The Lord is my banner (Isaiah 11;10)

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11; 10) 

pray.. 

In my country there are many people who believed in Buddhism. 

As Christian has bible and Islam has the Koran, 

Also Buddhism has their Scripture which is Sutras. 

In the Sutras, there is a story like this. 

When Buddha went to a town named Shidarim in India with his disciples 

They met a crying young widow 

So Buddha asked, “Why are you crying?” 

And she said “Teacher my only son just died, help me teacher” 

And Buddha said “You go to town, look for a house where nobody had died in that family and get some rice, cook it and give it to your son and he will live again.” 

So the young widow ran to town to get rice. 

But after dark she came back without rice 

And she said “Teacher, even I went around the town whole day 

I couldn’t find a house where nobody had died in that family.” 

And Buddha answered, 

“Sister, now you understand? Every man will die certainly in time. So do not sorrow too much. That’s  life.” 

In the bible we can find almost the same story 

Bible in Luke chapter 7; 11~17 

When Jesus went to a town named Nain with his Disciples 

They saw a person being carried out. 

The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow. 

When Jesus saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her and he said to her “Don’t cry.” Then Jesus went up and touched the coffin. And He said “young man, I say to you get up.” 

and the dead man sat up and began to talk 

Brothers and sisters 

There are similar story between the Bible and Sutras 

But the concluding remark is different. 

Buddha’s teaching is adapting circumstances into our life. 

But Jesus’ teaching is breaking circumstances into our life. 

Jesus brought his life back. 

Christianity is the religion of bringing to life 

Christianity is revival. 

Christianity is the religion of eternal life 

Bible says in Romans 4; 17 

"The God who gives life to dead" 

and Jesus says I am the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6) 

Praise the Lord 

Brothers and sisters 

It is Christmas season once again 

Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ who is our Lord 

Then why he came here in this world? 

What is the meaning of Christmas for us? 

Today’s passage it says 

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious” 

Here “in that day” means sacred birth of our Lord Jesus Christ 

and who is Jesse? Jesse is the father of David. 

In the Bible ,Mathew 1; 1 

There is a family tree of Jesus. It says  

“a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David.” 

It means Jesus is a descendant of David by human nature 

And when we continue to read today’s passage, it says 

“As a banner for the people” 

What is the meaning of banner?  It is an ensign, it is a flag. 

Banner for the peoples means Banner for the world, 

Banner for all nations 

That‘s the reason why Jesus came here in this world 

for all the people and for all the nations. 

But the important thing is even Jesus came here for all the people but not all people will be saved and receive his blessing. 

Even he came here for saving all the people 

If we do not believe in him as our savior we couldn’t be saved. 

Even you celebrate this Christmas day 

If we do not believe Jesus is our Lord. 

salvation and his Blessing is not ours 

So brothers and sisters 

Do you believe that he is your savior? 

Then you will be saved 

Jesus will become our banner in our life 

And then what is the meaning of Jesus is our banner? 

If you watch the Philippine Flag you feel patriotic right? 

The flag gives encouragement and bravery 

maybe you have watched in the movie or tv when the  soldier fight a battle, a strong soldier hold the flag and stand in front of their troops and go forward. 

When the soldier go forward they follow their flag  and fight but when they couldn’t see their flag anymore ,they are discouraged. 

That is why, the strongest soldier hold the flag 

Brothers and sisters 

Jesus is our banner, he is our flag. 

So if we focus on Jesus and go forward through our faith, 

We will have a victory and his blessing will come to us. Amen. 

Then Jesus banner is what kind of banner for us? 

1st banner of saving 

Jesus is the banner of saving.                

If we are to look at Jesus through faith, 

then we will be saved. 

In the Bible Numbers chapter 21 

We will see the bible story “the snakes made of bronze”. 

After exodus, the Israelites continue to complain against God and Moses. It made God angry, so God sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many Israelites were bitten and died so the people came to Moses and they supplicate God for mercy. 

So Moses prayed for the people 

Then God showed them the way of healing. 

God told Moses to make a metal snake and put it on a pole 

so that any one who was bitten could look at it and be healed. So Moses did it. 

And then some one who had been bitten, would look at the bronze snake through faith and be healed. 

Like this, if we look at Jesus through faith ,we will be saved 

shall we open the Bible in John3; 14~15 and someone will read? 

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so (in the same way) the son of man must be lifted up that every one who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

Brothers and sisters, 

Look at Jesus with your faith and you  will be saved. 

Look at Jesus with your faith 

then you will have an eternal life. 

Because Jesus is our savior. He is the banner of saving. 

And 2nd Banner of victory 

Jesus is the banner of victory 

so if we look at him through faith, 

we will have a victory 

even we have citizenship of the Kingdom of God, 

even we have ticket that is going to the kingdom of heaven, 

while we live here in this world 

we will be attacked by Satan. 

And be tempted through Satan. 

Bible says 

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”(1st Peter5;8) 

But Jesus is our captain, 

He wave a flag and gives us victory. 

If we just follow unto Jesus, the victory is ours. 

Bible says the son of God came here to destroy the devil’s work and he overcome this world and he gained victory, 

he brought suffering out on the cross 

He brought pain out when he crucified 

He brought sickness out when he shed his blood 

And he arose from the dead and now 

he guarantees the victory for us. 

Bible says in John 16; 33 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

So when we have trouble, do not be discouraged, 

look at  Jesus and pray to him 

then we will have  victory. 

