Long Live the King
We have no king here in America. That was what the Revolutionary War was about (among other things) – we wanted our independence from the tyrannical reign of a king. We even had a flag emblazoned with, “Don’t Tread On Me” across it.
With the Declaration of Independence we largely did away with the phrase, “Long live the king”. And now almost 250 years later the idea of having a king is not only foreign but repulsive to the independent American culture.
That American independence has created a disability for our mindset to consider the richness that comes from being under a kings reign. Whenever we think of kings today we probably think of the King of England – who, for the most part, is a figurehead without much authority.
I want us to try scratching the image of the king of England from our minds for the sake of how God’s Word addresses the kingship idea.
Recently I was able to listen to an interview with a Christian man from Jordan and his thoughts about having a king rule over him. I was enraptured by the new concepts. For instance, “would he put a sticker on his car about voting for a new king?” He laughed at such a foreign thought! He said to the interviewer, “You can put it on, but I wouldn’t… and no one else would.” Followed by, “But doesn’t it bother you that the king can’t be replaced and that he has such power?” He said it was perfectly normal and good that he had complete sovereignty over the land, it brought peace. This man loved the thought that if he could get a letter to the king, or a meeting with the king, how big that would be because he knew he’d have the kings attention who can actually answer his issue. And what got me was the final question: “What if the king asked you to do something?” His response: “It would be an honor to serve the king!” This man was so struck by the idea of being able to serve the king and what an absolute privilege it would be.
It certainly caused me to pause. That’s not how I think of having a king. And I don’t want a king to tell me what to do. But then I am struck by a few places in His Word that tell us about our Lord and Savior.
Revelation 19:16, “And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Psalm 95:3, “For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.”
Isaiah 43:15, “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”
We, as Christians, do have a king, and His name is “Jesus”! And it is an honor to serve Him, and I don’t want to vote Him out, and He does reign sovereign over everything. I don’t acknowledge Him as “king” often as it is such a foreign concept to me. But perhaps you too will be left to contemplate the truth that we do have a king and we are under His reign.
The truth that we have a King over us is to bring us peace.
We have access to our King all the time!
And it is an honor to serve Him.
Finally, I look forward to the day when I can be face-to-face with my King, lingering, with a long gaze in my King’s eyes and the satisfaction that I am home.
Love Being Under the Reign of Our King,
Pastor John
With the Declaration of Independence we largely did away with the phrase, “Long live the king”. And now almost 250 years later the idea of having a king is not only foreign but repulsive to the independent American culture.
That American independence has created a disability for our mindset to consider the richness that comes from being under a kings reign. Whenever we think of kings today we probably think of the King of England – who, for the most part, is a figurehead without much authority.
I want us to try scratching the image of the king of England from our minds for the sake of how God’s Word addresses the kingship idea.
Recently I was able to listen to an interview with a Christian man from Jordan and his thoughts about having a king rule over him. I was enraptured by the new concepts. For instance, “would he put a sticker on his car about voting for a new king?” He laughed at such a foreign thought! He said to the interviewer, “You can put it on, but I wouldn’t… and no one else would.” Followed by, “But doesn’t it bother you that the king can’t be replaced and that he has such power?” He said it was perfectly normal and good that he had complete sovereignty over the land, it brought peace. This man loved the thought that if he could get a letter to the king, or a meeting with the king, how big that would be because he knew he’d have the kings attention who can actually answer his issue. And what got me was the final question: “What if the king asked you to do something?” His response: “It would be an honor to serve the king!” This man was so struck by the idea of being able to serve the king and what an absolute privilege it would be.
It certainly caused me to pause. That’s not how I think of having a king. And I don’t want a king to tell me what to do. But then I am struck by a few places in His Word that tell us about our Lord and Savior.
Revelation 19:16, “And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Psalm 95:3, “For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.”
Isaiah 43:15, “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”
We, as Christians, do have a king, and His name is “Jesus”! And it is an honor to serve Him, and I don’t want to vote Him out, and He does reign sovereign over everything. I don’t acknowledge Him as “king” often as it is such a foreign concept to me. But perhaps you too will be left to contemplate the truth that we do have a king and we are under His reign.
The truth that we have a King over us is to bring us peace.
We have access to our King all the time!
And it is an honor to serve Him.
Finally, I look forward to the day when I can be face-to-face with my King, lingering, with a long gaze in my King’s eyes and the satisfaction that I am home.
Love Being Under the Reign of Our King,
Pastor John
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