SCREAMING SIRENS

 

By Ada Nicholson Brownell

 

 A siren’s wail penetrated the early evening air. A young mother ran out of the house. She imagined her child lying in a pool of blood somewhere in the street. But she found her toddler playing happily in the yard.

Another mother parted the living room drapes, looking anxiously toward the street. Why was her teenage son so late driving the car home from the store? Was he now breathing his last beneath the wreckage of the automobile?

A father, just returning from work, heaved a sigh of relief when there was no fire truck in front of his home.

A young fellow coming out of a supermarket chuckled. “Somebody’s getting a ticket.”

Sirens can mean many different things. They make imaginations run wild. But their main purpose is to warn. They want motorists and pedestrians to get out of the way of a speeding ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle. Those who don’t give the emergency vehicle the right-of-way often cause serious accidents, creating an even larger emergency.

Other warning sounds are evident in our world—violence, war, revolution, famine. More important the rise of atheism from our schools, and churches that offer everything but the gospel and the Word of God.

Centuries ago a physician wrote a warning about these problems. Its theme: When these things encompass the earth, a great event is about to take place—and every person should prepare for it. Dr. Luke, more widely known as St. Luke, penned the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament and the book of Acts, relating the words of Jesus when he was on earth.

One of the warnings he delivered was about the second coming of Christ (Luke 21:7-36) that came from the mouth of Jesus.

Matthew sounded a similar warning. The warnings foretold about the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 40, but then Jesus connected events that would come to pass that would precede His Second Coming.

The Lord mentioned his second coming to his disciples several times, Here’s what he said in Matthew 24: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ^“6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

^“ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come…”

According to the Scriptures, today’s world tensions are dovetailing into the Battle of Armageddon, described in the Book of Revelation.

Today’s warnings are largely ignored. Some people have heard about the Second Coming all their lives –and they say, “It hasn’t happened yet.”

They may end up like those who have had to run to storm cellars so many times without experiencing a tornado, they have become callous.

Are you ready for Christ’s return? Have you accepted Him as your personal Savior? ”He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Heed the screaming sirens of the times, warning you to get ready. Jesus is coming! Whether you are dead or alive when he bursts through the clouds with the sound of a trumpet, if you’ve repented of your sins and made Jesus Lord of your life, you’ll meet him in the air, and from then throughout eternity you’ll be with the Lord. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18).

“Two men shall be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know the hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:40-41 KJ).

NEXT: More quotes from the Bible about the catching away of the church and Christ’s second coming. “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.