In the
Christian calendar this past Sunday was the celebration of Christ the King. It is a time to acknowledge with joy the
Sovereignty of our Lord.
Jim Henry was
the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida. He was also a friend and mentor, who helped
me get started in ministry. He tells of
an incident from his youth. He was saved
at Hopewell Baptist near Nashville, Tennessee.
Just as he entered his teens there was going to be a special service at
Hopewell. Jim lived nearly 30 miles from
the church by then. Wanting to attend,
he convinced his mother to allow him and his cousin to hitch-hike out to the
service. As they were walking along, a
big black Oldsmobile came down the road, going in the same direction. Jim Henry stuck out a thumb. As the car got near, it began to screech to a
halt, and Henry noticed a State Trooper sitting behind the wheel. He was afraid the Trooper would arrest
him. The window rolled down: Wher'ya
goin' boys? he asked. Jim explained,
and he and his cousin were invited to hop in.
When he got in the back seat there was another man in a suit. The man stuck out his hand and said, Hello, Jimmy, I'm Frank G. Clement, governor
of Tennessee. I am going up to the
Hopewell Church to speak, and I will be glad to give you and your friend a
lift. They took off and the
patrolman got them there in a flash.
When they pulled up there was a welcoming crowd. The whole county was there. Who was the first one out? Jimmy Henry!
He tipped his hand in the direction of Mr. Clement, and said, Thanks for the ride, Governor – and God
bless you. Ol' Jimmy Henry was somebody![1] The fact is Jimmy Henry was next
to somebody. He was still little thirteen-year-old
Jimmy; Governor Clement was the somebody.
Who is somebody to you? The last time Jesus came, He had a manger,
and farm animals for admirers. He told
us plainly who he was, teacher and Lord. (John 13:13) But he was still a nobody to us all, he was
despised and rejected. (Isaiah 1:14)
The Next Time He Comes
The next time Jesus
comes, the only animal in sight will be the white horse underneath him – a stallion
ridden by a victorious, conquering King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
The next time He
will not be a gentle baby, with Mary singing lullabies in some feeding
trough. He will be a mighty warrior with
an avenging righteousness.
The next time He
will not wear a simple shepherd's robe.
He will have a garment dipped in blood, with which he will cover,
cleanse and purge the entire earth.
The next time He
will not hold a shepherd's staff. He
will have a conquering sword that will smash the world systems into
oblivion.
The next time He
will not pass out broken bread and grape juice.
He will be marching on the grapes of wrath, and squeezing every-last-drop
of the fierceness of a holy God who has been scorned.
The next time no
one will put Him on a cross. The next
time He will hold up the cross and every knee shall bow, every tongue shall
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. (Philippians
2:10-11)
Amen!
For You Today
Are you ready for the NEXT time?
There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons
in the Rocky Road library.
Today’s title Image from Pixabay.com
Images without citation are in public domain or cited
via weblinks.
Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT©
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