This is the “chief of sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with the Gospel Light Minute X Podcast #351 titled, “Let Me Tell You About the Stars and Stripes.” I’m here to remind you of what the Bible says, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” like you and me.
“Tell us something about the Stars and Stripes!”
The young man thus addressed was preaching the Gospel in the public square of an American city, and the remark quoted was that made by a scoffer who had just left the hotel on the opposite side of the square.
It is often the case that an interruption at an open air meeting only serves to increase the number of listeners. It was so in this instance, and as the crowd quickly gathered around, the preacher stopped.
Facing the scoffer, he said: “Tell you something about the Stars and Stripes? I will, and with pleasure, for we read about the Stars and Stripes in the Bible.
The bystanders looked astonished, and evidently expected the speaker to prove his assertion. Without hesitation, he proceeded to do so.
Turning first to Daniel 12:3, he read, “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.”
Then referring to Luke 12:47, he read the parable of the unwise servant, where it says, “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.”
Dear friend, how do you stand with regard to the Stars and Stripes of the Bible? Will it be your happy lot to shine as the stars in the glory of God? Or, will the many stripes, the wages of sin, be your portion in eternity?
Perhaps your reply is that you do not know, or that you do not see how that question can possibly be answered until the great Judgment Day. Well my friend, the question can be more easily answered than many suppose. The Word of God is clear as to the present and eternal blessing of those who as wretched sinners place their soul’s confidence in Christ, and His redeeming Blood. If you, unworthy and sinful though you be, have applied to the Savior for the salvation which He died to bring to sinners, if you have looked to the uplifted Savior, the crucified and glorified Jesus, then it is certain as God’s Word can make it, that you will be one of the ransomed host, shining as the stars forever.
Stripes are prepared for the back of fools, we are told in Proverbs 19:29: “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.” Who is so great a fool as the person who deliberately refuses or neglects to avail himself of the free offer of mercy and pardon which has been brought to his notice?
The wages of sin must always be paid. For every offense, a stripe must fall. But those who have fled to the Savior for refuge know that the stripes due to them have already fallen on the Lord Jesus. They can say, “…with His stripes we are healed.”
Dear friend, the choice is yours, either “Stars” or “Stripes.” Be wise. Repent of your sins and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Substitute. Then you will gratefully say:
“Jesus died to set me free,
Jesus died on Calvary;
Not a blessing that I know,
But to Jesus Christ I owe”
The Bible states in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
If you are willing to trust Jesus Christ with all of your heart so you can go to Heaven, please pray with me what is called the sinner’s prayer: Holy Father God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I admit that I have sinned against You and that I have broken Your Ten Commandments. I have lied before. I have stolen things before. I have lusted after people and things before. I have dishonored and disobeyed my parents. I have taken Your holy Name in vain. For Jesus Christ’s sake, please have mercy and grace upon my soul and forgive me of all of my sins, my failures, and my faults. As I now believe in Your Holy Son the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that He suffered, bled, and died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to repent of my sins past. Help me to turn from my old, evil life and follow You in the new life. For it is in Your Name I pray. Amen.”
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Thank you for listening to this Gospel presentation. If you have decided to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour after listening to this podcast, please email us at gls@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. To find out more about what you need to do after trusting Christ as Savior, visit GospelLightSociety.com and read “What to Do After You Enter Through the Door”.
The tract this podcast is based on is published by Gospel Tract Society, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread God’s Word to the world through the printed page and other media. You can order copies of this tract online at GospelTractSociety.org.
The Gospel Light Minute X 