Announcements
THANK YOU: I want to thank all of you who prayed for me on August 7th when I had hip replacement surgery. God really does hear us! Thank you for all the cards, encouragement, and Bibleverses. I very much appreciate my “family.” Especially Pastor Rick for being there so early. Sincerely, Sandy Ridgely
THANK YOU: to everyone who came out for the COD softball game! We had a wonderful time of fun, fellowship, and food. Aspecial thank you goes out to Gavin Jennings for preparing the field, and to Noah Muller for mowing. It's a blessing to spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ.
NEEDED: Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardin uniform to participate in the Church of the Open Door’s Veterans Day Program on Sunday, November 10, during the morning service. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Don Graf at(443) 605-8800.
CCS FUNDRAISER: Catalogs for the CCS Joe Corbi's Fundraiser are available on the tables in the foyer. You can shop online at joecorbi.com using the participant code 189158, or return theSummary Sheet from the catalog with your money to the SchoolOffice. Orders are due by Friday, September 20. Delivery to the school is on Thursday, October 24. Contact the School Office for any questions.
From My Heart
The next event to happen on God’s calendar is the Rapture of the Church. This event does not have anything which prevents it from happening! It could happen today - and we could hear the trumpet sound and see the Lord Jesus step out on the clouds to meet His Church in the air. And again, there is no prophecy that must be fulfilled, no nation that must do anything special, or no world leader that must rise up before He comes to snatch away the Church.
The Lord Jesus said clearly that no man knows the day nor the hour when He will return. There is no need for anyone to set dates and say the Rapture of the Church will take place on this day, or at this time because the truth is nobody knows the date on which Jesus will return in the clouds.
But we can read the signs as they are clearly explained to us in the Bible. Surprisingly, all the signs given in the Bible are not signs for the Rapture but are signs for the Return. The Return is the actual Second Coming when the Lord Jesus comes back and sets His feet upon the earth. In Matthew 24-25, the Lord gives us a great number of things that are signs of His Return. And the Return is at least 7 years into the future! So, as we read the signs for the Return, and we can see these signs already happening, we should be able to realize that our Lord’s return at the Rapture must be closer than any of us could possibly imagine.
Let me show you a scenario of how these next 7 years could happen - just to give you an idea of how close we must be to the Rapture happening. Israel is in a war with the entire Middle East. They have what seems like the entire world backing the murderous mobs of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Syrian radicals, and the Houthis, while innocent Israelis were shot in their beds, and brutally murdered by butchers who broke every rule in the book on October 7th of last year.
Suppose the Lord comes back imminently and millions of the Redeemed are taken up to meet the Lord in the air! I can see a world of chaos following! According to Revelation 6:2, the Antichrist will rise up and establish himself as a world leader. He will have the answers to all the war, famine, and drought, and while the world is crying out for “peace” this man will claim he is the man of peace. He will make a peace treaty with Israel, and then at the mid-point of the 7 years of the Tribulation period, this Antichrist will create peace. Israel will be allowed to build its Temple, and on the dedication day, the Antichrist will break the covenant and will become “the Beast,” “the man of sin,” and the “Dragon.”
This will culminate at the end of the 7 years with the Lord Jesus coming again with all of us who were taken out of this world at the Rapture. And just before the Antichrist can completely destroy Israel, we all come back with the Lord Jesus, and at the Battle of Armageddon, victory will be won and for the next 1000 years, the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus will rule the entire world from Jerusalem. In my personal opinion, we have to be close to the Lord coming back to call us up to meet Him in the air.
In Luke 21:28, Jesus said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” We are seeing these signs now!!! Are you ready?
Pastor Norris