we met. He didn't sound like the cocky talk show host who bilked donors so he could buy gold-plated faucets for his mansion. The Jim Bakker I met was grieved over the mistakes he'd made. We ate dinner at his favorite low-priced Chinese restaurant next door to a K-mart. He told me sincerely: "I was wrong in so many ways, that it took five years of prison for God to deal with me."
4. Most meaningful part of my job: What blessed me the most about my 18 years at Charisma was the interaction I had with African-American, Hispanic and immigrant leaders in the body of Christ. In spite of the racism that still exists in our country, I learned that the Holy Spirit wants to build bridges, not walls, in the church. In 1994 I witnessed black and white Pentecostal leaders washing each other's feet in what came to be known as the Memphis Miracle. And during my subsequent years as editor I ate meals with black leaders, including G.E. Patterson, Charles Blake and C.D. Owens. They shaped my spiritual DNA. Building interracial ministry is a core value for me today.
5. Most life-shaping experience. At Charisma I was exposed to powerful female preachers, including Fuchsia Picket, Alice Smith, E.C. Reems, June Evans, Barbara Amos, Beth Moore, Sharon Daugherty and Cindy Jacobs. Yet we often received angry letters from readers who objected to our articles about women in the pulpit. Those letters sent me on a journey to discover what God thinks about the spiritual callings of women—and the result was my first book, 10 Lies the Church Tells Women. Today I have dedicated my life to helping release women into ministry.
6. Favorite article of my career. In 1997 I wrote an investigative feature about so-called Oneness Pentecostals—the people who insist on baptizing in Jesus' name only. I wrote it partly out of fascination, but mostly because I had a genuine burden to see the Holy Spirit heal what has been a century-old rift in the church. The initial reaction to "The Other Pentecostals" was overwhelming—we received more letters about that article than any other during my tenure at the magazine. I still get comments about it 18 years later from ministers who say it affected them.
7. Most awkward interview. I will never forget sitting down on the Trinity Broadcasting Network set in California in 1998 to talk with Jan Crouch, wife of the late TBN founder Paul Crouch. There she was, with her trademark pink wig and false eyelashes, talking to me about how she was kicked out of Bible college in the 1950s because she didn't obey all the rules of Pentecostal decorum. She called the professors who disciplined her "Sanhedrin"—and then reminded me that she didn't like Charisma because we wrote about church scandals. She was as eccentric in real life as on camera, but I appreciated her honesty—especially when she told me: "God didn't call Paul and I because we are good or because of our skills. He chose two of the most foolish, untalented people."
8. All-time favorite issue. In 1998 I sent four reporters to the streets for a special evangelism issue. One interviewed hard-core bikers in Daytona Beach. One spent a few days on the streets with punk rockers in Chicago. Another spoke with gang-bangers in a risky neighborhood in Atlanta. And I went to San Francisco's Polk Street district to talk to men living in the city's gay underworld. I never felt more fulfilled when an issue of Charisma came off the press. We broke journalistic ground with that issue and called our readers to care about lost people instead of judging them.
9. Least favorite part of the job: No job is perfect, and what I hated most about being the editor of Charisma was dealing with some of our "problem" advertisements. Editors usually have a love/hate relationship with ads: We need the money ads generate, but some ads are just plain ugly, and others are embarrassing. I normally didn't see ads until the day before the magazine shipped out, and there was often a "miracle diet" ad promising a cure, or a conference guaranteeing personal prophecies, or a charlatan charging $1,000 to be his spiritual son. I tried my best to screen those ads—and the current staff of Charisma continues to be watchful. Please forgive us if we let one slip though. This job is not easy.
10. Saddest part of the job: It felt wonderful to write articles about spiritual revivals and missionary breakthroughs, but there's an ugly side to being a Christian journalist. I had to write about the scandals. And there were plenty on my watch, starting with the sordid reports of sexual abuse at Earl Paulk's Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Atlanta in 1993. People often asked, "Why do you have to cover the scandals?" My response was always the same: We are providing accountability to a movement that has very few checks and balances. It isn't fun to write about respected Christian leaders who fall into sin, go to jail, extort money or start teaching heresy. But when I saw the failures I didn't become disillusioned. Through all the ups and downs of the charismatic movement, through all the glorious victories and embarrassing scandals, I have learned that Jesus is faithful and that the Holy Spirit is still working in the church in spite of our weakness.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter @leegrady. His next book, Set My Heart on Fire, will be released next year by Charisma House. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, atthemordecaiproject.org.
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What Iran Will Do With Obama Deal Money

