| Excited? - article by Joel Hempel Those of you who attended 101-year-old Al Grimm’s funeral know he requested the choir to sing “Away in a Manger.” It’s an unusual request for mid-November, but Al loved the melody and especially the message in the last verse: Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.1 Never before the funeral service did I think of this beloved Christmas carol as an “end times” hymn. But at this time of year, many churches focus on the second coming of Christ. What is most exciting about our Lord’s return? That Jesus will take us to heaven to live with him there! It is true that when a Christian dies, their soul goes to be with Christ and live in some form of existence that is beyond our comprehension..2 But the second coming of Christ and our resurrection takes our living with Jesus to an all-new level.3 Are you excited about that? It’s embarrassing to admit, but I am not. I don’t get excited about many things, but when Jesus returns, descending from heaven, the word excitement doesn’t begin to describe what I imagine I will be feeling. What about you? Do you ever think about the Second Coming of Christ? The scene in my mind plays out something like this: Joel: Marcia, did you hear that? Marcia: That sounds like trumpets! Joel: (running to the door) Come and see this. There! Look up!4 Both of us fall to our knees, worshipping and weeping tears of joy and thanksgiving. Marcia calls our sons: Are you seeing this? Go outside! Look up! Yes! Yes! It’s Jesus! Marcia starts singing, I somehow find my voice, and together we sing praises to God. Who else would we call? Who else would we be afraid to call? Or would fear already be a forgotten emotion? I don’t know how Christians can get more ready for Christ’s Second Coming than what we already are: grace-enriched, Spirit-enabled believers in Jesus as Savior. In a recent email exchange with a friend, I asked what the Second Coming of Christ meant to him. He said, Our Christian walk has eternal significance.5 Indeed, it does! When the final call comes and our Lord gathers those whose trust in Jesus has led them to walk by faith, we will at once and forever be with Him. Come, Lord Jesus! Take us to heaven to live with Thee there. 1. Text and tune in the public domain 2. See 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Luke 23:42-43; Revelations 6:9-11. 3. John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. 4. Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:29-31; Titus 2:11-13; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-53. 5. Rev. Mark Luecke, retired Chaplain, Mercy Hospital, Canton, Ohio. | 
