THE ULTIMATE DREAM

The Holy City Hymn

Last night I lay a-sleeping There came a dream so fair,I stood in old Jerusalem Beside the temple there.I heard the children singing,And ever
as they sang, Me thought the voice of angels From heaven in answer rang.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Lift up your gates and sing, Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to your King!

And then me thought my dream was changed,The streets no longer rang, Hushed were the glad Hosannas The little children sang.The sun grew dark with
mystery,The morn was cold and chill, As the shadow of a cross arose Upon
a lonely hill.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Hark! How the angels sing, Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to your King!

And once again the scene was changed; New earth there seemed to be; I saw the Holy City Beside the tideless sea;The light of God was on its
streets,The gates were open wide, And all who would might enter, And no
one was denied.No need of moon or stars by night, Or sun to shine by
day; It was the new Jerusalem That would not pass away.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Sing for the night is o'er! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna for evermore!

(John Weatherly 1892)

I was dreaming the other night with this song and others like it floating in and out of my mind. In the morning I woke up and began to reflect
on why these songs and their lyrics would not leave me.

Several years ago I narrated annual Christmas and Easter musicals for the church we were attending. Each musical was designed as an outreach to
the community and was usually performed for 2 or 3 times. Our
responsibilities, as church members, was to invite neighbors, friends
and anyone we met to each musical. They were all focused on displaying
the hope that each person can find in knowing Jesus Christ as their
personal Savior.

I still can see the choir members' faces, the musical instrumentalists, the sololists, the director, the light technicians, the ushers and all the people involved. I can still
visualize the practices as well as the concerts. There was a unity of
purpose among us plus an anticipation that someone, who did not know the
Lord, would see, hear, and believe. We were sharing the amazing gifts
God had given us to plant seeds and were giving God the glory as we
believed He had called us to do. I remember the auditorium be packed
with people we knew and those we did not know time after time.

Some years have passed now. I don't know how many people, if any, accepted the Lord because of these musical performances, but I do know the gospel
was shared with joy each night. I do know that some of the
participants have died, others remain committed to share the gospel,
others have moved on to different churches or different ministries, and
still others, sadly have slipped away from the truth of the salvation
messages we presented in unbridled unity in these musicals.

So my prayer today is that I will still focused on that message of salvation presented in those musicals because Christ has called me to do
so. My responsibility is to do so with compassion and commitment that
God showed me by sacrificing Jesus Christ for my sins. Perhaps focusing
on the musical events, the unknown results and the changes for better or
worse of the participants involved was God reminding me to pray for all
who participated in or heard these musicals!

But more than that it is his reminder to me to focus on each responsibility God gives me each day to declare Jesus Christ and thereby give God all the
glory. So today, I also pray he causes you to remember to pray for what
you have seen and to pray for what you are doing to bring glory to God
by declaring Jesus Christ is Lord. Someday, when our dreams and songs
turn into reality, we can sing in a new musical for all to hear,
"Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna forevermore!

Blessings in Christ, Steve