All My Heart This Night Rejoices - King’s Heralds Joy to the World - Organ Solo, Brad Braley My Pretty Little Jesus - King’s Heralds Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Del Delker Jesus the Light of the World - King’s Heralds

All My Heart This Night Rejoices - King’s Heralds Joy to the World - Organ Solo, Brad Braley My Pretty Little Jesus - King’s Heralds Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Del Delker Jesus the Light of the World - King’s Heralds

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Voice Of Prophecy

H.M.S. Richards

The “Night” Before Christmas


Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring, Jesus is coming again. Cheer up you pilgrims, be joyful and sing, Jesus is coming again. This is the voice of prophecy, a voice crying in the wilderness of these modern days. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Coming again, coming again, Jesus is coming again.

From our Voice of Prophecy studios in Los Angeles, California, we welcome you to this half hour of inspiration and music with the King's Heralds, Del Delker, Brad Braley, and the Voice of Prophecy speaker, HMS Richards, a Seventh-day Adventist minister. Near. Sweetest angel voices, Christ is born, the choirs are singing, till the air everywhere, Now with joy is ringing. Come then, let us hasten yonder, Here let all great and small, kneel in awe and wonder. Love him who with love is yearning, hail the star that from far bright with hope is burning.

Let us pray. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the gift of Jesus. We thank thee for Bethlehem and the virgin born. O Lord, we pray that he may dwell within our hearts and that we may follow him as our Savior and our Lord.

In Christ's name we ask it. Near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. Amen. They laid my pretty little Jesus Down in the straw. Then hallelujah, then hallelujah, Lord.

Wasn't that a bright Bethlehem morning Around the glory manger? Here all his pretty little cooing, coming from the straw. Then hallelujah, then hallelujah, Lord, morning around the glory manger. Now here is Bob Edwards, first tenor of the King's Heralds, telling, especially for the children today in our radio audience, an interesting story. King Herod sat on his throne and looked at the rulers standing before him.

My servants tell me some wise men from the east came into Jerusalem today. They are asking about a child who is born king of the Jews. What do you know of such a child?" he demanded. Your Majesty, 1 of the scribes spoke, many of our prophets do speak of a savior. The sacred writings tell us that the time is near when this Messiah, this Christ, should be born.

When he heard this, King Herod leaped to his feet, his face black with anger. I am the king of Israel, he shrieked. There will be no other. No such child shall have my throne. Where is this child to be born?

What do your prophets say about that?" —Your Majesty, the scribe faltered, the prophet Micah says he must be born in Bethlehem. —Bethlehem! Bethlehem! So the child who threatens my throne is in Bethlehem. As the priests and scribes filed out of the chamber, Herod turned to his servant.

Jason, those men from the east, the wise men, bring them to the palace at once. Soon afterward the wise men from the east were ushered into Herod's presence. I am told you search for a child that is born king of the Jews that you have followed his star Yes, your majesty 1 of the wise men answered Many hundreds of years ago a prophet from the city of Pithor near our own land Balaam was his name Balaam spoke these words There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Your great leader Moses records them in 1 of his books. When we saw this strange star over the land of Jacob's children, we followed it.

It led us here. I am glad you came. I have been told that this babe is in Bethlehem. Go and search diligently for the young child and when you have found him bring me word again That I may come and worship him also The wise men did not notice the look of evil that passed over Herod's face as they turned to leave But as they stepped out under the night sky, they looked up and were very happy, for there over the road to Bethlehem was the shining star. They followed it until at last it stopped over the very house where the baby Jesus was.

When they saw him with Mary his mother, they fell down on their knees and worshipped him, because they knew that this was the Son of God. Then they opened their presents of gold and spices and gave them to Jesus. In the morning when they left for their faraway homes, they did not go by way of Jerusalem. They did not stop and see the wicked King Herod, for that night in a dream God had told them they should go home a different way. But when Herod learned that they had gone back and had not stopped to see him, he was furiously angry.

He shouted to his servant, Jason, summon the legion, call the palace guard, send the soldiers at once to Bethlehem, Have them destroy every child under 2 years of age. Let none escape. Kill them all. All!" In Bethlehem, Joseph, Mary, his wife, and the baby Jesus were sleeping peacefully, for they did not know of King Herod's terrible command. But Joseph began to stir restlessly in his sleep.

