Jehovah Nissi – The Lord Is My Banner
5-25-25
Exodus 17:8–16 (NIV) 8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
I. Tomorrow, we as a country will celebrate Memorial Day.
It’s a day where there is no school, a non-work day, with picnics, barbecues, and a day off. Memorial Day is also the Unofficial beginning of summer.
The Original Meaning or Purpose of Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) is to Remember the soldiers who died in the Civil War.
After World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to honor all American Soldiers who died in war, to remember soldiers who died so that we can have a free country.
Remembering past victories keeps us moving forward.
This is how we pass values on from one generation to the next.
We have a human need to remember where we have been, so we can know where we are going.
Pastor Saul Garcia said,
No History, no divine perspective (Can not see as God sees).
No History, no identity (Do not know who you are).
No History, no understanding of the present.
No History, no direction for the future.
II. Let’s also remember the good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
They paved the way for us to be Christians.
Abraham
Moses
Joshua
David
Peter and the Disciples
Apostle Paul
Let’s remember the Trailblazers of Victory Outreach Intl.
We must honor our Legacy so that we can continue to trail-blaze the future.
David Wilkerson
Nicky Cruz
Founder Sonny Arguinzoni, The Believers Club.
Elder Ed Morales
Elder Steve Pineda
Pastor Gilbert Alcala
Most importantly, we must Remember Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Romans 5:8 (ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4:9–10 (NLT) 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
III. As Christians, we are called to be soldiers in God’s Army.
2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
We are in a Spiritual Battle
This Battle with the Amalekites illustrates:
-The spiritual warfare that the Church, Christians are in.
-The spiritual journey the Church, Christians experience.
At the Red Sea, the Israelites were delivered from Slavery and bondage in Egypt.
-They did not have to fight.
-They did not have to take up and use any weapon.
-God fought their battle.
Exodus 14:13–14 (NIV) 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Jesus won our salvation all by Himself.
He did not need our help.
In fact, we could not help ourselves.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
John 1:12–13 (ESV) 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Now at Rephidim, they had to take Weapons and Fight.
As Christians, we are already free from sin.
We have salvation.
Now we must fight:
-To Defend ourselves.
-For the Glory of God.
(We make God look bad when we backslide, compromise)
-For our Salvation:
Charles Spurgeon said, “We have to fight not as slaves against a master, but as freemen against a foe.”
As Christians, we are soldiers in God’s Army.
2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Work out your salvation:
Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV) 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Satan is our Defeated enemy:
Colossians 2:14–15 (NLT) 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
But Satan has not surrendered yet.
Ephesians 6:10–13 (NIV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
We still must fight temptation.
We still must Fight Complacency.
We still must Continue the work of spreading the Gospel.
This is the first battle that Israel faced.
They had just escaped slavery in Egypt.
They travelled with women, children, herds, and all their possessions.
They were an inexperienced army.
They had untrained soldiers and commanders.
They were overmatched by the Amalekite Army.
But, They had something No other nation had:
A pillar of fire by night, A pillar of cloud by day.
The very presence of God.
They had God to help fight their battles.
Jehovah Nissi: the Lord is my Banner, My Standard, My Victory
1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can experience physical and spiritual victory with the Lord’s banner waving over our battles.