Special meetings were held at the Apostolic Faith Church in Medford, Oregon, on January 14-16. The guest speaker was Olusola Adesope, the pastor in Pullman, Washington, and the theme verse was taken from Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” Visitors came from branch churches in Woodlake and Sacramento, California; Grants Pass, Roseburg, and Portland, Oregon; and Chehalis, Port Angeles, and Pullman, Washington.

On Friday evening, Brother Olusola took his text from Luke 19:1-9, and brought out that while Zacchaeus was seeking for Jesus, Jesus was also looking for him, which illustrates how God personally reaches out to lost individuals to redeem them.

Everyone gathered on Saturday morning for a devotional given by Peter Sletmoe, from Grants Pass. He referenced Hosea 10:12, and emphasized that it is time to seek the Lord. He used the illustration of qualifying rounds for a race, which reveal an athlete’s preparation and ability to participate. In a spiritual sense, the preparation of spending earnest time in prayer can demonstrate to God a hunger to receive from Him and fulfill His will.

During the Saturday evening youth service, Pete Sferle, the pastor in Sacramento, read John 6:35 for his text. Using a loaf of bread purchased from a local bakery, he brought out that within days the bread would get stale and unusable. However, Jesus, our spiritual Bread of Life, will endure forever. He encouraged the congregation to feed on the eternal Word of God, which satisfies and nourishes the soul.

Sunday began with Sunday school, followed by the morning service. Brother Olusola took his text from Luke 19:10, bringing and out that to be found in Jesus is the purpose of life. He illustrated how a large building viewed from a car can seem enormous, but quickly shrinks in scale when viewed from an airplane, and he emphasized that life’s challenges can diminish in size when viewed through the lens of God’s Word and prayer.

On Sunday evening, Brother Olusola’s wife, Tolu, testified that she was raised in a Christian home. Ever since she committed her life to Jesus, she has found immense joy in being in church, whether cleaning the building or participating in the services. Others testified that although they grew up with little knowledge of the Gospel, God was faithful to enlighten them, and their lives were transformed when they were saved. Brother Olusola read Hebrews 4:1 for his text, pointing out that even with the best intentions, it is possible to fall short and miss the final boarding call for Heaven. He told of a business trip where he made all the preparations for his flight, having proper luggage, valid identification, and passing security protocols. However, when he found his flight was delayed, he left the gate to get something to eat and failed to hear the agent repeatedly calling his name to board his flight, causing the plane to leave without him. Brother Olusola encouraged the congregation to remain focused on the Lord and attentive to His voice so they will not be distracted and miss the Rapture.

Throughout the weekend, many were encouraged by the Lord’s presence through music, preaching, victorious testimonies, fellowship, and experiences received as seekers tarried in prayer.