On worshiping with the nations

Tonight I sang a song that has been around for a few years. The first time I heard it was several years back. I was in a worship service At the Hatch Auditorium at the Caswell Conference Center on the edge of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. Over 1000 students and their adult sponsors were singing at the top of their lungs

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave...

On that night, I was moved to tears at the sound and sight of teenagers worshiping, at significant volume, of the power and promise of the Gospel. Their lives as disciples were ahead. They sang of the strength and promise of their future for earth and eternity.

Shine your light let t he whole world sing We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus

Tonight I sat in an auditorium in Interlaken, Switzerland singing the same song with several hundred people from all over the world. Judi and I are here to minister at an annual conference and youth camp for the International Baptist Convention At one point the worship leaders were discerning enough to drop out all instruments and back away from microphones to hear only the voices in the room fill up the space. And fill it up they did. As usually happens when amplified music and vocals drop out to give way to the voices in the room, the harmonies emerged, arms were lifted and the nations came together.

I wept as I heard those voices sing,

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me

There were people from Berlin and Brussells, Copenhagen and Colon, Dubai and Dusseldorg...They were from military bases at Ramstein, Wiesbaden and Aviano. They came from Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Denmark, Norway, Italy, and even a couple from New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations...

That last line hit me like it had never hit before. I was in the room with people of the nations singing about The Hope of Nations. The Hope of Nations was proclaimed with accents from all over Europe, and some parts beyond. The Hope of Nations...I let that roll through my mind and looked around at brothers and sisters from the nations,

Singing for the Glory of the Risen King.

Hallelujah. The King is on the throne. He is moving among the nations. Shine your light and let the whole world see.

Auf Wiedersehen!