In The Presence of Greatness
Kings will stand speechless in his presence (Isaiah 52:15, NLT).
Dear Friends,
During the days of the administration of President Ronald Reagan, Vonette and I were invited to the White House for a state dinner, which we discovered was a very unique privilege.
I had just assumed that all congressmen, senators and cabinet member were regular participants in state dinners, but I was told that it was very rare and few people were ever invited more than once to the White House for an occasion like this.
Vonette and I were sitting with President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, and enjoying their fellowship and the fellowship of others who were invited along with us. It was a time of pomp and ceremony. The colorful and outstanding United States Marine Band and Color Guard and all the ceremonies of that magnificent state affair were very impressive. It was a great honor to be there on that occasion when President Reagan entertained a head of state from a foreign country.
But as impressive as it was, it was really nothing compared with what I do every day, and the company I routinely keep! Presidents and government leaders are just humans, like all of us, with their human weaknesses. But daily I have intimate fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords. I enter through His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). I come boldly before His throne (Hebrews 4:16), and am seated with Him in heaven (Ephesians 2:6). I know this is true because God said it, and I believe it.
What a greater privilege is ours as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, each day, any hour of the day or night, to have fellowship with the omnipotent, creator God and Savior.
Although I greatly admire and respect President Reagan as I have many other Presidents whom I have come to know through the years, there is no one who can even begin to compare with our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of the Universe, the One who holds everything together with the word of His command, and who died on the cross for our sins. Three days later He was raised from the dead and now lives in the hearts of all believers.
We can come into the presence of this great King at any time, with no appointment necessary. And unlike White House state dinners, we can come back again and again, daily and many times a day. In fact, He allows us to live and walk in His presence continually.
Such truth is too great and wonderful to comprehend or to fully appreciate. All we can do it thank and praise Him as we stand in awe at His greatness and love.
Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,
Bill Bright
About the Author
The late Dr. Bill Bright was Founder and President/Chairman Emeritus of Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization which began as a campus ministry in 1951 and now has more than 27,000 full-time staff and up to 500,000 trained volunteer staff in 196 countries in areas representing 99.6 percent of the world’s population. In the past 50 years, Campus Crusade for Christ has seen approximately 6 billion exposures to the gospel worldwide. The film, “JESUS,” which Bright conceived and funded through Campus Crusade for Christ, is the most widely translated and viewed film of any type ever produced. Since its use began in 1980, the film has been translated into 839 languages and viewed or listened to by over 5.7 billion people in 228 countries. Dr. Bright was also the author of more than fifty books. Dr. Bright recently co-founded Global Pastors Network to “Touch, Teach and Train” a group of 5 million new house churches around the world 24/7/365 at http://www.globalpastorsnetwork.org.
Copyright (c) 2003, Bill Bright. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
