Sermonette by Bill Goff
Trumpets 2009
Time sure is flying by. Here we are Feast of Trumpets. I was wondering the other day where the month of August went? Seems like it just got started and it was over. Then I asked myself: “Where did the summer go?” It seems like it just got started, and in just a few more days, it will be over. I think the reason that time seems to be flying by so rapidly, is because we are kept so busy.
Don’t know how it is where you live, but around here, in this part of the country, people have the Pedal to the Metal! Satan sure has this world living in the fast lane. Never really any time to stop and think, no time for contemplation or meditation. Seems that today, we not only don’t take time to smell the roses, but today, with the current pace of life, I think many, don’t even know they exist?
Yes, the pace of life for many is moving quite rapidly down the fast lane, just flying along, until something goes wrong, that is! Then the brakes come on. Sometimes, the brakes have to get slammed on, and everything comes to an abrupt stop, And occasionally, when something goes wrong where it brings us to an abrupt stop, it involves a WOE! We all know that word, right? WOE! I’m sure on occasion all of us have experienced a WOE or two in our lifetime.
Webster’s defines WOE as = Overwhelming sorrow, grief, Heavy affliction or calamity. And woes usually arrive very unexpectedly and very quickly I want to give an example of a woe. We had some company at our home recently; some friends from abroad were visiting from Italy. And as we were sitting around conversing, some had musical instruments and one of the fine young lads that was visiting us began telling us a story about why he was having trouble playing the guitar, He was playing it for us as he spoke. But you could see that he was having some trouble strumming the strings of his guitar.
He told us about one of those WOES that took place in his life one day when he was at home doing some yard work. He said he cutting the grass with his lawnmower and hit a rock or something that caused the lawnmower to begin making some kind of a screeching noise, so he decided to lift up the mower and see what was wrong under there.
Well when he grabbed the bottom of the mower with his hands, a couple of his finger tips (fortunately, yes, just finger tips) that he used to use, to strum his guitar, made contact with the blades and he experienced one of those WOES that I’m talking about. We’ve all experienced a woe or two to some degree in our lives.
I had one just the other day at work, when I was cutting some electrical wires that I thought were turned off, but when my cutter made contact with one that was still on, there was instant “WOE” with maximum audio & video to say the least, The visual was the tremendous sparks that went flying off in every direction. The audio was not only the sound of the electrical ark, but also the loud WOE that came out of my mouth as I jumped back about two feet. Sorry to have had to grab your attention so quickly, and so graphically, especially concerning the boys finger tips. But I wanted to bring your full attention to the word “WOE” Because that’s the subject for my short message today.
WOE, is a very important subject for us to consider today, as we draw ever so close to the end of this age. There is a lot of Bible prophecy that is ahead, and it going to unfold very rapidly. Wouldn’t it be great if we could see impending danger before it struck, and avoid the sudden impact of one of these Woes? Now don’t misunderstand, there is a wonderful time coming that is just ahead for us.
The feast of Tabernacles, which is just ahead, pictures the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ and His saints on this earth. A time when mankind will be learning the way of peace and prosperity, where happiness and joy will begin to prevail on this earth instead of all the heartache and misery that prevails for many now. Yes, a wonderful and exciting time is just ahead of us, but let us not forget that there are some “Woes” that are also in the blue prints. There are some woes that are sure to occur before that wonderful time of peace and prosperity unfolds on this earth,
And we need to be aware of them, because if we’re aware of them, if we’re watching, and anticipating the events that are in the blue prints, that shall come to pass according to our Creator, the One who cannot and does not lie, the one who knows the end from the beginning, then we have opportunity to avoid their sudden impact.
Some, will be found worthy to escape these thing that shall come to pass, like we are told in Luke 21:36 (Not turning) but a good verse to jot down to look at later. A good verse to post on the refrigerator to remind us that that our walk on this earth needs to be along the straight & narrow path that leads to life and not on the wide & broad path that leads to death & destruction) Prov. 29:18 says: Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Well today, lets get a little vision, lets focus in on something that is soon to take place on planet earth, the planet where both you and I currently reside. It concerns a WOE that is coming to a city near you, and every town & village for that matter. I want to bring just one particular WOE to out attention here. It’s a woe that is just ahead of us. It’s in the book of Revelation. But first, before we go there, I want to ask a question: Where is Satan the devil, now a day’s Where is Satan, the one who has the whole world deceived, the one who was a liar from the beginning?
