71 King Street Hamilton, Victoria WEBSITE Bulletin & News. Sabbath August 10th, 2013

Transcription

1 Issue No King Street Hamilton, Victoria WEBSITE Bulletin & News Sabbath August 10th, 2013 We WELCOME you to our Worship Services Today Song Service Sabbath School Church Service 9:40 am 9:50 am 11:15 am I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3, NKJV).

2 ~ Upcoming Dates & Announcements ~ Next Prayer Meeting - August 28th 2013 at 5pm This week Alain Binette has joined us for the divine service. Welcome Alain. The service today will be on "The day Jesus came Home" and its impact to the Church and Society at large... Scripture reading is Luke 19: Our Church / Society is a reflection of what our homes are. The crisis with our society today would be so much different if we had Jesus present in our homes as the permanent guest. And our churches would be more loving and appealing to the secular world. "Never have parents and children been more anxious for the right answer to the things which trouble them. Never have homes been in such jeopardy as they are today". All are welcome to join us for lunch and fellowship after the service. Next week Dudley House will be joining us. His topic for the service will be "Throw Out The Lifeline"... There will be a combined lunch after the service. All are welcome. There will also be a combined lunch on Sabbath September 7th and 14th. SDA WESTERN DISTRICT FAMILY CAMP - Held at Tandarra Lutheran Youth Camp, Halls Gap 'Grampians' Victoria When: 27, 28 & 29 September 2013, Great God, Great Food, Great Company. Applications out soon. Thankyou to the person who put an anonymous offering of $10 into the collection bag last Sabbath. Your offering is much appreciated and may God bless you abundantly. If any church member would like a copy of the treasurer's report for the period ending June 30th 2013, please contact the treasurer who will make a copy available to you. The Men's toilet is now Unisex - it can be used by both male and female persons. This is being done to reduce waiting time at the Ladies' toilet between services. Please REMEMBER TO LOCK THE DOOR when you are using it. The week of prayer begins next month, and we will be participating from September 21st to September 28th. Prayer is our vital connection with God and the week of prayer is an encouragement to spend more time talking with God. Don t wait til then, begin now and pray morning, noon and night. You can t go wrong talking to the Creator, Christ Jesus our Saviour.

3 ~ God s Little Book of Prayer ~ Be resilient... We can face whatever life throws at us when, through prayer, our strength is sourced in God. [ 2 Corinthians 12:10 ] ~ Bible Promises ~ I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? [ Psalm 56:11 WEB ] ~ Solution to Puzzle No. 12 ~ The missing word was : Jesus ~ God s Little Book of Encouragement ~ Is final victory possible? After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. [Revelation 7:9, 10 ]

4 ~ Food for Serious Thought on Unity ~ In these first disciples was presented marked diversity. In order successfully to carry forward the work to which they had been called, these men, differing in natural characteristics and in habits of life, needed to come into unity of feeling, thought, and action. This unity it was Christ's object to secure. To this end He sought to bring them into unity with Himself. The burden of His labor for them is expressed in His prayer to His Father, "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us;" "that the world may know that Thou has sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me." John 17:21, 23. His constant prayer for them was that they might be sanctified through the truth {AA 20.2} Unity on the Fundamental Truths.--We are one in faith in the fundamental truths of God's word. And one object must be kept in view constantly; that is, harmony and co-operation must be maintained without compromising one principle of truth. The commandments of God and the testimonies of Jesus Christ are the burden of our work. To have unity and love for one another is the great [work] now to be carried on. {CW 79.2} Christ Calls for Unity---Our church members see that there are differences of opinion among the leading men, and they themselves enter into controversy regarding the subjects under dispute. Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines. He calls sin and impenitence by the right name. He does not gloss over wrongdoing with a coat of untempered mortar. I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis.-- Manuscript 10, Chap One Great Brotherhood -- Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10. {OHC 171.1} We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The gospel of Christ is to reach all classes, all nations, all tongues and people. The influence of the gospel is to unite in one great brotherhood. We have only one Model that we are to imitate in character building, and then we all shall have Christ's mold; we shall be in perfect harmony; nationalities will blend in Jesus Christ, having the same mind, and the same judgment,

