Sound the Battle Cry
Wars are fought and won by soldiers! We’ve honored our veterans this month and each day we should express our ‘thanks’ for their sacrifice. But we must never forget that soldiers fight for a cause. They strap on their gear (armor) and charge into the fray for a common cause, to defeat the foe. And though our methods of battle are much more ‘sophisticated’ today, we still are engaged in wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6).
Since the day God delivered His people from the Egyptians (Exodus 14), armies have sung songs to rally the troops and encourage the victor. Songs like Moses and the sons of Israel sang in Exodus 15; “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and rider He has hurled into the sea…” Following the example from those men of old, we have continued to sing in triumph on the battle field.
The Civil War holds some strong examples of battle songs as we recall some familiar tunes from the 1860’s; “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, “Dixie Land” and “Rally Round the Flag Boys”. Like the Civil War, both World Wars and other battles fought over the years, songs of encouragement were sung to inspire the troops.
In the battle for right vs. wrong, God’s children find themselves fighting as soldier’s of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). We recognize this and even teach the idea to our children at the youngest ages. Who hasn’t attended a Vacation Bible School and not sung, “I’m in the Lord’s Army”? But do the ‘battle songs’ end with children? Obviously not when we consider; “Soldier’s of Christ, Arise” or “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” or “Victory in Jesus”. Let’s look at one particular battle song that the Christian has sung since the days of the Civil War. A song by William F. Sherwin 
entitled “Sound the Battle Cry”. Notice the call for soldiers to be aware of the impending battle (the foe is nigh) and the call from Ephesians 6 to ‘put on the armor of God’. The second verse encourages the soldier to realize and see the importance of never quitting (marching on in the strength of God). And the final verse is a plea to the ‘Captain’ to continue with us, support us and reward us at the close of the war.
With the sound of distant cannons echoing in his mind, Sherwin pens the chorus as if singing the Civil War tune, ‘rally around the flag boys’; “Rouse then soldier’s (of the cross), rally round the banner…” , but who is the banner? Notice Isaiah 11, “In that day the Root of Jesse (David’s father) will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His resting place will be glorious.” Who is the “Root of Jesse”? Look to John as he wrote in Revelation 5, “…behold the Root of David (son of Jesse)…a Lamb, standing, as if slain…”. When we sing about ‘the banner’, we’re singing about the Christ. When we “rally ’round the banner,” we are rallying around our Savior.
Sound the battle cry! See, the foe is nigh;
Raise the standard high for the Lord;
Gird your armor on, stand firm every one;
Rest your cause upon His holy Word.
Raise the standard high for the Lord;
Gird your armor on, stand firm every one;
Rest your cause upon His holy Word.
Strong to meet the foe, marching on we go,
While our cause we know, must prevail;
Shield and banner bright, gleaming in the light,
Battling for the right we ne’er can fail.
O Thou God of all, hear us when we call,
Help us one and all by Thy grace;
When the battle’s done, and the victory won,
May we wear the crown before Thy face.
Refrain:
Rouse then, soldiers, rally round the banner,
Ready, steady, pass the word along;
Onward, forward, shout aloud, “Hosannah!”
Christ is Captain of the mighty throng.
A Trip to the Beauty Salon…September 8th
As a young boy, I remember mother giving me the monthly haircut. With tears in my eyes she would take the old Oster hair clippers, a pair of scissors and set out to ‘lower my ears.’ Today, things are different. A trip to get a hair cut might leave me short $15-20. The ladies, however, are going to spend a bit more. As a matter of fact, one nation-wide report claims the annual cost for a woman to ‘have her hair done’ could cost between $1,000 – $4,000 dollars. Personally, that’s enough to make me want to cry…
But what does the cost of hair styling have to do with a Sunday morning sermon? Can application be made for living a godly life in comparison with the beautification process? Perhaps we need to consider how much time and money we give to preparing ourselves for godly service as opposed to physical beauty. OR maybe we should look inward rather than outward as we consider how beautiful someone is.
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, September 8, 2013
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“O Worship the King” 303
“Jesus is All the World to Me” 590
A short medley that is focused on worshiping the King and acknowledging how valuable Jesus is in my life. Have you ever looked at the last phrase of this song? Each verse ends with the statement, ‘He’s my Friend.’ We worship the King because we know He is my life, my joy and my all. As a matter of fact, the Christian understands there is no better friend than Jesus. He gives me strength in a difficult world, and in Christ we live a beautiful life that has no end.
“How Beautiful” – 365
This contemporary song serves to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper. We think of the beautiful hands of Christ as He served men during His life on earth. We remember those ‘beautiful feet’ that walked the dusty road to the cross. We remember that He laid down His life and we sing, “How beautiful is the body of Christ…”
“O Lord, You’re Beautiful” – 275
This hymn we’ll sing between the bread and the fruit of the vine; “O Lord, You’re beautiful, Your face is all I seek, and when Your eyes are on this child, Your grace abounds to me.” His beauty, more than anything in this world, is want we seek in our life…or is it? What do you seek?
“In His Time” – 839
Another contemporary song, but this one never seemed to ‘take hold’ with the masses; but what a message! Do we have the patience to wait for God to act ‘in His time’ or are we too accustomed to a culture that ‘want’s it now?’ Read the words from this song; “Lord, please show me every day as You’re teaching me Your way, that You do just want You say in Your time.”
“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me” – 722
The message of this song fits perfectly with our lesson and the accompanying scripture; I Peter 3:3, 4 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” As we sing this song, take note of the third verse; “From the dawn of the morning to close of day, in example, in deeds and in all you say; lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet, let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.” Do you try to keep sweet throughout the day? Am I laying my gifts at His feet (giving Him the credit for all I have) from the morning to the evening? Can the world see the beauty of Jesus in me?
“Victory in Jesus” – 470
An upbeat song as we encourage each other toward Victory! I’ve heard lots of stories and many are worthy hearing again and again. We may even find some are valuable enough we’ll repeat them to others. But what about the story of Jesus? We sing that we’ve heard an old, old story; we’ve heard about His healing and we’ve heard about a mansion…but unless we repent and obey, we’ll never win or gain that victory in Jesus!
“Just As I Am” – 924
An ‘invitation song’ that has been around since the mid-1800’s, Charlotte Elliott touched the hearts of millions as they have responded to the invitation call. Notice one of those ‘forgotten’ verses as we’ll be singing it on Sunday morning. “Just as I am though tossed about, with many a conflict, many a doubt. With fears within and foes without, O Lamb of God I come! I come!” Have our hearts grown so cold that we don’t fear being separated from God? When will begin to understand the urgency of ‘waiting not’ to get rid of the dark blot that separates us from God? Our cleansing comes only by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. Will you come?
“Let Me Live Close to Thee” – 831
As we consider our inward beauty we need to realize the closer we get to God and a godly life the more we’ll reflect Jesus. Fitting that we sing a song of encouragement to work in the field and never ‘shirk’ our responsibilities for God. Would that we remember the crown (hair styles?) and the renown (public recognition) matter little when it comes to letting Christ live in our life.