-

 Honor God and Country (June 14, 2023)

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

Today, June 14th, the focus is on the flag! A great symbol of our country, we salute Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner, the majestic flag of the United States of America, as we observe Flag Day. On this date in 1777, the so-called “Stars and Stripes” was adopted as the official flag of our young nation. I encourage fellow Americans to proudly fly the American flag today and properly dispose of or retire unserviceable flags that are tattered, faded, and worn. Today is also an ideal time to pray for our troubled and divided country and for God’s guidance of all of those in roles of leadership and authority. I would also suggest that we pause briefly to respectfully recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, thanking God for the freedoms that this glorious banner represents and the blessing it is to live in this scenic, awe-inspiring land of plenty. May the Almighty richly bless our wayward nation and draw America back to Him as “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

The flag powerfully embodies the heritage and history of the United States, and our national banner should be viewed and handled with care and respect. But we must be careful to neither idolize the flag nor anything or anyone else, remembering that an idol is anything we put above God. Whenever Christians pledge their allegiance to the U.S. flag, our pledge of national loyalty must always be placed under God’s authority. Our allegiance is first and foremost to our Creator, the LORD Almighty. After a miraculous military victory, Moses likened God to a flag of triumph. “And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner…” (Exodus 17:15). Having shed His precious blood to secure our salvation, Jesus Christ is our glorious flag of triumph over sin and death. As faithful followers of Christ, it is under our LORD’s royal banner that we victoriously stand, now and forever!

“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 20:5)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
                                              A Christmas Message of Hope ( December 25, 2023) “Blessed is the man who trusts in the  Lord , and whose hope is the  Lord .” (Jeremiah 17:7) Christmas is the season of hope! As Christians around the world celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can rejoice in the hope that is ours because the Son of God chose to set aside His heavenly glory, enter humanity, and, in obedience to His Father’s will, fulfill a divine purpose. Because of Christmas, believers have a present and eternal hope without which our earthly lives would be meaningless and devoid of purpose. The world was hopelessly lost in sin, dead spiritually, and doomed to an eternity apart from our righteous Creator, when God demonstrated the greatest love imaginable by sending the incarnate Christ to live a sinless life among us and ...
Read more
-
Image
  Not My Will… ( March 29, 2023) “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Before His unjustified arrest and brutal crucifixion, Jesus—knowing the extreme suffering that He was about to endure for mankind’s salvation—retreated to the Mount of Olives to take His anguish to His Father in heaven through prayer. While His disciples slumbered nearby in the Garden of Gethsemane, our L ORD, showing His humanity, sweat great drops of blood as He pleaded with the Father to make another way if possible. In absolute obedience, however, Christ surrendered His will to that of the heavenly Father and willingly completed the mission for which the Son of God had been sent to earth—to enter humanity as the sinless suffering servant required for the redemption of our sins.  “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” ...
Read more
-
Image
  What a Waste! ( April 17, 2023) “ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ” (1 Peter 5:6-7) In terms of personality types, many of us could be categorized as worriers. Looking back over my life and considering the frequency with which I have engaged in the futility of worry without any benefit, I have to think, “What a waste!” Worry—defined as a state of anxiety or uncertainty over actual or potential problems—is worthless! We all have many legitimate personal concerns that prompt us to worry about our loved ones, our health, our jobs, our finances, our personal safety (especially in today’s lawless society), and countless other circumstances. However, these anxieties can hinder our spiritual development as Christians and damage our personal testimony. Worry is rooted in fear that conflicts with who we are as children of God. By faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve place...
Read more