5 speaking the same things, and with one mouth glorifying God. This is the work the world's Redeemer is to do for us. If we accept the truth as it is in Jesus, national prejudices and jealousies will be broken down, and the Spirit of truth will blend hearts in one. We will love as brethren; we will esteem others better than ourselves; we will be kind and courteous, meek and lowly, easy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits.... {OHC 171.2} God knows just how to meet the peculiarities of different nationalities.... The third angel's message... is to unite the people to do a special work, preparing them with perfection of character to unite in one great family in the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him.... {OHC 171.3} The truth is all powerful and far reaching. It will unite nationalities in one great brotherhood.... Christ in men unites them on one grand platform, preparing for the uniting in one family in heaven. It is the truth that makes men one and removes national prejudice.... The truth will have the same molding influence upon hearts whatever the nationalities. Every human heart that accepts the truth will bow to the majesty of its sway, and when Christ is abiding in the heart by faith they will be of one mind, for Christ is not divided. They will be strong in His strength, happy and united in His peace. The truth is the same in its subduing power upon all hearts. It will refine and ennoble the heart of the receiver. {OHC 171.5} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2. {HP 310.1} Christ never leads His followers to take upon themselves vows that will unite them with those who have no connection with God.... {HP 310.2} Between the worldly man and the one who is faithfully serving God there is a great gulf fixed. Upon the most momentous subjects --God and truth and eternity-- their thoughts and sympathies and feelings are not in harmony. One class is ripening as wheat for the garner of God, the other as tares for the fires of destruction. How can there be unity of purpose or action between them? {HP 310.3} We have a testing message to give, and I am instructed to say to our people,

6 "Unify, unify." But we are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. With our hearts sweet and kind and true, we are to go forth to proclaim the message, giving no heed to those who lead away from the truth.--manuscript 31, {3SM 412.2} Jesus prayed that His followers might be one; but we are not to sacrifice the truth in order to secure this union, for we are to be sanctified through the truth. Here is the foundation of all true peace. Human wisdom would change all this, pronouncing this basis too narrow. Men would try to effect unity through concession to popular opinion, through compromise with the world, a sacrifice of vital godliness. But truth is God's basis for the unity of His people. {OHC 329.3} Sanctification, unity, peace--all are to be ours through the truth. {OHC 329.4} ~ Memory Verse ~ ' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. ' [ John 6:37] HAMILTON CHURCH WEBSITE Website: Church Hamilton.sda.church@gmail.com Facebook: And our Facebook page:

7 ~ Adventist Review ~ The Adventist Review shares the following world news from Religion News Service as a service to readers. Opinions expressed in these reports do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Review or the Seventh-day Adventist Church. -- Editors PRESBYTERIANS STIR DEBATE BY REJECTING POPULAR NEW HYMN BY BOB SMIETANA 2013 USA Today Fans of a beloved contemporary Christian hymn won t get any satisfaction in a new church hymnal. The committee putting together a new hymnal for the Presbyterian Church (USA) dropped the popular hymn In Christ Alone because the song s authors refused to change a phrase about the wrath of God. The original lyrics say that on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. The Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song wanted to substitute the words, the love of God was magnified. The song s authors, Stuart Townend and Nashville resident Keith Getty, objected. So the committee voted to drop the song. Critics say the proposed change was sparked by liberals wanting to take God s wrath out of the hymnal. The committee says there s plenty of wrath in the new hymnal. Instead, the problem is the word satisfied, which the committee says refers to a specific view of theology that it rejects. Debate over In Christ Alone is a mix of church politics, the touchy subject of updating hymn lyrics and rival views of what Jesus death on the cross meant. The decision to drop the hymn wasn t made lightly, said Mary Louise Bringle, a religion professor and hymnwriter who chaired the hymnal committee. It was complicated by a foul-up with the rights for the song. Committee members had found a version of the hymn with the alternate text in the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, a Baptist hymnal published in They assumed the songwriters already had agreed to the change. We had every reason to think that this was an authorized text because it appeared in a recent hymnal, Bringle said.

