Advent-ure 2020 December 23: King of Kings (Caroling, Caroling)

We can rely on the power and wisdom of Christ, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and submit to 
His authority as we seek to express His glory. The book of Revelation tells the story of the triumph of our heavenly King, who will reign forever in a heavenly Kingdom. Chapter 17 includes these verses:
12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.
13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

Earthly authorities in the future will attempt to defeat this mighty King who rules and reigns over all the earth.  But, their plans will be unsuccessful.  Even in these days, you find officials in leadership who desire to silence the Church, to limit its power and influence, and to tell Christians we have to retreat from our culture.  But, God desires for us to advance His Kingdom on this earth - we have a King and we can follow and exalt Him in all that we do.

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We honor and proclaim the coming of our King, the one who will reign forever and who desires to reign in our hearts and usher us into the glorious Kingdom. In 1st Timothy 6, Paul writes:
13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing,
15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

The wise men went searching for the King of the Jews.  They came to Herod, who was the appointed ruler of the region of Judea.  He felt threatened by the thought of the existence of this new King, and he irrationally set out to take His life by killing all the boys two years and under in that region. Herod could not kill Jesus, and when His earthly life was taken according to God's timing, death could not hold Him. On this 23rd day of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure, we celebrate our living Lord, who is called the King of Kings.  That is our name for today.

This Christmas season, there have been several instances where the age-old tradition of Christmas caroling has been used as an opportunity to proclaim this King, who is our ultimate ruler and judge, to whom we swear our allegiance.  Moms for America sponsored an event in Washington recently called, "Keep Christmas" event, which featured Christmas carols and speakers, testifying to the greatness of our God, and sending a message that the Church will keep singing, even though you have some leaders who would want to silence that voice.  Speaker Rose Tennent was on the program to preview that event.  The event was livestreamed, and you can find it at KeepChristmas.org. 

The same day, actor Kirk Cameron held the second in a series of Christmas caroling gatherings in California in a mall parking lot, in the state where coronavirus restrictions have resulted in churches shutting down and singing banned. The Christian Post reported:

The former “Growing Pains” star held his first caroling event on Dec. 6, which he pegged a “peaceful protest” and drew about 500 people to sing Christmas songs and celebrate the birth of Christ. On Dec. 13, Cameron decided to hold a similar event but this time he advertised it beforehand and drew huge crowds.

“We had the most amazing time this last Sunday,” he celebrated on Instagram after the first event. “It was a Christmas caroling peaceful protest.”

He posed the question: “Have you ever sung Christmas carols by candlelight at a time when your state governor has prohibited you from doing that? In America! Well, this is actually happening; you can’t make this up."

And, the Pro-Life Action League invites people to take part in its annual Christmas caroling event; its website states:

One of the Pro-life Action League’s favorite events of the year is our “Peace in the Womb” Christmas caroling day. The idea is simple: we bring the hope and joy of Christmas to one of the world’s darkest places—the abortion clinic—in hopes that the familiar sounds of Christmas carols will save a life.

The singing of carols draws people together and helps us to focus on the coming of our Savior. We celebrate His birth and reflect on the deeper meaning of why He came.  And, this year, there is a reminder to those who would want to restrict the freedom of religion that we have in this country that there is a greater King, the greatest King, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whom we serve.

Nathan Busenitz, who is a dean at The Master's Seminary, wrote several years ago about the power of Christmas carols to spread the message of the gospel; he stated:

We call them "Christmas carols," but they are really Christian hymns celebrating the incarnation of our Lord and Savior. For a few weeks each December, these profound songs of worship become a ubiquitous part of the holiday atmosphere. Our society's pervasive interest in them provides us with a unique opportunity to share the gospel. It is the perfect time to explain the meaning of these songs to those who don't know Christ.

In the next few days, perhaps you will take part in a candlelight service where majestic and meaningful carols will be sung, maybe you will view an online worship experience, or turn Faith Radio on as we present our continuous Christmas music.  Soak it in, and allow the King of Kings to fill your heart with praise.