LOGO...
SIGNIFICANCE |
..........Since
the beginning of time, with the days of Adam and Eve, God has communicated
with man. God's desire was to be in touch with his people. Often God
used a language of "signs and symbols" such as:
a pillar of fire to the Israelites, a ram to Abraham, and a dove to
both Noah and John the Baptist.
..........In
the busy world in which we live, and our desire to travel daily, the national
road sign is one of our most familiar and trusted landmarks.
It has become a "sign and symbol" we rely upon. For many of
us, too often we forget the similarities of a road sign, to the road of
life. We are trying to get somewhere in life, and we need assurance and
direction. However, questions can arise-------
Where am I going?
What's my destination?
Do I have directions?
Who can I ask?
Is there a map?
................YES THERE IS !!
..........The
logo of Roadside Ministries was conceived as a "sign and symbol"
to signify the purpose and intent of this ministry. This ministry, like
the road sign, is to provide a sense of direction, reliability, truth,
assurance and hope. We see a correlation of the road sign with ones spiritual
life as follows:
ROAD
SIGN |
SPIRITUAL
LIFE |
| Determines where you are...................... | Consciousness |
| Provides reliability and assurance........... | Faith |
| Leads in the right direction---provides truth...... | Bible |
| Guides you back when you're strayed from the course.................................... | Repentance |
| Security............................................... | God's promises and unending love |
..........The
symbol of the fish has been used from the earliest days of the Christian
faith. This symbol was used as a mnemonic device ( a method intended to
assist in teaching and identification ) to help early believers identify
other Christians and to learn the identity of Christ. The Greek work for
fish is:
.. |
.(icthys). |
..........Early
Christians made an acrostic ( a composition in which the words are determined
from the use of the letters of a particular word when taken in order.
)
 |
- Iesous (Jesus) |
 |
- Christos (Christ) |
 |
- Theou (God) |
 |
- Yios (Son) |
 |
- Soter (Saviour) |
..........Thus,
when a Christian saw a fish symbol, it represented:
JESUS CHRIST, SON OF
GOD, SAVIOUR
..........The
fish also has a rich bibilical background, and would remind believers
of many stories from the New Testament. For example, several of Jesus'
miracles involved fish, including the feeding of five thousand (Mark 6:30-44),
the miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11), and several post-resurrection
appearances of Christ to the disciples (Luke 24:42; John 21). Additionally,
when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, they were all fisherman
(Matthew 4:19). Consequently, the fish had an important place in the ministry
of Christ and the early leaders of the Church.
..........Finally,
the fish symbol was often used by persecuted believers to mark meeting
places and tombs. The fish symbol had been used by previous groups, and
so it's use by Christians did not arouse any suspicions, and allowed the
early believers to identify one another. According to one ancient story,
when a Christian met a stranger in the road, the Christian sometimes drew
one arc of the simple fish outline in the dirt. If the stranger drew the
other arc, both believers knew they were in mutual company.