​Many people ask why some Christians worship with flags.  Is it Biblical they ask?  Although the word flag is not in scripture, the word banner or standard is found several times in scripture.
Much like our flags today from many countries or states, the people of Israel had a banner that marked the territory where they lived.  Other people had banners that marked what tribe, kingdom or country they belonged to.  These banners were carried into battle when fighting their enemies.  The Israelites often sent their worshipers out before their army of warriors, to give praise and honor to God before the battle.  God responded by helping them win the battle.  That tells me that worship and banners (flags) goes together for intersession and warfare. 

The Israelites also danced in celebration with veils, tambourines and musical instruments.  Perhaps banners were also used to celebrate what God had done for them and for victories in battle.  This is much like how we worship with flags today.
In Joshua 17:8-16, after an attack by the Amalekites on the Israelites, Moses ordered Joshua to gather an army and go fight the Amalekites.  The next day Moses, along with Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill and raised the staff of God in his hands.  As long as Moses held up his hands the Israelites were winning.  When Moses grew tired and he let down his hands the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses grew tired, Aaron and Hur held up his arms.  So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then,  (vs.  15) Moses built an alter and called it "The Lord Is My Banner."  (vs.16) He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.”  Jesus was sometimes referred to as our “Standard” or “Banner.”
I believe that the heavens respond to the flags/banners as well as the music we offer to the Lord.  God is the Creator and loves colors, movement and music.  We are to worship God in spirit and truth.  We should offer all of our gifts up to God as worship.  I do not dance very well, but I can use my flags to dance for me.    

Website - Find her blog here for more! 
https://www.judijordanfineart.com/blog
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I am mostly a self-taught artist, but had always dreamed of being a professional artist.
Life's journey prevented me from receiving the art training I had hoped for, but I studied and experimented on my own.  The journey took away my art for 20 years, but God restored my art for his purposes.
My art is mostly Christian prophetic art, though I had little understanding of the meaning when I began painting this art twelve years ago.  The Lord reminded me a few years later, that as a child he had spoken to me that I would one day paint prophecy.  I am most inspired to paint the art God gives me and that is where my passion lies.
Find Judi Jordan here:
Instagram:  @judijordanart
Facebook:  @judi.jordan.391
Email:  judijordanfineart@gmail.com
Website:  judijordanfineart.com

Summer is great, I love it. It was once my absolute favorite season, but now I’ve moved more towards loving Fall, mostly because I’m not as tolerant of the heat as I use to be. But, still, summer is oh so nice.

My daughter finished up her sophomore year. My son got a new job. We moved closer to our adult children. We all survived Covid. I moved to a new office. Our puppy is almost 10 months old but looks five years old. (he’s super big)
We’ve pulled out our bikes and been riding almost every evening down by the lake. My husband has decided to eat healthier and has a salad almost every day. (Miracles do happen!) My books are selling. I was blessed to do a workshop in TX. Life is good!

I think about all these things when I start to feel a little stressed about other things. Things like the state of our country, the price of gas, the price of groceries, the future for my grandchildren, taxes, our freedom of speech.

I know I have needed some encouragement from time to time as I watch some of the surprising changes right in front of my eyes. I need to remember that God will always provide for his children. God will be there to uplift and encourage. He is faithful to comfort. He is faithful to give strength. God will send the community of people that I need.
I know these things because He is good. His love for me is beyond all that I can imagine. He pursues me in such a way that with each day I am more and more rooted in him. He empowers me to move forward through every circumstance.

He strengthens me to be authentic about my life and he always reminds me that I am loved.
God is REAL, and in turn so am I and so are you. The more we lean on him, surrender to his way, and allow him to root us in himself, we have the strength to rise up and live in freedom no matter what the circumstance.

“For God, the Faithful One, is not unfair. How can he forget the beautiful work you have done for him? He remembers the love you demonstrate as you continually serve his beloved ones for the glory of his name.” Hebrews 6:10 (TPT)

He is the Faithful One. He remembers our love. In good times and hard times, He is always faithful to his children. He is with us to “passionately advance until the end and you find your hope fulfilled.” Hebrews 6:11

I recently traveled to TX to attend a retreat. I was honored to give a workshop at the retreat. God rewarded me with the presence of Holy Spirit soaking each woman during the workshop with deep revelations. He was so faithful.
For me, it was another sign of him advancing me to the hope he installed within my heart many years ago. He was using me to bless others and to advance them through the difficulties of their lives. He was using me to bring them closer to being REAL-
Rooted.Empowered.Authentic.Loved.

