Flag-rant

The sun was in rare form this afternoon, actually daring to show it's face upon this winter "wonderland". I curled up in my perch along side a window to soak up a few precious sun rays; outside I could see just about everything from my view. There was a school, a parking lot, a small forest of trees; I could see much of a small town. But right outside my window was a bright flagpole, brilliantly waving the stars and stripes to all who would look.
The beauty of this scene just made my heart praise God; in my praise I began to pray that God would continue to reveal His direction for my life. God sometimes has an odd way of replying to our prayers; as I looked again at the flagpole, and analogy came to mind.
The flag is strongly anchored to the pole. The pole it resides upon is actually what is continually holding that flag up, giving it support and strength. Yet the flag doesn't just hang there; it's still free enough to move where it needs to move, and to wave when the wind blows. Its brilliant colors attract the world that it's in, and not of, to show the message it stands for. The flag never compromises. When the sun is shining, the flag still waves. When the sky is crying, the flag still stands.
What would a flag for Christ look like? What implications would that hold for a believer?
1)If we lose hold of our flagpole (Christ), we fall to the ground as a battered piece of cloth. We are henceforth useless to the calling to which we have been called; we become of this world, instead of merely in it. A flag has no life outside of the pole it has been fixed to; Christ is our breath of life.
2)If we stop being sensitive to the calling of the Spirit (the wind for us flags), we instead become stagnant in our faith. The world sees a beaten piece of fabric drooping on a lonely staff, and lose interest in the message we proclaim.
3)We are always proclaiming the Gospel. A flag is woven with intent to show some message. Whether it's calling all Harley riders together, holding a vision for world peace, or declaring pride in a nation, every flag has significance. Everybody who looks at it sees that message. Our message is the Jesus is the way; our demeanor should be proclaiming that to everyone who looks at it.

Let this be your prayer:
Lord, whatever I'll be doing, wherever I'll be going, whomever I'll be with, make me like that flag.  I want to be Your flag, proclaiming Your message of peace to the whole world. I want to be fixed to You, to stand upon Your grace and strength. I want to be willing to move to wherever You lead me, sensitive to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I'm Yours.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15
For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death. Psalm 48:18

Party Presence

Delane looked through the keyhole at the Larson's house. She had been invited to her welcome-to-the-neighborhood party at this address. She had prepared all day, but now as she stood at the door, no one came out to welcome her. She stood there for some time, looked through the keyhole again at the warmth inside. After a while she began to get antsy. She yelled "hello!" once or twice; eventually she even began jumping on that front porch, trying to get someones attention. Inside the Larson's, however, people were listening to some music, pulling some warm roasted food out onto the table, and having a fun time. In the corner was a stack of presents waiting for Delane's presence; yet no one knew where she was. Delane was crying out on the porch step "Can anybody hear me? I'm out here..." Yet no knock on the door rang through the air that day.
Down the street Alex was headed to his own party. His friend Jon had invited him over just a few minutes ago, yet in Alex's rush to get to the house, he hadn't listened carefully enough to the directions Jon had given him over the phone. Now, he was headed to 1121 Mayberry Lane; Jon was patiently waiting at 1121 Mayville Drive. When Alex got to the porch step he assumed was Jon's, he began impatiently pounding on the door. "I'm here! Let me in! It's cold outside!" Yet try as he might, the unoccupied house had no answer for his persistent pounding. "What kind of person would tell me to go somewhere, and not show up when I arrive? I thought I knew Jon better than this; he said to knock at the door.... well I'm here, I'm knocking. Jon, can't you hear me?"

