This is the hymn that was in my head last night–No. 514 in your United Methodist Hymnal, if you happen to have one (I looked up what “UMN514” meant: thought it might’ve been the name of a musical ground)–Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.
If this hymn is too militant for some: well, it’s a time of struggle that we live in, our foes are wicked and ungodly, and Our Lord expects us to be faithful, win or lose.
Would you believe it? There are people who get all bent out of shape over this good old Sunday school hymn as being “too violent.” As secular humanists, they are probably incapable of understanding an extended figure of speech, so they interpret the lyrics as a Christian call for jihad–but of course when Muslims call for real jihad, and start pitching certain persons off the roofs of skyscrapers, somehow that never arouses the liberals’ outrage–or their compassion.
Anyway, let’s start the day with Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus…
A good hymn to start the day with–and a reminded that all the great and powerful ungodly tyrants of the world today are gonna get it but good when He returns.
But there’s a condition: we have to stand with Him. It goes all the way back to Moses: “Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come to me!”
Not the kind of sentiment you’re going to hear voiced much in one of those half-baked, go-along-to-get-along churches of the present day.
We should be honored and rejoice that the Lord wishes us to stand with Him. I mean, I sometimes wonder what He sees in us.
But stand we must–and sing louder.