The Writing on the Wall

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

[I pledge allegiance to the Lamb. I wonder if we really know what that means. It is the title of a song written by Ray Boltz. It was inspired by a trip to Africa. Just before he sings this song, there is a dramatic introduction. Listening to it makes me wonder, I wonder if we truly know what sacrifice means. It causes me to envision a scene that goes something like this:]

[Across the table from me sat a man of about 25 or so. He had a far away look in his eyes, as he told me this story:]

[I was just a child when my father died. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember sitting on my fathers lap and asking him what was going on, I didn’t understand why they were taking him away from me. He tried his best to explain to me why, but he struggled for words. He said to me that because of his love for Christ he would not deny His name, and because of that these people would not let him live. I remember that conversation word for word.]

“Dad, has it always been this way?”
“Well, even from the beginning men hated Jesus even thou he did nothing but love them and teach them and heal them. They nailed Him to a cross. They thought they had killed Him but they only set Him free to live in the hearts of people like you and me who believe in Him. Then came the apostles and most of them were killed for telling other people about Jesus. So they tortured them and killed them and even left their bodies to rot as an example to other people, but the church kept right on growing watered by the blood of these precious saints.”
“But Dad, did they want to die?”
“No, they didn’t want to die. I mean many of them had children just like you they had to leave behind. But they were forced to make a choice. They could choose to live this one life here on earth and reject Jesus and be damned or they could choose to believe in the words of Jesus and live forever.”
“I think I understand.”
“Here, maybe this will help to understand.”
[And he began to sing these words:]

I heard how Christians long ago
Were brought before a tyrant’s throne
And they were told that he would spare their lives
If they would renounce the name of Christ
But one by one they chose to die
The Son of God they would not deny
Like a great angelic choir sings
I can almost hear their voices ring

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
With all my strength
With all I am
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

Now the years have come and the years have gone
But the cause of Jesus still goes on
And now our time has come to count the cost
To reject this world, to embrace the cross
And one by one let us live our lives
For the One who died to give us life
Till the trumpet sounds on the final day
Let us proudly stand and boldly say

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
With all my strength
With all I am
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

To the Lamb of God who bore my pain
Who took my place, who wore my shame
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb.

[He stopped singing to say these words,]” You’ve go to remember that it wasn’t always this way. I mean, my dad could even pray in school; of course, they took that away from him. Then it became incorrect to for us to believe in the Bible and after that they just stripped our right to worship away from us and we quietly stood by. But son, I hope that you’re never put in the position that you have to choose between your faith and your life. But if you are – I know which choice you’re going to make because I know that Jesus lives inside of you. In the meantime, just pray like I taught you how to and take care of your mom and remember that God is the father [voice cracks] of the fatherless.”

[with that, the man faced me, the very man who was about to condemn him to death for believing in this Jesus, and he looked me square in the eyes, he stood and spread his hands out forming a cross with his body he said these words to me, and a chill ran through me.]

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
With all my strength
With all I am
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

[I just didn’t understand, how can allegiance to a dead man mean so much? But somehow, I couldn’t blame this young man. I found it difficult to do anything but admire him. Yet duty was duty, and I did mine that day. Yet, for months afterwards I could not purge his memory from my mind, and I could not avoid the issue that he brought to my attention that day he died by my gun. That day, I knelt and prayed these words]

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
With all my strength
With all I am
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
With all my strength
With all I am
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

[sections in brackets are written by A.R.Wall, song written by Ray Boltz]

Posted by GodzScout at December 4, 2003 03:59 AM