Both these people came expectant to receive something; neither of these people did. So what went wrong?
Delane had not because she asked not. She came to the brink of what she knew, yet she never went the final step to knock on the Larson's door. Inside were wonderful things just waiting for her- if she had only asked. Instead, she gazed through the keyhole at the beautiful scene; she wanted it really badly, yet she just stood there, waiting for it to come to her. And when it didn't, she threw a pity party instead of doing what was required to enter.
Alex had a quite different experience. He was ready to do everything needed to get to that party; he stood at the door, he knocked, he pounded, and he pleaded. He was ready to do everything needed, except wait and take the time to listen. In his zeal to get to his end destination, he skipped over the part about figuring out where to go. He heard what he wanted to hear and ran with it. In the end, he received nothing but bitterness towards Jon for seemingly bringing him to a dead end, and loneliness because he had gone the wrong way.

Now, maybe you've figured it out, but these stories don't just have to do with getting to a party on time. Every day experiences directly correlate to the things of the spiritual realm. So let's review these situations once more- in our own lives.
God has a beautiful plan for our lives. He has wonderful treasures just waiting to be received; He prepares a daily meal for us without fail. He provides us with companionship and a place to rest in Him. Yet too many times, we approach His courts like Delane. We enter trepituously and tiptoe up to His door. And we sit and we sit and we sit, without ever receiving anything. Why is that? How about "you receive not because you ask not"? We know the promises that God has planned for us; oftentimes we are too busy looking through the keyhole and wondering why we are not in that room to do what is required to enter. Come before His throne with boldness- God has wondrous treasures in store for us when we walk in His will.
Others of us don't need to worry about boldly asking for our promises. We ask and we ask and we ask, yet we still don't receive anything. So where's the disconnect? Alex was too hurried and so confident that he could find his way to Jon's house, that he never waited for Jon. We need to wait upon the Lord and walk in His ways to get to where He is leading us. Don't get ahead of God; don't always assume that your way is the right way. "...neither are your ways My ways..." God lays out pretty clearly for us. We can only receive the blessings in store for us when we are following after Christ.

So what house are you at? Let's make sure to enter into His courts with praise.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Mathew 7:7-8
...yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2b
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
Come before the throne of God with boldness, in order to obtain His mercy and grace. Hebrews 4:16
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8
Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. Psalm 86:11
Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4

Abraham's Sacrifice

A while ago I wrote about the story of Abraham and Isaac from Isaac's point of view; the view of having such submission, obedience, and trust in those placed in authority over you that you would follow that person, even if it means to lay down your life. But this time, I wanted to talk about the more traditional perspective on this story; what was Abraham thinking?
Abraham stood on the promise that he would receive a son for 25 years. That's a long time to not lose faith in the fulfillment of what God has shown you! But after Isaac was born, you could imagine the joy that Abraham felt, holding his beloved and cherished son. I'm sure he loved every moment of that boy's life, watching him and teaching him in his relationship with their Lord. I'm sure he thanked God every day for His faithfulness in providing his only son.
Yet one day, God asked for the impossible. Now this isn't exactly verbatim from the scripture, but I always picture it a little like this. "Abraham, do you love me?" "Yes Lord, you know I love you." Abraham would have earnestly answered.
"Would you give your son back to me?" And that is where the testing began. Where did Abraham's true affections lie?
Everything that happens in the Old Testament has a correlation to the New Testament, and to our lives. It's not full of old fairy tales to shake our heads in disbelief at. God still is asking for our Isaacs. Where do your affections lie?
So Abraham had the strength in God to give up his only son. He had the courage to bind up his offspring and to lie him on the altar. I'm sure it felt like he was putting most of himself on that altar as well. Yet he carried on. He raised that knife, and at that moment, he passed the test. God knew that He had Abraham's all. God spared Isaac's life because of his father's faithfulness.
So do you have Abraham's heart? Do you give your Isaac to God every day? Do you have the courage to say, "God, I love you more. You're enough for me."?
Build your life up as an altar to God. Be willing to sacrifice your Isaac, because you never want anything between you and the Lord.
Make your prayer like that of the many prayers of the men counted as faithful to God. "Lord, my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.... Strengthen the hands that hang down... Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."

Genesis 22
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41b
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. Hebrews 12:12
Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! Mark 9:24b