Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Pastor Fred & Nancy Horner and Robin & Bryan Boone at the passing of their brother/uncle, Barry Horner, on Thursday, November 17. The funeral was held on Monday, November 21, in Keymar, MD.
SYMPATHY: to Tom & Josie Tipton at the passing of her brother-in-law, Pelagio Guino, on Tuesday, November 22, in the Philippines. Arrangements are pending.
CHRISTMAS OUTREACH: Please make sure all gifts are dropped off at the Welcome Desk by Sunday, December 4. If you would still like to help with the cost of the Bibles and turkeys, please place your envelope designated for Christmas Outreach in the offering plate.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING: The Church’s annual business meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 7, following the service.
SUPER SIXTIES: “The Love of God at Christmas” celebration will be held on Thursday, December 8, at 10am in the Great Room. Our program will include Students from Carroll Christian singing Christmas songs, a delicious lunch, and a beautiful 2023 wall calendar for each person attending. To make your reservation, please call the church by Monday, December 5, at (410)876-3838, ext. 307.
LIVE NATIVITY: Volunteers are needed to help with our Live Nativity which will be for one night only, on Friday, December 23, from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. Please sign up at the Welcome Desk or see Pastor Shutt for more information.
DEACONS: Please pick up your packets today at the Welcome Desk.
From My Heart
Karen and I trust everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! What a great time for families to get together and celebrate the goodness of the Lord! I am sure all of us have some wonderful memories of growing up and having Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and Dad and our siblings. I know I sure have those wonderful memories, and I have thought this week about how I wish I could go back to those sweet days when life was easier and simpler. But we cannot go back - so it becomes important for us to create our traditions and memories to give to our children and our grandchildren.
There is so much happening in our world today that has Biblical significance! One item in the news lately is how the waters of the Euphrates River are drying up at an alarming rate. The region once known as the Fertile Crescent in the last several years has suddenly become the “not so fertile” Crescent. Its main sources of water are slowly disappearing.
This region of the Middle East is called Mesopotamia. “Meso” means “between” and “potamia” means “water.” A “mezzo-soprano” is a soprano who sings “between” the “soprano” and the “lower voice alto.” A “hippopotamus” is named because the word “hippo” means “horse” and the word “potamus” means water! So, a hippopotamus is a “water horse.” So, putting this together, Mesopotamia is the “land between the rivers” and those rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates.
The Euphrates River figures prominently in the Bible. According to Genesis 2:14, the Euphrates is described as the border of the Garden of Eden. It is also in Genesis 15:18, the northern border for the land God granted to Abraham’s descendants, the Jews. God promised the borders of the land of Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates and everything in between. They got close to possessing all that land during Solomon’s reign - but will control it during the Millennium.
In Jeremiah 50:38, we see Jeremiah prophesied that “A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.” In Revelation 16:12-16, John saw the Euphrates River dried up, to pave the way for the armies of the nations to come together for the Battle of Armageddon.
It sure seems like things are moving toward these prophetic events happening sooner - rather than later! Don’t forget our Savior told the Apostles, in Luke 21:28, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh!” The Day of the Lord is surely at hand!
Pastor Norris