Let the banner wave

I heard someone say recently, "Show your colors."  There has been a lot of talk about flags and what they represent. Flags have been used throughout the ages to represent groups and for people to display what they stand for.  Flags or banners are flown before troops in armies and battles. Many soldiers have fallen to protect a flag and keep it raised. They flag represents everything they are fighting for. We have a statue in America showing Marines raising a flag after a very bloody battle on Iwo Jima in 1945.  This is a symbol.  There is even a children's game called "Capture the flag."   The flag we fly tells the world  a lot about us. It represents who we are, what we stand for, and for what we will fight.

Dictionary.com defines flag as a noun meaning:
1.a piece of cloth, varying in size, shape, color, and design, usually attached at one edge to a staff or cord, and used as the symbol of a nation, state, or organization, as a means of signaling, etc.; ensign; standard; banner; pennant.

Another word for flag is banner. The bible generally uses the word banner.
Banner has some of the same meanings:

1.the flag of a country, army, troop, etc.
2.an ensign or the like bearing some device, motto, or slogan, as one carried in religious processions, political demonstrations, etc.
3.a flag formerly used as the standard of a sovereign, lord, or knight.
4.a sign painted on cloth and hung over a street, entrance, etc.:
5.anything regarded or displayed as a symbol of principles



As Christians we are to show our colors.  We are, in a sense, flying a flag or banner to show who we are, what we stand for and for what we will fight.  There are many references listed in the bible about a banner.

Using the New King James Version, I looked up the word 'banner'. Here are the verses it appears in.


Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;

Psalm 20:5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Psalm 60:4 You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

Psalm 74:4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs.

Song of Solomon 2:4 [ The Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem ] He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love.

Song of Solomon 6:4 [ Praise of the Shulamite’s Beauty ] [ The Beloved ] O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, Lovely as Jerusalem, Awesome as an army with banners!

Song of Solomon 6:10 Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an army with banners?

Isaiah 5:26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly.

Isaiah 11:10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”

Isaiah 11:12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah 13:2 “Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

Isaiah 18:3 All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth: When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it; And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it.

Isaiah 30:17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill.

Isaiah 31:9 He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 62:10 Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!

Jeremiah 51:27 Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts.

Zechariah 9:16 The Lord their God will save them in that day, As the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land—

This last verse in Zechariah tells us not only will there be a banner over us, but we, God's people, are lifted up like a banner.  We are the banner that displays Christ.

I Timothy 4:12 says Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

We are to be a banner by how we act, speak, treat others and follow after God.
Our very lives and how we live them are like a flag that God can wave to show the world who He is and what He can do.

Matthew 7:20 says, Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what fruit that others are to see in us.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

How will others see God?  How will others know what we stand for?  It is by our fruit.

There comes a time to speak up, stand up and fly your colors.
We will be known by our fruit.  Others judge our fruit whether we like it or not.  Others 'taste' of our fruit to see what God is like. What have I displayed to others?  That is the big question.
What flag have I been waving as I go about my daily life?
What have I told the world about my Savior?
What have I represented to others?
What flag have I raised to tell others what I believe in and fight for?

I pray today that God is pleased by how I represent Him and I pray that He work on me to make me a much better representative.
I also pray that God will be able to raise me up like a banner like in Zechariah 9:16.  Can he hold me up and say, "this is my child." with pride or do I bring him shame?

He was able to hold up Job when Satan came to him.  I pray that He can do the same with me.

Lord, help me be what you want me to be. Help me display to those around me your truth and love. Help me hold the banner high to proclaim your truth, your love, your compassion and salvation. Help me proclaim not just in good times, but help me hold the banner even in the face of difficulty and attack. Let me be wise in doing so and bold in the face of ridicule. Let Your banner wave. Amen.

obey rather than sacrifice

Read 1 Samuel 3
In 1 Samuel 3:1-19 we can read about young Samuel.  His mother had given him back to the Lord. He was there to be raise by and serve Eli the priest.  One night he heard God calling him.  He thought it was Eli and ran to him.  This happened three times. Eli realized that God was speaking to Samuel and told him to say "Speak for your servant hears."
Samuel responded to God and heard from God.  When Eli asked him about what God had said, he was afraid to tell Eli the prophecy.  Eli encouraged him to not hold back and speak God's word. From that time on, he heard from God, listened and obeyed. His life was spent speaking the Word of God to the people and individuals as God directed. Samuel was used of God to anoint kings, direct their actions and declare the blessings and curses of Almighty God.
He did not let any of His words fall to the ground.

Read 1 Samuel 15
Later Samuel gave directions from God to Saul.  Saul was to wipe out an entire city.  While this may seem harsh, God knew that if that did not happen, there would be dire consequences later.  Saul disobeyed and did not follow God's directions. Saul made excuses and even tried to say they were saving the things they kept to offer as a sacrifice to God. Samuel declared that obedience is better than sacrifice and that Saul had lost the kingdom and the blessings of God.

More on obedience in the Bible:
Just like we make rules as parents to protect our children, God has laws to protect his children, us.
He does not have laws just to be mean or controlling. He has laws that are in our best interest. He wants to keep us safe from harm and hurt. Saul's disobedience led to a man later trying to wipe out all the Israelites in the kingdom. You can read in Esther that Haman was an Agagite.  Haman was a descendant of the King Agag that Saul had allowed to live a little longer. Our disobedience always has consequences.

