Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The King is Coming!

Renee and I recently returned to First Baptist Sugar Hill where, in 2004, I was ordained into the gospel ministry. We were invited to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the presentation of a wonderful Christmas Musical. All of the elements of a traditional Christmas presentation were included....a beautiful set, children singing, moving and inspirational solos and choir numbers followed by a really well done message from the pastor.

The entire evening was expertly crafted to point us to the birth of our Savior and Redeemer.

"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." Isaiah 9:6,7

At Christmas our focus is on Christ's first coming as Messiah, and rightly so, that is what we are celebrating. Everything that we would hope to see and hear was included in the evenings' event to make that message crystal clear. What I did not expect was the final number which was, for me, the evenings perfect culmination and expression of worship.

The market place is empty,
No more traffic in the streets.
All builder's tools are silent,
No more time to harvest wheat.
Busy housewives cease their labors,
In the Courtroom no debate.
Work on earth is all suspended
As the King comes through the gate.

Oh the King is coming,
The King is coming,
I just heard the trumpet sounding
And now his face I see.
Oh, the King is coming,
The King is coming
PRAISE GOD,
He's coming for me!

All the railroad road cars are empty,
As they rattle down the tracks.
In the newsroom no one watches,
As machines type pointless facts.
All the planes veer off their courses,
No one sits at the controls,
For the King of all the ages
Comes to claim eternal souls.

Happy faces line the hallways,
Those whose lives have been redeemed.
Broken homes that He has mended,
Those from prison He has freed.
Little children and the aged,
Hand in hand stand all aglow,
Who were crippled, broken, ruined,
Clad in garments white as snow.

I can hear the chariots rumble.
I can see the marching throng.
The flurry of God's trumpet
Spell the end of sin and wrong.
Regal robes are now enfolding,
Heaven's grandstand all in place.
Heaven's choir now assembled
Start to sing Amazing Grace.

Oh, the King is coming,
The King is coming
I just heard the trumpet sounding
And now His face I see
Oh, the King is coming
The King is coming
PRAISE GOD,
He's coming for me!

"For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matthew 16:27

As the gospel quartet sang, and the tears of joy began to flow, we were wonderfully reminded of that glorious event that is yet to happen. Christ will come again. Not as an infant, not as the One who came to ransom us from the wrath of God....but as King Jesus to reign and rule forever. "PRAISE GOD, He is coming for me!"


Merry Christmas from Hillary, Mark, Renee and John

Monday, December 7, 2009

howFar Ministries Africa Network



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