Urgent Prayer Requests
* Petra Lau and her family, friends of Karla – her father was murdered
* Bill Sugar, friends of the Diamonds, Lymphoma
* Brenda & Pete, health concerns.
* Special prayer for Zachary
* Cynthia Wordlaw, need for a kidney
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Sandy & Rachelle, working many hours (plus Rachelle is under the weather) & Julie at Mizzou
* Dan, health concerns
* Mueller family, Alicia’s pregnancy
* Marilynn Norvell
* Aaron Wordlaw and his arthritis
* Gene & Lois Schulze at home
* Mark & Julie Johnson and the situation with their Illinois home
* Wednesday’s business meeting as we consider a proposal for a new sign
* Our church and need for revival
Upcoming Activities
1. Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
2. BUSINESS MEETING, Wednesday,
7 p.m.
3. Autumn Bonfire, Saturday, 6 p.m.
4. Sunday school, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
5. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
6. Discipleship Training (Elijah), Sunday,
5 p.m.
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15:52
Ladies’ Book Study
TOMORROW (October 8) evening at 6:30 p.m. BE THERE!!!
Business Meeting
Our monthly business meeting is this Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. One item on the agenda is a proposal from the Trustees for a new church sign. I encourage ever member to attend the meeting and have a voice in this selection.
Autumn Bonfire
Our annual bonfire will take place this Saturday evening beginning at 6 p.m. behind the church. Please bring some firewood (if you have any), some goodies to eat (hot dogs, chips, marshmallows, etc.), something to drink, and your lawn chair!
Sermon Extras
The main thrust of my message yesterday was to convey some certainties concerning the future of Christians like you and me. These certainties, as Paul notes in verse 18, are to bring encouragement. I shared with you 5 certain future events outlined in these paragraphs: the Lord returns, the dead are raised, the living are raptured, a reunion occurs, and eternity begins.
Concerning the rapture, the common teaching of our day is that the Lord will return prior to 7 years of great tribulation on the earth and remove his followers via the rapture. Following the tribulation, Christ will come to earth in His second coming to essentially end history and deal with the lost.
In this view the rapture is seen as a quiet affair. Jesus comes, raises his dead followers, and takes his living followers with him back into the air. The lost world “awakens” to find many missing people but no good explanation for their disappearance.
I once held this position. However, the more I have examined the 1 Thessalonians passage as well as others, I do not see the “rapture” text as a quiet affair. As I said yesterday, you must read INTO the text this quietness. The Lord descends with a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God.
Speaking of trumpets, notice the following verses:
1 Thess. 4:16 – the Lord returns with the trumpet of God and raptures the living.
1 Cor. 15:51-52 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
There is no doubt Paul is referring to the same event in these two letters. It is the event we call the rapture. So the trumpet call is the “last” trumpet call.
Now read Matthew 24:29-31 and note the presence of the trumpet call. As I understand Scripture, the rapture of the living believer takes place at the Lord’s second coming, not some 7 years before it.
While we may disagree on this, two things we may agree on are these: Jesus is coming back and ALL his followers will be forever with Him!
Pastor’s Postscripts
I am grateful for everyone who attended our service yesterday morning. We are not a large congregation and, when two or more families are out of town on the same Sunday, their absence is keenly felt! Furthermore, I appreciate the band leading us in singing despite missing 40% of their members! And it was also a blessing to have Audrey back with us and even singing a special song as part of our worship service. Thanks to each of you for utilizing your gifts in the service of Christ!
I’m certain many of you are sharing Christ with those who are lost and I encourage you to continue to do so. But, if you seem to be making little progress, at least extend them and invitation to attend church with you on Sunday. The Lord uses multiple methods for bringing His sheep into the Kingdom. As Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” Perhaps your testimony to your family, friends, and acquaintances is the planting. And perhaps their attendance at church will be their watering. Perhaps then God will be pleased to provide their growth into a child of God!
Autumn is now here and the holidays are rapidly approaching. Please join us this Saturday for our annual bonfire, somewhat a mark of the approaching end of the year. It’s always a good time of fellowship.
See you then or, at least, on Sunday!