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Thoughts on the Battle Hymn of the Republic July 4, 2005 – it’s been 229 years now since the founding of our nation. A lot of time, blood, sweat, tears, laughter, joy and sorrow have passed along the river of our lives since our country came into this world. As American citizens, we have experienced the best and the worst of human existence. America has been good for this world and America has also shown its sinful face to the world. For me the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” has been a reflection of our people.
Mine
eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; Our God is a God of thunderous wrath at human sin. He tells us, “The soul that sins is the one who will die. (Ezekiel 18:4) During the Civil War, that was terribly evident. It seemed that the “fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword” was cutting a vicious, bloody swath through our nation. Sometimes as I consider the attitudes of apathy and unfaithfulness toward the will of God, I wonder if He will cut through us again. We can’t claim to be a holy nation, without sin before God.
He
has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; Our God is an awesome God. He does not sleep or stop caring about the conditions on earth. He knows all about the lives of the sparrows. He also knows the hearts of people, the lives that we lead. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we are told, “the Lord looks at the heart.” We cannot read hearts and minds, but God does. He knows all about you and I; we hide nothing from Him. What does God see in us? Is He pleased or is He angry and disappointed?
In
the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, “He died to make men holy.” These simple words sum up what Jesus has done for our nation, for all nations of the world. He gave up His life to open heaven and eternal life to us! Our awesome God knows all about making the ultimate sacrifice for people who don’t always care. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) What Jesus has already done brings an urgency to what we do as His church in our community. We have His mission assigned to us to bring people to know Him. If Jesus considered our neighbors worth dying for, then they are worthy of our best efforts to share God’s Word with them. Our Synod has begun a special effort to reach 100,000 people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the next several years. This effort is entitled “Ablaze.” 100,000 souls may sound almost impossible, but it can happen as each of us does what we can with the opportunities that God gives to us. One person to another, one soul sharing with another what Jesus means to them – that’s how we can reach so many more people with the Gospel. One further thought – “let us die to make men free” is being done by our soldiers, by their families who bury their sons and daughters, their spouses and parents, the ones who give their lives in this war against the terrorists. It is being done by the soldiers who come home wounded, permanently scarred by their sacrifices on the battlefields. This sacrifice is being made by the families who wait back home for their loved ones to hopefully return home alive. It is being made by the military families whose marriages have ended because of the strains of war. On this July 4, whether you go see the fireworks or celebrate at the lake or at home with friends and family, will you please bow your heads and hearts in prayer for these families who are “dying to make men free?” They deserve our honor and respect, our prayers and compassion. May their sacrifices remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us at Calvary.
Glad
to be in Christ’s service, |
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