Churches

We welcome and serve all in Christ’s name at Christ Episcopal Church. Christ Episcopal Church at the corner of Delaware & Dundaff Streets in Forest City, a Healing Church, is a place where anyone of any age can step inside and find healing.

Christ Church is well known for its ongoing strong involvement with families, neighbors and friends in and around the local area. Fr. Bill McGinty is offering a monthly healing service the first Sunday of every month. The next service is Sunday, May 3, at 9:00am.

There are no questions asked or requirements to step inside the church’s big red doors. Merely bring an open heart to receive the Lord’s Healing Love. Light refreshments follow each service. Faith, Food, Fun! Join us on Sundays at 9:00am. Check us out on Facebook.

Good day dear hearts, I love you. Last week we explored the Rapture, the moment when, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Christ calls His followers to meet Him in the air. Scripture presents this as a sudden, global event with believers instantly removed, the world abruptly changed. But if the Rapture marks the departure of the Church, what follows marks the unraveling of human history as we know it. The Bible calls this next phase the Tribulation, a seven-year period of upheaval, deception, judgment and spiritual confrontation unlike anything the world has ever seen. The Tribulation does not begin with chaos for chaos’ sake. According to Daniel 9:27, it begins with a political agreement, a covenant brokered by a charismatic world leader who promises peace, stability and order. In the vacuum left by the Rapture, nations will be desperate for answers. Economies will be shaken. Institutions will be strained. Fear will be widespread. Into that moment steps a figure the Bible calls “the man of lawlessness,” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, better known as the Antichrist. His rise will not appear sinister at first. He will be persuasive, diplomatic and admired. He will offer solutions to global tensions and appear to succeed where others have failed. But Scripture warns that this peace is temporary and deceptive. It is the calm before a storm that will engulf the entire world.

The first three and a half years of the Tribulation are marked by a veneer of stability. Revelation 6 describes the opening of the first seal’s events that include war, famine, economic collapse and death. These judgments unfold gradually, like the early tremors of a coming earthquake. Life will continue, but with increasing strain. Natural disasters will intensify. Global systems will wobble. People will sense that something is deeply wrong. During this time, the Antichrist consolidates power. Revelation 13 describes his growing influence, supported by a second figure known as the False Prophet. Together they create a political, economic and religious system that demands loyalty. The world, longing for unity, will embrace it. But beneath the surface, pressure is building. The midpoint of the Tribulation marks a dramatic turning point.

Jesus Himself warned of this moment in Matthew 24:15, calling it “the abomination of desolation.” At the halfway mark, the Antichrist breaks his covenant, enters the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and declares himself worthy of worship. This act exposes his true nature and ignites the second, far more devastating half of the Tribulation. Revelation 12-13 describes a world now under the grip of a tyrannical regime. Those who refuse allegiance to the Antichrist face persecution. Economic participation becomes restricted. Revelation 13:17 speaks of a system in which “no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark,” a chilling reminder of how fragile freedom becomes when centralized power goes unchecked.

Jesus used a phrase for this period that carries weight: “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time,” Matthew 24:21. Revelation chapters 15-16 describe the bowl judgments catastrophic plagues, environmental collapse, darkness, scorching heat and global upheaval. Nations rage. Armies gather. The world spirals toward a final confrontation. Yet even in judgment, God’s purpose is not destruction but redemption. Revelation shows that countless people will turn to Christ during this time, refusing to bow to the Antichrist despite the cost. Their courage becomes a testimony that faith can shine brightest in the darkest hour.

Some may wonder why a future period of judgment should matter to readers today. After all, if the Rapture precedes the Tribulation, why should believers concern themselves with events they will not experience? The answer is twofold. First, the Tribulation reveals the seriousness of human rebellion and the holiness of God. It shows that history is not drifting aimlessly. It is moving toward a conclusion, one God has already outlined. Second, the Tribulation reminds us that the world is fragile. The systems we trust, political, economic, technological can shift overnight. The Bible’s prophetic warnings are not meant to frighten but to awaken. They call us to live with clarity, humility and readiness.

The Tribulation is sobering, but it is not the end of the story. It leads to the return of Christ in glory, the defeat of evil and the establishment of His kingdom. Revelation does not end in despair but in restoration. For now, we live in the space between promise and fulfillment. The Rapture could occur at any moment. The Tribulation will follow. But the message of Scripture is consistent: God is in control, history is in His hands, and His people are called to live with hope. Next week, we will explore the rise of the Antichrist in greater detail, his identity, his influence, and why the world will follow him so readily. God bless.

The Lord Bless you and keep you in His arms. We pray for the residents of our little town. Cradle us in your love. Amen. Pastor Vince, 570-853- 3988.