Sound the Battle Cry! (1/28-29)

Luke 21:34-36 NCV, Jesus said: "Be careful not 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."

Song: Sound the Battle Cry!

Chorus:

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]

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? Sometimes God gives us dreams or visions or burdens as a warning 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.

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. The key is to pray that we will be strong in the Lord and trust in Him at all times.