How to Avoid the Tribulation of the End Times?
The King Returns
More in 2024
Mount Everest is the tallest and most prominent mountain on the face of the earth. It towers to the cruising height of a 747 aircraft at 29,032 feet. Even its basecamp in Nepal starts at 17,598 feet. Not everyone who starts the accent to the top of Mount Everest makes it. Many have to turn back or have even died on the perilous journey. Much of life and our Christian walk can feel the same way.
We plateau, turn around, give up, settle for “ok,” when the Lord is calling us to the mountain top. We start on the journey with hope, souring emotions and bright aspirations as the Holy Spirit moves us upward. Somewhere along the way the weight of the journey begins to wear on us, or sin distracts us, or the cares of the world; and we stop moving upward. What we were believing God for, our relationship with Jesus and our witness begin to tapper off. Jesus warned of just such things.
Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”-Matthew 13:3-9 NLT.
This month Pastor Will has been preaching a series simply entitled “More in 24”. The premise is to do just that to expect more in 2024. Time to get your hopes up again. Time to draw into His love more. Time to brush your witness off and start to share your faith. You see each of you are called and anointed to fulfill what God has put on your heart. Time to get that great faith engine oiled and moving again as we pursue God to greater heights! The mountain is vast, the dangers are real, but we can and do have the victory in Christ Jesus. Let’s trust Him as we sojourn to the summit.
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.-Philippians 3:14 KJV
Be Thankful 4
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.”
We learned that the Lord is good. Many of us need to be reminded of this simple but profound truth. His mercy is everlasting. Praise God He doesn’t treat you as you deserve. He is the faithful God! You can count on Him to come through for you.
Prayer
In Luke 11, Jesus is basically saying the same thing. He just refers to a friend instead of the unjust judge. Your friend can be persuaded, not for your friendship’s sake but because you won’t give up, not because he cares about you, not because he wants what’s best for you but because you are persistent. Again, the point is not the persistence, it is that if your friend will do it, God will do it better!! He says, ASK – For everyone who asks receives, Seek – he who seeks finds, Knock – to him who knocks it will be opened.
You may be able to persuade others, but God doesn’t have to be persuaded, He desires to give good gifts to His children! He says, your friends, your father CANNOT compare to the good gifts He wants to give to those who ask Him.
God loves you, He cares for you, He wants good things for you! Pray, Ask, Seek, and you WILL find, if you don’t give up!
Parable of the Woman and the Judge
18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men aalways ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor 1regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 2‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 byet because this widow troubles me I will 3avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And cshall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you dthat He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Parable of the Persistent Friend
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
What To Expect
- A small Crowd: WOW Church is a new church and still growing. We began as a prayer group seeking the Lord for His direction. We have moved from that home prayer group of 4 to holding services in a garage, to the firehouse and believing God for our church building that He provided in 2014. We are a growing family who would love you to join with us.
- People Who Love People: We love Jesus and we love people! We want you to feel completely welcome, comfortable, and loved.
- Sincere Worship: We are expecting God to bring in musicians to enhance our worship but in the meantime we use background tracks and trust Him as we enter His presence with Thanksgiving and HIs courts with praise. He is faithful to be ever present in our worship service.
- A Relevant Message: Pastor Will is an excellent teacher of the Word of God. You will be taught on topics of faith, healing, and salvation. You will learn how to apply God’s principles to your marriage, parenting, your workplace, relationships and more.
- A relaxed, family atmosphere: We thrive on relationships. We have a monthly carry-in dinner on the first Sunday of each month, Ladies night out once a month, Men’s fellowships, connection groups, and any other time we can ‘hang out’. WOW Church is truly a family.
- God’s Power to change your life: As you allow the Word of God to affect change in you, enter into a time of worship to our Mighty, Awesome God, and develop relationships with like-minded people you will be amazed at what God wants to do in, for, and through you!
No Excuses
Hasn’t He Always Come Through?
In Joshua chapter 4 he told the people to take twelve stones form the Jordan River, “from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm.” He had them do this as a sign, a point of reference to remind them of what the Lord had done. It was a visible, tangible sign that would cause their descendants to ask questions and give them opportunity to share the things the Lord did for them, it also would be an ever present reminder to them of the goodness and provision of their God.
He’ll do it again
If you’ll just take a look
At where you are now
And where you’ve been
Well hasn’t He always come through for you
He’s the same now as then
oh, You may not know how
You may not know when
But He’ll do it again