Mark 13:24-27 ~ send out the angels

Mark 13:24-27

²⁴ "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.


Angels - with the return of '80's nostalgia, maybe you remember the Christmas Angel craze of the 80's. I have participated in it in a big way and continue today. I saw photos of the New York Met tree in the 80's and have endeavored to do my best with our Christmas tree.


Met tree photos....

And I've had help with my angel tree project from family, my mom (of course) and friends. Even Church parties where the ornament is wrapped and distributed without anyone knowing what the ornament was - mine turns out to be an angel. My great-aunt Eloise had beautiful lace she collected for decades and my cousin Maxine gave it to my mom and to me. So our store bought angels have additions of beautiful lace and gold trim and acrylic paint applied to their clothes.

Not to mention the baseball angel, the football angel, the '99 Spencer doggy went to heaven photo in angel frame, the paper dinner plate angel, the valentine doily angel, the mother's day out angel, musical and medieval mosaic angels, red and white checked art deco angel, renaissance metal angel, pastel- paper- mache WWII plump Shirley Temple musical angels found in the attic of our second home, and - you get the idea. My sons even to this day look for the two angels repainted to look like them at age 5. They enjoyed placing their angel higher than the sibling's and sometimes the tree began to sway as that angel climbed heaven wards to 'higher' glory.

But in the middle of beautiful art - there is one thing I really long to see - an angel on the tree not looking like she is dressed to have High Tea with Queen Victoria. What about the real angels that the heart- stopping reaction is - O.M.G.


Luke 2:8-14

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"


Christmas is not just a reminder of God choosing to become part of our lives, but Christmas is the joyous reminder - we are going Home. All of the Christmas joy and Christmas hassle - our Alpha and Omega are in Jesus Christ. This life is just part of the plan for eternity - beginning today.


2 Peter 1:17
For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

2 Corinthians 3:10
For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.

2 Corinthians 1:22
and He has also set His seal upon us, and has put His Spirit into our hearts as a pledge and foretaste of future blessing.

Handel Messiah Hallelujah 1000 Choir Chorus
70th BPMC of Anniversary 7th Church Choir Festival.
John Hong, Organist (Hyun Il Hong : 홍현일)
Graduate Juilliard

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