Hebrews 13:17
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 13:4
You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

1 Samuel 15:22

So Samuel said:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandments He gave this answer:
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

I often tell my kids that I want them to obey me just because they love me.  I want them to listen to me out of love and respect, not out of fear or just because they might earn something.  That is what God wants. He wants us to choose to obey His word, read His word, talk to him out of love for Him and respect for who He is.  He doesn't want a bunch of sacrifices that mean nothing. He wants our love.
That's why Jesus said:
John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Questions:
1. Why do I want my kids to obey me?

2. Have I shown them the importance and value of obedience?

3. Have I chosen to obey God out of love or just out of a sense of duty?

4. Does my obedience radiate from my heart?

5. What do I do with the Word of God when I hear it?

Let's pray today about allowing God's love to be our motivation.  Let's pray that we can respond in obedience to God's word and not just out of sacrifice or requirement. Let's not allow God's word to fall void to the ground.

Conduct becoming of Royalty part 2

Depart from evil and do good.  That is part of our conduct. The bible has many verses about our walk and our how we live.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we are listed with three parts:  spirit, soul and body.
All three are important aspects of who we are.  Each part needs to belong to Jesus.
He wants to sanctify us completely, not just part of us.

Scriptures:

I Corinthians 4:1-2 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

2 Timothy 2:15  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-10 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Thoughts:
God is interested in our lives. He gave Himself a ransom to redeem us from sin. He then wants to care for us and provide for us.  He did not purchase us, just to abandon us, forget about us, or leave us without alone. He hopes we will give thanks and live a life that reveals the purchase.
 He gives words and scriptures that address our lives not only for the spiritual side, but also the physical things. How we act, inwardly and outwardly are important to God.
He created us with a body, soul and spirit. Each part of us needs to be given to God. He wants us to be examples  in our words, our conduct, in love, in our spirit, in faith and in purity.  He gave this list to show us the areas we are to dedicate to Him. All areas of our life should reveal that we belong to the Savior and no are no longer the property of sin or of ourselves.
He gave guidelines and commands to his people.  He wants a temple to live in, a temple in which He is Lord over all.  Having Christ in us, means we are chosen and part of that royal priesthood. Being part of the royal priesthood means there are changes in our thoughts, actions and behaviors.  There is a difference in our motivations and to whom we are accountable.
We are no longer our own. We belong to Christ.  He paid the price.  We entered the royal family of God.  We are to show those around us, the difference. This should come from our heart, from the very throne room, from our inward man.
Our lives reflect Christ to the world!
If Christ is living in us, the world should see Christ in our words and actions.  There should be a change in our responses and our lifestyle.
One of the best ways to now what He wants is to know Him and make Him Lord all the time.  That comes through a relationship that is built upon every day.  Everyday reading of the word, prayer and time with God is how our hearts are changed.  Change should come from the inside, from the heart. Especially if He is already there.

Matthew 12:34Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Let's be sure our heart is bringing forth good treasure that speaks to others about the goodness of God.  He is the treasure that should be in our heart. He is what should be coming forth from us in all areas of our lives. 

God did not just say, flee from evil.  He gave us examples to follow and ways to do good. 

Let's study His word, spend time with Him and in fellowship with the believers to help one another. Together we can grow and be the example God has called us to be.

1. Do I show Christ in my conduct, faith, attitude, purity, love, spirit and words?

2. What treasure have I stored in my heart?

3.  Have I demonstrated that I am a temple of God?

4.  Pray for God to lead and guide us as we become an example of the royal priesthood.

Conduct Becoming of Royalty part 1

Last week we read studied about being precious and chosen of God.
This week I want to focus on the fact that we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). As a child of God, we are to conduct ourselves as His child. Parents have expectations for their children.  My father used to say, "You are and Ellis and I expect you to act like one." He did not want us to bring shame to the name.  As a child of God, we to need to be aware that what we do does have consequences and can bring honor or shame to the Name that we bear.

Scripture:

Psalms 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore.

Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived; evil communication corrupts good manners.

Ephesians 4:32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

John 15:12This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.

Acts 2:32 This Jesus has God raised up, where of we all are witnesses.

Matthew 12:34-35 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Thoughts:

I think about Esther.  She became a queen.  In that process, she had to learn how to conduct herself in the court.  She spent a year being prepared to be chosen.  She was given treatments for her body and lessons about the requirements of being a member of the royal household.  She had to learn the customs and manner in which to conduct herself as a queen.  When she had to make a choice to go before the king to save the lives of her people, she knew she was going against the customs of the royal court.  She approached with boldness and with the knowledge that God was going with her.

We need to realize that our conduct is the witness we show to those around us.  Our actions often speak louder than our words.  People will remember how you treat them and how you conduct yourself.  Many times I hear people say, "I thought she was a christian."  or "that's not very Christlike."
If we are claiming to be part of the royal priesthood, we need to act like we are.

It was interesting to watch when Kate married Prince William.  Many groups questioned her conduct. Was she worthy to be royalty?  Every picture was scrutinized and revealed.  Once she married into the royal family, her conduct had to change.  Every moment, she is keenly aware that the public eye is on her. The public watches how she acts, dresses and every thing she does.

That should really make us think about how we conduct ourselves.  God says turn from evil, be kind, love one another, and even stay away from evil communications. Let's think hard about our conduct.

Does our conduct prove our royal priesthood?

What is conduct of the royal priesthood?