Suddenly he sat up, wide awake. He reached over and gently shook Mary. Mary, Mary, wake up quickly. Yes, Joseph, what is it? We must get up quickly.

The child is in some great danger. God has just told me so in a dream. We must escape to Egypt now, Tonight. Even as he spoke, Joseph was gathering things together for the journey. But Joseph, how can we go?

The child is so young and we have no money. You have forgotten, Mary, the gifts of the wise men. The gold, the incense, and precious spices. They will pay our way into Egypt. God must have sent them to us for this very purpose." A short time later, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus slipped quietly out of the gates of Bethlehem.

No 1 saw them leave. There was no 1 to tell the wicked King Herod that the child had escaped his cruel sword. The Heavenly Father was keeping a special watch over this little 1. This was a baby the king could not kill. You be born in a manger.

Sweet little holy child, didn't know who you was. Didn't know you'd come to save us, Lord, to take our sins away. Our eyes was blind, we couldn't see. Was blind we couldn't see. We didn't know who you was.

Long time ago, you was born, born in a manger low, sweet little Jesus boy. The world Treat you mean, Lord, treat me mean too. But that's how things is down here. We don't know who you is. You done told us how.

We is a-tryin'. Master, you done showed us how Even when you's dyin' Just seem like we can't do right. Look how we treated you. But please, sir, forgive us, Lord. Forgive us, Lord, we didn't know it was you.

Sweet little Jesus boy, born long time ago. Little holy child, and we didn't know who you were. Here now is HMS Richards, the voice of prophecy speaker. His subject, the night before Christmas. There must have been a divine purpose in keeping the exact birthday of Christ a secret.

It certainly is proper, however, that there should be a season in the year when people think about the birth of Jesus. All of us may reflect with profit upon the importance of that birth, the birth of our Master, and all Christians everywhere can join the Heavenly Host in saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men. We would like to say to all, Christmas is coming. May you all have wisdom to make it a precious season. Let the older Church members unite heart and soul with their children in this innocent amusement and recreation, and in devising ways and means to show true respect to Jesus by bringing to him gifts and offerings.

Let everyone remember the claims of God. And while there may be some who will turn those occasions into seasons of careless levity, whose minds will not receive the divine impress, to other minds and characters, these seasons will be highly beneficial. What was the world like when Jesus came the first time? Before the first Christmas, using the word in its popular meaning, it was a dark world into which the baby Jesus was born. We read in Galatians 4, 4 that when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.

When God's time came, God's Son came. The first prophecy of his coming was made in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3.15. Long millenniums had passed. It seemed the prophecy never would be fulfilled. But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God's purposes know no haste and no delay.

As God's chosen people had departed step by step from the light of his word, formalism came in, darkness over the hearts of the people. Still there was hope in the prophecies of his word. God spoke to man through nature, through the types and symbols of the ancient sacrifices, through the words of patriarchs and prophets. He must speak to humanity in the language of humanity. The Messiah, the Christ, must come.

So the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Yes, it was a dark old world when Jesus came the first time. It was in such a night as this, the night before the first Christmas, that men who were truly wise saw the star in the east and came to worship the newborn King. It was in such a world and such a spiritual night that wandering shepherds heard the angels sing, For unto you was born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2.10. It was in such an age that angels sang over the Judean hills, Glory to God in the highest, peace and goodwill toward man. It was of this birth night of the Holy Child that a poet sang, silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace. But what of the Christmas yet to come, that is, the return of Christ to this world? And what of the night before that Christmas?

What of the night of spiritual darkness that will precede His Advent? Can we be entering that night now? A year or so ago David Lawrence, a well-known editor, predicted someday there will be a real Christmas. Then he described what that real Christmas would mean to the world. It was a picture of world without wars, without epidemics, economic disruption, without distress of nations, without perplexity of mind, without death.

And the world he described will come, but it can come only after Christ comes. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He alone can bring peace to this earth. It is when he reigns at last that we shall finally have complete and universal and everlasting peace. When his authority is over men, Then indeed shall righteousness cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11.9.