Today, as I was interviewed for an upcoming show, he again reminded me of his faithfulness. I used to believe that I was alone in my struggles. But as the interviewer and I shared stories we both realized how similar they were. He empowered me to share and be authentic. He brought me into community with someone else that walked through similar struggles. He is so faithful.

My book I AM REAL shares my story of overcoming the pain of abuse and PTSD. My devotional GET REAL guides you through steps of being Rooted, Empowered, Authentic, and Loved.

Because of my journey and the immense faithfulness of God I claim this for myself:
“And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time-an unshakeable hope! “ Hebrews 6:18

Do you ever feel like you're behind or out of sync with the Lord?  Like maybe you've missed something?  It can feel anxious, frustrating.  Or you keep having a concern that you're not doing something to bring you closer to Jesus?

I know I have.  In fact, I will say that record has played off and on for many years.  And there are times that I start to believe it, especially when I am tired, working hard, distracted, and especially that one - distracted

David is saying here in Psalms that it's in the rest.  We find Him in the rest.  And oh, how hard that can be when the anxious fretting begins or when we're busy being busy. 

We're reminded here twice, "Wait on the Lord," and there's a reason.  It takes courage to wait, faith but definitely trust.  Courage to trust and wait that the Lord will meet us even when we are frustrated with ourselves, disappointed with our own actions.

Some of the conversations that I have with the Lord look like this:  "Lord, I just want to hear you and see you, and flow with you.  Why can't I be still?  Why are my thoughts going so fast?"  And my mind goes to all the things going on with business, gardening, work that needs to be done, and again, I feel frustrated.  Then suddenly, I hear Him.  I came to a place to wait and be still and He met me there, even when I was bombarded with thoughts. 

He reminds me that He is in me, and I am in Him, and anything else is just an illusion or a lie.  He is always with me.  He loves to spend time with me, and is not frustrated with me, as I get frustrated with myself at times.

When we wait on the Lord we are strengthened, our thinking clears and we fill our joy spring up.  It's not even on our own effort either.  As we wait - He works.  He does the restoring and strengthening.  It's so worth it.  Just wait.

Is there something God has promised you, but you have not yet seen it come to fruition? Have you felt close to giving up on his promise? Or doubt what you heard?
The timing of God is such a mystery to me. I’ve seen him work in the lives of others and in myself over and over again, but usually his timing of that work is very different than what I imagined.

In this Psalm, David is sure that God gives ALL that is asked for. He knows that God brings victory, listens, and saves. I think he also knows that sometimes we have to wait for those things to happen. We must believe that the hand of God is mighty, the mightiest of all, and he will absolutely use it in our behalf!

I feel like our country needs the work of God’s mighty hand. When I see everything that is happening all over our nation, I hear God say, “Do not despair!”  When I pray for his mighty hand to manifest across our nation, I hear him tenderly reassure me that his work and his love for us is abundant and he will expose all truth through his mighty hand.  He will!

I lean on this promise often. Not only for myself, but for my children and grandchildren. When I see the rampant lies that flourish in our country, I sometimes fear for them. This is when I have to continually go back to the promise of God and believe that he absolutely will give victory to his children.

The issue of identity is especially concerning and controversial. Young children are struggling with their gender and making life changing decisions. They are grasping for guidance and truth. The enemy continues to feed us lies about who God is and who we are.

God bring your mighty hand upon the hearts of your people and lead us to your heart!

I am saddened by the impact on our children. The heartbreak of the issues our children face today is astounding. Yet, God tells us to not be in a place of despair, but to believe that He will bring victory. Victory over identity. Victory over loss. Victory over every lie. Victory over child trafficking. Victory over immigration.  Victory in our schools. Victory in places we do not even recognize.  Victory in our leadership. Victory in relationships. Victory for our constitution.  Victory over fear.  Victory!

Courage is ours, and as I struggle with some of the places our country stands, and the issues our children face, I am praying for courage to speak out, speak up, and speak in love. Courage to believe that whatever happens, the mighty hand of God will intervene and give me all that I need; what are you praying for?

We are so blessed, each one of us.  We woke up this morning, we took breath in our lungs and we said, "Thank you God, that you have given me this day."  What a faithful God we serve, that HE is always good.
He keeps everyone of his words, and He cannot lie.  Not only does He care about you, He cares about your children, and your children's children and their children and so on.

