#1

Worship Flagging is also part of Chinese Heritage

One of the first flag makers I encountered is the husband and wife team of Claire and David. I have not really engaged with them apart from buying some flags. In their About Us page, Claire shares the story behind her calling as she researched her family name - 施 or Shih. It turned out that 施 were a Chinese tribe known as Flag Warriors of the Xia Dynasty about 3,600 years ago. They were also the Royal Flag Makers. Xia was the very first recognised Chinese dynasty.

The dynasty lasted over 470 years till about 1600 BC. When the Xia Dynasty collapsed, and as they fled and hid, the tribe changed their family name to 施.

As an ethnic Chinese, I have been encouraged by her story and they make some of the most beautiful flags out of Canada. They also have videos teaching basic flagging.

#2

Yes, Real Man can Flag too

My other inspiration from Called to Flag is Claire's husband, David. When I started my journey with flags, the only people I see flagging were graceful ladies, and their flagging movements were feminine.

In those days, I didn't see any men flagging... until I saw the YouTube videos featuring David.

Of course, today, I see more men flagging.

The "thunder" from the flags of David from Called To Flag

Allen from Dyed4You wielding the sword

Emeel and team from The Call for Worship "Raise a Hallelujah"

#3

Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is My Banner

One Hebrew name for God is Jehovah Nissi—"The Lord My Banner" (Exodus 17:15). The word nissi also means miracle. God is our banner: our declaration of victory, our miracle, our breakthrough. Banner bearers led armies to declare victory before battle even began—and we follow this same pattern in worship.

Waving flags communicate without words—in both physical and spiritual realms. Scripture shows us that even God's enemies understood this: "Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs" (Psalm 74:4, ESV).

Why We Use Flags in Worship:

• To express praise and joy. "May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners!" (Psalm 20:5)

• To demonstrate reverent fear and trust in His protection. "You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow" (Psalm 60:4)

• To create a focal point that draws attention to God. "All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear!" (Isaiah 18:3)

• To declare God's love over us. "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love" (Song of Solomon 2:4)

• To signal it's time to respond and take action. "On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles" (Isaiah 13:2)

• To symbolize unity among God's people. "He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12)

• To welcome His presence and invite others in. "Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples" (Isaiah 62:10)

• To declare the enemy's defeat. "A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill" (Isaiah 30:17)

• To rally God's people for spiritual warfare. "Set up a standard on the earth; blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations for war against her" (Jeremiah 51:27)

• To display God's strength and majesty through us. "You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners" (Song of Solomon 6:4)

Just as Moses lifted the serpent as a banner to bring life (Numbers 21:8), Christ was raised as our banner for abundant life (John 10:10). When we lift banners in worship, we lift up Jesus: "In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious" (Isaiah 11:10).

Content on Why We Flag comes mostly from our next Flag Maker, Meghan from Dyed4You. For more on Why We Flag, check out her website.

#4

A Gift to the Nations

In 2019, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Meghan, the flag maker from Dyed4You Ministries. I saw a beautiful flag on her website. It is called the King of Glory, based on Psalm 24. As I stared at it, the lion stared back at me. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me through the flag.

In December 2019, we distributed 300 King of Glory flags in Nazereth, Israel, through the annual Welcome the King of Glory Gathering.

Nazareth is an interesting place. It is the city in Israel with the largest Arab population. I will circle back it's significance in Lesson #5.

A few months later, the whole world shut down due to the pandemic, but there are 300 flags around the world.

One lady took a few flags. She had been praying for Israeli soldiers at border crossings and military sites. She left the flags at some of the sites to remind the soldiers that the Lion of Judah is watching over them.

Another lady from Switzerland cried when she received the flag, because she had been praying and asking the Father for a Lion of Judah flag for over four years. She would use the flag in her worship at home in Switzerland and at a German prayer house she visits regularly.

Other places the flags have gone include Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and South Africa.

One interesting recipient was from Turtle Island. We later found out that it is what the native americans commonly called the combined North America of Canada and the United States.

Meghan with the King of Glory flag

#5

A Word of Personal Prophecy

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Isaiah 43:19

In 2019, I approached a second flag maker Keri, from Flags for Faith, who specialised in dyed flags. I wanted to get a set of flags for my wife and her four close friends, but did not know what to choose. In the end, I gave Keri five names for her to select. Instead, she and her team and designed five new flags based on Isaiah 43:19 - Behold, A New Thing, Springs Forth, Way in the Wlderness and Rivers in the Desert.

I believe, I am her first customer for prophetic flags. Every prophetic flag came with a bible verse and prophetic words from her team.

So far, I have given away over 20 of her prophetic flags and received encouraging feedback based on the words they received.

One youth was so shock to see the flag, as she previously received a vision of the exact same flag.

The flag in the image here is the Joy Bringer, based on Isaiah 61:1-3. It was originally prophetically designed for a friend.

#6

Bridging Communities:

The Isaiah 19 Highway

The flag maker I am working with to produce the flags for The Blue Thread is The Call for Worship from Egypt. The flag in the picture is my favourite flag. It has the Lion of Judah watching over the menorah, which represents the Seven Spirits of God as described in Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the Lord

The Spirit of Wisdom

The Spirit of Understanding

The Spirit of Counsel

The Spirit of Power

The Spirit of Knowledge

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord

There is probably the only Arab-Chirstian flag maker... at least, the only one I know. I have given away a number of their flags, including one that has Hebrew and Arabic words on it: Jehovah Ubi or The Lord is My Strength.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

Isaiah 19:23-25

I personally believe that Arab-Christians will play a significant role in the last days.

I was in Jerusalem on Oct 7 2023. But I was in Bethlehem just a day before. Bethlehem is in Judea or in the West Bank. Our guide was an Arab-Christian who lives in the city. At my request, she sang a worship song the way she would in church. When I asked her what she was singing, she said Psalm 121 in Arabic : "I will lift my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?"

She did not know what was coming the next day, but I am sure she will continue looking up.