Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 10:00 a.m. – This song kept going over and over in my head, and I had not yet listened to CD’s or the radio today and, in fact, I have not heard this song in some time:
The Greatest Story / AVALON
Some days your own resolve is strong
And other days you bend
it's two steps forward, one step back
and a stumble now and then
You wonder if you'll ever really make the difference
you've prayed that you will
Well, I know that prayer will be fulfilled 'cause
Your life woven day by day
is a new design of the glory God displays
on the canvas of creation
Through the poem of history
in the pattern of redemption
running through the tapestry
Your life in Christ can be
the greatest story ever told
You cannot see the hands of God
or feel the grace that flows
from Him through you to those you touch
In ways you'll never know
you cannot measure worth by human standards
That's always a lie
oh, you have to see through heaven's eyes how...
In the light of eternity
Standing face to face you will finally see
for the very first time you'll understand
your perfect place in the master plan and how...
When a song gets stuck in my head for awhile and it plays over and over, then I inquire of the Lord if this is of him and if he has a message for me, so that is what I’m doing right now. Lord, is there a message here for me or for me to share? Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 13:
My Understanding: This passage of scripture begins with an exhortation to “raise a banner,” to “shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.” Then, it goes on to say “I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath – those who rejoice in my triumph.” Then, v. 4 states that “The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war… to destroy the whole country.”
In one sense I see this as a physical army that the Lord is putting together to bring judgment on Babylon. Today’s Babylon is seen as many different things by different people. I see Babylon so much like the United States of America, and this is where I live and this is where God has called me to “raise a banner.” Yet, I also see Babylon as the One World Order and/or this world’s system as a whole – anything that stands opposed to God and to his people. Babylon has also been pictured as the apostate church that is standing in opposition to God and to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, what does it mean to “raise a banner”? A banner is a sign; a guiding principle; a standard; the flag of a country or army (Encarta). A banner was an identifier of the tribe; group, country, etc. that bore the banner - to whom they belonged. It was erected on a hill top or a mountain, and once there, it was a declaration of war. The New Bible Dictionary: “2. Heb. nēs, meaning ‘ensign’, is often rendered ‘banner’ in rsv. It is usually employed to designate a rallying-standard. In Is. 11:12 the Messiah is said to raise up such a standard, while in v. 10 he is himself said to be one. Perhaps this latter reference is intended to be a link with ‘The Lord is my banner’ (Jehovah-nissi, av) in Ex. 17:15…”
So, in a spiritual sense, the church is called to raise a banner, i.e. to raise a standard, i.e. Jesus Christ and him crucified, dead, buried and risen again as conqueror over sin, death, hell and Satan and as our Lord, Savior and our coming King. He is the one with whom we identify. He is to be our standard that we raise. His Word is to be our standard that we raise. And this banner stands in direct opposition to our enemy – Satan and his earthly kingdom - and stands as a declaration of war against Satan and his principalities, his rulers and against sin.
This banner is not something that waves like a flag, tossed here and there by the wind, but this banner is firmly attached between two poles so that it is stationary, like our faith in Christ should be. This banner is not hidden. It is not in an enclosed room nor is it lying flat on the ground. No, it is raised on a hilltop so that it can clearly be seen by all. That is how we should be about our faith in Jesus Christ.
To raise something is to increase something in size, amount, value, or scope; to set up, erect, or build something; to increase something in degree, strength, or pitch; to put something forward for consideration or discussion (Encarta). So, if our banner is the Lord and His Word, then to raise our banner would be to increase the exposure of this banner; to magnify; to glorify; to elevate; to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Word so that all can see. The church is a City on a Hill; the mountain of the Lord, so we must raise up this banner in the church, as well as it is to shine out from the church as our witness.
The scripture in Isaiah 13 continued by exhorting us to “shout to them; to beckon them…” To beckon is to signal; summon – call for; send for; call together; assemble. As the Lord’s witnesses, we are not to be silent about our faith. We are to raise it like a banner and we are to shout it from the mountaintops and we are to beckon, i.e. to call the people to enter the gates of the Kingdom of heaven; salvation. So many professing Christians have no problem shouting at a sports event or cheering on the actors in a play or musicians in a concert and telling all their friends about their favorites sports team or movie that they watched recently, but how many of us truly raise the banner of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Lord and Savior up on a hilltop for all to see?
Jesus is coming again and I believe with all my heart that it will be soon. God has declared war against Satan and hell, but he has also declared war against God’s physical enemies, as well. A day of judgment is imminent. God is calling each and every one of us who call on his name to be his spiritual army in raising that banner on a hilltop and shouting and beckoning people to Jesus or back to the Lord. He is calling for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ before that Day of Judgment arrives. The banner is first raised to declare the war and then the war ensues. It is the same way now – God is calling his servants to raise the banner of Jesus Christ and to declare war against Satan and sin and hell and to call all people to enter the gates of eternity with Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord before it is too late.
God’s warriors are those who are set apart to do God’s will – his true children – his consecrated ones whom he has called to raise the banner; the standard; Jesus Christ. He has called each and every one of us to be His witnesses and to call all men to return to God.
The Day of the Lord (judgment) is coming; it is near. God will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. We need to be raising our banners high. We need to call all men to return to their God. So, raise your banners; shout; beckon to all to enter the gates of heaven, because time is short and judgment is at hand.