Because Jesus is the banner of victory. 

in the Bible Exodus chapter 17 

Israelite fight the Amalekites And Israelite had a victory, 

then Moses made an altar to commemorate this victory and named it “the Lord is my banner”. 

Another word “Yaweh-nissi’ which means victory 

Brothers and sisters 

Do you believe that the Lord is our victory? 

Then Let us fix our eyes on Jesus 

let us focus our life onto him 

You know the story, When Jesus came walking out to the disciples on the water 

and some thought it was a ghost 

and they were afraid 

but Jesus Said "don’t be afraid it is me" 

And Peter said Jesus if that is you let come out on the water to you". Jesus said, "come" 

And Peter walked on the water, 

but when he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and waves crashing around him 

he began to sink. 

But as he began to sink Peter knew what to do, 

and who to look to for help, 

He looked up to Jesus, 

And Jesus reached down His powerful and loving hands and pulled Him up out the Stormy waves. 

Have you taken your eyes off Jesus, 

are the storms of life crashing around you, 

threatening to pull you under. 

Don’t wait until you go under all the way, 

look to Jesus NOW!, 

and He will reached down through The stormy waves OF YOUR LIFE, 

with his powerful and loving arms, and lift you up. 

When God tells Noah to build the ark, 

God told him only to put windows in the ceiling(not in the wall) of the ship, 

this was for the benefit of Noah’s family, 

this way they would not be able to look at the circumstances around them. You know Noah and his family lived in the ark for more than one year but they never saw(actually they can not see)what was happening around the ship. They could only look up through the window in the ceiling. 

they could only see heaven through the window 

so they could place their faith unto God. 

Brothers and sisters 

Let’s look at Jesus. 

Do not look at the circumstances that surround you. 

Then victory is ours because Jesus is our banner of victory. 

3rd banner of the mission 

Brothers and sisters 

Jesus wants all the people to be saved and victorious and be blessed. 

So we Christian should witness Jesus to others. 

Spread the Gospel, which is Jesus’ last commandment. 

****Jesus Christ sent in this world by the Father. Do you know that Jesus is the first missionary in this world? Like His Father sends him he send His disciples. Jesus says in the Bible (Jn20:21) “As my Father send me I send you.” 

Brothers and sisters every one who responded to his call to come is responsible to His command to go. We have to go together. No one excused. 

May be someone says “O I’m very busy. I don’t have time to do that. I think that obligation is for the pastors not me” But that is wrong. 

every true Christian is an evangelist. every true believer is missionary every true follower of Christ is a preacher 

therefore Everyone who receives the fullness of the Spirit is to be a witness in this world. 

Don’t be a shame to speak of the Gospel. Don’t feel that you are too young or too old to evangelize. And one thing more we have to tell the teaching of Christ by our deeds. This is important. You know even though you evangelize if your life style is the same with non-Christian, they will not follow you. 

Brothers and sisters I’d like all of you truly live and act Christian life. 

Do you believe that Jesus will come to this world again? Yes, Jesus will come back. Then when will Jesus come? Nobody knows. God has not told us when Jesus will come. Nobody knows the time but He is sure to come. 

PERO SIGURADO SIYANG DARATING 

Do you want Jesus to come to this world? 

Yes, He also wants to come to this world because that is his promise. 

You know He is seated at the right of the Father and waiting for that time. But the time is not yet. 

Shall we open the Bible in Matthew 24:14, “and this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world and then the end will come.” 

Now I’d like asking one more time when will Jesus will come? When the end will come? The answer is 1st, the Gospel must be preached to all nations to all people then Jesus will come. But Jesus cannot come now even he wants. Why Because the Gospel is not yet preached to the whole world. Still there’s lots of pagan in this world. 

In the Philippines we can listen to the Gospel in the radio and even we can watch. Also we can easily observe evangelizing in the market or in the park. But in some other countries, someone from birth to death has never heard about the Gospel. one of my fellow missionary in middle east country told me they even cannot pray in a public place (ex pray). 

It is so hard to save one soul. Some times it take years to evangelize even one people. 

in Vietnam Christian-they go to prison 

Brothers and sisters  

in this world 

One-forth of the world has never heard the name of Jesus. And another one-fourth has heard it but not enough to know how to be saved. 

Then the half of the world has had no genuine opportunity to receive Christ. 

Now I’d like to mention the most populated non-Christian country in the world. First is China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Thailand. 

Brothers and sisters If you check the world map, among the countries, the Philippines is seated at the middle. I mean that the Philippines is surrounded by those countries. Now, what does it means? 

I do believe that this country is truly blessed because Christians increase faster in this country. And for that reason, this country will export missionary to those countries. And I really think that is God’s purpose to your country (ex. English). 

Brothers and sisters spread Gospel is not yet finished. That is why Jesus cannot come this time. He is waiting now until the Gospel is preached in the whole world. 

So we all Christian have to practice in witnessing Jesus Christ to others because the lord is our banner of mission and that is his last command to us. 

Brothers and sisters 

Do you know what is the fastest animal on earth? 

It is the Cheetah; it can run faster than a car. 

When he see his prey( another animal for his food), it ran fast to catch it and even if there are better animals that comes along, it still focuses and concentrate on the same animal until he can get it. 

Brothers and sisters Let us be like the cheetah 

Let us focus our life to Jesus and no matter what comes along our way, we should not loose our focus unto Jesus. 

let us fix our eyes unto Jesus whatever is going on in our lives, our life will be victorious for his glory 

Because the Lord is our banner 

Merry Christmas and God bless you all 

pray....