4 You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5 That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
God desires to use us to communicate His truth and to remind people of His existence and His love and faithfulness toward fallen humanity. Because we have been loved by Christ, we have been brought into a relationship with Jesus, so that He can transform us, give us new hearts, make us new creations, and then bring us into a closer walk with Him - He wants us to grow spiritually and to develop His character, so that we can not only live satisfying lives, but to impact the culture around us.
The Lord desires to display His glory and His nature through His people. There's a story in Exodus 17 about God's faithfulness to Israel and how it was regarded by Moses:
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."
15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner...
Yes, there has been a lot of discussion of flags recently. And, while the flag you fly can be symbolic of your history or your system of beliefs, we have to be careful that a flag does not become an idol.
But, it's clear that a flag can send a message. The display of the American flag, for instance can be an expression of patriotism, your love for your country.
The display of the Christian flag can send a strong message. I remember growing up in church and pledging allegiance to the American flag and the Christian flag, which features a white background, with a blue area in the top left hand corner containing a red cross. It's a flag that up until recently flew in Glencoe, Alabama, which is located in the northeast part of the state.
That is, until the Freedom from Religion Foundation got involved. They sent one of their infamous letters to the city officials there. AL.com reported that the city had been flying the Christian flag since the 1990s. FFRF sent a letter to the city in March protesting the flag. That same foundation had challenged nativity scenes in Rainbow City and Glencoe, and Christmas parades and football prayers in Piedmont.
Glencoe city officials reportedly said the flag came down a few weeks ago because the cost of a legal fight would probably be more than the city could afford. I would ask those officials if they had ever heard of the Alliance Defending Freedom or one of the fine legal advocacy organizations that routinely handle cases of this sort.
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The Lord desires to display His glory and His nature through His people. There's a story in Exodus 17 about God's faithfulness to Israel and how it was regarded by Moses:
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."
15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner...
Yes, there has been a lot of discussion of flags recently. And, while the flag you fly can be symbolic of your history or your system of beliefs, we have to be careful that a flag does not become an idol.
But, it's clear that a flag can send a message. The display of the American flag, for instance can be an expression of patriotism, your love for your country.
The display of the Christian flag can send a strong message. I remember growing up in church and pledging allegiance to the American flag and the Christian flag, which features a white background, with a blue area in the top left hand corner containing a red cross. It's a flag that up until recently flew in Glencoe, Alabama, which is located in the northeast part of the state.
That is, until the Freedom from Religion Foundation got involved. They sent one of their infamous letters to the city officials there. AL.com reported that the city had been flying the Christian flag since the 1990s. FFRF sent a letter to the city in March protesting the flag. That same foundation had challenged nativity scenes in Rainbow City and Glencoe, and Christmas parades and football prayers in Piedmont.
Glencoe city officials reportedly said the flag came down a few weeks ago because the cost of a legal fight would probably be more than the city could afford. I would ask those officials if they had ever heard of the Alliance Defending Freedom or one of the fine legal advocacy organizations that routinely handle cases of this sort.
Well, AL.com reports that a local Glencoe restaurant has begun to fly the Christian flag out in front of his business. Owner Jeff Word said he believes by flying the flag, he is "standing in the gap." He is quoted as saying, "I think our freedoms are leaving us gradually, as we once knew them," adding, "It was one person that took prayer out of school. I felt like I needed to be that 'one person' in this case. I feel like I'm a private businessman and it's my right to fly the flag."
Good for him.
And, a North Carolina pastor is generating some atttention for his use of the Christian flag. A Baptist Press article reports on Rit Varriale, senior pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Shelby, N.C., who said the church installed its first-ever flagpole in order to raise the two flags in a special ceremony after morning worship on Sunday, July 5, in which the Christian flag was raised in the higher position -- which prompted interviews by Charlotte-area NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates.
The pastor is quoted as saying: "If you stop and think about it, [flag etiquette] is inconsistent with what the Bible teaches us," adding, "We are first and foremost Christians who are called to serve the living God."
Varriale, an Army veteran, said, "Before our accountability to government is our accountability to God." He added, "So from a Christian perspective, our flag etiquette is completely improper...We should be flying the Christian flag above the American flag as a demonstration that Christians will respect and obey the federal government up to the point that the government asks something that is inconsistent with what God has called His people to do." Varriale has noticed another area church, a small African American congregation, that was also flying the Christian flag on top of the American flag.
The pastor is quoted as saying: "If you stop and think about it, [flag etiquette] is inconsistent with what the Bible teaches us," adding, "We are first and foremost Christians who are called to serve the living God."
Varriale, an Army veteran, said, "Before our accountability to government is our accountability to God." He added, "So from a Christian perspective, our flag etiquette is completely improper...We should be flying the Christian flag above the American flag as a demonstration that Christians will respect and obey the federal government up to the point that the government asks something that is inconsistent with what God has called His people to do." Varriale has noticed another area church, a small African American congregation, that was also flying the Christian flag on top of the American flag.
This is not an endorsement of the movement, but I do appreciate this pastor's sentiment. And, in this time, perhaps it is time to place a greater emphasis on displaying the Christian flag. Do you own one? Do you know where you can get one?
But, more important than flying a flag, we must communicate our love for the Lord and what's in our hearts by displaying Christian character. The way we live our lives for Christ makes a powerful statement about what we truly believe. Spiritual growth has to be a top priority for the child of God. If we are growing spiritually, it can lead to speaking Biblically to issues in the culture.
I think in our social engagement, there could be a tendency to get things backward. That is why I like to say, with regard to our response to social issues, that we pray and then act as God leads. If we get out there in our social activism without the right words said in the right way, then we could see the wrong outcome. Christians that are not growing can be ineffective in showing the world the way to live.
Our statements of truth, spoken with compassion, under the Lord's banner in the power of the Spirit, can be used greatly of the Lord in order to accomplish His purposes.
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