The flag flies at half staff to honor those who have
died, specifically, for those who have died for us in the line of duty. Tomorrow morning, December 7th, marks a day
when thousands of our military died during the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It was 7:55 A.M. and Japanese planes dropped in, basically undetected, with new, shallow
running toredoes. They made two complete runs on the harbor and nearby airfield, before making off for the Philipines.
What Japan hoped would gut us and knock us out of involvement in World War II became a shockwave that ran throughout the country,
solidifying and uniting a great country, rousting it to war. The sleeping giant was indeed awakened.
On every battlefield of every conflict down through the years there are similar stories
of how heroes rose up and shed their blood for their people, but none so dramatic as that one lonely battlefield atop a hill
outside the city of Jerusalem. For it was there that Satan finally seemed to have the upper hand. He had tried
to get the people to quiet this Jesus up for so long and now, now it was going to happen. Or was it?
The nails pierced through our Lord's hands and feet. The crown of thorns was
like a string of nails hammered into His skull. Back bleeding, heart broken, hanging from the tree like a common criminal,
the crowds laughing at Him, His friends abandoning Him. Yes, this was the hour of victory for Satan. Or was it?
Just as Pearl Harbor woke up America to strike back, hard, long, without mercy, the
death of Jesus woke up a long forgotten prophecy. Yes Satan you shall bruise His heel, but He shall crush your head.
As Jesus looked down from the cross He didn't shout curses and scream out His innocence. To do so would have be the
ruin of all of us. Instead He prayed, do you believe it? He prayed, "Father forgive them; for they know not what
they do." And as my Lord hung there He spoke the most profound words ever spoken, "It is finished." When Jesus
said this, He was speaking to my heart and yours. He was announcing our victory in His death. At the same time,
I have to wonder, if Jesus wasn't staring the devil down, looking him square in the eye and saying, "That's right Satan, it
IS finished!" For with the death of Jesus the devil's reign of terror was loosened. Death lost its grip on not
just the Son of God, but all who put their trust in Him.
Here at "Fellowship of the Cross" we celebrate that moment of time and we celebrate
that other moment, the moment when God makes it real to our heart. For then we can also say with our Lord, "It is finished".
There on the ground, that holy ground, that spiritual battlefield lies the blood of
Jesus. It is a rememberance of all He has done for us and stands as a marker against the enemy. The enemy is warned
not to cross that line of blood. We also should not wander back over to the other side of that line. The only
safety we have is this side of the cross, this side of the blood, under the mercy of God.
In our lives the flag is raised at half staff in rememberance of all who have died
for us, but for none greater than Jesus. Let your light shine before men. Honor the Father by being conformed
into the image of His Son. If we should die, we die to self and live to God. If we live we live to fight for our
Lord. And as we fight our flag is never at half mast, but fully raised before our foe.
We come in the name and authority of Jesus the Son of the Living God. We come
under the power of His annointing and leadership of the Holy Spirit. We gladly shed our blood for those who would come
after us that they might know that wonderful relationship with God through Jesus that we have found here, at the foot of the
cross. We are an army rising from our knees to conquer the very scum of Hell, by the power of God.
