My favorite book is J.R.R. Tolkien's Return of the King. It is one of my favorite movies as well. Here are some of the lines from the movie:

“Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship…but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, men of the west!*

“No, Sam. I can’t recall the taste of food…nor the sound of water nor the touch of grass. I’m naked in the dark, with nothing. No veil between me and the ring of fire. I can see him with my waking eyes!”

“Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?”

And the last, with a comment from someone else who also loves the movie.

“Come on Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you. But I can carry you!”

“When Samwise Gamgee flings Frodo over his shoulder and pushes his way up the mountain, it’s more apparent than ever: he would lay down his life for his friend. This line touches the place deep inside of all of us–a place that knows that we can’t do it all ourselves without the love and support of others. I believe it also touches on a few Christian themes involving bearing one another’s burdens…" The Pioneer Woman.

Bearing one another's burdens. We need to do that, it is essential to life and love, to help each other until That Day Comes.

And just what is "That Day"? That Day is when the King Returns. Are you Ready for that day? Are we ready to face the one who will Judge all the inhabitants of the Earth? No living being on this earth has the strength to stand before Him. All our righteousness is as filthy rags. There is not one thing we can use to prove our worth, no work we have done, no book we have written, no money we, I, have made, nothing, except for one thing I know to be true, and that is this: I know where my Salvation is, I know that Jesus paid it all for me, that he suffered and died a most horrible death, and rose again knowing my name and because I know this and accept this greatest of all gifts when the King returns, my name is written down in the Book of Life, and I have a passport to be part of his Kingdom.

"My friends. You bow to no one.”

The above line is one of the last lines from the movie, from the scene where the King, just crowned speaks to the little hobbits, The Pioneer Woman says this about that line:

"For me, this is the most rewindable scene in the entire trilogy. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin are about to bow to the newly crowned King, but he stops them and delivers the above line. The King bows to the hobbits instead, and the entire kingdom follows suit. The hobbits stand there and look around, surprised by this unexpected turn…and clearly a little unsure about being in such a lofty position. Volumes could be written about this single scene: humility and exaltation, strength and faith conquering evil, the “last shall be first”…the themes are never-ending. I have to go now. I feel a good cleansing cry coming on." The Pioneer Woman.

I will want to bow before our Christ, but he will say Come Here, open up his arms and give me a great big wonderful hug. He will not lord it over us, He will be a brother, best friend, as well as a savior to those of us who believe in Him.

I think I feel the need for my own cleansing cry now.....Derrick

Psalm 98: 1-9

1 Sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvelous things;

his right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

2 The Lord has made his salvation known

and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

3 He has remembered his love

and his faithfulness to Israel;

all the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,

burst into jubilant song with music;

5 make music to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of singing,

6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—

shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

8 Let the rivers clap their hands,

let the mountains sing together for joy;

9 let them sing before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples with equity.