The Sky is Falling!!

You remember the story about the hen who always cried "the sky is falling?" Or the fable of the little boy who always cried, "Wolf!!" They always yelled and carried on to the point, with no proof of what they were crying about, no one believed them any more.

Well, those were fables and a few years ago I heard Dr. Adrian Rogers tell a story about a man who "cried" all the time that no one believed. I've never forgotten it.

I looked at the news this morning on the internet and was reminded of this story....

In a sermon on the coming of Christ, Dr. Rogers began to compare the warning that Christ will return to the story of Noah warning of the flood. He said it like this...paraphrasing -

"We treat the coming of Christ and the warning that has been sounded by the men of God through the years like the people treated Noah as he preached about the flood...I can see it now, a little boy comes home after a day of watching a 'crazy old man' build his ark and preach that a flood's coming. He walks in his house that evening with fear instilled in his little heart over what he's seen and heard throughout the day. He mulls over it for a while and that evening while his dad is relaxing before bedtime, he crawls up in his dad's lap and begins to tell him about the events of the day and how troubled his little heart is about the old man's warnings.

The dad kicks back and laughs and begins to tell the little boy that 'the crazy old man' you heard and saw today has been around since I was just a little boy your age. He's been yelling that stuff since I can remember, and as long as your grandfather can remember. He's just crazy - you'll just have to ignore him. According to your grandfather, it's never rained here before and it's not going to. I don't know where in the world he got these crazy ideas....and besides that he's building that huge boat. Just forget about him, get you some sleep and if you see him again, don't worry about it. It's not going to rain! The little boy feels a little better and takes his word and goes to bed and makes up in his mind that he won't dwell anymore on 'old Noah.'

Can you imagine the torture of that father's mind as the rains begin to come and as the waters begin to rise....hearing the cries of the little boy yelling "Daddy!" - the one he told to ignore the warning of 'crazy old Noah' - as he tries to keep his head above the waters. Then they perish together because they chose to live the life they wanted to live with no regard for God and a desire for sinful lifestyles."

I'm not Dr. Adrian Rogers, and I can't exactly word it the way he did. And it's been years, and writing it without the expression may not suffice, but I'm telling you, I can remember the jolt that this gave me personally.

Looking at the times of the day, sometimes we feel like Noah, attempting to prepare for the return of Christ, yet not many seem to regard.

After looking at the headlines today, with news like this (click), this (click), this (click), and this (click).....all happening now....I take you back to the book of Luke and the words of Christ that go like this:

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end [is] not by and by.

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute [you], delivering [you] up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

Settle [it] therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.

And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake.

But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

In your patience possess ye your souls.

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh....

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

I'm not one to bear bad news constantly, I love fun and jokes as much as the next person, but this morning after a glimpse at the world as we know it, I am waiting on my redemption from this place. If you aren't ready to see the sky split and be caught up with Jesus Christ, I wave my flag for you.....time is drawing near.....Christ will soon appear, and I'm not just saying "the sky is falling" for nothing!!!