Time for the Rally Cap (8-24-08)

The rally cap really is a silly notion but imbued with a profound truth. In baseball when your team is down, you down your rally cap. In doing so you say we have faith, don't quit, you can do it. It is a concerted show of importunity. It is trivial because baseball is a game irrelevant to any true care of a normal existence. Also because the world's show of hope has no real basis behind it. They know not the real God who states "cast all your cares upon Him for your care is His constant concern." Who wants us to pray for our daily bread. The truth in these rally caps that should shame us is how far a trivial matter men, heathen, will rally to a goal, a cause, a desire. God notices the behavior as He did in the tower of babel. What I think we of the faith are missing is that God encourages this importune spirit in His saints. When was the last time you rallied behind a cause? When I say cause here I'm sure most of you will think of something larger than your life that requires concert with others. Though that does come into the life of the called out ones I'm thinking of something small and close. What is this life if it is not a probationary training small and close for the giant expanse of eternity? The Syrophoenician women only wanted the health of her daughter not some earth changing event. Yet she was noticed for her rally cap. What I think we are failing to miss as our great boon of opportunity is that God cares for you. Dorean is a concert against injustice, inequity but you alone experience that individually. Have you put on your rally cap until you obtain victory for yourself? How then will you benefit the concert? We know by God's own words He hates injustice. We also know He used the words "anything and whatsoever" in the promise of prayer. These words are so big so all encompassing that they can have the reverse effect of doubt. We need to get passed that to understand the full richness of these promises. I have talked much of faith but faith has no tongue to express itself but prayer. It cannot get to the throne to grip its promise except to ride prayer. How is your prayer life? Are you rallying to your cause? I'm reminded of a couple of stories from Elisha. At the end of the drought after God promised such Elisha still had to pray 7 times before a cloud appeared. What if he quit at 4, 5, or 6? Are you quitting before your victory? Again he tells the king just before he dies to bang some arrows on the floor. The king does 3 times and Elisha laments. "Oh that you would have done it more" then you would have total victory over your enemies. I don't know about you but I've put on my rally cap and I'm not going to stop banging my arrows until I hear God say enough. We have a wonderful loving Father who is not like the wicked judge of the parable. He wants to give but the rally cannot be ignored. It is how He strengthens His children and causes them to grow. My wife and mother-in-law have a disease called CMT. This is unacceptable to me. Now I can't pretend to be so philanthropic that I act as though I care about your victory more than theirs. But in obtaining theirs my hope increases for yours and my concert is enhanced by my individual victories. That's what I want for all of you. I want to delight in your personal victories and to join you for the corporate victory. Don't presume the minute details of your life are not worthy of spiritual effort. The scriptures teach the opposite. You were left in a temporal world for your spiritual training. These cannot be separated. Your victory over a broken toaster must come long before a victory over addictions, heartache, or bankers. I do think allegorically we have come together to the 7th inning stretch and it appears we are behind. The rally cap may be trivial in the world but to us who believe truly all things are possible in Christ Jesus. Rally time! I pray this truth takes root in your spirit.