Our logo identifies the moment in history when the imperial Roman government integrated with the church.  Some theologians have termed this moment as the "Constantinian Shift." 

For the first 300 years of the Christian church, persecution was always either present or very close at hand. However, in 312 AD at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, the church entered a new stage in its life. 

Eusebius of Caesarea (Christian historian) and other Christian sources wrote of an experience that The Emperor of Rome: Constantine the Great, had at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.  Constantine was about to confront Maxentius in Rome and his soldiers were outnumbered 4 to 1.  Maxentius looked to his pagan oracles for guidance but Constantine saw a vision in the afternoon sky. He saw a bright cross with the words in Greek "in this sign, you will conquer."  Constantine also testified that Jesus Christ Himself told him afterwards in a dream to take the cross into battle as his standard. The next morning, Constantine ordered his soldiers to mark their shields with the Greek letters Chi-Rho (which are the first two letters of "Christ" in Greek = XP).  Constantine won the battle and became Emperor of all the Roman Empire.  He attributed his victory to Jesus the Christ.
 
Afterwards, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which gave Christians (and all religions) freedom to worship without persecution.  All property was restored to Christians which was seized during the severe Diocletian persecutions.  Constantine claimed to be a Christian yet also merged many pagan rituals into the practice of Christianity.  Many of these still remain today.  He also gave an incredible amount of money to the church and the influence of the imperial government became very strong in the church. The church gladly welcomed this time of peace, not understanding that it was opening a door which would ultimately quench the Spirit of God in it.  Churches became huge, expensive structures with priests adorned in magnificent robes.  The LORD became a distant image of fear, condemnation and a tool for control and power.  It has used partial truths in Scripture to validate its authority and its continual inability to reflect Jesus.  The moment that Constantine favored Christianity was the beginning of the powerless church.  What seemed to be a gift from God (the end of persecution) was a great deception.  What really happened was Satan finally got his foot in the door, like never before. 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
 
Ever since this moment, the church and Christians have never been the same.  The church has become a hybrid of Jesus and the world.  The book of Judges exposes the destination of all who do this.  The end result is a spiraling downward into more and more corruption and destruction.  The presence of God leaves and His people are given over to the enemy until they repent and return to the LORD with all their heart.

Therefore, our logo represents this moment of great destructive deception and a commitment by our organization to bring people back into what we were always intended to be by our Creator, LORD and Savior (Jesus).  The alpha and omega symbols are on each side of the Chi-Rho because that is what Jesus is - the beginning and the end.  Therefore, the shield on our logo not only identifies the moment of the "Constantinian Shift" (where the church was severely deceived) but also represents Christians reestablishing ourselves in The Truth (Jesus Christ) and putting on the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:16).  The Armor of God is only empowered and effective by securing our identity with all our heart, truly in Jesus Christ.  
The true shield of Jesus is able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  The presence of the true LORD and Savior (Jesus) alone is the key. 


Moses said it best:
And he (Moses) said to him (the LORD), “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
(Exodus 33:15-16)

Jesus says in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

  We have been trying to do Christianity in a hybrid way and that is not OK with Jesus or His Father in heaven.  That is idolatry and idolatry destroys the relationship between God and His people. If Jesus is to be powerful in us through the Holy Spirit then we need to make sure that He alone is our God.