Announcements
THANK YOU: for the lovely cards and expressions of sympathy at the passing of Ron’s mother, Rosalie Reed. We were comforted and strengthened in the knowledge that those of like precious faith were upholding us in prayer. With our deepest gratitude, Ron & Jennifer Reed
THANK YOU: so much for all the prayers and get-well cards that were sent. I am on the mend and hope to be back soon. Sherry Mauler
CCS BOOK FAIR: starts tomorrow and runs through Friday, October 13, from 3:15 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the School Library. The Book Fair will also be open tomorrow evening from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and then again on Grandparents Day following the morning program until 4:00 p.m.
WANTED: Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard, in uniform, to participate in the Church of the Open Door’s Veterans Day Program on Sunday, November 12, during the morning service. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Pastor Brian Jung at 410-876-3838, ext. 312.
CONQUERORS CLASS: Christmas Banquet will be held at Hickory Bridge Farms on Monday, December 4, at 6:30 p.m. There is limited seating, so if you are planning to attend, please make sure to register online through the church website by Sunday, November 26. Please see Pastor Ray for any questions.
From My Heart
One amazing thing about the Bible is its revelation of the Lord Jesus through the many names and titles it gives to Him. One of those titles is found in Revelation 1:11, “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last….” This was said by the Lord to the Apostle John at the beginning of the Book, and then in chapter 22:13, at the end of the Book, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” In both verses, we see the Lord Jesus calling Himself the Alpha and Omega.
The Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and the Omega is the last letter. Now, what is between the Alpha and the Omega? The answer to that question is - the other letters of the Greek alphabet! So, what do we do with the alphabet? With the letters of the alphabet, words are constructed!
Remember John 1:1, 14, where the Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” So, John tells us that our Savior, the Lord Jesus is the Word. Whatever you need the Lord to be for you, simply take the alphabet, and use it to make the word you need!
Throughout the Gospel of John, we read of the Lord giving us the great “I Am” statements. There are seven of these “I Am” statements. “I am the door; I am the Bread of Life; I am the resurrection and the life;” and a few more! But He did not state everything the Lord is for His people. This is where we can take His declaration of being the “I AM” and use the alphabet to fill in the blanks of what we need our Lord to be for us! Do you need comfort, Jesus is our comfort! Do you need strength, grace, power, mercy, or whatever else you need - just use the alphabet to make the word you need Christ to be for you! He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last!
Take a second, and turn to Luke 11:51, and notice something quite amazing! You see, Jesus is the Alpha (the first letter in the Greek alphabet) and the Omega (the last letter in the Greek alphabet) but He is also the A to Z. The Lord knew you and I do not speak Greek, but we speak English. What is the first letter in the English alphabet? It is the A, as in Abel. What is the last letter in the English alphabet? It is the Z, as in Zacharias. So, not only is Jesus the Alpha and Omega, but He is also the A and the Z! What a delight to realize the Holy Spirit had us English-speakers in mind when He penned the Word of God.
I want to say a special thank you to the folks who made last week’s “Sunday Fun Day” such a huge success. I know it takes a lot of people to make that day happen, and I surely appreciate your hard work and dedication.
Have a great day!
Pastor Norris