The Beginning of Sorrows: A Wake Up Call for the Church

Based on the sermon, “The Beginning of Sorrows” by Pastor R. Collins
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There’s something stirring in the atmosphere—an urgency that can’t be ignored. For years, New Life has stood firm in our belief. We’ve not wavered from doctrine. We've not compromised in our standards. We are a One God, Apostolic, Holy Ghost-filled, tongue-talking, born-again, baptized in Jesus’ name church. We believe without question that Jesus Christ is God Almighty, manifested in the flesh. We preach it boldly, we teach it consistently, and we live it daily.

There is no other way of salvation. Every soul must repent of their sins, be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, just as the Spirit gives the utterance. And yes—we still believe in holiness. We still believe in living separated from the world. The world should look at the church and see a difference. That’s not legalism. That’s biblical. That’s truth. And considering the current state of the world, it is even more necessary to stand for truth.
The Travail of the Times

For many of us, our hearts are heavy -- the weight, the burden, the travail in the Spirit. The kind Isaiah spoke of in 66:8: “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” Zion travailed.

That word is not light. It’s not soft. It’s painful. It’s the agony of birth—the struggle before the breakthrough. And today, the church is in travail. We are in labor, trying to birth souls into the kingdom, standing on the edge of eternity while this world spirals in chaos. When we turn to Matthew 24, we find where Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives and answered His disciples privately: “...what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” He didn’t sugarcoat it. He said there would be wars and rumors of wars. Nations rising against nations. Earthquakes. Famines. Pestilences. The beginning of sorrows. The New Living Translation says it even clearer: the beginning of birth pangs. What we are experiencing is not random. It’s not new. It’s prophetic. And it is just the beginning.
War and the Womb of Prophecy

Not too long ago, two B2 stealth bombers—authorized by the President—dropped bunker-busting bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. America has now stepped directly into the battle between Israel and Iran, shaking the geopolitical world. Tel Aviv, the cultural and economic hub of Israel, is under missile fire. Israel’s Iron Dome defense system works overtime, but still, the destruction rains down. This is not just war—it’s a spiritual shift. The whole world watches, but few understand the weight of it. These are not just news headlines. This is prophetic fulfillment.

Shiite and Sunni Muslims are divided. Saudi Arabia watches, unmoved by Iran’s pain. America’s involvement, as prophesied by voices like T.W. Barnes, still hinges on three mandates: to finance global evangelism, to stand against dictatorship, and to protect Israel. If we falter in any of these, we lose our place as a superpower. Iran has responded with chilling words: “You started it. We will finish it.” What that means for the world, we don’t know. But what we do know is this: We are in the end times.

You don’t have to be a prophet to see it. Even the unsaved, even the unchurched—they feel it. This is a terrible time to backslide. If ever there was a moment to cling to the cross, it’s now. We don’t have time to play games. We don’t have time for spiritual laziness. Our redemption is drawing near.

Let me be clear: we are not a political church. We’re not red or blue. We are not capitalists or communists. We are Kingdom. This is not a democracy. This is a theocracy, and Jesus Christ is our King. We don’t interpret these events through political bias. We don’t speak from a cultural agenda. We speak from the Word of God. What does the Bible say about Israel? About war? About righteousness? That’s what we align ourselves with.
We are the church of the living God. We are an embassy representing a heavenly kingdom. We are citizens of Heaven, ambassadors of the truth, washed in the blood and filled with the Spirit. Revelation 1:5–6 reminds us: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God...” This kingdom is multigenerational, multiethnic, and multicultural. Revelation 7:9 paints the picture beautifully— “A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues...stood before the throne.”
There’s room for everyone here. But only if they are washed, filled, and ready.

Saints, we are in the beginning of sorrows. But it’s not the end yet. This is the season where the church must travail. This is where the true believers are separated from the casual churchgoer. This is the time to tighten your walk, deepen your prayer, and draw closer to God than ever before. We can’t afford spiritual slumber. Not now. Not while souls hang in the balance. Not while bombs fall, and prophecy unfolds.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t be weary in well doing. Don't be shaken by what you see around you. This world may tremble, but our foundation is secure. Jesus is still King. The Word is still true. And the church is still triumphant.