Stars and Stripes Forever

#1 · July 4, 2004, 4:02 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 4, 2004, 4:02 pm
Posted by: <@...>
Stars and Stripes Forever

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain" (Revelation 5:6)

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Revelation 21:23)

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3)

Jesus died that He might reconcile us to God and to one another. He arose from the grave with the marks of his death still upon Him, though He arose with a glorified body. It seems to me that He shall forever wear those stripes with honor and grace to show that He paid the price to redeem us unto Himself. By His stripes we are made free and by His grace we may also shine as the stars for ever and ever.

About 1896, John Philip Sousa composed the marching song entitled, Stars and Stripes Forever (see below for the lyrics). He wrote of freedom, of wholesome national pride, of the price paid for freedom, and of the Unity of the country for which Old Glory waves in the breeze. And, while I heartily share the sentiment that it would be wonderful if the stars and stripes of the US flag would continue on forever, there is another cause far greater and which will certainly endure throughout the endless ages of eternity. That cause is the salvation of souls and the glorification of God that will result.

When the saints arrive and kneel before the throne of God and of the Lamb there will be at least three things then that will matter more than all this world today values: 1. That the Son of God, the Lamb of God, laid down His own life to save us (I mean all that salvation implies: forgiveness, the new birth, the cleansing of our hearts from all sin, and our final glorification when Christ returns); 2. That we accepted His love and forgiveness in salvation and endured by God's grace unto the end; and, 3. That we let Him work through us to bring others into this same glorious salvation, that they also might know Him and make it into Heaven at last.

If it were not for the atonement that Jesus made on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, there would be no hope for our souls forever. Thank God that Jesus did indeed come to save us. He paid the ultimate price so that we need not be lost in the Lake of Fire forever and that we might live and reign with Him instead.

Since this wonderful salvation is a free gift, one must receive it willingly. It does not cost a thing, and yet it seems to cost us everything. This is one of the many paradoxes of Christianity. No, we cannot earn or buy salvation, nor can we approach it by our feeble efforts to reach it. But, there are conditions for receiving the gift. One must repent of his sins and believe upon Jesus Christ for salvation. When one truly repents and truly believes, the work of salvation is miraculously wrought in the heart by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Say, you and I will never be sorry throughout all eternity that we made the choice to run from sin and to follow Jesus the rest of our lives.

There is an aspect of Christian living that I am afraid Christians sometimes forget which is of utmost importance: soul-winning. What did Jesus give His life for? What was it that He commanded His disciples to do after they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost? Yes, you probably guessed it. The answers to these two questions are very similar: Jesus died to save souls, and He instructed the disciples to be witnesses, to preach and teach the soul-saving truth that He gave them. Jesus wants the Christians to help produce more Christians with His help, "and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20)

When we come before Jesus on that final day, He will not be so interested in how many dollars we earned, how great a reputation we have obtained, or how many wonderful works we performed in His name. Rather, He will be intensely interested in how many souls we have won to Him and how many we may have helped along the way to make it safely to that eternal shore.

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:6)

Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield

(Stars and Stripes by Philip Sousa is quoted below.)

Please pass this Bible Note to others who may be interested or helped by it. To subscribe to FREE Bible Notes just send an empty e-mail to
[email protected]

To read Bible Notes on the Internet, go to:
http://welovegod.org/groups/bible_notes/

To contact me by e-mail please send to the following address:
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Stars and Stripes Forever

by Philip Sousa, 1896

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.
  "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without  which no man shall see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14)    --To unsubscribe, send ANY message to   <[email protected]  

Posted by: <@...>

Stars and Stripes Forever

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain" (Revelation 5:6)

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Revelation 21:23)

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3)

Jesus died that He might reconcile us to God and to one another. He arose from the grave with the marks of his death still upon Him, though He arose with a glorified body. It seems to me that He shall forever wear those stripes with honor and grace to show that He paid the price to redeem us unto Himself. By His stripes we are made free and by His grace we may also shine as the stars for ever and ever.

About 1896, John Philip Sousa composed the marching song entitled, Stars and Stripes Forever (see below for the lyrics). He wrote of freedom, of wholesome national pride, of the price paid for freedom, and of the Unity of the country for which Old Glory waves in the breeze. And, while I heartily share the sentiment that it would be wonderful if the stars and stripes of the US flag would continue on forever, there is another cause far greater and which will certainly endure throughout the endless ages of eternity. That cause is the salvation of souls and the glorification of God that will result.

When the saints arrive and kneel before the throne of God and of the Lamb there will be at least three things then that will matter more than all this world today values: 1. That the Son of God, the Lamb of God, laid down His own life to save us (I mean all that salvation implies: forgiveness, the new birth, the cleansing of our hearts from all sin, and our final glorification when Christ returns); 2. That we accepted His love and forgiveness in salvation and endured by God's grace unto the end; and, 3. That we let Him work through us to bring others into this same glorious salvation, that they also might know Him and make it into Heaven at last.

If it were not for the atonement that Jesus made on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, there would be no hope for our souls forever. Thank God that Jesus did indeed come to save us. He paid the ultimate price so that we need not be lost in the Lake of Fire forever and that we might live and reign with Him instead.

Since this wonderful salvation is a free gift, one must receive it willingly. It does not cost a thing, and yet it seems to cost us everything. This is one of the many paradoxes of Christianity. No, we cannot earn or buy salvation, nor can we approach it by our feeble efforts to reach it. But, there are conditions for receiving the gift. One must repent of his sins and believe upon Jesus Christ for salvation. When one truly repents and truly believes, the work of salvation is miraculously wrought in the heart by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Say, you and I will never be sorry throughout all eternity that we made the choice to run from sin and to follow Jesus the rest of our lives.

There is an aspect of Christian living that I am afraid Christians sometimes forget which is of utmost importance: soul-winning. What did Jesus give His life for? What was it that He commanded His disciples to do after they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost? Yes, you probably guessed it. The answers to these two questions are very similar: Jesus died to save souls, and He instructed the disciples to be witnesses, to preach and teach the soul-saving truth that He gave them. Jesus wants the Christians to help produce more Christians with His help, "and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20)

When we come before Jesus on that final day, He will not be so interested in how many dollars we earned, how great a reputation we have obtained, or how many wonderful works we performed in His name. Rather, He will be intensely interested in how many souls we have won to Him and how many we may have helped along the way to make it safely to that eternal shore.

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:6)

Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield

(Stars and Stripes by Philip Sousa is quoted below.)

Please pass this Bible Note to others who may be interested or helped by it. To subscribe to FREE Bible Notes just send an empty e-mail to
[email protected]

To read Bible Notes on the Internet, go to:
http://welovegod.org/groups/bible_notes/

To contact me by e-mail please send to the following address:
[email protected]

Stars and Stripes Forever

by Philip Sousa, 1896

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

  "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without  which no man shall see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14)    --To unsubscribe, send ANY message to   <[email protected]