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Be a Light at the Pole!

I'm pretty sure you don't know the names of the 14 courageous young men and women that are in their 30's now. But once upon a time, they were ordinary freshmen with an extraordinary burden for their friends at school who changed the nation in one night.

The year was 1990 - an incredibly lost generation prone to high rates of teen suicides, heroin overdoses, raves and spiritual oppression. After a weekend church retreat, this small band of Texas teenagers decided that the best way to fight the darkness was on their knees. So they decided to take the battle to the battleground itself: the school campuses.

But where to pray? Since every school has one, someone humbly suggested a flagpole. A place to rally around the flag that represents our freedom to publically bring our requests to the God who can accomplish anything.

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And what was accomplished that night over 22 years ago? We may not fully know the answer to that question until we are in heaven, but what we do know is that the movement called See You at the Pole is now over 3 million strong and meets in over 20 countries!

I seriously doubt that those students had even the slightest notion as to how God would take their humble petitions and amplify it into the prayers heard around the world.

And neither do you.

SYATP may seem like just another Christian gathering, but in reality it is a defining moment not only on your campus, but in your walk with Jesus Christ as well. It is a day where you have a choice to take a stand for your faith, or to wallow in apathy with the crowd. And if you are wavering in your decision to stand with your brothers and sisters and represent for your Savior, listen with open ears to the challenge He gave 2000 years ago:

You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:14-16)

You'll notice that Jesus is not saying that we should try to be light, or that some Christians are light - and others aren't. If you have trusted in Christ as your only hope for salvation, you ARE a light.

The question is…are you a flickering little flashlight or a ten thousand watt spotlight that illuminates the Savior for THE Cause?

Perhaps you've been a wallflower with your witness for Jesus, but deep down you know you need to flip the switch and get your light up on a stand where everyone can see it. I can't think of a better way to make this happen than See You at the Pole. Jesus isn't calling the perfect, or the sinless, or even the bold and the beautiful to this movement. He is beckoning all of His followers to be lighthouses that will help guide lost souls to the safe harbor of a relationship with Him.

Is it risky? Sure! Might you be ridiculed, heckled, and perhaps even fall a few spots down the 'popular' ladder? Of course!

But isn't it worth it knowing that your faithfulness could be the spark that ignites the fires of revival on your campus?

And even more importantly, won't it feel amazing to know that you've gone public with your faith, and that's when God starts opening doors to share the gospel with people who the week before didn't even know you were a Christian!

So be bold my brothers and sisters. Go to the pole and pray for your school and our nation, but don't let it end there. Consider that day as a launch point for THE Cause as you team up with the other stand up believers in prayer, in witness, and in faith that God will take your humble petitions and amplify them around the halls of your campus. As you battle for your school, take courage from the charge that God gave to General Joshua before he faced the battle of his life:

This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

And He's especially with you whenever you join See You at the Pole!

Lane Palmer serves as a writer for Dare 2 Share Ministries (D2S) in Arvada, Colorado, a ministry committed to energizing and equipping teenagers to know, live, share and own their faith in Jesus. For more information about D2S, please visit http://www.dare2share.org/.

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