Monday, September 29, 2008

LauraLee is hosting a giveaway in honor of her 100th post. Please visit her site for more information on the giveaway and to enter! Plus, she has a beautiful blog. You will definitely be blessed simply visiting with her.


The instruction for the giveaway are as follows:

"Give me a testimony (I don't care how long) about a song that deeply changed the way you live. Where were you when you sang it? Did it sink in right at the time or later? What happened in your life as a result? How many times had you sung the song before?" - so says LauraLee

The song, I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb, deeply changed my life. Instaneously. I heard it sung in church by a friend who sang it 10x better than the original author/recorder, and this southern baptist girl was on her feet by the time the song ended - a huge step for reserved Laurie Ann, who almost jumped up and fled out of fear the first time she heard applause in a new church at the age of 14. Grew up in the same church all my life till then, and when we changed, even though it was still southern baptist, they clapped after a song was sung and it scared the fool out of me. But this is not about that. This is about how this song moved me so much that I was standing on my feet by the song's end.

I was deeply moved in spirit by God asking me three distinct questions. During the song! (No, not out loud. I would have left the building for sure if He spoke to me audibly, although I think I have heard Him whisper before, but that's another post.)

1) Do you pledge your whole allegiance to Me? (Yes, God.)
2) Would you die for Me? (Yes, God.)
and
3) Are you really ready to reject the world and embrace the Cross no matter what? (Huh? Yes, God, but I'm scared.)

Because I chose to reject the world and embrace His Cross in total and complete obedience to Him, I immediately knew it was going to cost me a friend. A dear friend. She had referred to my God as the Sky Fairy, and I had been praying about how to respond to her post. Was I to try to back off from sharing my faith with her, perhaps pushing her farther away? Was I to respond to her post in love and with forgiveness? No, God is not to be mocked, and I knew I had to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb. In losing my friendship with her, I lost connection with about 9 other women with whom I felt inseparable at the time. Only one friend remained, and she emailed me the other day and told me she had found God. It was worth it to reject the world and embrace the Cross, pledging my total allegiance to God, and being willing to die for Him (my life was not threatened as this "friend" posted this offense from a gazillion states away and I only saw her once a year). But the question was asked, "Are you willing...?" Yes, God.

I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb as sung by Ray Boltz (no endorsement of Mr. Boltz, but he does have a great voice.)




I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb

as sung by Ray Boltz

CHORUS: 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 have heard how Christians long ago
Were brought before a tyrant’s throne
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

CHORUS 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
And the cause of Jesus still goes on
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

CHORUS 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

CHORUS 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


(repeat)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


©1994 Word Music/ASCAP (a div. of Word, Inc.) and Shepherd Boy Music/ASCAP (adm. by Word, Inc.).













7 comments:

Leaon Mary said...

I love that song too Laurie Ann!
awesome!
Lea

Denise said...

Hello my dear friend, I am back online. I love you, and have really missed you.

LauraLee Shaw said...

This is a very moving testimony. I love it when a worship song affects you so strongly that you respond in a way that you wouldn't normally. I remember this song moving me greatly when it came out. I love these lines:

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


So much truth to that. If one by one, each of us live our lives for Him, what a difference that would make!

thank you so much for being a part of this, and for sharing your testimony for His glory.

LAURIE said...

I love that song also and I am glad that you responded to the words. -Blessings, Laurie

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Great post Laurie Ann. It seems to me that you are now surrounded with people who love the one and TRUE God and you are truly blessed.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel....
Blessings to you my friend.
Kim

Debra Kaye said...

Laurie Ann,

I was so moved by your testimony! Praising the Lord for you being so obedient to His call!!

I look at you now and see how God has surrounded you...I'm sure the road was not easy in the beginning but God is always faithful.

Blessings to you today sweet sister...abundant blessings!! Thank you so much for sharing this!

Mindy said...

Powerful, touching testimony!