Some may be answering: “Well, he’s everywhere” And yes, I would agree that his bad influence is everywhere, after all he is the prince of the power of the air. But Satan is a real being; surely he must be some where at any given time. If we asked where is the president, well, he is in the white house, or sometimes at Camp David. A few weeks ago if you asked where is the president, they would have told you that he was at some elementary school, addressing the students there.
But where is Satan? I asked one church member that question the other day, and he answered “The Abyss” But of course, “The Abyss” is the one place that you won’t find Satan, according to the Scriptures. At least not yet; He doesn’t go into the abyss or bottomless pit until after Christ’s returns with His Angels and Saints, when they come to take charge of planet earth. We know that he will get chained in the bottomless pit at that time, and is pictured by the next feast day Atonement.
But where is he today? I want too bring our attention to one particular place where Satan spends a lot of his time, it’s a place where he is soon to be evicted from or cast out of, and then I want to go to that WOE that I keep eluding to, and see what that particular woe is all about. Lets go to Rev 12. If you wanted to have a face-to-face conversation with Satan brethren, you would have to go to heaven to do it, because heaven is where Satan is currently hanging out, and He’s quite busy up there.
Rev 12: 7 now we’re cutting in here, but what is being said, concerning what is going to take place is quite clear, quite straightforward, this is no gray area.
Rev.12:7: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8: And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. Michael of course, is Michael the Archangel, and the dragon is Satan. This battle in heaven has not yet taken place, but soon will. Let read on: 9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ (Now listen closely here because this is what Satan is so busy doing up there in heaven right now) for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Currently, Satan spends a lot of time at God throne up in heaven. Pointing his finger at you and at me, pointing out our transgressions.
But soon that is going to end, because soon, Satan and his demons are going to be cast out of heaven. Satan is soon to be residing at a new location brethren, and that location is right here on planet earth.
Have you ever experienced a time when some one new moves into the neighborhood that is kind of devious, kind of a troublemaker? We think this world has troubles now? We think there are trials and tribulations now, and wars, and fighting, and earthquakes NOW? All the current troubles taking place around the world today brethren, are sand box compared to what is coming.
Today’s conditions around the world are just the “beginning of sorrows.” There’s a WOE ahead that is unprecedented to say the least that is going to affect every man, women and child, on planet earth.
(Lets read on please
Rev. 12:12 Yes, Satan is soon to be cast out of heaven, and all those up there in heaven are going to rejoice over it, but he is going to bring havoc to planet earth.
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. BUT WOE, to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Brethren, we’ve read this verse many times, but do we believe what it says? Do we comprehend what’s ahead for planet earth?
Yes, there’s a WOE ahead for planet earth brethren that going to bring hell on earth like its never even been imagined before. And it’s going to take many that are living in this world by surprise. Even some in the church of God are going to be taken by surprise brethren.
Like those foolish ones spoken of in Mat 25. The five foolish virgins who are currently neglecting to fill their vessels with the precious oil that will be needed to keep their lamps burning, as these end time calamities and catastrophes begin to rapidly unfold on the inhabitants of the earth.
Many in the churches of God like to hear smooth things, and many are preaching smooth things to help justify ones complacent attitudes & worldly lifestyles.
But this is no time for complacency brethren!
Lets go to Lk. 21 and read V 34 & 35. (Here, Jesus Himself, is exhorting us to be watchful, to be careful as we approach the end of this age, when the many are going to be taken by surprise)
Lk. 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Other translations state it like this: Take heed to yourselves that your hearts be not loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness and the worries of this life
Verse 35: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
And then the verse that I was referring to earlier, 36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
God’s word, has much warning for us to heed, but in Mark 4:19 (not turning) we are warned that the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, can choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Brethren, Satan has this world traveling in the fast lane, and the route Satan has this world on leads to only one place destruction
We are not to be on that course, we need to follow the instructions that our Creator has given us.
Lets conclude in Rv. 18:4. Here we are given instruction on how to avoid the sudden impact of the woes that are ahead for planet earth.
(Destruction is not ahead for everyone) (Destruction is not ahead for those who are watching, for those who are preparing for the return of Jesus Christ) and I’m not talking about preparing by stockpiling food or gold or anything like that.
Rv.18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Want to avoid the Woes that are ahead for planet earth? Want to keep your family safe & sound? Draw nigh to God brethren; because He is our only hope, He is our salvation.
He tells the church at Philadelphia, that those who keep the word of His patience, He will keep, from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the entire world, to try them. (That’s Rv. 3:10.)
Yes, time is flying by, and seasons come and seasons go. Let us realize that the pleasures of sin last only but a season, but the gift of life in the Kingdom of God, is for eternity.
Happy Fall Feasts to all of you, Brethren.