Resurrection Sunday Message - Is The End Really Near?

Text: Luke 17:22-37 & Various

We hear so much about the world coming to an end. Are we really in the end times? People make all kinds of dates, sell all they have, and then the date passes without incident. Let's see what Jesus had to say about the matter.

He compared the end times to:

1) The Days of Noah

A) They ate and drank.

B) They planned and had weddings.

C) They did this until the day that Noah entered
into the ark.

2) The Days of Lot

A) They ate and drank.

B) They bought and sold.

C) They planted.

D) They built.

What does this tell us about what to expect concerning life on the earth? Everything seems perfectly normal.

So what are the signs of the end times? We cannot know the date or hour, but we will know the season.

There are 2 representations of Israel in scripture: 1) the vine and 2) the fig tree. The vine refers to Israel when they're in a good state spiritually and serving God. The fig tree represents them when they've turned away. Daniel said the temple will be rebuilt in the end times. Israel will follow God after religion not the Spirit. They'll be sacrificing when the ultimate sacrifice had been made by Jesus.

During the Tribulation, the AntiChrist will desecrate the temple. An image will be set up and come alive. People are being set up to believe in this image by all the bleeding statues, crying pictures, etc. They'll fall for the image as well.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to reassure them they were not in the Tribulation. Being a Christian in Thessalonica was a hard thing. They were suffering for Christ. Someone had written a letter, supposedly by Paul, and gotten them all upset. Paul tells them that day will not come unless: "the falling away - apostasia - comes.

To fully understand the word, "apostasia," we must look at how it's used in various scriptures. First of all the teaching that there will be a widespread apostasy is inaccurate. He says that some will depart from the faith. Paul is talking about a great departure - the Rapture of the church. We are going to meet Him in the air. At this coming, Jesus' feet never touch the ground.

At the Second Coming, His feet will touch the ground on the Mount of Olives.

We encourage you to visit our website, and click on the Sermon Player. This is only a brief summary. The message is also available to download to your MP3 player or podcast FREE.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. Zoe Christian Fellowship is located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. We'd love to meet you!

Good Friday Message - Take Up Your Cross

Text: Matthew 16:24-28 & Various

A number of scriptures tell us to, "take up our cross." What is our cross?

When Jesus went to the cross:

1) He went willingly. No one forced Him. People tried to throw Him off a cliff or stone Him on a couple of occasions, but He walked through the crowd untouched. He laid down His life when it was the appropriate time.

2) He served the Father's will, not His own. He struggled with the assignment, but surrendered.

3) He suffered without complaining.

4) He prayed for those with evil desires, schemes, words, and actions.

5) He prayed for those too weak to stand with Him.

6) He forgave the evil, weak, and fickle.

7) He did what would justify all, not what was just for Himself.

The cross was the fulfillment of the Father's call and purpose.

Does what we call, "a cross," resemble those specifications?

1) Is your cross filled with Godly purpose?

2) Do we carry it quietly and without complaining?

3) Did we take it up of our own free will or did it fall on us?

4) Are we content to carry it or are we looking to pass it off or shake it loose? Jesus could have, but chose to take on the assignment.

5) Are we praying for those who treat us wrong or are we gossiping, backbiting, and such?

6) Are we forgiving or justifying our actions/thoughts?

7) Does the cross benefit anyone else besides us?

Jesus was not the only one carrying a cross that day, but he was the only one bearing one with a purpose outside of Himself. Crosses are purposes. It's possible to take that purpose and put it down.

To hear the entire message, please go to our website, and click on the Sermon Player. You can listen on your computer, download it to your MP3 player, or podcast FREE.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. You'll find directions on our website when you click on the above link. We'd love to meet you!

Announcements

1) If you have NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE, you can do so online at http://www.votespa.com. It's even easier than getting and mailing the form!

2) Don't forget! While in church turn your CELL PHONE off or at least into silent mode. Thank you.

3) If you would like prayer for a specific need during the service, please mention it to one of the ushers or use a prayer request card on the back table. We are happy to pray for you during the service or privately afterwards, whichever you prefer.p>

Website Information

Church Website: www.zoe-ministries.org

Blog: http://zoeministriesblog.blogspot.com

Sermon Player: http://zcf.sermon.net

You can copy and paste these web addresses into your browser or click on the link.

Quotable Quote

"We are more concerned about looking stupid (a fear of people) than we are about acting sinfully (fear of the Lord)." - Edward T. Welch

This Week At Zoe

NO MID-WEEK SERVICE.














The Worship Team practice will be held on 3/5/12, at 7:00 P.M.

Good Friday Service, 3/6/12, at 7:00 P.M.

Resurrection Sunday Schedule:

Sunrise Service, 3/8/12, at 7:00 A.M.

Breakfast: 3/8/12, at 8:15 A.M.

Morning Service: 3/8/12, at 9:30 A.M.

For the breakfast, please bring a breakfast dish with you (enough to feed your family and a little extra if possible).

Palm Sunday - What Is Happening to Our World?

Text: Various

God made declarations concerning Abraham and his descendants. In Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 22:15-18, Genesis 27:29, and Numbers 24:9, He says He will bless those who bless Abraham's people and curse those who curse them.

God did not say He would bless those who agree with Abraham and his seed. He said He would bless those who bless them.

In Matthew 24, Jesus told the disciples that the temple would be destroyed. They, of course, wanted to know when this would occur. He gave them certain signs, the most important being when Jerusalem was surrounded by the enemy. When they saw that occur, they were to get out of Jerusalem immediately. This prophetic word was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans came in and destroyed the temple. It is recorded that about 500,000 Jewish men were crucified during this rampage.

The Christians, who were warned and heeded that warning, were saved. Those who did not listen met a terrible end. God let's us know what will harm us and what will be disastrous. This holds true for the nations of the world. Right now, we're talking about the U.S.

So, what's going on with the horrendous storms, earthquakes, and tornadoes? Let's look at some examples:

1) October 30, 1991 - The Perfect Storm. A hurricane formed within a combination nor'easter and hurricane. The storm moved from east to west, which is unusual. Our weather moves from west to east.

When President George Bush (the elder) went to a conference in Spain, he declared Israel had to give up land for peace. The next week, this storm formed and caused much devastation, including damage to his vacation home.

2) August 24, 1992 - Hurricane Andrew. President Bush's popularity was at 91% - an amazing figure. On August 24, 1992, he pushed self rule for the Palestinians. The storm followed, as well as a drop in his popularity.

3) September 13, 1993, - Hurricane Emily. Clinton brought Arafat to the White House and urged Israel to give up land.

4) January 17, 1994 - North Ridge Earthquake. On the 16th, Israel gives up the Golan Heights after pressure from the U.S. The next day, an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale hits North Ridge. 57 people are dead, many injured, and $20 million in property damage.

5) January 21, 1998 - Scandal. President Clinton received Prime Minister Netanyahu coldly because he refused to bow to demands that Israel give up more land. Almost the same day, the Monica Lewinski scandal broke.

If you'd like to listen to the entire message, please visit our website, and click on the Sermon Player. You can listen on your computer, download the message to your MP3 player, or podcast it FREE.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service, at 10 A.M. (See the Schedule for our Resurrection Sunday services in tomorrow's post.) We're located at 1111 Easton Road, Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. We'd love to meet you!