Heaven on my mind

I think there is an old gospel song that starts with
these words, "I woke up with heaven on my mind..."

Well, I woke up yesterday two or three times during the night with another old "classic" gospel song playing in my head. That song was "Jesus is Coming Soon" which was written by R.E. Winsett in 1942. His music publishing company in Tennessee was a stong hold of southern gospel shape-note music in the first half of the 1900's.

Jesus is Coming Soon

Verse 1:
Troublesome times are here, filling men's hearts with fear,
Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake;
Humbling your heart to God saves from the chast'ning rod,
Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians, awake.

Chorus:
Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon,
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound;
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies,
Going where no one dies, Heavenward bound.

Verse 3:
Troubles will soon be o'er, happy forever more,
When we meet on that shore, free from all care;
Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye,
Homeward we then will fly, glory to share.


This song was made popular in 1970 by many gospel quartets, the most famous version being sung by the Inspirations Quartet from N.C. The words remind us to be prepared for the Rapture or the return of Jesus Christ to take all Christians home to heaven. This could happen any day and the Bible tells us that no one knows the hour when Christ will come. We need a sense of urgency in our daily lives to serve the Lord and reach others for Christ!

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.