How have you experienced His faithfulness?  I'll share just one of mine.
Many years ago, I was experiencing one of those times (and I've had more than you know) where there was as they say, "More month than there was dollars."  But I knew that the Lord was going to take care of me.  He has always, and has never stopped.  When I was at church, I asked someone to pray with me over my finances, asking the Lord to meet those needs.  And then I let it go, but just kept waiting.  My rent was due, and I was exactly $37 short. 
The day I had to pay rent, I headed to the mailbox and kept thanking the Lord for what I needed.  Do you know what I found?  There was a money order that was addressed to me, no return address and no way for me to know who it was from, but it was for exactly $37.00.  This is a true story.  I was absolutely dumbfounded.  I was able to pay all my rent that day, and God has never ever failed to meet my needs.
Does that mean I don't need to ask Him?  No, I do ask but I thank Him because I already know He knows my every need before I can ask.

I'd like to challenge you to take the time today to remember and even write down and journal how the Lord has blessed you.  Bless Him, Praise Him.

This is such an important verse.  All God's promises - He keeps them.  HE is trustworthy, and never fails us. 

What a powerful reminder though - that God is our refuge, and how we prepare before the storms of life.  In that storm, we praise Him.  What a massively amazing God we have.  The devil is a father of lies, and he will try to overwhelm you. 
It's no secret what our world is going through right now.  Every country around the world is standing for freedoms, like never before.  But you know what isn't so popular on all the news stations - revival.

The believers in Jesus across the globe are being stirred like never before to draw close to Jesus - and to praise Him, give God glory!  Have you seen worship revival happening in the public places? 

Just remember, the word of God says the dark will get darker, BUT the light will get brighter!! Be bright!  Shine bright, and hold to what is true.  The Lord has you, and you are completely set in Him.  There is no separation between us.  It's an illusion to say that there is a separation between us and the Lord, no matter what has happened in our lives.  And just as a loving father, He runs to us and embraces us.  He is generous and gracious and kind.  He is strong and sure, and trustworthy.  He keeps every word.  He calls your name, and is drawing you to Him!
Praise Him in the storm!

​​​​Watercolor artist, author, community builder, wife, lover of plants and the outdoors, daughter of the King of Kings. 
​She is a community builder on Instagram @communityofchristiancreatives and continues her artwork at @mistyleacreations.  Her book Love Letters of Jesus, which can be found on most online stores and her website, is the story about how God healed her of severe childhood diseases and is a testimony to God's goodness through the struggles.

On more than one occasion I have posed the question to God: “What is happening in our country right now?” I heard a pastor from California talking yesterday about the value of our beliefs, the extreme importance of supporting our country, the great need for calm throughout our land. I agree.

I remember as a child and even as an adult standing with my hand over my heart and saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.”

Whatever happens, we must learn to stand together, INDIVISABLE.
We have a choice.  I choose to pray for unity. I choose to live love. I choose to trust that our country is in the hands of God, forever and always.

As a Christian, I want unity, love, and joy to be something His Bride is recognized for. We have a responsibility to be faithful at all times. Faithful to God and to each other. We can pledge to pray over our country in such a way that unity, justice, liberty and love flows from our lips. We can stand strong in adversity; we can live a life of grace.
We can pray for passion that unifies us and supports the welfare of the Body of Christ. The kind of passion that shines light in every dark space.

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heaves, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
Daniel 12:3 NIV

We are the Light of the world in a dark culture. Keep shining!
We are called to be a people that can be trusted as we work together for the Lord Jesus. When we allow our integrity as the Bride of Christ to slip, and the ability to be trusted is lost, we no longer shine. We are no longer united and free under God. Pledge to walk your talk and live by example.

“One nation under God IDIVISIBLE” How will we accomplish such a huge feat as this? Let me suggest that if each of us practices a little selflessness, we will be well on our way.  While we are practicing this, I invite you to fully surrender to the living Jesus Christ, for with Him unity will come at a much faster rate. Not just unity in our country and communities, but unity within our own hearts.

In conclusion, I pledge to live in liberty and justice for all.
Liberty: freedom of choice
Justice: the quality of being fair and reasonable.

​I choose Light. I choose joy. I choose to see the perspective of others. I choose to be trustworthy. I choose to surrender to the will of God. I choose to be fair and reasonable in all my dealings.
This I pledge for the good of my country!

​I love the image of Jesus in the heavenly courts when the enemy of my soul brings a case before him. The enemy is passionately accusing me of my many faults, he drags the case on as if he must say at least one more thing to fully convince the Holy One. Then, Jesus grabs his gavel and loudly hits the desk in front of him, his voice rings throughout the court as he pronounces: “Case closed!” The enemy shirks away defeated before there was even a chance to protest.

When the voice of condemnation races through your mind; it is a sure thing that the enemy is saying way too much. Remind yourself that your case is closed; it is GONE because of the blood of Jesus. Nothing could be more definite!
The law of the Spirit of life has liberated us from sin and death. Jesus was the sin offering so that sin could once and for all be conquered. Yes!