What Iran Will Do With Obama Deal Money

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff
The Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama Administration is going to provide the Islamic Republic with a financial windfall, and, if criticisms prove accurate, fail to prevent it from developing atomic weapons.
Just what is Iran going to do with all that new money once sanctions are lifted?
Well, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested that the first item on his spending list is to bolster the terrorist forces operating against Israel.
“We spare no opportunity to support anyone #FightingTheZionists,” Khamenei wrote on his official Twitter account this week.
Days later, the following propaganda video produced by the Islamic Revolution Design House, an outfit with ties to the Iranian regime, was posted to the Internet:
In the animated short, terrorists bearing the insignias of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah and Hamas can be seen readying for a final mass assault against Jerusalem.
The video ends with a message echoing the dictate of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini:
“Israel must be erased from the annals of history, and the youth will definitely see that day when it comes.”
Earlier this month, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he wasn’t sure Iran really wanted to wipe Israel off the map, as its leaders have so often publicly threatened to do. The above video would seem to indicate that Kerry has his head in the sand.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

'War Room' a Call to Do Battle on Your Knees - movie


'War Room' a Call to Do Battle on Your Knees

DALLAS -- "War Room," the latest faith-based film from brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, follows the turbulent marriage of a middle class couple and highlights the difference that prayer can make.
Best-selling author and Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer makes her big screen debut as Elizabeth Jordan, a busy, fed-up wife, mom, and realtor.
Having never acted in a movie before, she said she was surprised when she was asked to play the role.
"When they said we would like for you to be the lead in the film -- not just have a 'lil part in the film, be a lead in the film -- I was like, 'Have y'all lost your minds?'" she laughed.
A Boiling Point
In the film, the Jordan's rocky marriage constantly reaches the boiling point.
Shirer, daughter of well-known pastor Tony Evans, worked with the Kendricks on their blockbuster film "Courageous," writing the resolution for women from the film. 
"When we were going into 'War Room,' we were thinking we would love to have someone like Priscilla Shirer who would play this role," Stephen Kendrick said. "So we were writing scenes with her in mind, thinking what would Priscilla do in this situation."
Actor T.C. Stallings plays Shirer's husband, a successful pharmaceutical rep. As a former player with the Arena Football League, he told CBN News he related to his character's struggle with pride and putting God first, a problem he believes a lot of men face.
"I said, 'Lord, there's some things about Tony Jordan that I actually experienced,'" he said. "Football was god for me."
"It provided the fame, the notoriety, the finances, so I put everything into it. Tony Jordan does the same thing," he explained.
In the 'War Room'
Using the analogy of military strategy, "War Room" expounds on what happens when the main character Elizabeth learns the key to praying in her closet.
"In the Christian walk we often try to figure it out on our own, get in over our heads, then run to God in our war room, our prayer closet if you will, and say, 'God, what are you doing?'" Director Alex Kendrick explained.
"And so we use that parallel in the movie to say that we are supposed to go to the Lord first," he said.
"God is looking down saying, 'I'm the only one who can change this culture and I'm the only one who can change the human heart. If you will come before me, then I will move mightily on your behalf,'" Stephen Kendrick said.
Popular speaker and author Beth Moore makes a cameo appearance in the film. She agrees that some people underestimate the power of prayer.
"What happens is that people give up," she said. "Anybody that doesn't believe in the power of prayer quits too soon."
Actress Karen Abercrombie plays Miss Clara, an elderly woman who enlists Elizabeth's help in selling her home while encouraging her to fight for her family, on her knees.
"Miss Clara is a 77-year-old widow and she is a prayer warrior and she's funny, she's kind, and she is super passionate about the Lord," Abercrombie said.
"For Elizabeth it's kind of slow and steady," Shirer explained. "She has to keep meeting with Miss Clara because she has to help her sell her house. But she's kind of like, 'Alright, stop asking me personal questions about my relationship with the Lord.'"
More than a Movie
Many say "War Room" is more than just a movie. For the Kendricks it's their first independent project apart from their church Sherwood Baptist. 
They also say it's a call for Christians to seek the Lord for the answers to the problems in their lives, in our nation, and the culture.
"We pray that people will watch this film and that they will, yes, feel the tension, and the drama, laugh with us, cry at certain point," Alex Kendrick said. "But by the end be inspired and reminded about the powerful weapon that prayer can be to fight the right enemy, the right way and that they'll want to go home and say I have to amp up my prayer life."
Cast members said they learned more than just lines from this project.
"I will say that I have become more strategic," Shirer said. "It reminds you every day to be diligent about what your prayer life is."
Abercrombie testified to the power of powerful prayer in her and family.
"I've seen family members come to the Lord after some serious prayer and so I was able to pull on those things when I went into that prayer closet," she said.
A Lasting Impact
Moviegoers who watched the premiere of "War Room" have given it rave reviews.
"The characters brought to life what so many of us can relate to in our lives and our own world and it gives hope," moviegoer Suzanne Trahan said.
"It gives an answer to all the difficulty we all struggle with--for such a time as this," she added.
Matt Jacobs of Dallas also said he thought it was excellent.
"I found myself crying a lot throughout this movie," he admitted.
You can watch "War Room" for yourself when it hits theaters on August 28.
Glenn Beck Red Carpet Reaction to 'War Room'

Gospel Artist Crystal Aikin Reacts to 'War Room'

Moviegoer Suzanne Trahan Reacts to 'War Room' Premiere

Moviegoer Matt Jacobs Reacts to 'War Room' Premiere