8 When it asked for permission to use the song, the committee learned that the song s authors hadn t approved the change. Capitol CMG Publishing, which manages rights for In Christ Alone, said it is working with the hymnal s publisher to fix the problem. Neither Getty nor the Celebrating Grace publisher was available for comment. We respect our songwriters and the integrity of their lyrics, and the intent of our request was to ensure the song retains the original lyrics as written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, Capitol said in a prepared statement. Celebrating Grace Inc. is cooperating fully and is taking steps to make the correction in all distributed copies of the song, including the Celebrating Grace Hymnal. That left the committee in a bind, Bringle said. The Presbyterians new Glory to God hymnal, due out this fall, includes songs such as O Sacred Head Now Wounded, which talk about substitutionary atonement the idea that Jesus took the place of sinners on the cross. It also includes songs about God s wrath. People think that we ve taken the wrath of God out of the hymnal, Bringle said. That s not the case. It s all over the hymnal. The issue was the word satisfied. That term was used by the medieval theologian Anselm, who argued that sins offended God s honor, and someone had to die in order to satisfy his honor. The 15-member committee rejected Anselm s view and voted 9-6 to drop the hymn. ~ Amazing Facts ~ It is against the law to bathe less than once a year in Kentucky; to doze off under a hair dryer in Florida; to detonate a nuclear weapon within Chico, California, city limits (which carries a punishment of $500); to pawn dentures in Las Vegas; to whistle underwater in Vermont; or to put a skunk in your boss desk in Michigan. Two headedness can occur in all animals, but the lifespan is typically short. The reason is that each head tends to work independently of the other, controlling its own side of the body and thus creating disunity and confusion. Unless one head takes primary control, two-headed creatures will die from starvation and indecision!

9 ~ Bulletin Puzzle No. 12 ~ Here is a verse from the Bible in code. Each letter matches a number. As you discover a letter, write that letter in all the places with the same number. Two Letters have already been revealed for you. Use the letter checker to place the letters so that you don't double up. Write your answer in the section provided : Letter Checker Letters Used: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The revealed verse is:

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11 ~ Weekly Devotional Message ~ August 17th To Avoid Doctrinal Errors And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:15, 16 The Lord will certainly do great things for us if we will hunger and thirst after righteousness. We are the purchased property of Jesus Christ. We must not lose our devotion, our consecration. We are in conflict with the errors and delusions that have to be swept away from the minds of those who have not acted upon the light they already have. Bible truth is our only safety. I know and understand that we are to be established in the faith, in the light of the truth given us in our early experience. At that time one error after another pressed in upon us, and ministers and doctors brought in new doctrines. We would search the Scriptures with much prayer and the Holy Spirit would bring the truth to our minds. Sometimes whole nights would be devoted to searching the Scriptures and earnestly asking God for guidance. Companies of earnest, devoted men and women assembled for this purpose. The power of God would come upon me and I was enabled clearly to define what is truth and what is error. As the points of our faith were thus established, our feet were placed upon a solid foundation. We accepted the truth point by point under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. I would be taken off in vision and explanations would be given me. I was given illustrations of heavenly things and of the sanctuary, so that we were placed where light was shining on us in clear, distinct rays. All these truths are immortalized in my writings. The Lord never denies His Word. Men may get up scheme after scheme, and the enemy will seek to seduce souls from the truth, but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days.--manuscript Release 760, pp. 22, 23. (Maranatha Ye Shall Receive Power Ellen G White - page 238)

12 ~ Sabbath Services ~ Service This Week Next Week August 17th August 24th Divine Service Alain Binette Dudley House Sabbath School Tony Bates Chen Lee Duty Deacons Tony Bates Peter Roberts ~ Sunset Times ~ Sunset Sabbath (Tonight) 5:58 pm Sunset Next Friday 6:03 pm This Week: Next Week: ~ Church Offering ~ Local Church Budget Local Church Budget August 18th - August 31st 2013 ~ Church Cleaning ~ Coral Davis September 1st - September 14th 2013 Bates Family ~ Garden Maintenance ~ August 18th - August 31st 2013 Trevor Aisbett September 1st - September 14th 2013 Tony Bates ~ Church Website ~ Website : Hamilton.sda.church@gmail.com - Contact Details - Pastor Justin Bone