We are in a day of crisis. The crisis is between which authority will guide the human race: the philosophies of man or the Word of God. The Enemy designs to win the small battles along the way, he fights hard, but he is fighting a losing battle. After all, have you read the end of the book (Rev. 22)? So, in this day and age, I am more and more firmly convinced that rather than trying to innovate and conjure up anomalous methods of advancing the Gospel, we must return to the tried and true truths of the Word of God and Christian History.
We need battle songs. However, our battle songs must be built on truth. Sadly, much of our modern worship music is unbiblical. Jehoshaphat sent the singers in front of the army (2 Chron. 20). They weren’t singing la-la-la-la-la-la’s. They were praising the beauty of holiness (2 Chron. 20:21). May we, in our generation learn to march forward with the rich truths of Christian history past firmly placed beneath our feet. And although we ought to be creative and use the tools that have been invented in our day and age and use them for the glory of God, may we never substitute innovation for the inspired Word of God. We need to live, even in this year 2014, as ones who are reading the end of the book.
Ernest Shurtleff, wrote this poem for his graduating seminary class in 1888, and was one such man in his day and age. We need poets like this in our day and age. Poets that understand that in every age, the battle for truth, is a winning one . . . for our God of might is the One who is leading onward!
Lead on, O King eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.
Lead on, O King eternal,
Till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heavenly kingdom comes.
Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.
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