For Bill and Gloria Gaither, this
is a different kind of song. Many of their songs are sing-along types, but this
one is more of an anthem expressing praise and gladness about Christ’s return.
Bill and Gloria loved to write songs of personal testimony and happy songs that
brought together the family of God.
Gloria had heard an evangelist
speak on the joy of the second coming of Christ. “Previously,” she said, “I had
tended to think of the end of the world as a time of judgment.” But after
hearing the sermon, she began to think “of Jesus as the Master of
Restoration—of marriages He had put back together, relationships His hand had
mended, and generation gaps His Spirit had bridged. I saw an image of the
coronation of a King, who walked down the corridor of history; I could see
lining the corridor throngs of witnesses to His redeeming grace.”
She wrote the words for “The King
Is Coming” and gave them to her husband to supply the music. The result is a
hymn combining simplicity and power, looking ahead to a time of rejoicing with
the King of glory.
Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 3:16-17; Revelation 5:9-13;
Revelation 22:20
Themes:
Second Coming, Victory, Assurance
Lyrics of the Hymn/Chorus:
O the King is coming, the King is
coming!
I just heard the trumpets
sounding, and now His face I see;
O the King is coming, the King is
coming!
[Praise God] He’s coming for me!
By CHARLES MILLHUFF (B. 1942) ©
1970 William J. Gaither, Inc. All rights controlled by Gaither Copyright
Management. Used by permission.
Reference for the Hymn/Chorus:
Petersen, William. The Complete
Book of Hymns (pp. 456-457). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Sixteen-year-old William Featherston
of Montreal wrote this simple hymn shortly after his conversion in 1862. He
died before his twenty-seventh birthday, and this is apparently the only hymn
he wrote.
Young Featherston sent the poem
to his aunt in Los Angeles, who then sent it to England, where it appeared in
The London Hymnbook in 1864. Back in Boston, Massachusetts, a Baptist minister,
A. J. Gordon, was preparing a hymnal for Baptist congregations when he saw “My
Jesus, I Love Thee” in the British hymnal. He didn’t like the music the words
were set to, and he later wrote that “in a moment of inspiration, a beautiful
new air sang itself to me.” The simple tune he wrote perfectly complemented the
simple words, and soon the hymn was being sung across America.
A. J. Gordon had a remarkable
ministry in New England. He wrote several books and started a college and
seminary. But putting music to this hymn written by a teenage boy may be the
accomplishment in A. J. Gordon’s life that has touched the most lives of all.
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:4-5; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 4:9-11,
19
Themes:
Love, Devotion, Commitment
Lyrics of the Hymn:
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know
Thou art mine—
For Thee all the follies of sin I
resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior
art Thou:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus,
’tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast
first loved me
And purchased my pardon on
Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the
thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus,
’tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will
love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou
lendest me breath;
And say when the death-dew lies
cold on my brow,
“If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus,
’tis now.”
In mansions of glory and endless
delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so
bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering
crown on my brow,
“If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus,
’tis now.”
By WILLIAM RALPH FEATHERSTON
(1846–1873)
Reference for the Hymn:
Petersen, William. The Complete
Book of Hymns (pp. 350-351). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Eliza Hewitt wrote this hymn as
she was studying the promises of God that had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The more she studied, the more excited she became as she saw Scripture
fulfilled in every aspect of Christ’s life. All Scripture, she discovered, focused
on Jesus Christ.
It is especially significant that
Hewitt was so faithfully seeking God at this point in her life. At the time,
she was recovering from a severe spinal injury. A Philadelphia schoolteacher,
Hewitt had been struck with a heavy slate by one of her students.
Hewitt was never again able to
teach in the public schools, but she continued to be involved with Sunday
school. There she was able to combine the two great loves of her life: children
and Jesus.
Scriptures: Ephesians 3:16-19; Philippians 3:10; 2 Peter 1:2-4
Themes:
Jesus, Salvation, Word of God
Lyrics of the Hymn:
More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show,
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.
Chorus:
More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me!
More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to
me.
More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord,
Hearing His voice in ev’ry line,
Making each faithful saying mine.
More about Jesus on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own,
More of His kingdom’s sure
increase,
More of His coming—Prince of
Peace.
By ELIZA EDMUNDS HEWITT
(1851–1920)
Reference for the Hymn:
Petersen, William. The Complete
Book of Hymns (pp. 495-496). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
