Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Lillian Bull and Beverly & Dennis Pickett at the passing of their husband/step-father, Norburt (Buddy) Bull, on Saturday, November 29. The funeral was on Saturday, December 6, in Westminster.
THANK YOU: We want to thank Pastor Holbrook for coming to the hospital to pray and comfort me before my surgery. We thank our church family for all of their prayers. We are so blessed to have such a caring church family. Bill & Bonnie Kern
CHRISTMAS OUTREACH: After the evening service on Sunday, December 14, Pastor Ray will meet with the Soul Winners (on the organ side) to assign and distribute the Christmas Outreach tags for delivery.
From My Heart
This evening, we will have our annual business meeting to discuss the 2026 proposed budget. I hope every person who is a member of the Church of the Open Door, as well as everyone who attends, will be here at 6:00 p.m. I have some important things to discuss with each of you, and I would love to have every person present! The Lord continues to bless our wonderful church family and provides for our needs as He blesses us. Let me strongly encourage you to be here tonight. After the evening service, we are having our Church and School Staff Christmas party. The Business Meeting will not be held after the service, but will be incorporated into the service. So, please plan to be with us this evening.
I recently read an article discussing “American Culture.” The author said he feels like we are living in a “culture of assassinations.” He went back to JFK’s murder, MLK’s murder, RFK’s murder, and mentioned many others who died because of an assassin’s bullet. The Justice Dept. has recently stopped a couple of new attempts made against President Trump. It is amazing how little value is given to a human life by these people willing to pull a trigger to silence someone’s voice whom they so adamantly disagree with.
As I read that article, I thought of what the Bible tells us in Rev. 13 about the Antichrist who will rise to power during the Tribulation Period. John calls him “the Beast,” and speaks of him receiving a “deadly wound” (v. 3). But his “head wound” is miraculously healed, and he is brought back to life! The Apostle John then states that “…all the world wondered after the beast.” I remember that cold day in November when President Kennedy was killed on the streets of Dallas, TX. I remember when Robert Kennedy was murdered, and all the rest of those folks robbed of life by someone who took the role of playing God in someone’s life, deciding they no longer had the right to live!
The difference between these individuals and the Antichrist is the simple fact that once they were brutally executed by an assassin’s bullet - they succumbed to their wounds, but the Antichrist is going to be shot, will die, and then will be brought back to life! Imagine the world watching as this “Beast” is raised up from a deadly wound and is completely healed! It is no wonder the Apostle John tells us the world will wonder! And all of this will be the tool Satan uses to convince men that the Beast (the Antichrist) is the true Messiah.
This “Culture of Assassinations” has our world hardened to the witnessing of political leaders killed on television for all the world to see. But when the world witnesses the assassination of the Antichrist and then watches as he is raised from the dead and his deadly wound is healed, it will be used to convince this lost world to believe in the Devil’s lie!
Have a great day!
Pastor Norris