Friday, May 30, 2008

Sound the Battle Cry!

Rouse, then soldiers, rally round the banner;
Ready, steady, pass the word along;
Onward, forward, shout a loud Hosanna!
Christ is Captain of the mighty throng.
1. 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. [Chorus]
2. Oh! 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's won,
May we wear the crown Before Thy Face. [Chorus]
Lyrics and Music: William Fiske Sherwin
DOROTHY: How does God "Sound the Battle Cry"? There are some examples I could think of. God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their own country by a different way. God warned Joseph in a dream to leave for Egypt. Why the warnings? Herod killed the baby boys at Bethlehem. Why? Because the Wise Men did not come back to tell Herod where Jesus was. God warned Joseph to escape in time before the soldiers would come and kill Jesus. Jesus withstood the temptation against Satan through the Word of God and overcame Satan. What about us? God gives us dreams or visions as warnings to pray. Jesus gave us example how to overcome Satan through using the Word of God. Knowing the Word of God could make a different for us. For example: we tend to worry. God's Word said: Do not worry. This is a warning. This is a favorite tool of Satan, worrying. It is the opposite of having faith in God. God has answer for us how to be ready at all the time. Key is to pray that we will be strong.
Luke 21:34-36 Be Ready All the Time.
NCV: Jesus said: "Be careful not to to spend your time feasting, drinking, or worrying about worldly things. If you do, that day might come on you suddenly, like a trap on all people on earth. So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be strong enough to escape all these things that will happen and that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man."
PRAYER: Lord, we are scared about hearing the gas prices going up. Reading Your Word of God as a warning not to worry. I ask Holy Spirit for help to remind us what Jesus tells us to do like John 14:1 says, "let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe in Me." Thank You for peace and complete trust in You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen!