Churches

The three Episcopal churches in the Carbondale/Dundaff/Forest City area will share the Rev. Dr. William McGinty for the summer. Summer services will be as follows: Christ Church, Delaware Street, Forest City – service at 8:30am; Trinity Church, River Street, Carbondale – service at 11:30am.

The quaint Susquehanna County chapel of St. James Episcopal Church, at 2074 State Route 247, Dundaff (Crystal Lake) will serve the local community for the summer starting May 24, 2026, with a 10:00am service. The Rev. Dr. William McGinty will conduct the services at the church through September 6, 2026. The cornerstone of this beautiful church was laid on June 29, 1860. St. James welcomes Christians of all faiths and ages to join at God’s table. Dawn Pentecost will provide organist and music. The beautiful chapel welcomes all of those seeking faith during the summer months while vacationing in the area. For more information, please contact Senior Warden Robert Schreiber at 570-267-6195 or robert.a.schreiber@ptd.net.

Good day dear hearts, I love you. The story of the End Times reaches its most dramatic moment in what Scripture calls the Great Battle, a final global confrontation between the forces of darkness and the returning King. For weeks we have traced the rise of evil, the suffering of the Tribulation and the gathering storm. Now the clouds’ part. The Bible describes a moment when history bends, heaven opens and Christ Himself returns not as the humble carpenter of Nazareth, but as the victorious Lord of all.

The Great Battle, often called Armageddon, is not merely a clash of armies but the culmination of humanity’s long rebellion against God. Revelation 16:16 tells us that the kings of the earth are drawn together to a place called Megiddo, a broad plain in northern Israel that has witnessed countless battles across the centuries. Yet this final conflict is unlike any before it. The world’s powers gather not only against one another but ultimately against God Himself. Evil has reached its full expression under the leadership of the Antichrist and the world stands on the brink of collapse. But just when darkness seems absolute, the Second Coming of Christ breaks upon the world like lightning across the sky. Revelation 19 paints the picture vividly: Christ appears riding a white horse, clothed in glory, crowned with many crowns and called Faithful and True. He does not return in secret or in shadow. Every eye sees Him. Every nation trembles. Every power that has exalted itself is brought low. The Great Battle ends not with a long struggle but with the decisive word of Christ. Evil collapses under the authority of the One who spoke creation into being. The Antichrist and the False Prophet are defeated and cast into the lake of fire. The armies that followed them fell in an instant. The rebellion of the nations is over. Christ stands as the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords.

With the victory won, Scripture tells us that Christ establishes the Millennial Kingdom, a thousand-year reign of peace, justice and restoration. For the first time since Eden, the world experiences what life under the perfect rule of God truly looks like. Isaiah describes a world where swords are beaten into plowshares, where nations no longer train for war and where even the natural world is renewed. The wolf lies down with the lamb. The desert blossoms. The earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. During this thousand-year reign, Christ rules from Jerusalem and believers who have been resurrected or raptured reign with Him. It is a time of healing for the nations, a time when the scars of war and rebellion are replaced by righteousness and peace. The Millennial Kingdom is not a symbolic idea but a real, physical era in which God’s promises to Israel and the world are fulfilled in full.

Yet even this golden age is not the final chapter. Revelation 20 tells us that after the thousand years, Satan who had been bound during Christ’s reign is released for a short time. It is a sobering reminder that even in a perfect world, the human heart still needs redemption. Some will choose rebellion once more, gathering for one last futile uprising. But God ends it instantly. Evil is judged forever. Satan is cast into the lake of fire, never to deceive again. Then comes the Final Judgment, a moment both solemn and necessary.

Scripture describes two judgments. The first is the Judgment Seat of Christ, where believers are rewarded for their faithfulness not judged for their sins, for those were forgiven at the cross, but evaluated for the lives they lived in service to Christ. It is a moment of grace, honor and joy. The second is the Great White Throne Judgment, where all who rejected God’s offer of salvation stand before Him. It is the most sobering scene in Scripture. Books are opened. Lives are measured. Choices are revealed. And those who refused God’s mercy face eternal separation from Him. This is not a moment of cruelty but of justice with God honoring the freedom He gave humanity, even when that freedom was used to reject Him.

Finally, with evil defeated and judgment complete, God unveils a new heaven and a new earth. The story that began in a garden ends in a city the New Jerusalem where God dwells with His people forever. No more tears. No more death. No more sorrow. The long ache of history is healed. The plan of God stands complete. As we look at these events, the message for today is clear: history is not drifting. God is guiding it toward a glorious conclusion. The return of Christ is not a threat but a promise. The Great Battle reminds us that evil will not have the last word. The Millennial Kingdom shows us the world as God intended it. And the Final Judgment assures us that justice and mercy will both be fulfilled. For believers, these truths are not meant to stir fear, but hope. Christ is coming. His kingdom is sure. And the story ends not in darkness but in everlasting light. I pray this four-part series has opened eyes and ears to hear of what’s to take place. There is no time like the present. Confess your sins to God and call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. God Bless.

Father, watch over and bless our little community. Amen. Pastor Vince 570-853-3988.