Now, we have the freedom to live by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit, and that is a lot of power. When we live by the Spirit we are motivated to pursue spiritual realities. What are spiritual realities? Christ in you. Christ empowerment. Resurrection power. Acceptance. Abundant life. Freedom. Death to sin, and so on.

I think we forget sometimes the gift we have, the immense freedom of Spirit life, and the hope it offers. Just imagine if we were to all live out this truth every single day. 

“Now Christ lives in you! And even though your body may be dead because of the effects of sin, his life-giving Spirit imparts life to you because you are fully accepted by God. Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!” Romans 8:10-11

So friends, when you hear that accusing voice of the enemy and you feel like there is no way out, remember that you have that resurrection power deep inside of you, and the King of Kings is saying: “So now the case is closed!”

The enemy has no claim over you—none at all. Do not allow the spirit of religious duty to tell you that you are not enough, for the Holy God of all has proclaimed otherwise. He fully accepts you, enfolds you, and brings you into his family. You are not an orphan, his Spirit joins with our spirit and we hear him say that we are his beloved, his true treasure, heirs of his kingdom.

We can live unveiled, that is to say, we can live with his glory magnified within us. The Holy Spirit is there to empower us in our weakness. He rises up within us and intercedes on our behalf.
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God is determined to stand with us. This means that we can stand against anything that tries to destroy us. We can stomp out the condemning voice that lies about who we are. We can move in love and win the battles that face us each day. God stands with you through it all, and there is nothing that can separate you from the love he has for you. Nothing! His passionate love is lavished upon us through Jesus, and there is no case against us. Amen!

Let your faith grow that you’ll be able to overcome any mountain you’re facing right now. Difficulties and failures can easily lead us into hopelessness. However, faith is the key to turn things around. Here’s how to grow your faith and change the course of your life for the better.
 
It’s easy to lose hope when we’re faced with overwhelming trials. This is where the faith becomes very important. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here and there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
 
Are you facing a difficult situation right? Does it feel insurmountable for your own capacity? This is where your faith in God will be put to the test. Unfortunately, most people fail to see the bigger picture. That’s because when we’re faced with difficulties, we try to solve everything on our own.

This is called “PRIDE.” Often, when our strength and resources are drained, that’s when we kneel down and call out to God. And this is the right thing to do. There are times when we need to take a step back and let God enter into our situation to change it. 

​One of God’s many promises that I hold dearly is from Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
 
If we rely on our own we’ll realize soon enough that it’s not enough. No matter how much money you have or how strong you are physically, it won’t last long. But if we set our eyes on our ‘Maker’ we’ll know that his love and power has no boundaries. And oftentimes, his plan is better than our own. We just need to trust him for after all, His plan is to prosper us and give as a great future, Jeremiah 29:11.
 
Have you set your eyes on Jesus? Will you trust him to lead you?
 
If yes, it’s time to grow your faith and lead a better life today. Here are five reasons why you need to grow your faith and let God do miracles in your life. 

​1.    Faith leads to abundance
 
The mind is very powerful. If used for good, it offers tremendous power. It can change a lot of things for the better. On the other hand, it can cause grave pain if abused. During times of troubles, our tendency is to lose hope or lean towards becoming negative.
 
But faith is the key towards changing your situation. In fact, it can be the door to abundance. When you’re facing failure and everything seems to fall off, faith is the glue that puts everything in its place. If you lose too much, faith can replenish abundance in your heart, spirit and mind.
 
If you focus too much on what was lost in your life, you’ll feel depressed and hopeless. However, if you focus on the source of life, you’ll find new hope and strength to start over again and come out stronger.
 
Did you notice that whenever you focus on your problems, more problems seem to come your way. But when you focus on the good side, you’ll become more positive and seek out new solutions to solve your problems. This is what faith is. It helps you move from a state of lack to a whole new state of new possibilities.
 
Train your mind to have faith. To set your eyes on the creator of the universe. That’s how you attract good things because you believe in good things that are coming your way. And God the source of life himself we see to it that you’re living in abundance and peace.
 
2.    Struggles make you stronger
 
There’s a saying that says, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It’s true in every sense of the word. In fact, there's a man in the Bible who’s name is Job. He was a righteous man and he has great faith in God. However, one day the devil visited God and placed Job’s faith to a test.
 
The devil said that ob was only faithful because he’s living a blessed life. He has money, land, popularity, and a great family. The devil proposed that if some of these things were taken away from him, his faith would surely wane. He even told God that Job would curse God if he’s placed into such a situation.
 
