Hebrews 13:14-16 (NLT)… For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
My favorite movie franchise is Star Wars, hands down. But I have bunch of favorite movies I watch over and over. One of them is the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Johnny Depp’s character, Jack Sparrow, is one of the best of all time; he never breaks from the accent or the character in all four movies. Not my ideal pirate, but a very funny, whimsical take on one who has had too much rum, too much revelry and more adventure than one pirate can pack into a lifetime. In the movies, when the pirates are preparing to go to war, they yell out, “hoist the colors” and someone on the ship runs the jolly roger flag up the main mast of the ship and the attack begins.
I wonder what colors the church would hoist if we were called into action? Shouldn’t the church be in a state of perpetual action? Shouldn’t we be “hoisting the colors” everyday?
We’ve just endured one of the toughest years ever… a pandemic, a political season like no other and the pain of a country dying and divided. Along the way, it seems as though the “church in America” has decided that our colors are red, white and blue. Now, I would be the first when to tell you that I am grateful and thankful for the freedoms we have living in this great country of our, and I am thankful for the brave men and women who defend and fight for the cause of freedom to keep us safe and free. But, our colors are not red, white and blue. Our allegiance as the “body of Christ” is not to our nation, but to our King who sits on the throne of His Kingdom which we are to be advancing and growing for His glory. We are allegiant to His name and His name alone; Jesus Christ is His name!
Check your blood pressure and search your heart; more importantly, search the scriptures. We pledge our allegiance to Jesus and His kingdom come.
It’s time for the church to “hoist the colors”… a battle rages on (not the left or the right battle) and we are dangerously close to being missing in action!
The colors we fly are red and white… Red for the blood of Jesus he shed on the cross for each of us, to defeat sin and selfishness in each one of us. Red for the fire of passion the Holy Spirit needs to give us to love others and serve them in their time of need. Red for the Holy Spirit which guides and directs our every move.
White for the cleaning we receive when Jesus becomes Lord of our lives. White for the flag of surrender as we give our lives to Jesus in service to His kingdom. White as a symbol of royalty for a King who lives and reigns forever.
Hoist the colors, and let’s march into the world, not in protest or in anger or with deception in our hearts. Let’s march into the world in surrender to the One we love, serving others in love and trusting that our simple acts of grace and humility will be enough to change people wherever the journey takes us. Hoist the colors!