Rom. 8:29
A familiar slogan for young basketball lovers is “I wanna be like Mike.” Michael Jordan brought a new element to the game of basketball with his expertise and grace. His personality only enhanced his skill at the game. People all across the nation were charmed by him even when they did not like the team for which he played. The book of Acts tells us that something similar took place early in the history of the church. When the enemies of God called the believers “Christians” at the Antioch church they meant it to be a term of derision. The Christians, however, happily accepted the term with pride. “Christian” means “to be like Christ.” This is God’s will for us . . . that we be transformed into the image of His Son. (Rom. 8:29) That is the will of those who truly love Him. To be holy even as He is holy. (1 Pet 1:16) “I wanna be like Jesus.”
Dr. Gayle Woods
Exodus 17:9-16 (15)
Navy officer, Lt. Commander Mike Christian was one of the brave but unfortunate POW’s during the Vietnam war. One day he began to gather pieces of red and white cloth. He used a piece of bamboo to make a needle and laboriously sewed a United States flag on the inside of his blue prison shirt.
Each night the naval officer would take his shirt off and hang it on the wall. The prisoners would all stand proudly before it, salute and say the pledge of allegiance.
One day the guards happened to come into the prison cell as the prisoners recited the pledge. The flag was torn from the wall. The man without a shirt was the obvious culprit. Mike Christian was dragged from the cell and was beaten for hours.
Later after the prisoners were asleep, Mike set under the lone light bulb in the cell. Around him were the scraps of white and red cloth. He was again sewing an American flag into his shirt.
Following the battle against the Amalekites, Moses built an altar of allegiance. He named it Jehovah Nissi which means God is my banner. The altar symbolized his allegiance but in reality we need no artificial remembrance. God alone is our banner. It is under His standard that we live and move and have our being.
Dr. Gayle Woods
