Sound The Midnight Cry

“Coming Home For Christmas”

In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.”

Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news—man had flown!

 As the events of the Christmas season wind down, I can’t help but wonder how many people today once again have missed the real story. The message of Christmas is not gifts and gadgets, bows and lights or trees and tinsel. The message of Christmas is that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son—for one purpose.

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Gospel of Luke 2:9-11

The good news is that a Savior came into the world to rescue its inhabitants from the penalty of sin. The sad news is that so many have never heard the good news, while many others simply scoff at the message. Like the editor reading the telegraph about the accomplishment of the Wright brothers and not comprehending what was being said, many people today fail to understand the greatness of that first Christmas message.

The amazing truth is that of all the prophecies foretold concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ, there are seven times more divine predictions about His second coming. And once again, millions have never heard the message or those that have, simply ridicule the whole idea.

There is no greater opportunity to focus on the real message of Christmas than now—before it gets packed away with the decorations and memories of another December 25^th. Christmas is the coming of a Savior for those needing saving (all of us) and a new home being prepared by the One that came to save us.

Don’t miss the big news of Christmas—Jesus Christ has come once and He is coming again!

“Storm Warnings 2012!”

In October 1987, British television weatherman Michael Fish told viewers he'd received a telephone call from a viewer who said she'd heard a hurricane was on the way. He told his viewers not to worry. He brushed aside amateur weather forecasts with a laugh and predicted nothing more than sea breezes. Shortly after he finished, Britain was hit by 120 mile per hour winds that blacked out half the country. It was responsible for twenty-two people dying (18 in Britain, 4 in France). The worst storm to hit England in 284 years and would later be called, “The Great Storm of 1987”.

In fairness to Mr. Fish, his remark concerning the hurricane (he later claimed) was in reference to one reported near Florida. Also, that same morning, the Surrey Record had warned of “furious gales,” so most people believed he was referring to Britain. Mr. Fish did warn of high winds for the UK, warning viewers to “batten down the hatches” but that the brunt of the storm would swing through the English Channel and miss most of England.

History however would show that instead of taking the projected course, the storm cut a path right across the southern part of the country and was far stronger than he had predicted. The paradox came with the misreporting of the weather, the misunderstanding of the official weather report by the population and the actual impact of a storm not seen in centuries.

I couldn’t help but think about this when looking at the headlines across the globe this past week: The Eurozone on the brink of financial collapse with military leaders predicting national riots. Iran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz and with it, the world’s oil supply. Syria teetering on civil war while the rest of the Arab nations transforming from an Arab Spring to an Arab Winter. In the U.S., unemployment continues at almost record highs and the presidential campaign prepares to kick into high gear. The result of all of this is a world filled with uncertainty about the future.

There are all kinds of ‘storms’ in life and many that are moving quickly upon the financial, social and moral landscape of our nation. Our nation as a whole is not unlike the people in England that went to bed on October 15, 1987 thinking that it would only be a windy night. The fury of what was coming was totally unseen and the people unprepared.

There is a storm racing across the nations today and there are far too few sounding a warning cry. The voices being heard today have the similar sound of the one given that fateful night declaring, “…don’t worry, there isn’t a storm coming.” Too many people never give it thought and simply believed it.

The greatest vacuum for a voice of warning is from the pulpits of America today. Instead of declaring with a resounding call to prepare for the coming storm (that’s what Noah declared), we hear little devotionals to make one feel good about themselves. Without a heaven-shaking word from our pulpits to awaken us from our moral slumber, there will instead be a heaven-shaking touch in our land.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews foretold that “everything that can be shaken, will be.” As we enter 2012, it is time to ask God to shake us that we might wake from our slumber and begin telling others to prepare for what’s coming.

Romans 13:11 says, “We live in an important time. It is now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” I guess the question for each of us to ask is, “Do we believe it?”

 

“Romper, Bomper, Stomper, Boo II”

Millions of people from the 1950’s through the 1990’s though will understand that it refers to the chant from the popular syndicated children’s program “Romper Room”.

At the end of each TV show, the hostess gazed through a large, hoop (empty mirror frame) with a handle and would recite the show's signature chant:

"Romper, bomper, stomper, boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic mirror, tell me today. Did all my friends have fun at play?"

With the chant spoken, the Romper Room hostess gazed through the empty mirror frame and recited the names of the lucky children whom she pretended to see watching the program (a different list of names each day). Of course, the hostess really couldn't see the children, but to the kids at home (including yours truly), listening for their name to be mentioned, they knew that they were someone special, at least in the World of Romper Room.

Well, if I pull out the “bible prophecy” mirror, I don’t have to pretend as I see Russia, Syria, the EU, Iran and Israel.

This week we see that Russia PM Putin is once again rising to the former place of power and seems bent on returning Russia back to cold-war policies. Opponents state that He is forming a platform inside the country out of loyal people for whom the West was, is, and will be an enemy. Meanwhile, the Russian block anti-Putin rallies signaling a return of former KGB days.

Syria is on the verge of civil war as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carries out military operations and killing hundreds of Syrians dissidents. Reports state that he is transferring weapons to the terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon should his attempts to stay in power fail.

Iran is frantically trying to finalize the capacity to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran’s Arab neighbor nations are threatening to acquire nukes to thwart Iran destabilizing the area.

The EU meanwhile is grappling with how to save itself due to overwhelming debt of some of its members. Plans submitted by Germany would have member states surrender their fiscal sovereignty to a single monetary bank. Should this happen, it sets the stage for a single EU nation, as money would control all the members of the union.

Israel, faced with the ever increasing existential threat of Iran acquiring the ability to launch nuclear weapons, is nearing a point of no return. They faced with the need to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure now and face the fallout of world opinion, or deal with the fallout of nuclear missiles.

Meanwhile at home in the U.S., every eye is focused on the continuing financial crises and the upcoming presidential race. Add to that the hustle and bustle of the consumer mindset during the Christmas season and most Americans are oblivious to these incredibly important events happening in the rest of the world.

It reminds me of another busy time many years ago when the people missed another important event: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

That first Christmas, biblical prophecies of the Messiah’s coming were being fulfilled. Two-thousand years later, the remaining prophecies are being fulfilled to His Second Coming!