An editorial in the Moody Monthly, speaking of this prediction of David Lawrence in the U.S. News and World Report, says that any Christmas before Jesus comes can be only a shadow of the real Christmas still to come. That's true. Until that wonderful day, all the good cheer and fellowship of the Christmas season's only temporary. Usually the Christmas spirit fades away when the Christmas decorations are taken down, but it should not be that way among true believers.

Every Christian should have a constant Christmas in his heart. We are living now in the deepening night before the coming Christmas, Jesus said, There shall be distress of nations with perplexity, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21, 25. No 1 needs to read quotations to prove that we are living in such a time. We all know it. A heavy cloud of fear presses down upon the hearts of man.

War, rumors of war, preparations for war. Men long for peace. How popular that word is. Anyone who talks about it has a hearing, whether he's sincere in his talk about it or not. Every nation seems to fear every other nation, so whets its swords, and grinds up more powder, and prepares more ammunition.

World unrest, suffering, ungodliness, wickedness, fear, yes, all here in the deepening night in fulfillment of Jesus prediction. In his parable of the lamp lighters, Jesus described the 10 virgins with their lamps. Some wise, some foolish, some prepared with an extra supply of oil, others had only what was in the lamp. And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him." Matthew 25.

Are we not approaching that midnight now? May we not soon hear the wondrous call, Behold, the bridegroom cometh? But there's a great work for us to do first. We have much to do before that time, and the King's business requires haste. Think of the unworn millions of all lands.

Jesus said, this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. Should not the Christian messenger go everywhere with the gospel? Should not the Christian printing presses roll out millions of tracts, papers, books, in all the readable languages of earth? Should not radio, yes, even the voice of prophecy, and TV, be harnessed to this great task as never before? Above all, should we not remember that we are Christ's witnesses, every 1 of us, bearing his testimony and word in life.

We have a great unfinished work. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, he said, Matthew 28, 19. Those are our marching orders. By God's grace, let us obey them. In this night before Christmas, lights are springing up everywhere.

There's a stirring among the sleepers, the voice of prayer is heard. Some are beginning to proclaim, behold the King is coming. It is not the night of this worldly, philosophical, scientific, sensual, humanistic, self-satisfied age that's the most dangerous to us. It's the night within, the darkness of our own hearts that must be illuminated with the Light of Heaven. We must open our hearts to the Word of God, to the Holy Spirit, until the day dawn and the day's Torah rise in our hearts.

That's the way, my friends, to shine with the Light of God. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights of the world, holding forth the word of life." Philippians 2 15. It's the word of light which is the word of life because it's the Word of Christ, the light of the world. I once journeyed through the Waldensian valleys where, through so many centuries, those humble mountaineers kept the light of truth burning amid the surrounding darkness. The insignia of that ancient Waldensian church was a candlestick with a light shedding its rays across the surrounding darkness, encircled with 7 stars, and the motto in Latin, the light shineth in darkness.

And by God's grace, that's what we all need to be doing in this, our dark night before Christmas. Of light proclaim Jesus, the light of the world. Life and mercy in his name, Jesus, the light of the world. We'll walk in the light, beautiful light, Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright, Shine all around us by day and by night, Jesus, the light of the world. Come confess him as your king, Jesus, the light of the world.

Then the bells of heaven will ring, Jesus the light of the world. We'll walk in the light, beautiful light. Come where the dew drops of mercy are bright. Shine all around us by day and by night. Jesus, the light of the world.

Here once again is HMS Richards with a special word of greeting for the season of the year. Radio friends of the Voice of Prophecy, our entire broadcasting group and those who work here at the Office of the Voice of Prophecy all join in wishing you and yours the very Most blessed holiday greetings that you can imagine that God will give you. We thank you for your support during the year. We thank you for your prayers and your earnest letters. If you do not hear from us right away, remember it's because we haven't caught up with the work lately.

We appreciate every message you send. Please write to us again and pray for the vice of prophecy and its workers. Have faith in God, a sure guide and sight. Have faith in God, his lamp is burning bright. Have faith in God, to end earth's darkest night.

Have faith, dear friend, in God. We hope this broadcast has served to bring you spiritual strength and blessing for this week and we invite you to join us again next week this same time for another broadcast brought to you by the Voice of Prophecy. The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Amen. ♪♪ ♪♪ you

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The “Night” Before Christmas

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