Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Nancy Stocksdale and family at the passing of her daughter-in-law, Angie Stocksdale, on Friday, November 19. The funeral service was held on, November 24, in Westminster.
THANK YOU: We are overwhelmed at the love our COD & CCS family has shown us. Everything from the cards, text, phone calls, meals, flowers, and gift baskets couldn’t have shown us the hearts of God’s people any more. It has truly been a blessing to be part of this awesome family and we want to express our gratitude for all you have done. We still have a ways to go to recover, but I know with your prayers we will be back serving the Lord again soon! Love, Bill & Donna Dyson
CHRISTMAS OUTREACH: Donations are still being collected if you would like to help with the cost of Bibles and/or hams for these families. You may place your envelopes designated for Christmas Outreach in the offering box located in the foyer.
SUPER 60’s PROGRAM: entitled “Christmas - A Time for Singing” will take place on Thursday, December 2, at 10:00 a.m. in the Great Room. Lunch will be served after the program and each person attending will receive a 2022 wall calendar. Please call the Church at 410-876-3838, ext. 307 to make your reservation.
LIVE NATIVITY: Our first “Live” walk-through/drive-through Nativity entitled “Creation to Calvary” will run for three days: Monday, December 20, Tuesday, December 21, and Thursday, December 23. We are in need of volunteers for this program, so please stop by the Welcome Desk to sign up. For more information see Pastor Shutt.
DEACONS: Please pick up your packets at the Welcome Desk.
From My Heart
I trust you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a great time at our house. There is nothing like sitting down to more food than an army could eat and enjoying your family! We now charge into the Christmas season with the parties and fellowships that come with it. Be sure to keep a close eye on the activities your Sunday School class has scheduled.
2021 is going to be remembered for several events (mostly, the tragic events) that occurred. Probably the worst thing that happened in 2021 was the sudden evacuation of American forces in Afghanistan. That unbelievable event has had a terrible effect upon the entire world. There are still a couple of thousands of American citizens and Afghan soldiers left there who helped and assisted our troops while we were fighting against the Taliban.
There is a new group forming in eastern Iran, eastern Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, which is a revival of ISIS, called: ISIS-K. The “K” is the first letter in the name of the ancient region made up by these nations I mentioned above. The ancient name of this region is called “Khorasan.”
Those who are radical in their Islamic faith, see this name as a call to arms in their prophecies of the “last days.” They believe this radical army will come out of Khorasan and will be the mighty army led by the Islamic Messiah, the Mahdi. The reason they believe this is because of prophecies found in the Hadiths that speaks about the “Black Flags of Khorasan.” This is the reason ISIS fighters fight under the emblem of the black flag.
Let me give you three of those prophecies, and you judge how close we surely must be to the Lord’s return for His Church. One says, “There will emerge from Khorasan black banners which nothing will repel until they are set up in Jerusalem.” Another said, “When the black flags come from Khorasan, go to them, even if you have to crawl on snow, for among them is the Khalifa of Allah, the Mahdi.” The third one says, “…then the black banners will come from the east, and they will kill you in an unprecedented manner. When you see them, pledge your allegiance to them even if you have to crawl on snow, for that is the Caliph of Allah, Mahdi.”
It is more than coincidental that major Islamic prophecies seem to fit the description of end-time events prophesied in the Bible. The Islamic Messiah (the Mahdi) is not going to conquer Jerusalem, because the Bible tells us the Lord Jesus Christ (the true Messiah) will come back, with all of us, to defeat the Antichrist (the Islamic Messiah). Isn’t it amazing how Biden and his Generals pulled our military out, but left billions of dollars of weapons for these radicals to use! Unbelievable! I think that Paul is right, “the Lord is at hand.” (Phil. 4:5)
Have a great day!
Pastor Norris