A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


July 13, 2020

The Lord Is My Banner

    
     I'm in a contemplative mood today. And as insignificant as it may seem, I have been struggling over whether to change the name of this blog. Salvation and Survival certainly had a specific meaning when I wrote my first post on December 5, 2011. I began writing to encourage women who were fearful; to inspire them to walk in their identity in Christ; to strengthen their faith in times of dread and panic. At that time, I was focused on the confusion and calamity I saw occurring in my beloved home country, the United States, and around the world.
     We were still striving to recover from the fallout of the financial crash in 2008, along with civil unrest caused by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Our economic fortunes took another turn for the worse as the U.S. credit rating was downgraded for the first time, and unemployment soared. The world experienced the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Arab Spring, and increased terror attacks, including the killing of 77 at a youth leadership camp in Oslo, Norway.
      I knew from my conversations with friends and family that women were feeling that their security was in jeopardy. I wanted to share ways in which they could begin preparing for "hard times", while ultimately pointing them to Jesus. I wanted to show them that their security was in Jesus and their salvation was a stalwart  anchor in the midst of the coming storm. I wanted them to know that both Salvation and Survival were possible as we watched our world careening out of our control.
     There have been times throughout the last nine years that I wasn't sure I had anything more to say, and I would ask the Lord if it was time to quit writing this blog. But you know what? This blog has never been about me expressing what I had to say; it's always been about what God wanted to say through me. And He has a lot to say that He wants imparted to those with "ears to hear". So, I keep writing. After all, it was in 2008 that a man I met [only once] made a profound impact on my life. He told me that he had a word from the Lord for me ... Be the pen, not the blank piece of paper. And I know part of my assignment in this world is to write for my Lord.
     But wanting to do it to the best of my abilities, I now find myself questioning if the title of this blog reflects the growth of my assignment. I know it sounds like a mundane consideration, but I never want to misrepresent the Lord. I have completed my task of alerting people to think about food storage, and sustainable living, and self-protection --which fulfilled the Survival purpose of this blog. And the Lord showed me that while my Salvation message should always be a priority, He wanted me to expand it to point to the Gospel of the Kingdom, which was Jesus's priority (Luke 4:43 and Matthew 24:14). Shouldn't my blog title reflect this enlargement of my assignment?
     After doing some initial research and discovering that changing the url of this site could mean that all the previous posts could be lost and anyone looking for me under the original name might not be re-directed or able to locate the new site, I felt I would just have to live with what I felt was an obscure and ambiguous title. That is, until I expressed my concern to my insightful husband.
     Mark said, first of all, it wasn't worth losing all that I've written over the last nine years, but more importantly, he felt Salvation and Survival was still applicable to the new territory we are plowing. In fact, what we face in the world today makes 2011 look like a walk in the park! A weaponized virus is affecting the entire world and has transformed this nation into something I hardly recognize. Fear is more rampant than I've seen it since 2001. The Enemy has blinded people with deception and lies, and just as Jesus said, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). Notice that He said most, not many!
     And I'd like to address another point ... there are days when I'm writing what the Holy Spirit has put on my heart, that my soul worries my message is too often negative. By that I mean that like many of my fellow Christians, I am not expecting a worldwide revival. Instead, I see the remnant stepping into position to be able to speak into Believers who will lose heart (and even their faith!) when the AntiChrist unleashes his plans upon the unsuspecting. I try to infuse my posts with the encouragement to persevere and endure as we abide in Christ. That is what He is telling me, and it is what the Word says will happen! I identify with a good friend of mine, whose spirit hears clearly and undeniably from the Lord, that we know how the prophet Jeremiah felt. I don't want to be delivering gloom and doom, but I also cannot dismiss or misrepresent the Lord's exhortation. I write, not in defeatism, but to embolden you to walk in the power and love of Christ!
     So, Mark has helped to show me that the banner for this blog is still appropriately called Salvation and Survival -- Salvation is the entry point into the Kingdom according to John 3:5, and we will need to rely on our Kingdom citizenship; our power; and our authority for Survival during this time and the coming persecution. In fact, entering into the Kingdom of God is the only way we will survive.
     God never changes and neither has His purpose for this blog. We are in a battle, Christians! And the Lord is our banner! In ancient times, a banner was not a flag, as we consider it today, but was often a pole with a bright, shining ornament or standard on it that the warriors could focus on. We are to be valiant warriors and put on the full armor of God and serve on the battlefront! The Enemy is bringing the battle to us, whether we want it or not! But under the Lord's banner, our victory is assured. And I must tell you, that apart from it, defeat will be a certainty.
     This may be a new position for some of you, if not most of you. But, you need to understand that we are all in a new position. We are not going back to our comfortable, safe lives. Is it scary to find yourself being moved into a new position? You bet it is!  But you have two choices. You can either retreat into the false cocoon of your safe system (whether it be your national identity, your church, your family, or the recesses of your mind) and fail to get on the battlefield; OR you can accept your place in God's army, under the protection of His banner, and get in the fight to defeat Satan's kingdom of darkness and re-establish God's Kingdom on earth. Do not be afraid! Focus on His banner and we will be victorious!

Psalm 20:5-6     We will sing joyously over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.  Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.
      
    

6 comments:

  1. The name Salvation and Survival: Salvation immediately lets me know that this is a Christian blog and I can be safe in what I will be reading that somehow is a safe haven for one who wants to keep the eyes from a diluted, deceptive blog. There are plenty of those already. Survival reminds me of militant, calculated defense to be on guard, tools for how to maneuver around the warfare that is around us. Thank you Mark for reminding Pam. Keep the NAME, there is still more to write, even if you are being squeezed to get the Fresh oil out, the Fresh wine out. You know what I mean. Blessings!

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    1. Thank you for the encouragement! I know you hear from the Lord and it is just reconfirms what I am also hearing in my spirit. Salvation and Survival will continue as long as the Lord wills it!

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    1. I appreciate it! Love hearing that the word I received is welcomed in your heart!

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  3. The weeds or tares are so much more adept at infiltrating. The wheat by its very applied and purposeful existence is passive.The very fact that tares must "infiltrate" lends credence to my illustration. Satan is doing this now with leftist ,marxist and communist. They are infiltrators, they're never afraid to work together and they actively pursue their intentions with organized fervor. Can we say the same thing for conservatives, people on the right or christians? Your point is well made, but if the church continues to slumber then it will take Yeshua coming back to do the hard work; and the church has failed its mission. I lay this at the feet of pastors first and foremost but ultimately every believer has no one to blame because they could read the Bible and get the plan and mission tactics directly from God. Hosea 4:6 is in play!

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    1. Absolutely! The "weeds" have been sown into our existence since the very beginning of time... Satan "infiltrated" the garden and hasn't stopped trying to pervert and corrupt God's plan ever since. And I agree that it is ultimately every Christian's responsibility to read the Word and develop their personal and intimate relationship with Jesus, whereby they will be able to discern what He reveals in His Word. Relying on other men to interpret it for them is a cop-out. That being said, God bless the Messengers and Pastors and Apostles and Teachers who try to encourage Christians to study and read and seek Jesus and His Gospel of the Kingdom! Their inheritance will be great in the Kingdom!

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