God took some things off of Job’s life. He lost all that he had worked so hard for so many years. His livestock, family, friends, money, and even his health. His wife even told him to curse God. However, even in such pain and loss, Job remained faithful to God.
 
Afterwards, God took the test off of Job and he restored everything that was lost. God gave him his health, family and his worldly wealth. In fact, God multiplied his blessings many times over. The great lesson, struggles will make you stronger and better. Just make sure to remain in faith no matter how bad the situation may seem.
 
Just like Job, God will definitely turn the tides and will create blessings in your life that surpasses even your wildest imagination. Times may be bad for you right now, but never lose faith. God will soon turn the tides for the better,
 
3.    Faith will lead you to your life’s purpose
 
When faced with great difficulty, there are times when we try to question everything including our existence. But despite the trials and tribulations, faith is our way to reach out to God. the truth is, faith leads us to our life’s purpose.  It points us into the right direction.
 
While this doesn’t happen overnight and the process can be rough we must endure the test and press on. They say, “it gets harder before it gets better” holds so much truth. In fact, each day we feel we’re being broken until we find the strength to make it through. That strength can only come from your faith.
 
Your life is easier if you have faith. It’s your guiding light that will lead you to discover your purpose in life.
 
4.    Faith eliminates fear, stress and anxiety
 
Fear, stress and anxiety can overcome our life if we don’t have faith. There are times when we’re overwhelmed with too many worries and it manifests into a stressful situation. This causes so much trouble in our mind and could lead to physical pains.
 
The truth is, there are sickness and diseases related to stress. Don’t let your mind go unchecked. Instead make sure that your faith is strong to keep these poisons at bay. Even when there seems to be no reason to believe that things will turn for the better, it’s faith that will help you get over it.
 
If you hold on to God in faith, your situation will improve. While there’s chaos outside, faith in God will give you inner peace. This is the greatest thing. In Psalm 91, God promised that he will take care of you no matter how dire your situation is. Trust God enough to make him your refuge and fortress.
 
5.    Faith will help you find solution
 
Faith is the path to finding the best solution in life. You need to remember that God designed us to thrive and not just to survive. The path that leads to the solution to our life’s problems is steeped in faith. Faith will lead you to expect great things to come in your life.
 
Despite the hardship you’re facing right now, your faith will help you overcome it. You must accept this and expect that God has stored great things to come. And they will come in God’s perfect time. However, never stop searching for the answer to resolve your situation.
 
If you really want something, be strong enough to believe that you can achieve it. Your faith will help you see through it. Have a persistent heart, never give up on your hope and dreams because of the setbacks you’re facing right now.
 
Learn to lean on your faith and you’ll soon realize that having unwavering faith is essential for overcoming anything in life. 

​The Book of Romans has me completely enthralled—again! Each time I read this book, I am left in awe and amazement. And, each time I learn something new and exciting. Do you know of any other book such as this?
In chapter five, Paul really wants us to understand that the magnitude of the gift far outweighs the crime!  How many times have you been caught up in guilt, shame, condemnation, hopelessness, depression, etc all because you did something you shouldn’t have done? Let me be the first to raise my hand!

​A couple weeks ago I went on a road trip with some girlfriends. One evening we sat together in the cozy living room and played “never have I ever”  For the most part, everyone in the group was able to say “never have I ever”  but, there were a few times that I was the one sheepishly raising my hand, and also laughing! There are a lot of things that I feel marked my past, but now as I have learned to know Jesus as my friend and to trust His redeeming resurrection in my life, I can be open about those things and even laugh over the journey. Never have I ever felt so in love with Jesus!

Sin is gripping without the grace of Jesus. Sin pushes us down into a miserable state of mind and insists that we live with death hanging over us. Sin wants to control our thoughts, actions, and motives.
Thank God for His ever- giving gift of grace. Thank God that never did He ever consider leaving us in the claws of death!

Now, there is no comparison between Adam’s transgression and the gracious gift that we experience. For the magnitude of the gift far outweighs the crime. It’s true that many died because of one man’s transgression, but how much greater will God’s grace and his gracious gift of acceptance overflow to many because of what one Man, Jesus, the Messiah, did for us! (Verse 15, TPT)
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NOW is the perfect time to say: “Never have I ever seen such an amazing gift!” For the gift God has given us is much greater that the grip of sin. We don’t have to allow death to reign over us, for when Jesus died on the Cross he died to eliminate that sin from its power over you.
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As the song says “If the stars were made to worship so will I. I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made, every burning star a signal fire of grace. If creation sings your praises so will I.”
Today is a great day to tell yourself that because the gift is so much greater than the crime you will never ever stop praising the God that gives it continually!