The Greatest Story / AVALON
Some days your own resolve is strong
And other days you bend
it's two steps forward, one step back
and a stumble now and then
You wonder if you'll ever really make the difference
you've prayed that you will
Well, I know that prayer will be fulfilled 'cause
Your life woven day by day
is a new design of the glory God displays
on the canvas of creation
Through the poem of history
in the pattern of redemption
running through the tapestry
Your life in Christ can be
the greatest story ever told
You cannot see the hands of God
or feel the grace that flows
from Him through you to those you touch
In ways you'll never know
you cannot measure worth by human standards
That's always a lie
oh, you have to see through heaven's eyes how...
In the light of eternity
Standing face to face you will finally see
for the very first time you'll understand
your perfect place in the master plan and how...
When a song gets stuck in my head for awhile and it plays over and over, then I inquire of the Lord if this is of him and if he has a message for me, so that is what I’m doing right now. Lord, is there a message here for me or for me to share? Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 13:
My Understanding: This passage of scripture begins with an exhortation to “raise a banner,” to “shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.” Then, it goes on to say “I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath – those who rejoice in my triumph.” Then, v. 4 states that “The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war… to destroy the whole country.”
In one sense I see this as a physical army that the Lord is putting together to bring judgment on Babylon. Today’s Babylon is seen as many different things by different people. I see Babylon so much like the United States of America, and this is where I live and this is where God has called me to “raise a banner.” Yet, I also see Babylon as the One World Order and/or this world’s system as a whole – anything that stands opposed to God and to his people. Babylon has also been pictured as the apostate church that is standing in opposition to God and to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, what does it mean to “raise a banner”? A banner is a sign; a guiding principle; a standard; the flag of a country or army (Encarta). A banner was an identifier of the tribe; group, country, etc. that bore the banner - to whom they belonged. It was erected on a hill top or a mountain, and once there, it was a declaration of war. The New Bible Dictionary: “2. Heb. nēs, meaning ‘ensign’, is often rendered ‘banner’ in rsv. It is usually employed to designate a rallying-standard. In Is. 11:12 the Messiah is said to raise up such a standard, while in v. 10 he is himself said to be one. Perhaps this latter reference is intended to be a link with ‘The Lord is my banner’ (Jehovah-nissi, av) in Ex. 17:15…”
So, in a spiritual sense, the church is called to raise a banner, i.e. to raise a standard, i.e. Jesus Christ and him crucified, dead, buried and risen again as conqueror over sin, death, hell and Satan and as our Lord, Savior and our coming King. He is the one with whom we identify. He is to be our standard that we raise. His Word is to be our standard that we raise. And this banner stands in direct opposition to our enemy – Satan and his earthly kingdom - and stands as a declaration of war against Satan and his principalities, his rulers and against sin.
This banner is not something that waves like a flag, tossed here and there by the wind, but this banner is firmly attached between two poles so that it is stationary, like our faith in Christ should be. This banner is not hidden. It is not in an enclosed room nor is it lying flat on the ground. No, it is raised on a hilltop so that it can clearly be seen by all. That is how we should be about our faith in Jesus Christ.
To raise something is to increase something in size, amount, value, or scope; to set up, erect, or build something; to increase something in degree, strength, or pitch; to put something forward for consideration or discussion (Encarta). So, if our banner is the Lord and His Word, then to raise our banner would be to increase the exposure of this banner; to magnify; to glorify; to elevate; to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Word so that all can see. The church is a City on a Hill; the mountain of the Lord, so we must raise up this banner in the church, as well as it is to shine out from the church as our witness.
The scripture in Isaiah 13 continued by exhorting us to “shout to them; to beckon them…” To beckon is to signal; summon – call for; send for; call together; assemble. As the Lord’s witnesses, we are not to be silent about our faith. We are to raise it like a banner and we are to shout it from the mountaintops and we are to beckon, i.e. to call the people to enter the gates of the Kingdom of heaven; salvation. So many professing Christians have no problem shouting at a sports event or cheering on the actors in a play or musicians in a concert and telling all their friends about their favorites sports team or movie that they watched recently, but how many of us truly raise the banner of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Lord and Savior up on a hilltop for all to see?
Jesus is coming again and I believe with all my heart that it will be soon. God has declared war against Satan and hell, but he has also declared war against God’s physical enemies, as well. A day of judgment is imminent. God is calling each and every one of us who call on his name to be his spiritual army in raising that banner on a hilltop and shouting and beckoning people to Jesus or back to the Lord. He is calling for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ before that Day of Judgment arrives. The banner is first raised to declare the war and then the war ensues. It is the same way now – God is calling his servants to raise the banner of Jesus Christ and to declare war against Satan and sin and hell and to call all people to enter the gates of eternity with Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord before it is too late.
God’s warriors are those who are set apart to do God’s will – his true children – his consecrated ones whom he has called to raise the banner; the standard; Jesus Christ. He has called each and every one of us to be His witnesses and to call all men to return to God.
The Day of the Lord (judgment) is coming; it is near. God will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. We need to be raising our banners high. We need to call all men to return to their God. So, raise your banners; shout; beckon to all to enter the gates of heaven, because time is short and judgment is at hand.
