Heavenly Coronation

12 May 2o19

Dear Phyllis,

Last week I was komaru (problem) as there were two themes on my heart to write about. I opted to go with the candle issue, and this week I would like to discuss what was one of the most impressive pageants I have ever seen.

Thailand is a nation that honors her king more than any country on earth. There isn't a village, home, business establishment, or public place that doesn't have a prominent picture of the king decorated and honored like a god. The last king was a good guy that seemed to have the best interest of the people in mind and was rightfully respected. He was Thailand's longest living monarch but he died of old age last year. His son, who is now 60 years old, has come forward; and last week was his coronation. We were staying with Pammy's sister at the time that enabled me to view much of it on TV. Man howdy, it was wall to wall TV coverage for two days. It was an extravaganza such as I am sure has never been has never been enacted on this planet at any time in history. I have seen films of May Day celebrations in Moscow, military parades in Beizing, huge political celebrations in Pyongyang, North Korea, and dozens of other parades, but the best of these looked like a bunch of straggling fishermen on their way to work compared to the show the Thais put on last week. Having been in the Air Force, I have marched in military parades and flown fighters in air shows, and I know how difficult it is to stay in line when you pass in review. The Russians are good at it, the Chinese are good and every military parade I have ever seen is almost perfect, but no has ever come close to the performance the Thais put on for their king. I can't imagine how they did it. There were tens of thousands who stood for hours frozen like terracotta soldiers and no one ever blinked an eye or scratched their nose. What in the world would you do if you had to sneeze or go to the bathroom. It seemed that to wiggle your finger would have been a capital offense. I mean to tell you they did it right.

The precision of the participants – of which there were innumerable thousands – was amazing, but the respect and honor they paid to the king was something that Americans can't imagine. He was revered like God. Anyone who approached him to give him something did so practically crawling on their stomach. Of those who stood before him no one stood higher than on their knees. Fifty young men carried him on his throne down a street and he stepped off to another throne the same height.. The TV coverage was interesting and yet boring as there were long periods when the cameramen had nothing to look at but thousands of people seated motionlessly waiting for the king to show up at some location. This was royalty in motion such as the world has probably never seen.

As I watched this incredible performance I could only think of what the scene must look like in heaven. If the world thinks this Thai show was well done I am sure it would look like children playing in a sand box compared to the scene before the Throne of God in heaven. To say that is indescribable is almost an inexcusable understatement. The Lord has almost made Himself look foolish in trying to describe to us what that looks like. Both Isaiah and John got a chance to see it, and they made an attempt to tell us what they saw. They both talk about Beings that stand before the Throne that are unlike anything that exists on this planet. It is impossible for any human to imagine extra dimensions. If we were born and raise in a two dimension world how would you describe a three detention world? Or if you had only lived in a black and white world how would you tell someone what colors looked like? That is impossible. The best we can do is to consider the activity of those who stand before the Throne of God. The four living Beings cry ceaselessly “Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty; which was and is and is to come”. The 24 elders seated there fall down casting their crowns down and worship God and His Son. There are more than 100,000,000 angles and saints standing before the Throne crying, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” All I can do is stand at the rear of the last seat on the brim of the stadium and cry “AMEN”.

As I watched that ceremony in Bangkok I couldn't imagine anyone moving, much less, stand up to go to the bath room. There wasn't anyone whispering. There wasn't one empty chair. Everything was absolutely perfect. As I looked at that, I thought of what Jesus told us that the Kingdom of heaven is like a King who had a wedding for His Son and sent out the invitations. You know the story (Mt. 22:1-14). Some scoffed, some thumbed their nose, some stoned the messengers who brought the invitations. I tell you for sure nothing like that happened in Bangkok last week. There were no empty chairs. Oh that God would invite us to attend the Wedding of His Son blows my mind to where I am speechless. How could you think of saying, “No thank you”? Just that one story alone makes the Gospel so incomprehensible that it is a challenge to believe that it is true. If Jesus Himself hadn't told us that I would shout “Ridiculous! Impossible!” Oh, the insult, the irreverence, the insane familiarity, that is shown towards our Lord is indescribable! The utter insanity of people who say, “I can't wait to get to heaven. Jesus will be waiting for me, and the first thing I am going to do is rush up to put my head on His breast.” WHAT?!!! You idiot! Are you mad?! No one rushed up front to shake hands with the king of Thailand in Bangkok last week. No one threw a flower.

Joe Carroll told me of a time when he was sharing a conference with AW Tozer at a Bible school in the states. They wanted Tozer to preach twice a day and counsel. He said he wouldn't do it because he prayed four hours a day; so Joe did the counseling. Joe said the kids coming in for counseling were lined up down the hall and scared silly. I asked, “What in the world was Tozer preaching about?”

“God” “God? What kind of a message did he get out of that?” Joe just quoted one line from Exodus where the Word tells us that God came down to Sinai and the whole mountain was a flame. And Moses went up into that burning fame and lived. I thought, “Oh my goodness. I never thought of that.” Neither had anyone else. AW Tozer was a man who knew God. Tozer was a man who worshiped God lying flat on his face two hours a day.

This over familiarity that is so accepted today sends chills up my spine. I used to work with a missionary who talked to God like he was talking to a taxi driver. I heard him pray, “Now Lord, we are here for souls tonight. We don't want any hankie pank. We want to see these kids come forward to accept Jesus. Now Lord convict these kids of sin and show them that this is serious business.” I thought, “My goodness, who does this guy think he is talking to?' You don't talk to God like that. Years ago we had a Japanese girl live with us. The first morning she put on some ragged jeans and got in the car to go to church. I said, “Is that what you wear to a Buddhist temple?” “Oh no. If I went to a temple I would put on my best kimono.” “Is that what you think of Jesus?” She ran in the house to change her clothes. Years ago we treated God with respect. We bowed our heads and closed our eyes when we prayed. We wore our best clothes to church. Those days are past.

This is a theme that disturbs me deeply. When I saw that coronation ceremony for the king of Thailand last week and thought of the scene before the Throne of God. It just blows my mind to realize that we think that the Son of God is an ATM machine that God has sent to keep us happy. I would just check out in fear and plead to be excused from going to go to heaven. I am too bad and totally unqualified to attend the Wedding God has set for His Son. Hell would be a refuge to keep me from facing this awesome Being. But Jesus told us to call Him Father, and Jesus calls us His brothers.

Oh my goodness. Thank You, thank You …... Lord Jesus.

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